NEW from Nikon: the D4

It’s official! The Nikon D4 has been announced and will be available for purchase at the end of February.

[flagallery gid=5 name=”Nikon D4″]

Serving as the new flagship model in Nikon’s lineup of digital-SLRs, the D4 offers better video capabilities, higher resolution (16.2mp full frame sensor) and faster and more accurate AF with 51 focus points.

The D4 is equipped with a new Nikon FX-format CMOS image sensor (imaging size of 36.0 x 23.9 mm) and EXPEED 3, the latest image-processing engine specifically optimized for digital-SLR cameras, making it the next-generation flagship Nikon digital-SLR camera with the ultimate in versatility and functionality that offers superior image quality rich in detail along with excellent high-speed performance. It has an effective pixel count of 16.2-million pixels, and offers superior image quality under a broad range of lighting conditions with its image sensor supporting an incredible range of sensitivities from ISO 50 to ISO 204800.

The new 91K-pixel (approximately 91,000 pixels) RGB sensor supports the Advanced Scene Recognition System, which is able to recognize human faces even when images are framed using the optical viewfinder. In addition, the Advanced Scene Recognition System offers significant improvements in AF, AE, i-TTL flash control, and auto white balance (AWB) control accuracy. The 51 focus point AF system has been improved with faster initiation of autofocusing and the ability to detect and focus on subjects with less lighting. In addition, 11 focus points are fully functional when lenses with a maximum aperture of f/8 are used. All of this means more precise autofocusing when super-telephoto NIKKOR lenses are used with teleconverters (2.0x). The Multi-area Mode Full HD D-movie movie recording function is capable of recording full-HD movies at 30 fps, and offers three movie recording formats for selection according to recording conditions or creative intent. The D4 also becomes the first camera to make use of the XQD memory card format.

If you happen to be in Las Vegas January 10 through 13, you can get a sneak peek at the D4 – Nikon will be exhibiting it (booth #11039) at 2012 International CES.

>> Read the full press release.
>> Read the Nikon D4 brochure.

Features:

• Extremely durable shutter that has passed testing for 400,000 cycles
• Magnesium alloy adopted for the very strong, durably body that is very resistant to dust and water
• Effective sealing using O rings and packing make the camera more resistant to dust and water
• Silent shutter-release mode for live view photography that almost completely eliminates the sounds of the mirror and shutter operation
• A time-lapse photography feature, with which the camera automatically takes photos at selected intervals to record a time-lapse movie, which can be played back at 24–36,000x normal playback speed
• Operation optimized for both horizontal (landscape) and vertical (portrait) shooting
• Button backlights (illuminators) for increased visibility when working in dimly lit or dark situations
• High-performance viewfinder, utilizing a glass pentaprism, with a frame coverage of approximately 100% (FX format) and magnification of approximately 0.7x
• Four image area options for still shooting—FX (36 x 24), 5:4 (30 x 24), 1.2x (30 x 20), DX (24 x 16)—with viewfinder indicator that identifies the current image area
• A 3.2-inch, approximately 921k-dot LCD monitor with reinforced glass and wide viewing angle; integration of the glass and panel reduce internal reflections
• A virtual horizon that shows the degree to which the camera is tilted sideways (roll), forward or backward (pitch) with display in the monitor and viewfinder
• White balance that can be adjusted in units of 10 K; white balance can be specified separately for shooting (white balance applied to images) and monitor display with still-image shooting in live view mode

Available: late February 2012; MSRP: $5999.95

AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G

Also announced today, is the release of the AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G – a fast, medium-telephoto fixed focal length lens with a focal length of 85 mm and a maximum aperture of f/1.8 compatible with the Nikon FX-format.

Key Features:

• An all new optical design that enables maximum utilization of digital-SLR camera capabilities in shooting high quality images
• Enables shooting of portraits with pleasing background blur characteristics only possible with a fast, medium-telephoto fixed focal length lens
• Very lightweight at approximately 350 g, even with the large aperture
• Equipped with a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for extremely quiet autofocusing. Autofocus shooting is also possible when the lens is used with entry-level Nikon DX-format digital-SLR cameras such as the D5100 and D3100, which are not equipped with an autofocus drive motor.
• Equipped with two focus modes, M/A (autofocus with manual override) and M (manual)

Available: March 2012; MSRP: $499.95