Nikon D4S announced.

[TheAnimus]

http://www.nikon.com/news/2014/0225_dslr_01.htm

Based on the D4, the D4S responds more completely to the demands of professional photographers with revisions to a number of features and functions, including AF performance, image quality, workflow and operation, and movie recording, adopted after running a variety of simulations of the functions required by professional photographers who sometimes find themselves working under quite severe conditions.

Algorithms used by the AF system have been refined for greater accuracy and versatility demanded by professional photographers. Autofocus is initiated faster and is better able to acquire and track the intended subject, whether it enters the frame suddenly or takes up the entire frame for a more powerful composition. In addition to the four time-tested modes available with the D4 (Single-point AF, Dynamic-area AF, 3D-tracking, and Auto-area AF), the D4S offers a fifth AF-area mode known as Group-area AF (uses 5 focus points: one specified by the user, as well as one each above, below, to the left, and to the right of the selected focus point). This mode enables not only smoother autofocusing, but also a faster workflow with continuous shooting at approximately 11 fps* with AF and AE tracking.

*Measured according to CIPA guidelines. Value with shooting in AF-C autofocus mode, [S] or [M] exposure mode, shutter speed of 1/250 s or faster, all other settings at their default values.
The new EXPEED 4 image-processing engine, a new Nikon FX-format CMOS image sensor, and an effective pixel count of 16.2-million pixels enable capture of images that exhibit stunning sharpness, enhanced depth, and natural skin tones. A range of standard sensitivities from ISO 100 to ISO 25600 achieves images exhibiting sharper edges and smoother, more beautiful colors. The D4S also supports extended sensitivities as low as the equivalent of ISO 50 and as high as the equivalent of ISO 409600. What's more, the accuracy of auto white balance has been increased for clear color reproduction, even with shooting under difficult artificial lighting.

A number of other improvements have been adopted without compromise in consideration of the advanced demands of professional photographers. Among these are improved viewfinder visibility with a more stable viewfinder image during continuous shooting and a shorter viewfinder blackout time, as well as smoother operation with less stress from a redesigned grip and refined layout of operational buttons and controls. Communication speed has also been increased with 1000BASE-T support for wired LAN communication, making extremely fast image transfer possible. A RAW S Small (12-bit uncompressed RAW) setting has also been added for faster post-capture editing on a computer.

The D4S supports movie recording at a frame size of 1920 x 1080 with a frame rate of 50p or 60p. EXPEED 4 enables rich tone reproduction, with very little noise, throughout the entire range of standard sensitivities (ISO 200-25600). Movies recorded at a 1920 x 1080 crop setting exhibit especially sharp and clear picture quality. Changes in exposure are also better controlled for smoother transition between frames with recording of scenes in which brightness changes greatly, even with time-lapse movies.

[Funkstar]

So what's the thoughts on the rediculously high ISO then?

I'd love to see some shots taken at ISO 409,600. Not just to see what the quality is like, but also to see how dark you can go and still get a usable photograph.

And can you combine this high ISO with the uncompressed 1080p 60fps video? I'd love to see what kind of footage you could get with that, bugger having to use traditional night mode!

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

So what's the thoughts on the rediculously high ISO then?

I'd love to see some shots taken at ISO 409,600. Not just to see what the quality is like, but also to see how dark you can go and still get a usable photograph.

And can you combine this high ISO with the uncompressed 1080p 60fps video? I'd love to see what kind of footage you could get with that, bugger having to use traditional night mode!

I would be more interested on how the focusing would work properly!

[TheAnimus]

Funkstar I doubt it would be useful!

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/stud...76047904191617

Shows you the current D4, it really does a good job, easily beating the 5dmkIII, but what is interesting is that it isn't really one fstop better than you can get on a APS-C.

AFAIK they've not released any D4S pictures yet. But it is being billed as a minor improvement, rather than a big leap.

I think it is more just at the more reasonable 12,600 range say, it should be rather good.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

All these funky high ISOs are a moot point if the focusing is not up to scratch anyway,especially in low light situations.

[kalniel]

All these funky high ISOs are a moot point if the focusing is not up to scratch anyway,especially in low light situations.

Only if you're using auto-focus.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Only if you're using auto-focus.

I also doubt unless you are setting the camera to infinity,most people will have eyesight good enough to focus manually where 10000+ ISOs are required. You would need to at least use a wide aperture lens(probably wider than F2.8) unless you want the optical viewfinder to be even darker than it would be normally in low light.

Good enough focusing is going to be as important,as noise or camera shake in situations when you are handholding in low light. Plus OFC there is the other problem with the narrow plane of focus which wider aperture lenses and larger sensors also have.

[Funkstar]

Funkstar I doubt it would be useful!

How so?

We all know that at that kind of ISO, you aren't going to get printable images. However surely there is an agrument for having a device that can produce vaguely usable images in such poor lighting conditions.

What about for wildlife photography or filming? How many times have you watched a wildlife program that relies on really horrible "night vision" cameras to get some footage of some rare mountain goat. Wouldn't a D4S filming at full resolution at the highest ISO be better than green blobs and no background?

I'd just like to see what is possible. I saw some marketing footage for the Canon Cinema EOS line, and it showed footage at high ISO and no additional lighting at night and was stunning, no just the quality, but the posibilities that it opens up.

[TheAnimus]

I'll be honest, I also forgot that when processing for video, there are some extra steps you can do to remove certain kinds of noise.

But my point is, it is just one EV more than the D4S, if you are wanting very low light video, there are other techniques which would probably be better suited. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-CCD_camera etc.

However, I think it would be more likely to see better post production filtering to make noisier images usable.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

How so?

We all know that at that kind of ISO, you aren't going to get printable images. However surely there is an agrument for having a device that can produce vaguely usable images in such poor lighting conditions.

What about for wildlife photography or filming? How many times have you watched a wildlife program that relies on really horrible "night vision" cameras to get some footage of some rare mountain goat. Wouldn't a D4S filming at full resolution at the highest ISO be better than green blobs and no background?

I'd just like to see what is possible. I saw some marketing footage for the Canon Cinema EOS line, and it showed footage at high ISO and no additional lighting at night and was stunning, no just the quality, but the posibilities that it opens up.

In low light you tend to use techniques like these:

http://www.hownightvisionworks.com/

[j.o.s.h.1408]

are people expecting this camera to focus in pitch dark or something?

[TheAnimus]

No.

But for many circumstances in low light, contrast detect focusing is better than phase. (In most day circumstances, phase detect is much, much, much better).

However, you have to be using live view mode.

[j.o.s.h.1408]

Ah I see. The 1dx I believe has contrast and colour detection and the 6d can focus on - 3 ev apparently

[TheAnimus]

1dx can only go to 51,200, which is 3 ev less than the D4S. Now that doesn't mean much, but paperwise it would mean the contrast detect in the D4S should have better abilities.

The problem is contrast detection is just dog slow!

The 6D is kinda a gimped crap camera imsho. I think Canon didn't want to hurt the 5d sales. It's got only one cross phase focus point.. ONE! A £300 one has more. I'm not saying that you need many, just having one only isn't really going to cut the mustard. Hell I'd probably rather have only 3 if it was a choice between quality or points. But only 1...... Man.

http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-EOS-6D-vs-Pentax-K-3 I think the 6d is one of those products that is damaged by the other offerings the firm has, not wanting to get a reduction in the profit that is the 5d.

Now the reason I'm comparing it to the k-3, is the k-3 has some extra sensors calibrated for 2.8 rather than 5.6. This means that it can get more light to focus with on a fast lens.

The 6D focus point (notice singular, not plural!) EV is rated to -3EV, well the K-3 all of them are, 25 of them, with the boost at been able to be 2.8 will give you one more EV.

There is more to autofocus than just raw sensor metrics, lenses often being the weakpoint, but I think it is fair to say, that the 6D is an over priced piece of junk, crippled to keep the 5D selling, and the K-3 beats it in this aspect in every way

[ma9mwah2]

looks good, but its going ot be awhile before i have the means to upgrade my 2 D300s to Fullframe