On April 1, 2008 – no joke – I was sitting with my buddy John in a small bar in St. Georg and tenderly caressed our new cameras. We shot completely pointlessly in candlelight and 1/100s just to try out ISO25600. What do you think we're going to shoot this time, just to try out ISO two hundred thousand something? Can the human eye even see anything anymore...?
In any case, the €5000 invested back then for the D3 was money very well spent. This camera is simply a wonderful tool, because the limit for good pictures is only set by the photographer behind it. The camera is no longer an excuse for bad pictures.
Now my D3 has almost 350000 releases under its belt and after 4 years I can try something new again. I am pleased that there is now a successor. The Nikon D4. Of course I will buy them. Even if one or two things bother me: there are still no autofocus measuring fields in the outer sensor field, two different card systems, one of which isn't even on the market yet. The evolution of camera technology has brought many positive points: even better and faster autofocus, even better high-ISO noise behavior, but ISO50 is also possible, larger buffer, faster processor, ...
All data is available on the Nikon website - where else. And download the brochure: especially the picture of Bill Frakes at ISO12800 is impressive. And Joe McNally writes in his blog about his experiences with the D4. And Nikon Asia has a video on YouTube that was shot with the D4.
It remains exciting...
Well, that's great. At least until the D4s comes out. Or the D5. Or never mind. That fascinates me too, but on the other hand I'm very tired of the ever new sensations - and the inevitable price increases that come with them. 16MP is great, as is the video feature. But the latest rumors suggest a street price of just under €6.000. That's a whopping €1.300 more than I paid for the D3 as an early adopter. The D3 is now just 4 years old and (apart from a broken shutter) has always worked perfectly - and will continue to do so. So why invest now and send a flawless and profitable working device into retirement? Will editors jump on the table because the detail in the shadows is now even better? Will the agencies rip my material out of my hands because the images measure 700 pixels more on the long edge? Rather not. The fact that Joe McNally is enthusiastic is a gift, he has to be. But I doubt very much that as a press photographer you will get one more job in real life because you bought a D4. The D2016 is coming in January 5 and then I have earned a few thousand euros with my D3, which are offset by no leasing payments, depreciation or other costs. And honestly – that sounds much more tempting than the data on the Nikon website 😉
Moin Peter,
I'm with you 100%, but I don't always take photos in beautiful halls. My D3 has really suffered over the last few years. But she will definitely continue to earn me money 😉
Exactly, beauty is overrated - everything on mine is crooked and crooked after various crashes 😉 But that's exactly what makes up for the price back then - it still works like it did on the first day...
Hey Stefan,
small correction to your article: for the picture of Bill Frakes it was (according to the brochure) ISO 12800, right?
anyway: Agree with you – nice thing that Nikon is throwing onto the market.
Thank you!
@ Peter
Yes, basically you are absolutely right to turn your mind back on for 5 minutes and think objectively.
For my part, I have already placed my binding pre-order since yesterday evening. But that's because I want to take a step forward and there is therefore no predecessor or other alternative.
Regardless of that, I think the D4 is more of an evolution than a revolution. All great things, but in my opinion they are a must for a camera from 2012. So I would have even hoped for one or two "one more thing".
Regardless, I can hardly wait until mid-February and I'm excited to see how the thing rocks.
Congratulations on the camera choice 🙂
Sure – if you don’t have a predecessor, that makes sense. There are still plenty of good used D3s with which you can take equally beautiful pictures for half the price, but I can understand if you'd rather buy something new. Good luck!
I'm curious whether the internal IPTC labeling can now finally be given a © copyright logo, I've been missing that so far, I know a tiny detail... 😉
Otherwise, I'm looking forward to your first impressions. 😀
…what do you think if we sit down in the same bar again on April 01.04.2012st, XNUMX? Assuming the delivery times don't throw a wrench in our calculations?
Gladly! 🙂
Hello Stefan and the D4 fan community, I am forced to get the D4 because I will be offering business film productions in the future and a second housing gives me more security at weddings and I can't imagine a model beyond the D4. A professional camcorder is probably out of the question because of the high purchase costs of bright optics. With my Nikkors I cover everything between 14-200mm at 2.8.
Since the price is beyond my budget, leasing is definitely an option for me...
I'm looking forward to this DSLR
We wish that we never run out of motifs and that our passion for photography always remains...
Sven Lucke
http://www.xpressphoto.de
If you don't need to film in high ISO, the D800 is an absolute alternative.