Nikon D4S vs Nikon Df
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| NikonD4S | NikonDf | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | March 2014 | November 2013 |
| Image and sensor | ||
| Camera type | DSLR | DSLR |
| Sensor format | Full frame | Full frame |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor dimensions | 36 × 23.9 mm | 36 × 23.9 mm |
| Effective resolution | 16.2 MP | 16.2 MP |
| Largest image | 4928 × 3280 | 4928 × 3280 |
| RAW recording | Yes | Yes |
| Standard ISO range | 100–25600 | 100–12800 |
| 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 | FX CMOS with 16.2 million effective pixels USA/global or 16.25 million Japan; total 16.6 million USA or 16.61 million Japan. Nikon explicitly confirms the same image sensor as D4. Image Sensor Cleaning and Image Dust Off reference data; FX 4928 × 3280 and DX 3200 × 2128 |
| 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-bit or 14-bit NEF RAW, uncompressed, lossless-compressed or compressed; TIFF RGB, JPEG Fine/Normal/Basic with size-priority or optimal-quality compression and simultaneous RAW/JPEG. Adjustable/custom Picture Controls and in-camera RAW processing |
| ISO detail | Expanded equivalents ISO 50–409600; Auto ISO | Standard ISO 100–12800 in one-third stops; Lo expansion down to ISO 50 equivalent and Hi expansion up to ISO 204800 equivalent; automatic sensitivity control |
| Image processor | EXPEED 4; Advanced Scene Recognition System | EXPEED 3 |
| Lens and shooting | ||
| Lens mount | Nikon F mount | Nikon F mount |
| Stabilisation | Optical lens stabilisation | Optical lens stabilisation |
| Maximum continuous burst | 11 fps | 5.5 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 with body AF coupling and contacts; G/E/D, other AF and AI-P lenses with restrictions, non-CPU lenses and DX crop support. Collapsible metering lever allows compatible non-AI lenses; register focal length/maximum aperture and match camera aperture setting to lens ring for metering in A/M. IX and F3AF lenses excluded; Digital Camera World's all-mode AI metering wording should not be applied indiscriminately to non-CPU lenses |
| 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 | Multi-CAM4800 phase detection with 39 points, nine cross-type and seven central f/8-compatible points; -1 to +19 EV at ISO 100, 20°C. AF-S/AF-C, fine-tuning, single-point, dynamic nine/21/39, 3D tracking and auto-area. Live view uses contrast AF-S/AF-F and face/wide/normal/tracking areas; current USA AF-A listings conflict with Japan's modes and USA's own live-view AF-F table, while Photography Blog's 51-point dynamic description conflicts with maker 39 |
| Shutter | 1/8000 to 30 seconds, Bulb and Time; flash sync 1/250 second | Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter; mechanical dial selects 1/4000 to 4 seconds in whole stops, command dial extends to 30 seconds in one-third stops; Bulb and Time. X-sync 1/200 second, up to 1/250 with reduced flash range |
| 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 | Approximately 5.5 fps full-resolution continuous high or 1–5 fps continuous low; USA conditions specify manual focus, M/S, 1/250 second or faster and other settings at defaults. Quiet single-frame, mirror-up and configurable self-timer; Photography Blog's quiet-continuous 3 fps claim conflicts with maker's listed release modes. Japan buffer table gives 100 Large Fine JPEGs or 29 lossless-compressed 14-bit RAW frames at ISO 100 with SanDisk SDSDXPA-008G-J35 SDHC and specified settings; Digital Camera World's 37 RAW 14-bit claim differs |
| Stabilisation detail | Optical VR depends on the lens; no sensor-shift stabilisation | VR depends on attached lens; no sensor-shift stabilisation |
| Flash | No built-in flash; hot shoe and threaded PC sync terminal; optical Nikon CLS with compatible external Speedlights | No built-in flash; external i-TTL Speedlights, hot shoe and ISO 519 PC sync terminal, compatible Auto FP up to 1/4000. Current USA flash-control text mentions a nonexistent built-in flash, while Photography Blog denies the PC terminal despite listing it elsewhere; Japan explicitly confirms the 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 | P/S/A/M; 2016-pixel RGB matrix, centre-weighted and spot metering; ±3 EV compensation, exposure/flash and white-balance bracketing; two-exposure HDR, interval timer and dual-axis virtual horizon. Mechanical exposure dials remain readable when powered off |
| 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 | Still-image camera with live view; no movie 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 | Optical |
| Screen size | 3.2″ | 3.2″ |
| Screen dots | 921,000 | 921,000 |
| Touchscreen | – | No |
| Tilting screen | – | No |
| 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 | Fixed 3.2-inch TFT, approximately 921000 dots USA or 920000 Japan; 170° viewing angle and approximately 100% coverage, adjustable brightness and top status LCD |
| 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 or 97% DX, 0.7× magnification with 50mm f/1.4 at infinity, 15 mm eyepoint, grid and depth-of-field preview |
| Connections and design | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | 3020 photographs | 1400 photographs |
| Body weight | 1180 g | 710 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 | November 2013 release month; Nikon Japan records actual sale on 28 November, with global announcement dated 5 November. The regional day does not establish earliest worldwide sale; Digital Camera World's introductory 2014-vintage wording differs from maker's 2013 release |
| 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 | One SD/SDHC/SDXC slot with UHS-I in the battery compartment |
| 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 | Hi-Speed USB, mini HDMI Type C, PC sync and accessory terminal for MC-DC2 cable release, WR-1/WR-R10 remote or GP-1/GP-1A GPS; shutter button accepts a traditional threaded cable release |
| 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 | No built-in Wi-Fi or GPS; optional WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter and GP-1/GP-1A GPS. Photography Blog's WU-1b wording conflicts with Nikon's WU-1a specification |
| Battery life detail | EN-EL18a rechargeable battery; approximately 3020 CIPA photographs | EN-EL14a, approximately 1400 CIPA shots; current USA also lists EN-EL14 compatibility |
| Charging | External MH-26a charger; optional EH-6b adapter with EP-6 power connector | External MH-24 charger; optional EH-5b AC adapter with EP-5A connector |
| Dimensions | Approximately 160 × 156.5 × 90.5 mm | Approximately 143.5 × 110 × 66.5 mm |
| Weight detail | Approximately 1180 g body only; 1350 g with battery and XQD card, excluding body cap and accessory-shoe cover | Approximately 710 g body only; 765 g with battery and SD card, excluding body cap |
| Materials | – | Magnesium-alloy top, back and bottom covers; dust- and water-resistant sealing. Global maker specifies all three metal covers rather than only the top/back described by Digital Camera World |
| Colours | – | Silver or black |
| 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-EL14a, MH-24, UC-E6 USB cable, AN-DC9 strap, BF-1B body cap, BS-1 shoe cover, DK-26 eyepiece cap with cord and DK-17 eyepiece (Japan package) |
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