Nikon D4x

Elvishefer

After reading today's rumor update, I found myself thinking about the D4x more positively than I thought I would.

The specs for the camera are far from known at this point, but if the crumbs lead to truths, a pro body D4/D800e + sounds interesting.

I don't need D4 speed for sports, and D800 low light is already 'decent', so I'm thinking, is the D4x my next camera?

Anyone else chewing on the rumor with similar feelings?

donaldejose

I think a 36 or 50 mp D4x is a good idea as well as a 16 mp D4s as soon as Nikon can improve the high ISO of the D4 a stop or two. But I also think a 12 to 16 mp D400s and a 24 mp D400x would be a good idea. The D4 iterations will be too pricey for me but I could see myself picking up a D400 iteration. I hope the rumor about the D7000 replacement at 24 mp and 100 to 64000 native ISO serving also as the D300s replacement is not true.

SquamishPhoto

Not a thread about DX speculation.

Elvis, Im with you on this one. Fingers crossed its a revolutionary camera.

PB_PM

One of the interesting things mentioned was improved video features. I wonder if that could mean 4k video?

SkintBrit

One of the interesting things mentioned was improved video features. I wonder if that could mean 4k video?

Yes maybe 4K, I'm sure Nikon doesn't want Canon to have the option to themselves for too long. What would a D4s offer?

Msmoto

52 MP...mmmm..... File sizes.....
D800
Tiff (L) 108.2 MB
NEF Lossless compressed 14-bit 41.3 MB

On 52 MP sensor D4x
Tiff (L) 155 MB
NEF Lossless compressed 14-bit 59.2 MB
At 4 FPS, this must have a phenomenal buffer.....

Somehow, I find the D800 becoming more attractive. Or D800s....maybe the buffer from the D4x will allow 6-8 FPS on the D800 with "only" 36 MP

Tabazan

Either it generates stunning pics (largely better than D800's) , or is far cheaper than medium format. But I think "low-cost" medium format (Pentax 645D ?) begin to be very competitive against such high end "landscape" DSLR. Ok, that means change of lenses and so on, and I don't know enough about medium format to see if, say a D3x can compete, but the question is kept open.

I don't see the point though of a D4x except for flagship position. I haven't tried the D800 but I'm sure one can get very good material out of it, just as Canon 5DII could make it big at exhibitions (kinda twin brother of D800).

I'm certainly wrong and if Nikon releases the beast I'm sure they have good reasons. But there's a doubt ...

shawnino

Is it fair to say the D3x didn't sell well? (Don't know, but have my suspicions.)
If the D3x did not sell well, was price the issue or was it something else?

donaldejose

I have always heard that the D3x did not sell well because of its high price. If Nikon can offer a D4x for a few hundred dollars more than a D4 (which they could to if they use the same sensor in the D800 with some software tweaks) it would be a strong seller. If Nikon has to develop a totally new sensor for the D4x price would likely have to be more than a few hundred dollars higher than the D4 which would inhibit sales. But if Nikon is using the same sensor as in the D800 why not just buy a D800 for half the price? Hopefully, Nikon will find a way to significantly advance sensor performance over the D800 and still keep price to a few hundred dollars over a D4. It will be interesting to see what Nikon can do.

sevencrossing

One of the interesting things mentioned was improved video features. I wonder if that could mean 4k video?

This makes sense
This is Nikons answer to the EOS-1D C

Blinkingeye

Msmoto:

I agree with your figures. Those figures are comparable with what comes off the Hasselblad 60Mpix sensor.

I also agree that computational power and buffer depth will need to increase dramatically. Hardware-wise that is a fairly simple fix, but it is the managing heat inside a waterproof case where part of the trouble starts.

spraynpray

The magnesium chassis can be pressed into service as a heatsink which will slow the build-up of heat, but it would need to have no insulating barrier between it and the air for at least part of its area.

JuanValdez

If the rumor regarding 36MP at 6fps is true and they can improve the ISO performance half a stop or a full stop over the D800, it will be a real winner for wildlife. If the frame rate jumps to 10fps in DX mode it will be a single body for everything, 36MP for landscapes and four legged wildlife, 16MP DX for birds in flight. Awesome. Assuming one can take out a loan...

donaldejose

Thom Hogan is suggesting today that a 48mp is possible for the D5 sensor. If so, a 36mp D4x doesn't seem too large.

http://bythom.com/

Golf007sd

Well it has been a full year since Nikon announced the D4 (Jan 6, 2012) and we are in the month that consumers officially got their hands on it; one can speculate that if Nikon stays true, given the manner in which they announced and released the D3 line of bodies, we should start to hear something from them soon. As for the spec's of what the new name would be or features, I would assume it to have a higher MP, with higher buffer, ISO will most likely stay the same, given that it this body would be targeted toward landscape and nature photographers specifically, two XQD card slots to keep up with the write speed. Built in WIFI and GPS would be a nice touch as well.

PB_PM

To add built in WIFI and GPS would mean a new body. Why? The metal frame would block the signals too much.

Chuckv

Ya' know, I've had a lot of Nikons, F100, D100, D300, D700, P7000, D7000, and the D4. I still have all but the D300 and the D7000, and I miss having them! Point being...... I still took some great pictures with all of them! Not to say though that all the pictures were great!!! :-)

kyoshinikon

To add built in WIFI and GPS would mean a new body. Why? The metal frame would block the signals too much.

Where is it on the D600? The D4x may be a D4 on megapixel steroids and It wouldnt surprise me if Nikon tried to put 4k in it and 60fps at 1080p so it can go head to head with canons 1Dc. Either way Im guessing it will run $10,000 of our us dollars... The D4 was $1100 more than the D3s so there is no question that the D4 will be higher than the D3x...

PB_PM

The D600 does not have WIFI or GPS built in. The Canon 6D is currently the only DSLR that has built in WIFI and GPS.

JWilson

Well, as a Canon shooter who was enticed to add Nikon back to the equipment list when the D800 was released, I can tell you that 10K for a 50 something MP body with video capability. A quick comparison with the Hasselblad at $49,000 for a body/back/lens, and no video, makes that rumored Nikon look like a bargain. The D800 at $2995.00 was the deal of the decade.

Nikon is coming on strong after years of trailing Canon. I think their innovation and pricing is aimed at settling that conflict for good. They just might roll that camera out at 8 grand, and have it on the street within 60 days of it's announcement. That would be another substantial feather in their collective caps.

PB_PM

@JWilson exactly. It is the same reason the D3x was so expensive when it came out.

Paperman

Sorry if this has been discussed before .

Is it totally absurd to expect from Nikon a high end DSLR with pixel binning capability ? A 36 Mp sensor which can be switched to 16-18 Mp ( not DX crop ) when necessary for better ISO performance and fps speed ? Or am I wrong in thinking that pixel binning will help ISO performance ?

Imagine a 36 Mp D4x turning itself into a D4s when needed... That will justify an $8k price tag - pay 1 DSLR, get second one free :-)

PB_PM

You can do that with any camera, it's called down sampling in post.

As to the second part. That doesn't work, since the noise is created at the pixel level. Reducing the number of pixels used on the sensor would do nothing different than what you can do in post.

TaoTeJared

Paperman that should be on it's own thread and not hijack this one.

I'm kind of blown away that anyone thinks the rumored specs (36mp & 6fps) is something great. The only thing it really adds is the connectivity the D4 has (which would be very nice) but I'm not sure it is worth $2,500. Might be to some though. The UT-1 Communication Unit with WT-5A is the D800 accessory that give the same capability and it goes for $1,200. It is an awkward looking device but if that is what you are looking for a studio system, I'm not sure it makes a difference.

Considering how lackluster the D3x went over, and how great the D3s sold, I think doing the latter would be the smarter move for sales. If they came out with a 24mp with the same ISO of the D4 that would be a good upgrade that I could see many adopting. Especially those who kept the D3s if they thought 16mp was not a compelling reason to move.

I recall seeing a 42mp, 45mp, 48mp, 52mp, 56mp and a 58mp sensor designs from Sony. Maybe they will try to hit the medium format resolutions.

Elvishefer

It's interesting to look at the D4x from the perspective of:

"What would Nikon have to put in the camera to justify an $8k price tag."

I agree that the D3x fell short of reasonable value expectations for most. Maybe 24MP wasn't the huge leap in tech Nikon assumed it would be.

But what if the D4 went to 42MP+ as TTJ suggests?

$8k worthy?

Not quite?

42MP + and 4k video?

Would that be an $8k bargain?

sevencrossing

The 4 K Canon EOS1DC is £10,000
a Leaf 40mp back £15,000