Nikon D4S

It is a truism in photography that the best camera is the one you have with you. In that spirit, whenever I’m asked for advice on what new camera someone should buy, I try to figure out not just their budget and needs, but how much camera they’re really likely to be willing to carry around. For many, it isn’t obvious what they gain by “trading-up” to a larger, heavier, and more-expensive model. While it is always dangerous to generalize, there are certain rules of thumb about the pros and cons of various types of current-model digital cameras. We’ll help you sort through your options…

Upon my return from Africa, I found my review Nikon D750 waiting for me. As expected from the specs & early looks, it is a sweet (and relatively small) camera that I’ll have plenty of fun shooting with – and writing about -- over the coming weeks. However, it wasn’t quite what I expected from the model number. I was hoping it would be a real upgrade from the Nikon D700, and might make a good twin for my Nikon D810. However, it isn’t…

Nikon’s new Nikon D750 has something for nearly everyone. State-of-the-art Autofocus, improved 24MP sensor, brand-new, high-performance body design, 6.5 fps full-frame, 100% viewfinder, pro-quality video features, tilting LCD, and a fairly sane price tag of $2300. It is going to be a hard camera to resist for current owners of the Nikon D600, Nikon D610, Nikon D700, and even those who have a Nikon D800 but would love a little more speed and are getting tired of super-large files. I’ll be doing a full field-test when I’m back from Africa, but based on the specs, here are my quick thoughts on pros & cons:

For the past few weeks I’ve been shooting with a Nikon D810 in a variety of situations. I wasn’t enough of a fan of the D800 to purchase one, so I didn’t expect to want to purchase my review Nikon D810 either. However, Nikon has done enough to improve the camera that it is now a winner for me, and this one will likely be staying right here in my camera bag. Here’s why…

After two weeks of nearly constant shooting with the Nikon D4S during my photo workshops in Texas, I am more impressed than ever with the camera. I’ve already posted about its ultra-high-ISO capability, but this field test was more about how it performed as an action camera in both good and poor light situations. In short, it delivered. The Autofocus is the fastest I’ve ever used, and the nearly instant triggering of the shutter allowed me to capture more peaks of action than with any other DSLR I’ve used….

by David Cardinal

There is no question that Sigma has really upped its game with its new family of Global Vision lenses. I love the GV-version of the Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 OS HSM Lens, and continue to feel it is the world’s best lens for vehicle-based wildlife photography. This month I’ve had the pleasure of shooting with its new Sigma 24-105mm OS HSM Lens on both a Nikon D4S and a Nikon D7100. The short version is that the lens lives up to the Global Vision brand, but read on to see whether it might be the right mid-range zoom for you:

With apologies to various rock legends for ripping off their song title, that’s how I felt after shooting a concert yesterday with a review Nikon D4S. I wanted to stress the low-light shooting capability of the camera, so I deliberately brought a slower zoom (my really handy Nikon 70-200mm f/4 AF-S). That allowed me to be a little more maneuverable in the crowd, but forced me to bump my ISO way up. I picked ISO 25600 (I probably could have survived with half that, but I wanted to really push the envelope). In any case, the Nikon D4S delivered in three really major ways:

Nikon has provided an impressive “mid-life kicker” for its Nikon D4 flagship DSLR. Everything except the 16.2MP resolution has been upgraded in the Nikon D4S – new AF, new sensor, 11 fps for starters. You can read my thoughts on the camera and its specs in my post for Extremetech. The camera is available for pre-order at B&H for $6500, shipping March 6. I’ve posted the full specs below: