Nikon D4S Comparison Review

The Nikon D4S is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was officially introduced in February 2014 and is equipped with a full frame sensor. It offers a resolution of 16.2 megapixel.

Is the Nikon D4S a good camera? The D4S has a Camera Elo of 2189. This rating puts the D4S among the top 30 percent of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (full frame cameras), the D4S ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3.5-star performance rating.

Headline Specifications

Nikon D4S
Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses
16.2 MP, Full Frame Sensor
1080/60p Video
ISO 100-25600 (50-409600)
Optical viewfinder
3.2" LCD, 921k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
11 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body
3020 shots per battery charge
160 x 157 x 91 mm, 1350 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Nikon D4S relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Nikon D4S alongside a set of comparators. If you want to review a camera pair side-by-side, just select a right-side comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Nikon D4S	6.3 in	6.2 in	3.6 in	47.6 oz	3020	Y	Feb 2014	6,499	-		Nikon D4S
	Canon 1D X« »	6.2 in	6.6 in	3.3 in	54.7 oz	1120	Y	Oct 2011	6,799	-		Canon 1D X
	Nikon D5« »	6.3 in	6.3 in	3.6 in	49.9 oz	3780	Y	Jan 2016	6,499			Nikon D5
	Nikon D750« »	5.6 in	4.4 in	3.1 in	26.5 oz	1230	Y	Sep 2014	2,299			Nikon D750
	Nikon D810« »	5.7 in	4.8 in	3.2 in	34.6 oz	1200	Y	Jun 2014	3,299	-		Nikon D810
	Nikon Df« »	5.7 in	4.3 in	2.6 in	26.8 oz	1400	Y	Nov 2013	2,749			Nikon Df
	Nikon D610« »	5.6 in	4.4 in	3.2 in	30.0 oz	900	Y	Oct 2013	1,999			Nikon D610
	Nikon D4« »	6.3 in	6.2 in	3.6 in	47.3 oz	2600	Y	Jan 2012	5,999	-		Nikon D4
	Nikon D3S« »	6.3 in	6.2 in	3.5 in	43.7 oz	4200	Y	Oct 2009	5,199	-		Nikon D3S
	Nikon D3X« »	6.3 in	6.2 in	3.5 in	44.4 oz	4400	Y	Dec 2008	7,999	-		Nikon D3X
	Nikon D3« »	6.3 in	6.2 in	3.5 in	45.9 oz	4300	Y	Aug 2007	4,999	-		Nikon D3
Convert to Metric
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Nikon D4S was launched in the US market at a price of $6,499. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Nikon D4S features a full frame sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Nikon D4S among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The D4S indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the D4S can use is 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the D4S has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.70x. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Nikon D4S and comparable cameras.

One useful feature of the D4S is a presence of a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon D4S and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

It is notable that the D4S has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the D4S. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog).

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Nikon D4S	-	-	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2014	6,499	-		Nikon D4S
	Canon 1D X« »	-	-	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2011	6,799	-		Canon 1D X
	Nikon D5« »	-	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	6,499			Nikon D5
	Nikon D750« »	+ +	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	2,299			Nikon D750
	Nikon D810« »	-	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2014	3,299	-		Nikon D810
	Nikon Df« »	-	81/100	4/5	4/5	4/5	Nov 2013	2,749			Nikon Df
	Nikon D610« »	+ +	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	1,999			Nikon D610
	Nikon D4« »	-	-	4.5/5	-	4.5/5	Jan 2012	5,999	-		Nikon D4
	Nikon D3S« »	-	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	5/5	Oct 2009	5,199	-		Nikon D3S
	Nikon D3X« »	-	86/100	4/5	5/5	5/5	Dec 2008	7,999	-		Nikon D3X
	Nikon D3« »	-	+ +	5/5	o	4.5/5	Aug 2007	4,999	-		Nikon D3
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (-) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Camera to camera comparisons

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