Now you all know that I never post rumors, but the purported leak of the Nikon D4 specs by my friends at Nikon Rumors is just too interesting to pass up. On first glance, the next-generation flagship from Nikon boasts very, very similar specifications to that of the recently announced Canon 1D X DSLR.
Hit the jump for the spec comparison and my thoughts on the new Nikon DSLR and how it stacks up to the formidable Canon 1D X.
On paper, the rumored Nikon D4 stacks up as a very interesting match to the beastly Canon 1D X. Here’s what we have so far:
Nikon D4 |
Canon 1D X |
|
| SENSOR | ||
| Megapixels | 16.2 megapixels | 18.1 megapixels |
| Resolution | 4928 x 3288 (estimated) | 5184 x 3456 |
| Native ISO Range | 100 to 102,400 | 100 to 51,200 |
| Expanded ISO Range | 50 to 204,800 | 50 to 204,800 |
| Sensor Size | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) |
| AF | ||
| Focus Points | 51 AF Points | 61 AF Points |
| Sensitivity | 9 cross-type at f/8 | 21 cross-type at f/5.6 |
| Storage | ||
| Format | Compact Flash and XQD | Compact Flash |
| Speed | ||
| Continuous Shooting | 11 FPS | 12 FPS |
On paper, these cameras are incredibly similar. Both feature full-frame sensors. Needless to say, all commentary here is based on the rumored Nikon D4 specs. The Canon 1D X sports a marginal lead of 18.1 megapixels to the Nikon D4‘s rumored 16.2 megapixels – In terms of resolution, the difference is only about 200 additional pixels on either axis of the sensor.
In terms of the ISO sensitivity, both cameras feature the same extended range of ISO 50-204,800. The interesting thing here is that the Nikon D4 is rumored to support ISO 102,400 as the upper limit in its native range, while ISO 102,400 is an extended sensitivity for the Canon 1D X.
In my experience, Nikon is generally very “truthful” in terms of the range of sensitivities it includes in the native ISO range for its sensors, not just from a technical standpoint of calibrated sensitivities, but in what it can deliver in terms of image quality as well. In other words, I suspect that Nikon believes it can deliver very good image quality even at ISO 102,400.
Of course there’s the difference in the resolution of the sensors. By the numbers, the Nikon D4 should have the advantage in terms of a larger pixel pitch to work with, but I think that the resolution of the cameras is so close that it could be anyone’s game.
Autofocus is again a close area, with Nikon featuring an “improved” 51-point AF system, which is the same number of AF points we’ve seen in the Nikon D3x, D3s, D700 and D300. The Canon 1D X features 61 AF points, by contrast. One interesting note is that the Nikon D4 is rumored to feature 9 cross-type AF sensors sensitive down to f/8, while Canon specs 21 cross-type AF sensors at f/5.6.
Canon pulls ahead in terms of burst speed by squeezing 12fps out in contrast to the rumored 11fps of the Nikon D4. Canon also ups to 14fps if you shoot in JPG only and lock up the mirror.
One small detail is that the Nikon D4 is rumored to use the new XQD format that was just recently announced, which is set to supplant Compact Flash and offer more storage capacity and faster transfer speeds.
End Notes:
Basing actual, real world performance on specs alone is a foolish endeavor, but I think that between the Nikon D4 and Canon 1D X, we have what may just be some of the most powerful photographic tools we’ve seen yet for digital photography. All in all, the differences between these two cameras on paper is minuscule.
As a Nikon user, I’m glad to see a very small bump in resolution from the Nikon D3, which is my go-to camera for live music photography.
But first, we have to see whether or not these Nikon D4 specs pan out.
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This entry was posted on Monday, December 12th, 2011 at 9:34 am and is filed under News and Info. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Indeed Todd,
if true they’re pretty much the same camera, which will make every pro photographer happy to keep the lenses and not to have to move to the other system.
let’s wait…
Have a happy Christmas,
ciao
Vale
Hey Vale,
Thanks for the comment. Yes, I think that, at least on paper, these two cameras are so close in specs that it’s impossible to say which one will perform better.
Even with the slightly lower resolution of the Nikon and the fact that ISO 102,400 is included as a native ISO (and not extended), both of which would point to the Nikon D4 being superior in terms of high ISO work, it’s just too close to call.
We’re going to have to go hands on with these cameras to really see which one is the king of low light and image quality. No surprises there, of course.
another interesting battlefield between these beasts will be pricing. any rumors on this topic?
Yep,
pricing might be a discriminant, but considering that the ones thinking to buy one of these titans is likely to have been on either of the pro system for some time, the difference in price may not be big enough to justify the reselling/rebuying of the lenses it would require.
on a more philosophical side, I like the choice of both brands to keep the MP count low. I believe 16/18 MP are more than enough for 98% of use. Memory space and, more important, editing will be fast. 3 stops better than the D700/D3 ISO sounds a dream for a concert photographer.
D4′s native ISO upped to 102,400?? Now we’re talkin’!
I think this is a very small but interesting distinction between the two cameras. I recall when I heard about the D3 being announced with native ISO 6400, I could barely believe it as a D2x owner.
The Nikon will win hands down when it comes to pricing i would imagine…
Possibly. If Nikon keeps the D4 at D3/D3s prices, we’re looking at $5,500 or less.
maybe the D4 will have more cross type sensors that operate at f/5.6?
If there are 9 cross-type sensors at f/8, yes – we’d assume that there are more that would operate at f/5.6 Good point.
So it remains to be seen how the D4′s AF system compares to that of the Canon 1D X‘s.
Todd, now that the D4 is out (or almost out), do you plan on upgrading? Just curious whether you think that the improvements are worth it.