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Nikon D4S · Nikon USA front photograph with a lens; lens is not part of body specifications
What reviewers say
Both praise responsiveness, handling, autofocus and image quality. Photography Blog sees useful refinements over D4 rather than a major leap, criticising the price, AF controls and then-limited XQD support. Shutterbug's tests favour low-light tracking, noise control and video, but find some oversaturated colours and aggressive sharpening; it also misses integrated wireless, GPS and a movable screen.
From photographyblog.com and shutterbug.com
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specImage and sensor
- Camera type
- DSLR
- Sensor format
- Full frame
- Sensor type
- CMOS
- Sensor dimensions
- 36 × 23.9 mm
- Effective resolution
- 16.2 MP
- Largest image
- 4928 × 3280
- RAW recording
- Yes
- Standard ISO range
- 100–25600
- Sensor detail
- Japan states 16.23 million effective and 16.61 million total pixels, rounded to 16.2 million effective globally; sensor-cleaning system. FX, 1.2×, DX and 5:4 areas; maximum cropped sizes 4096 × 2720, 3200 × 2128 and 4096 × 3280 respectively
- Image formats
- 12-bit or 14-bit NEF RAW with lossless compression, compression or no compression; TIFF RGB, JPEG and RAW plus JPEG. RAW S uses one-quarter of full-size pixels, with 12-bit uncompressed files; some in-camera RAW editing functions unavailable for RAW S
- ISO detail
- Expanded equivalents ISO 50–409600; Auto ISO
- Image processor
- EXPEED 4; Advanced Scene Recognition System
Lens and shooting
- Lens mount
- Nikon F mount
- Stabilisation
- Optical lens stabilisation
- Maximum continuous burst
- 11 fps
- Lens detail
- Compatible G/E/D AF NIKKOR lenses, subject to PC lens restrictions; body autofocus motor for compatible screw-drive lenses. Non-CPU AI lenses support aperture-priority/manual; non-AI, IX and F3AF lenses unsupported; DX lenses use the DX image area
- Autofocus
- Advanced Multi-CAM 3500FX; 51 points including 15 cross-type; 11 points support f/8, with only the centre point cross-type at f/8. Detection to -2 EV; single-point, dynamic 9/21/51, 3D tracking, five-point Group-area and auto-area; AF fine-tuning; separate landscape/portrait sub-selectors
- Shutter
- 1/8000 to 30 seconds, Bulb and Time; flash sync 1/250 second
- Burst detail
- Approximately 11 fps with full AF/AE tracking under Nikon's AF-C, S/M, 1/250-second-or-faster test conditions; low-speed continuous approximately 1–10 fps
- Stabilisation detail
- Optical VR depends on the lens; no sensor-shift stabilisation
- Flash
- No built-in flash; hot shoe and threaded PC sync terminal; optical Nikon CLS with compatible external Speedlights
- Exposure controls
- P/S/A/M; 91000-pixel RGB metering with 3D Colour Matrix Metering III, centre-weighted and spot modes; ±5 EV compensation; Active D-Lighting
Video
- Highest video resolution
- 1920 × 1080 at 60 fps
- Video detail
- H.264 MOV at Full HD 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p, 720p 60p/50p or 640 × 424 at 30p/25p; actual NTSC rates 59.94/29.97/23.976. FX, DX and native 1920 × 1080 crop modes, the latter limited to 30p/25p/24p; maximum clip 29 minutes 59 seconds, with 20/10-minute limits depending on mode and quality. Contrast-detection AF-S/AF-F, Auto ISO in manual exposure, index marking, time-lapse exposure smoothing and simultaneous memory-card/HDMI recording
- Audio
- Built-in mono microphone; 3.5 mm stereo microphone input and headphone output; adjustable sensitivity; linear PCM; photograph voice memos
Screen and viewfinder
- Viewfinder
- Optical
- Screen size
- 3.2″
- Screen dots
- 921,000
- Display detail
- Fixed TFT with 170° viewing angle, approximately 100% coverage, automatic brightness and custom colour adjustment. Global announcement gives approximately 921000 dots, while Japan rounds approximately 920000; dots count subpixels
- Viewfinder detail
- Pentaprism; approximately 100% FX, 97% 1.2×/DX, and 100% vertical/97% horizontal for 5:4; 0.7× magnification with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity; 18 mm eyepoint; grid overlay; revised mirror mechanism reduces blackout
Connections and design
- Battery life (maker's claim)
- 3020 photographs
- Body weight
- 1180 g
- Release detail
- Nikon Japan records sale on 6 March 2014. Nikon's global announcement explicitly describes D4S as the next-generation flagship successor to D4
- Recording media
- One XQD slot and one CompactFlash Type I UDMA slot; overflow, backup, separate RAW/JPEG and card copying. Type II CompactFlash and Microdrive unsupported
- Ports
- Hi-Speed USB, mini-HDMI Type C, 3.5 mm microphone/headphone sockets, RJ-45 Ethernet with 10/100/1000BASE-T support, ten-pin accessory terminal, PC sync and WT-5 expansion connector
- Wireless connections
- No integrated Wi-Fi or GPS; optional WT-5/WT-4 provides wireless network transfer and browser-based remote operation. Optional GP-1/GP-1A or MC-35 connects GPS equipment; WR-R10 requires WR-A10 adapter
- Battery life detail
- EN-EL18a rechargeable battery; approximately 3020 CIPA photographs
- Charging
- External MH-26a charger; optional EH-6b adapter with EP-6 power connector
- Dimensions
- Approximately 160 × 156.5 × 90.5 mm
- Weight detail
- Approximately 1180 g body only; 1350 g with battery and XQD card, excluding body cap and accessory-shoe cover
- In the box
- EN-EL18a battery, MH-26a charger, UC-E15 USB cable, AN-DC11 strap, BF-1B body cap, BS-2 shoe cover, DK-17 eyepiece, BL-6 battery cover, USB/HDMI clips, UF-2 stereo cable cover and ViewNX 2 CD-ROM
Pros and cons
Pros
- Full-resolution 11 fps shooting with autofocus and exposure tracking
- Integrated vertical grip and illuminated controls
- Gigabit Ethernet and separate XQD/CompactFlash slots
Cons
- Wireless networking requires an optional transmitter
- Fixed screen and contrast-detection live-view autofocus
- Large body weighing 1180 g before battery and card
Closest rivals
Model | Type | Sensor | Megapixels | Lens | Video | Body weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSLR | Full frame | 24.3 | Nikon F mount | 1920 × 1080 at 60 fps | 750 g | Sept 2014 | |
| DSLR | Full frame | 36.3 | Nikon F mount | 1920 × 1080 at 60 fps | 880 g | Jul 2014 | |
| DSLR | Full frame | 30.4 | Canon EF | 4096 × 2160 at 29.97 fps | 800 g | Sept 2016 |
Previous model: D4. Newer model: D5.
Sources
- nij.nikon.com/products/lineup/slr/d4s/spec.html
- nij.nikon.com/products/lineup/slr/d4s
- nikon.com/company/news/2014/0225_dslr_01
- nikonusa.com/p/d4s/1541/overview
Photo: Nikon USA front photograph with a lens; lens is not part of body specifications
- Supplied BF-1B body cap: Nikon official product photograph
- Supplied EN-EL18a battery: Nikon official product photograph
- Supplied BL-6 battery chamber cover: Nikon official product photograph
- D4S front right oblique with 58mm f/1.4G lens: Nikon official product photograph
- D4S front left oblique with 58mm f/1.4G lens: Nikon official product photograph
- D4S right side with 58mm f/1.4G lens: Nikon official product photograph
- D4S left side with 58mm f/1.4G lens: Nikon official product photograph
- D4S top with 58mm f/1.4G lens: Nikon official product photograph
- Supplied UF-2 terminal cover: Nikon official product photograph
- Supplied AN-DC11 strap: Nikon official product photograph
