Nikon D4S vs Nikon D780
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| NikonD4S | NikonD780 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | March 2014 | January 2020 |
| Image and sensor | ||
| Camera type | DSLR | DSLR |
| Sensor format | Full frame | Full frame |
| Sensor type | CMOS | Backside-illuminated CMOS |
| Sensor dimensions | 36 × 23.9 mm | 35.9 × 23.9 mm |
| Effective resolution | 16.2 MP | 24.5 MP |
| Largest image | 4928 × 3280 | 6048 × 4024 |
| RAW recording | Yes | Yes |
| Standard ISO range | 100–25600 | 100–51200 |
| 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 | 25.28 million total pixels; sensor cleaning and image-dust-off reference data |
| 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 | 12/14-bit NEF RAW with lossless or ordinary compression; JPEG and RAW plus JPEG |
| ISO detail | Expanded equivalents ISO 50–409600; Auto ISO | Expandable to equivalent ISO 50–204800; Auto ISO available |
| Image processor | EXPEED 4; Advanced Scene Recognition System | EXPEED 6 |
| Lens and shooting | ||
| Lens mount | Nikon F mount | Nikon F mount |
| Stabilisation | Optical lens stabilisation | Optical lens stabilisation |
| Maximum continuous burst | 11 fps | 12 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 | F-mount G/E/D, supported AF, P and AI non-CPU lenses with restrictions; DX lenses use a crop; non-AI, IX and F3AF lenses unsupported |
| 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 | Viewfinder Advanced Multi-CAM 3500II phase detection with 51 points, 15 cross-type and 11 supporting f/8. Live-view hybrid phase/contrast detection provides 273 FX still-image single-point positions and eye detection. UK/Japan sensitivity −3 EV viewfinder, −5 EV live view or −7 EV low-light AF under maker conditions; US launch prose's −4 EV viewfinder claim conflicts with exact specs. |
| Shutter | 1/8000 to 30 seconds, Bulb and Time; flash sync 1/250 second | Mechanical, electronic front-curtain and electronic shutters; 1/8000 to 30 seconds, Bulb and Time; manual-mode extension to 900 seconds. Flash sync 1/200 second with compatible Auto FP support. |
| 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 | Up to 7 fps through the optical viewfinder; silent live view up to 12 fps with 12-bit RAW or 8 fps with 14-bit RAW. Low-speed 1–6 fps viewfinder or 1–3 fps live view; quiet continuous 3 fps. Reduced-resolution movie-frame still captures at up to 120 fps are separate from full-resolution continuous shooting. |
| Stabilisation detail | Optical VR depends on the lens; no sensor-shift stabilisation | No sensor-shift stabilisation; optical VR depends on the attached lens; electronic movie VR available |
| Flash | No built-in flash; hot shoe and threaded PC sync terminal; optical Nikon CLS with compatible external Speedlights | No built-in flash; ISO 518 hot shoe and compatible external i-TTL Speedlights; optional AS-15 provides a flash-sync terminal |
| 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 | Auto, P/S/A/M, effects and U1/U2 settings; ±5 EV still-image or ±3 EV movie compensation; 180K-pixel RGB viewfinder metering sensor |
| Video | ||
| Highest video resolution | 1920 × 1080 at 60 fps | 3840 × 2160 at 29.97 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 | UHD 3840 × 2160 at 29.97/25/23.976p without extra FX crop, oversampled from 6K sensor data; Full HD up to 119.88p and separate silent slow-motion modes. H.264 MOV/MP4; limit 29 minutes 59 seconds. 10-bit N-Log and HLG require an external HDMI recorder and cannot simultaneously record that output to the camera card. UK prose's DX 50/60p statement does not mean UHD 50/60p; exact maker UHD table tops out at 30p. |
| Audio | Built-in mono microphone; 3.5 mm stereo microphone input and headphone output; adjustable sensitivity; linear PCM; photograph voice memos | Built-in stereo microphones, external 3.5 mm microphone input and headphone output; PCM or AAC depending on file format; microphone attenuator |
| Screen and viewfinder | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical | Optical |
| Screen size | 3.2″ | 3.2″ |
| Screen dots | 921,000 | 2,359,000 |
| Touchscreen | – | Yes |
| Tilting screen | – | Yes |
| 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 | Approximately 100% coverage, 170° viewing angle and vertical tilt; maker UK states 2359K dots, Japan rounds to approximately 2.36 million; 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 | Pentaprism, approximately 100% FX coverage, 0.7× magnification with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity, 21 mm eyepoint and −3 to +1 dioptre adjustment |
| Connections and design | ||
| Wi-Fi | – | Yes |
| Bluetooth | – | Yes |
| Battery life (maker's claim) | 3020 photographs | 2260 photographs |
| Body weight | 1180 g | 755 g (better) |
| 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 | Nikon US announced on 6 January 2020 and specified availability in late January; global announcement dated 7 January. Main uses the confirmed month without inferring a UK retail day. |
| 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 | Two UHS-II SD/SDHC/SDXC slots; overflow, backup, RAW/JPEG separation and card copying |
| 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 | USB-C SuperSpeed USB, mini HDMI Type C, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets, accessory terminal for MC-DC2; optional WT-7 provides network connectivity |
| 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 | Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.2; SnapBridge |
| Battery life detail | EN-EL18a rechargeable battery; approximately 3020 CIPA photographs | EN-EL15b; approximately 2260 CIPA single-frame shots or 4570 shots under Nikon's separate continuous-shooting test; approximately 95 minutes of movie recording. EN-EL15a/15 compatibility with restrictions; EN-EL15c may be supplied. |
| Charging | External MH-26a charger; optional EH-6b adapter with EP-6 power connector | In-camera charging with EN-EL15b and optional EH-7P; external MH-25a charger. Optional AC adapter and EP-5B power connector. |
| Dimensions | Approximately 160 × 156.5 × 90.5 mm | Approximately 143.5 × 115.5 × 76 mm |
| Weight detail | Approximately 1180 g body only; 1350 g with battery and XQD card, excluding body cap and accessory-shoe cover | Approximately 755 g body only or 840 g including battery and SD card, excluding body cap |
| Materials | – | Weather-sealed magnesium alloy construction; maker operating range 0–40°C |
| 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 | EN-EL15-series battery, MH-25a charger, UC-E24 USB cable, AN-DC21 strap, BF-1B body cap, DK-5 eyepiece cap and DK-31 eyecup; battery revision may vary |
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