Amidst a flurry of recent rumors about a Nikon D600 and new lenses, the rumor mill has been relatively quiet about a replacement for the Nikon D300s. However, Mansurovs has posted a detailed spec list attached to a rumored Photokina 2012 announcement for the Nikon D400 – sporting a 24MP APS-C sensor and a $1799 price tag.
Check out the spec list below and let us know your thoughts about such an APS-C pro shooter in the comment section at the bottom of the page.
Nikon D400 Rumored Specifications
- Sensor: 24.2 MP DX CMOS, 3.82µ pixel pitch (same as on the D3200)
- Sensor Size: 23.2 x 15.4mm
- Resolution: 6,016 × 4,000
- Native ISO Sensitivity: 100-6,400
- Boost Low ISO Sensitivity: 50
- Boost High ISO Sensitivity: 12,800-25,600
- Processor: EXPEED 3
- Metering System: 3D Color Matrix Meter III with face recognition and a database of 30,000 images
- Dust Reduction: Yes
- Weather Sealing/Protection: Yes
- Body Build: Full Magnesium Alloy
- White Balance: New White Balance System
- Shutter: Up to 1/8000 and 30 sec exposure
- Shutter Durability: 200,000 cycles, self-diagnostic shutter
- Camera Lag: 0.012 seconds
- Storage: 1x CF slot and 1x SD slot
- Viewfinder Coverage: 100%
- Viewfinder Magnification: 0.94x Approx.
- Speed: 8 FPS, 9 FPS with optional battery pack and Nikon D4 or alkaline batteries
- Exposure Meter: 91,000 pixel RGB sensor
- Built-in Flash: Yes, with Commander Mode, full CLS compatibility
- Autofocus System: Advanced Multi-CAM 3500DX with 51 focus points and 15 cross-type sensors
- AF Detection: Up to f/8 with 9 focus points (5 in the center, 2 on the left and right)
- LCD Screen: 3.2 inch diagonal with 921,000 dots
- Movie Modes: Full 1080p HD @ 30 fps max
- Movie Exposure Control: Full
- Movie Recording Limit: 30 minutes @ 30p, 20 minutes @ 24p
- Movie Output: MOV, Compressed and Uncompressed
- In-Camera HDR Capability: Yes
- Two Live View Modes: One for photography and one for videography
- Camera Editing: Lots of in-camera editing options with HDR capabilities
- GPS: Not built-in, requires GP-1 GPS unit
- Battery Type: EN-EL15
- Battery Life: ~900 shots
- USB Standard: 3.0
- Weight: 800g (body only)
- Price: $1,799 MSRP
vitamins says
The problem with buying this camera will be to wait till we get the noise performance reviews.
Photophil says
Can’t wait for it to be available. Frame rate is very good and the autofocus at f8 will help when using teleconvertors. If you are committed to DX then this is the your upgrade path.
J Randall says
The question is when, When, WHEN! I’ve been waiting so long for the d400 but now I’m thinking of saying the hell with a crop sensor and waiting for the d600. If I keep this up, I’ll have saved enough for a D4.
Duane Middlebrook says
If the D600 really comes in at about the same price point as this D400, the D400 will be redundant. When I first moved from film to digital I expected to buy a body with a full 24 x 36mm sensor. Unfortunately that didn’t exist so I bought a D200. I use the D7000 now. It is certainly good enough to be the top of the clipped sensor consumer product line. Next would come the entry level FX model. No place for a D400.
David says
Duane, I will respectfully disagree.
D600 with build, controls, and AF system light the D7000 OR D400 with build, controls, and AF system like the D700/D800? After all the D300 has the same /similar as the D700.
As a pro shooting dual D700’s I have the FX / High ISO under control. But I am looking at probably picking up one or the other of these. Twice the pixels for formals/portraits will be nice and the D800 is more than I need (not to mention more $$ than I want to spend on a third body). If they were to release both on the same day I honestly don’t know which I would get.
39 AF points (with an option of 11 AF points), 9 cross-type AF points
OR
Advanced Multi-CAM 3500DX with 51 focus points and 15 cross-type sensors
AF Detection: Up to f/8 with 9 focus points (5 in the center, 2 on the left and right)
Not sure.
Paul says
David, I have to say I agree with you on some points. As a photographer with almost 30 years experience I can see where you are coming from. I own a D800 and love it. I saved up to buy mine though. Us I added some tax money to the fund to finish out what I lacked when it was announced for pre order. I got mine in the first shipment. I was lucky on that. I have been following the rumors for both the 400 and 600. I am looking for another camera but as a sidekick and back up. After looking at the specs, to me, the D400 actually looks lime the better camera. It has the same metering sensor, auto focus system and processor the D800 has. The D600 has a lesser auto focus system on it. Considering the the 400 is coming out at a slightly higher price than the 600 and the fact that it is a DX and not a FX body says something about what Nikon put into it. If it were a FX instead, it would probably add about $300-$400 to the price. Maybe more. I am really looking hard at the D400. I was looking at the D7000, but after comparing all the specs between the 3 cameras, spec and performance wise, the D400 looks like the clear choice. At least for me anyway. For those that insist that they have to have a FX body, save your money and just go with the D800. The D600 will not compete with it in the FX arena. However, the D400 would do very well. DX crop has its advantages to. You will never have to worry about vignetting on it like you do on FX bodies. I battle that when using my 16-35mm. Sometime when I want the clarity but don’t need to full 16mm I will actually shoot with my 16-35 and put my D800 in DX crop mode to eliminate vignetting. Its all about getting what you need to shoot the very best you can shoot. But always remember this. Even the best camera and lens made is only as good as the person using it. Just food for thought.
John says
I got back into photography as a hobby after a 25 year break after having to sell my beloved and brilliant minolta x 700 SLR with 3 beautiful rokkor lenses. My choice was the Nikon D7000 body with a sigma 17-50mm f2.8 ex dg as a standard lens. I have added Dx format lenses. Tokina 11-16 f2.8 , nikon 35mmf1.8 , and have 2 FX compatible less as well- nikon 85 f1.8D and a Tammy 70-300. I wish to add the 70-200 nikon f2.8 soon. I hired one for a day to shoot a friend’s wedding and I was stunned by it’s performance.I am looking for a spare body and was looking at the d800. Huge file sizes have put me off. I know I can use the crop lenses at 15 mp on the d800 , I assume this would be way less on the proposed D600 so the D400 would be a great choice for me. Even if it was the same price as the D600 full frame I think I would pick it. I think Nikon knows that there are many of us out there in Nikon land who have a bag full of dx lenses and to purchase additional FX lenses to get the most out of the full frame format is too costly.
Tom says
It all boils down to what you are intending to shoot and what specs you need to do the best job. I have a D7000 along with a selection of 5 lenses (10-24, 16-85, 70-300, 35 f1.8, and 85 micro) which allows me to do a wide range of commercial work for clients…both stills and video. Since the majority of the work I do ends up in brochures and on web sites I didn’t need to go the expense of a full frame camera…..the largest blow-ups I produce are typically 17″x22″ and the D7000 is more than capable of giving me good quality at this size.
Right now I am looking to add another body in order to have more video capability (i.e. 30 fps in 1080 and slow motion capability which the D7000 cannot do). The D7000 can do a very good job with video at 24 fps in 1080 and 30 fps in 720….and having good gear to support video shooting is important so a follow focus unit, camera slider, viewfinder, external mic, fluid video head, etc. are all necessary.
Right now I am weighing the rumored D400 and D600 options carefully….and I’m torn between the two of them. From what I have read both would give me the added video capability I need (i.e. 30 fps @ 1080 and 50 or 60 fps @ 720). The D400 would have the added benefit of a better AF system, faster frame rate, and the option to record video directly to an external drive…this would provide more flexibility and potentially better overall video quality. The potential downside could be the 24mp sensor with its small pixel pitch. It is rumored to be the same one in the D3200….and unless Nikon has purposely held back the image quality with the D3200 software…the D3200 has too much noise once you shoot past ISO800…although the RAW files do look pretty good with much less noise at higher ISOs.
The D600 may produce less noise at higher ISOs due to its full frame sensor but would not give me the fast frame rate of the D400 which is helpful in particular shooting situations….nor could it record video directly to an external recorder. I’d likely need to add a FF lens (perhaps the 24-85 VRII which is getting good reviews, even when shot using a D800) to compliment my 70-300 VR…otherwise I’d have to shoot mainly in DX crop mode which for the D600 is likely to be only in the 10mp range. Shooting video in crop mode may be an issue as well. Philip Bloom did a great video test with the D800, D4 and Canon MkIII…and the D4 was very poor shooting in crop mode. He did not shoot the D800 in crop mode. I have shot some D800 video in crop mode and the moire was quite bad. I’m not seriously considering a D800…but if I did I would absolutely plan to buy the soon-to-be-released Mosaic Engineering filter for it in order to reduce moire in video.
All things considered its going to come down to image quality of the D400 and D600. As long as I could get good low light performance (i.e. up to ISO3200) out of the D400 than it would be a better choice for me given all of the other ‘pro level’ features. If the 24mp cropped sensor can’t shoot clean enough at higher ISOs then I’m likely going to choose the D600. Given the excellent results I’ve had with the D7000 if Nikon launched a D7100 with the video specs I need I’d jump at that option too!
I hope these two cameras come out within the next few weeks before the big show in Europe so we’ll all know the real specs and be able to make an informed purchase decision. Given all of the initial quality problems with the D800 focusing issues, it may be prudent not to order either camera right away until we see some formal image tests and get some feedback on Nikon factory quality on these new models. Since Nikon had problems with the D800 $3000 pro body….who knows what will happen with the the D400 and D600.
JR says
Folks, with all due respect, but have any of you ever heard of PRIME LENSES?
I’ve read time and again, on many sites on the net, how folks MUST spend BIG $$$ on new glass if they move from DX to FF and how that is a determining factor in making said move.
Truly, you haven’t scrutinized the lens tests that abound on the net.
For instance, the Nikkor 16-35mm F4 is terrible. Sure, it goes wide and gives you so-called “perspective”. But it’s a dog at the corners; specially for a $1200 lens!
For 1/4 of the price you can buy the old, but classic, 24mm f2.8D and get better corner performance; or at the very least not any worse than the aforementioned zoom lens. Sure, it doesn’t go as wide, but so what. It’s crazy to throw $$$$ at a zoom lens that is soft at its widest and longest focal lengths; and with a massive footprint, to boot.
Also, if you get the 24mm f2.8D, you can use the $$$ you’ve saved and buy a 50mm 1.4D, which is about as sharp as any lens ought to be. If you can’t make pro grade photos with such a lens combo, then you have other problems to contend with.
I don’t get the love affair that some folks have with FX zooms….I just don’t. Specially for photographers on a “budget”.