Nikon unveils ‘ultimate imaging machine’ with D4S

Available from 06 March at a retail price of £5200, the new D4S sports a redesigned 16.2-megapixel FX sensor and the Expeed 4 image processor. It has a burst rate of 11 frames per second at full resolution, and is protected by “a tough weather-sealed full metal body”, according to Nikon.

Hiro Sebata, professional product manager at Nikon UK, says: “The Nikon D4S follows the success of the D4 and brings with it a new level of performance designed to meet the needs of the most demanding photographers.

“Nikon engineers have taken on board valuable feedback from professional users in order to implement a wealth of improvements that will make all the difference to professionals working in the intensely competitive fields of sports, press and nature photography. Equipped to power ahead in the most challenging environments, the D4S ensures serious photographers stay ahead of the game.”

But by far the most important upgrade is in the camera’s low-light capabilities. The D4S has an ISO range of 100 to 25,600, extendable to 409,600. Nikon says: “A true master of the dark as well as of the light, sophisticated localised noise reduction, edge sharpening and tone control ensure the D4S delivers outstanding results in the kind of ‘dirty’ low-light conditions many sports and news photographers are confronted with.”

The D4S also had a new shutter and mirror mechanism that is said to reduce mirror bounce and delivers what Nikon describes as “a stable viewfinder image with minimal viewfinder blackout when shooting at high speeds.” It also has a Gigabit 100/1000TX Ethernet port, a Multi-CAM3500FX 51-point autofocus system, a new Group Area AF mode and an anti-reflective 3.2-inch LCD monitor.

For more details, visit the Nikon website