Nikon D4 Video

I played with a prototype and we connected it to a Ninja. It's 8 bit 422 1080p24 or 29.97 but HDMI is 1080i so it's really PsF, which is very nice,

Jonny, don't forget the little Ikonoskop, the real uncompressed RAW output. It's too bad the sensor is noisy and the specs dropped to 30fps.

That is pretty good actually, would be more than ample for 99% of people.

I did forget about the Ikonoskop, I wonder how many they have sold? It has a S16 chip which I'm sure doesn't help the low light and noise, was really small and compact though.

The AII was a great concept at 120fps but @ 30fps became a disappointment. I'd ordered one based on the old specs but cancelled when they changed it.

AF will always be an iffy proposition for critical focus since you can't tell where it's going to go. Ever watch a movie where the focus searches and shifts? Red allows the same touch screen focus point, but it's slow. I don't expect Nikon to be any better. For Tom's application, I think UWA at deep DOF is best and most practical.

AF will always be an iffy proposition for critical focus since you can't tell where it's going to go.

Find it difficult to believe that word 'always' even from an experienced guy like yourself. I think it's just a matter of technology improving, and the feedback mechanism involved with focus tracking and lens response. Just observing the improvement from the D7000 to the V1 one can see the improvement in video focus tracking technology. (No idea about other brands)I think each iteration of of camera technology will continue to improve on this, and particularly with the ability to manually override the tracking point on the fly.

I'm old enough to remember when I interned with photographers in high school and college to remember how still camera autoexposure and autofocus would never work.

Jeff, underwater is totally different from topside. Particulates in the water, background change, other fish in foreground swimming by etc etc. Contrast AF is fine if you have one subject in a neutral background. Even if you use off camera focus, it'll be slow and also depends on the contrast available on the point you touch.

Tell you what, when you are in a baitball or with dolphins this year, you go ahead and use AF and let me know the results And I'll even let you use face detection

Jeff, underwater is totally different from topside. Particulates in the water, background change, other fish in foreground swimming by etc etc. Contrast AF is fine if you have one subject in a neutral background. Even if you use off camera focus, it'll be slow and also depends on the contrast available on the point you touch.

Tell you what, when you are in a baitball or with dolphins this year, you go ahead and use AF and let me know the results And I'll even let you use face detection

When the D8 comes out you will eat your words.

Nikon may not last that long!

From another forum

'To activate 1080p HDMI at 8bit 4-2-2 you have to remove both cards from the camera. No simultaneous recording.

Nikon say that with cards inserted “HDMI is only suitable for monitoring purposes” – so no full HD 4-2-2 for monitoring?

No focus assist when connected to an HDMI monitor

Live view has proper exposure simulation in full manual mode but switches off after 60 minutes to cool the camera'

I'm also interested to know if the LCD remains active with either USB or HDMI output. I have a long USB cord for my pool shoots for tethered shooting with immediate download to my laptop. The downside is that I lose my ability to see the images on the LCD

For Tom's application, I think UWA at deep DOF is best and most practical.

In practice using fisheye lenses (10.5 mm on DX and 15mm on FF) at f/8 to f/11 I find that focus is critical and have to reject OOF shots, worse still when rectilinear lenses are used. DOF might cover you with small format low res MP like regular TV (525 lines).

As an example here are 2 shots from the same series. Camera was in same position for both shots. Done with Canon EF8-15 at 15mm. Seacam Superdome (9"). Big shift in focus between these two frames.

From another forum

 

'To activate 1080p HDMI at 8bit 4-2-2 you have to remove both cards from the camera. No simultaneous recording.

Nikon say that with cards inserted “HDMI is only suitable for monitoring purposes” – so no full HD 4-2-2 for monitoring?

No focus assist when connected to an HDMI monitor

Live view has proper exposure simulation in full manual mode but switches off after 60 minutes to cool the camera'

There is no clean signal when using cards. As for the shutdown, I guess when testing, we adhered to the DSLR habit of shutting down during inactivity to cool off the camera (5D2, 7D etc Only the 60D never had issues with overheating! But I had the least experience with it.) On a good monitor, the focus assist is built in, but eyeballing focus with peaking is good enough generally.

In practice using fisheye lenses (10.5 mm on DX and 15mm on FF) at f/8 to f/11 I find that focus is critical and have to reject OOF shots, worse still when rectilinear lenses are used. DOF might cover you with small format low res MP like regular TV (525 lines).

Yes well DOF isn't optimal since you want that CFWA stuff. For your dynamic scene, it takes about over 1 second to achieve focus with AF. By that time, 4 fish could be in front of the fish you wanted a shot at or even gotten closer. That's why they have remote control focus rack gears for cinematic lenses and dedicated focus pullers.

Yes well DOF isn't optimal since you want that CFWA stuff. For your dynamic scene, it takes about over 1 second to achieve focus with AF. By that time, 4 fish could be in front of the fish you wanted a shot at or even gotten closer. That's why they have remote control focus rack gears for cinematic lenses and dedicated focus pullers.

This is why having full pro-level AF is one of my principal criteria for comparing camera systems. I am skeptical that anyone could manually focus quick enough for my subjects. The split second timing can be a challenge and I am just pushing the single 2-step remote button. Furthermore large size camera rigs (such as the RED housings that have posted here) will not fit in the available space. No room for extraneous components. DSLR housings often just fit. I have had to pass up some opportunities because of space.

You just have to direct the fish into position and tell them to stay there while you focus.

Alternatively you set up your shot and pick a distance you need the subject from the lens and have a whole heap of patience.

Alternatively you set up your shot and pick a distance you need the subject from the lens and have a whole heap of patience.

Oh how old skool is that? 120fps will do much better!

This is why having full pro-level AF is one of my principal criteria for comparing camera systems. I am skeptical that anyone could manually focus quick enough for my subjects. The split second timing can be a challenge and I am just pushing the single 2-step remote button. Furthermore large size camera rigs (such as the RED housings that have posted here) will not fit in the available space. No room for extraneous components. DSLR housings often just fit. I have had to pass up some opportunities because of space.

Tom,

I remember seeing pics of your setup once, but don't recall if you used a remote monitor or not. Seems to me though that even if you choose not to rely on tracking autofocus with video , this setup as shown in the video with an ipad as the remote monitor (not talking about the clean HDMI thing here) appears to allow you to use the touch screen to change the focus point on the fly. They demonstrate this in the video. In effect acting as a 'focus-puller' as Drew describes. Probably the new Canon will have a similar facility.

Jeff, Canon has that function for the C300 but not for AF. I did try the Chainfire's DSLR controller for Android but it's pretty slow to react due to USB speed. I couldn't test that software since we only had a Playbook and Galaxies with us. I can't remember who implemented screen focus points but remember that the focus uses contrast.

Red Touch has that implementation for Red cameras with Canon lenses, and it's slow to react and sometimes misses the mark if contrast isn't steady. It'll work for some applications like studio but any dynamic scene, it will be slower than a focus rack. Now if they allowed that in the HDMI stream, then we can talk!

Tom,

I remember seeing pics of your setup once, but don't recall if you used a remote monitor or not. Seems to me though that even if you choose not to rely on tracking autofocus with video , this setup as shown in the video with an ipad as the remote monitor (not talking about the clean HDMI thing here) appears to allow you to use the touch screen to change the focus point on the fly. They demonstrate this in the video. In effect acting as a 'focus-puller' as Drew describes. Probably the new Canon will have a similar facility.

No remote monitor. I usually have a 45° finder on the housing but the eyepiece is often below the surface so not usable. So I pretty much "shoot from the hip". I typically stand off to the side and at the end of a 10 meter remote control cable. I place myself so that I am not casting a shadow and if possible not seen by the fish while still being able to see the action.

To do the remote scenario like you describe I would have to be as fast as "Data" on Star Trek; he reads computer screens in a small fraction of a second. A spawning event can take place in less than 10 seconds; the action is extremely quick. The sneaker males move in in a flash.

No remote monitor. I usually have a 45° finder on the housing but the eyepiece is often below the surface so not usable. So I pretty much "shoot from the hip". I typically stand off to the side and at the end of a 10 meter remote control cable. I place myself so that I am not casting a shadow and if possible not seen by the fish while still being able to see the action.

To do the remote scenario like you describe I would have to be as fast as "Data" on Star Trek; he reads computer screens in a small fraction of a second. A spawning event can take place in less than 10 seconds; the action is extremely quick. The sneaker males move in in a flash.

Just my thoughts, seems like all it takes to try is an iPad and an a long USB cord - I have one for my my pool stuff made for me by Ryan at Reef. Surely better than a 45 degree viewfinder.