Something must be cooking with all of the “new Nikon” rumors slating cameras for late-Summer. The most recent rumor comes from Nikon shooter Bryan Peterson, who is know by many for his great Understanding Exposure books.
Peterson posted on his Facebook account that he has an inside friend in the know, and that a pair of new Nikon full frame cameras will be announced by the end of September:
Two new Nikon’s-The D800, at 20MP, full frame, retail price of $2495.00 and Nikon DX-4, full frame at 19-20MP with a retail price of $5,000.00 and both will be announced by late September 2011!
Peterson went out of his way to assure his followers that this info is legit and that he’s never been on the rumor bandwagon before. I can only assume that the “DX-4” reference is a typo since “DX” is a designation for Nikon’s APS-C format lenses and sensors.
A Nikon D4 and D800 coming out side-by-side seems like a rather odd move considering that the D700 launched roughly nine months after the D3. Also, he didn’t mention the Nikon D400, which has previously been rumored to launch in August.
What do you the full frame users think about a dual launch of the D4 and D800? What would make you purchase the D4 over the D800 (or vice versa)?
[via Nikon Rumors]
I will purchase both maybe?? I have a D3s, D700, & a D7000 I have to see the specs 1st!
Do you also take pictures, or are you only showing? Why three different body’s, where one could do all?
I want it all too!! but I dont have any :(
You might just be one of the biggest douche bags EVER! Really unnecessary, greedy piggy that you are!!
Could Nikon be running hard to compete with Canon? It does seem that each release could enjoy its own splash into the market if done separately.
Agreeing with Greg that specs would decide one over the other, but that’s a hypothetical question for me at this point.
I’m curious to see how those releases would affect prices of the former models.
Perspective: A seller thinks the price of the former has tanked and a buyer thinks the price of the former is still too high!
I only know Canon professionals who wish they could afford to switch to Nikon, so I am not sure of the basis for your remark” Nikon Running ….hard to compete with Canon. I think Canon as great a platform, but leaves alot to be desired in high ISO noise reduction and ease of usage. Nikon clearly the leader in performance. Mega pixels mega schmixels!
the next products will be announced in august & will concern the D700 replacement with serious video spec & abilities to compete with canon & the launch of the nikon evil system.
ive got this info from the nikon guys in France & cant wait for my D800, im not interested in evil system yet,id love that nikon follow fuji way with the x100.
It will be interesting to see what Nikon and Canon do with regard to their “mirrorless” platforms. I think the X100 was a massive success for Fuji, so yes, I’m looking forward to see what’s next as well.
Your info re: the D800 is interesting as well. If you learn anything else, please feel free to drop me a line using the contact form: http://www.photographybay.com/tips/
As was explained on Nikon Rumors, the release of a Nikon D4 and D800 (both full frame cams) seems highly unlikely…
Nikon pretty much sticks to a strict time line when releasing camera body products. The Nikon D3 and D300 came out in August of 2007 and both are on a 4-year refresh cycle schedule. So a D4 and D400 is more likely to come out this August of 2011 which would be 4 years. And further, since the D700 came out in July 2008, and is also on a 4-year refresh cycle, then sometime in 2012 is more likely.
Additionally, releasing the D4 and D800 together would cannibalize the sales of the D4. Unless you got it like that and have the duckets to spend on the D4, most people would probably go for the cheaper priced D800 as opposed to the higher priced D4. It doesn’t make good business sense.
When Nikon releases a high end product (D4) they always wait a while before putting the same or similar design technology into a lower tier end product (D800).
Makes sense to me too BigRod. I remain a bit skeptical about the simultaneous release of the D4 and D800. It seems like the one-two punch for the D3 and D300s was a resounding success last time around. I’m just anxious to see what comes next though…
I just want IMAGE QUALITY….PERIOD
A 4 inch screen would also be great
I don’t see why a built in flash is considered ‘non pro’ on the D4..
I guess a lot of D700 users are silently happy with theirs, instead purchasing it only because of a cheaper D3 version..
I never needed the on camera flash, as I use fast glass and off cam speedlights. Almost all pros could use a little catchlite now and again but in a studio or multiple speedlight off cam lighting your goig to set the catchlite anyway. So I guess it would suffice to say the built in flash is a not so useful and unwanted (by some) added weight…………sorry, but I need the best light I can buy or wait for. It’s all about the shot and the shooter and not so much the camera or brand. Beside, I have seen some cell phone shots that I WOULD DIE TO HAVE TAKEN.
BEST ADVICE: Save up for some really fast glass, A SPEEDLIGHT and watch yourself grow!
Amen.
I agree; a D800/D4 simultaneously makes no sense. That said, I’d be a buyer of a D800 with in camera HDR, dual slots and an extra stop (or two) of dynamic range. I don’t need video.
I bought a D700 after testing it because of FABULOUS image quality.
See my review at http://www.photocrati.com/nikon-d700-review-field-test-report/
After long term use however, I realized that great quality is only part of what I want …. more pixels would be ideal!
The EOS 5D Mk II is on the right track … fabulous quality and far more pixels too.
I think a higher resolution version of the D700 would be great. The sooner the better.
I am waiting for 5D mark III launching.
If the specs are pretty much the same, weight (for me) will the deciding factor. My D3 gets really heavy after a full day shooting a wedding!
I don’t care, I just want to buy a D700 or D800 ASAP.
I have been waiting for ages for the price to go down as the Australian Dollar goes up, however the price went up instead. I hate that !
Then I will have the dilemma, grab a D700 going cheap, or pay too much as the D800 will most likely have a dip in price some short time after it comes out. I am busting to get the D800 so I guess I will be prepared to take a hit, and pay the premiun price just so I can start using it straight away !
I do think Nikon need to be serious about updating their D.Camera line.
As the previous commentator mention about a flash on D4 and D800 should be considered as Pro Camera.
Full frame on both model as the update of D3s and D700 with Video possibility.
If Canon 5D Mk2 and Mk3 does, why should Nikon not do?
If Nikon is not doing this I might get the Canon 5D Mk 3 for the 1st time !
Nikon should also come with a Mirror-less body in Full Frame to compete with Fuji.
Again, if Nikon doesn’t, the Canon D5 Mk3 will be a good replacement for me through 2011-2016. To bad Nikon. ! You should listen to your clients.
I’d like 20MP with the same (or better) ISO performance of a D3S. Including dual CF cards, buffered 9FPS at FX size etc. I magine what you could do with 20MP and clean images at ISO 25,600……
after reading all of the comments about nikon it reminds me of a friend of mine who buys new a piece of golf equipment every couple of weeks thinking that it will make him play better but it does not.i am a proffesional photographer and shoot with a d80 &d90 and love them both and get magnificent results and they are far from ready to be retired.
A piece of golf equipment is not the same than a camera. But I understand your point.
If Nikon does not release a new full frame camera soon (D4 or D800 etc.) I might consider changing my whole system and buy Canon or the Pentax 645D… sick of waiting…
Up to a couple of years ago, major Nikon product releases were preceded by a drip feed of information from several sources. Much of this information was genuine. But things have changed.
While there is still a drip feed, it now has no credibility. When Thom Hogan, formerly one of Nikon’s most trusted ambassadors, no longer knows what is about to happen, you can be sure no-one else outside the Nikon organisation knows much either.
When new Nikon products are officially announced, we will know, but not before.
I have a D700, a D3, a D3x. When I shoot sailracing I use all 3 bodies.
But normally D3x for studio- and location with controlled light. D3 for reportage and low light conditions. D700 for private and travelling.
If I would by D4 is all about specs. High resolution in combination with high ISO capability is one feature I would appreciate. A “zero out button” that get the camera back to my standard settings (that I decide) would also be great.
D4 will have 18-21 MP, with greater range [1 or 2 stops] and better low light performance than the D3 – clean to at least 3200 ISO – other features we don’t know we need, yet. $6000. It will infringe on the D3x, so:
D4x will go to 30 MP+: $8000-8500.
No D800 until the D4 has been out a year, using the same sensor as the D4.
D400 somewhere as a semi-pro D7000. 18 MP.
I intend to have a D4 the first week they are out – probably about November, just because.
Iwould like to read more and d4 and d7000 .also D8000
I disagree because it is getting hard to get a D700, so the D800 must be out soon.
The D800 is already overdue, and I for one, will not wait for yet another year. That’s for sure !
From a pro point of view, some desirable things not mentioned above: Full 16-bit DACs and at least 11-12 f-stop usable dynamic range, so that shadow detail gets preserved along with highlight detail, along with enough bits to represent them. An 18-20 megapixel sensor would be nice, but reduced sensor site size reduces sensitivity, and higher sensor density means more heat which means more noise. So I would qualify that by saying higher pixel count along with better low-light sensitivity and noise than the D3, to make it competitive with Phase-One and Hasselblad lower-res backs. At that point, optics becomes the determining factor of resolution, not the pixel count. A display larger than the D3’s with the same or higher resolution, and with the ability to display close to the full AdbobeRGB color gamut, is also a much needed feature.
Full-frame 2K video at 30 and 24 fps, please. (4K would be nicer, but probably not possible at this price point.) Fast sensor readout so that “rolling shutter” effects are minimized. (A 50 or 60 fps mode would be ideal for overcranking shots, but heat management issues probably prevent it from being practical.) A full 4-4-4 video format mode, so no compression artifacts; Lightpeak makes this feasible for off-camera data storage. Video autofocus is largely a joke; you need the ability to pull focus manually or have very sophisticated real-time focus control through the back (e.g., control the focus point from an attached computer or tablet in real time, and manually alter focus electronically rather than with attachments to the lens). Lightpeak/Thunderbolt gives you enough bandwidth to be able to do that, and it would be a selling point for pro cinematography use.
Are people not missing the point re: on-camera flash? Its advantage is not as a flash per se but as a built-in trigger for off-camera flash units. As such, I’d have one on any of my “pro” bodies anyday and let the snobs go and pay extra for an add-on unit.
Will they have 3D color(RGB) light metering ? Do you think this feature help in digital world which you can edit later using all kinds of softwares?
Hey! I just wanted to comment on the pop-flash issue. I used to have a D200 and upgraded to the D3 when it came out, and that was the one thing I missed having.
It has to do with weatherproofing issues–the D3 can be used in light rain or fog, in really hot or cold or moist situations, etc. The moving parts and design of a pop-flash exposes the interior of a camera in a way that pros like to avoid. Not to say that you couldn’t use a D300 in the same conditions, it’s just riskier.
Its not that simple, it comes with sacrifices, I for one wouldn’t want it on the D4 because of the loss of body strength and the smaller prism flashes are cheap and having it on there isn’t worth my time as the on camera flashes Whilst good limited by exactly what they are, an “on camera” flash. Keep them on the d800/d400 sure but keep them off the D4 its not a pro feature, its a hindrance.
How about having a built in RF trigger on the D4 for external flash units (vs. one that has to attach to the hot shoe)?