D4 - here it comes

[richardb]

Gosh it is almost 6000 US$

[Wayne]

I just picked up a D3s for a ridiculous price, so no D4 for me now until I see some proof of it's performance, and then I may sell off the D700 to partly fund the D4.

[Lance B]

Yep. I sure hope the D800 is 36Mp and has as good (or better!) high ISO of the D700 and DR of the D7000. I can then use the D800 for birding and sell off my D7000 as I can crop the D800 to the same size as the D7000 for the same pixel density!

[Lance B]

Nikon currently have one of the best camera body lineups available, with the D7000, D300s(and it's successor will be complementary) and the D700(same deal with successor), D3s(as D4 has shown) and D3x.

This low light version has its place in the lineup same as D3/D3s was, so this gives Nikon the room to add a D4x, with it's 30+ Mp to satisfy pixel peeping people.

I can't see any reason for Nikon not to stay with the current(old) lineup they've had for the past 2-3 years.

Problem child, in a sense, is the D700! If it goes with a higher res sensor, and hence less low ability then they lose the ability to slot in a D4x, which would give them a higher turnover count.
Question is, will they still give us a 5DmkIII competitor and do a standard D800 based either on this sensor or even the D3s sensor plus better video ability than it had in the D3s.

I'd be more than happy with an incremental increase to 16Mp, as long as light gathering ability is the priority.

I reckon there'd be room in their lineup for both a D800(my type of camera) and a D800x for those that need the higher Mp count.

My real problem is ... where on Earth am I going to find $6K!

I think youi'll find that the D800 will have at least as good high ISO ability as the D700, yet the DR ability of the D7000, so a win win situation. In otherwords, you will not be getting anything less than the D700 with regards to high ISO and DR, but with the added benefit of 36Mp and 100% VF and other advancements.

For people like me, a 36Mp D800 means that my D7000 is now redundant as a crop sensor camera for "reach" as when I crop the D800 to D7000 APS C size, the pixel count is the same.

[arthurking83]

I think(judging by Nikon's typical pricing philosophy) that if the D800 has 36Mp, and a 100% viewfinder it'll be too expensive to compete against the 5DMkIII, if that camera stays at a similar spec level to the current model .... and also against any new Sony full frame sensor cameras too.

It'll also fill in a gap where a future D4x type model would slot in nicely ... which must surely reap in huge profit for Nikon on a unit basis.

A higher res D800 would be a marketing nightmare for Nikon with no room for movement above the D4, and a huge hole below that as well.
I couldn't see a 36Mp D800 coming in below about US$5K, which would still leave the D700 as the fill in between D400 and D800 .. otherwise a massive price gap!

It'll ruin and otherwise very workable(current) lineup.
One thing that this line up could have done with is a D700x tho!
Closer although still lower than the D3s in price terms for those that wanted a higher res sensor but didn't need the super pro body type.

If you want super high res imaging solution, then Dx is always the way to go .. and a D400 is likely to be the best option in the immediate future, which will have a higher pixel density than a 36Mp Fx sensor.

Anyhow, we'll know soon enough what's on the horizon .. hopefully next week.

From what I've seen of D4 ISO25600 images, they look clean(and this is still early days yet) and possibly 1 stop cleaner than the D3s was, in terms of colour noise on a black area.
Looked very good.

[swifty]

FWIW, my feeling is that a D800 will be as the rumours suggests. 36MP and come in around $4500 USD intro price.
It will exceed the D3x in most of its paper specs, just as the D7000 has done so over the D300s. I don't think the 5D3 will be a direct competitor at all. A 5D3 will be in a lower price bracket and specced accordingly.
In this scenario though, of course there's a massive price gap to the next Nikon model. Whether this gap will be filled by an FX or DX (or both), I'm not sure. D700 may continue to be sold, with a possible 's' or 'x' update or no update at all.
But this raises another question of the number of pro body lines that are being made.
Where are all the pro bodies being made now? Sendai, Malaysia?
Assuming the factories are still only tooled for 2 pro lines and if the leaked D800 bodies are to be believed, a D700 or D700-like update has either already been produced and stockpiled or a lower end FX will be in a D800-like body.
Then there's the sensor question. What sensor might be in an imaginary lower end FX?
Too many questions I know, and going a bit offtopic.

Back to the D4. Looks great. Very 1Dx like and both will be go toe-to-toe in the field, with each having a slight edge in certain categories I reckon.
Specs look very much targeted for speed and workflow. Far fewer switchers this round.

[knumbnutz]

I know we always say spec's are close or less/better than the other brands version and we do comparo's and reviews, but seriously, unless there were huge differences - no one will changes their system anyhow.
I dont believe many users even changed to canon because the 5dm2 did video so well, especially when you could buy a dedicated video cam for under $1500.
Now that nikon has released a full featured video/slr cam their is no reason to jump and the same applies to canon.
Its really how many $$$ you are prepared to spend and whether your current equip no longer meets your demand.

So, how many pro photogs were willing to jump before this cam because their current camera didnt have the goods that this camera does ?
( because the the other mob did have the right camera.)

and finally, now this camera is released, how many will buy because it has what they "need" (not to be confused with WANT) ?