Nikon D4 Underwater Testing

Hey Alex,

As always your pictures are totally unreal!

It is more than wonderful to have outcome like this from underwater specialist like you. Now I like much more my D4 and I can't wait to get my SUBAL housing!

Good luck on Iceland for the rest of your trip!

I am really looking forward for more fantastic pictures from there!

All the best,

Predrag Vuckovic

www.extreme-photographer.com

Thanks Alex, all of the above? I have not seen this listed at Nauticam.com

 

Espen

All the new DSLR and M4/3 housings will be HDMI compatible now as far as I'm aware. The 16-35 is supported by a zoom gear, not a focus gear. Optimum port extensions/combinations are being worked out as we speak.

Alex

All the new DSLR and M4/3 housings will be HDMI compatible now as far as I'm aware. The 16-35 is supported by a zoom gear, not a focus gear. Optimum port extensions/combinations are being worked out as we speak.

 

Alex

Thanks Alex! Great news :-)

Sorry for the lack of updates. I have been at sea for the last few days. One of the things I wanted to do with this review was to throw the camera into a tough assignment - as ultimately that is what D4 cameras will be used for. I felt this would be a more revealing test than just trying various function while enjoying normal dives. It was certainly a tough examination - snow build up on the housing between dives:

One aim of my trip to Iceland was to work on a story on cod. Yes, I know cod don't sound all that exciting. But they are a fish that most people will have heard of - but few could actually recognise - as the world is not exactly awash with photos of them in the wild. As a fisheries species they also link with people on many levels, as a source of food and also income for communities (or lack of income when stocks are over-fished). Plus I think that they are attractive fish and when full grown are seriously impressive beasts! Iceland has famously vigorously protected its cod fisheries, so we headed to the north coast to try and find some underwater... I should add that I am not going to share any UW photos of cod here - as I wish to save them for publication!

Fisherman with cod in Husavik, Iceland.

Our home was the beautiful Hildur Schooner from the North Sailing fleet.

Finding the cod was not straight forward. There are lots of cod, but locating some underwater meant a fair amount of searching in chilly waters and with sonar

No cod...

Is that a cod?

We explored between Husavik and Thorshofn in NE Iceland.

Gisli piloting the RIB.

Tough conditions lead to extreme measures. With our lips feeling a little sore from the cold, salty water, Gisli and I were "forced" to borrow some of Nina's coloured lip moisturiser! Luckily this is a before photo.

I am not going to show any of my cod pix at this time. But there was plentiful marine life, such as this large flatfish and wolf fish.

Alex

The 16-35 is supported by a zoom gear, not a focus gear. Optimum port extensions/combinations are being worked out as we speak.

Yes, I have been using the 16-35mm. We didn't have a chance to test for the optimum port extension before the trip. Partly complicated because I was using my Subal 4 fit - Zen 230 dome with a Subal to Nauticam port converter. I have been using this with 70mm of port extensions (2x 20mm and 1x 30mm).

Here are some shots from our "kit washing" dive in Nes Canyon today taken with the 16-35mm and D4 (using dome setup described above). Joking aside, this is one of my favourite dives in Iceland. Thanks to Nina for posing for the images.

Alex

Great stuff Alex. 16-35 appears to have behaved splendidly behind the 230 Zen. What ISO / f-stop were these?

Alex, shoot video!!! ISO 12800 if possible

I am not going to show any of my cod pix at this time.

Alex

I read that as cod piece at first...

Excellent thread Alex

Great stuff Alex. 16-35 appears to have behaved splendidly behind the 230 Zen. What ISO / f-stop were these?

I agree - I am quite happy with 70mm extension. I will be interested to see what the official testing finds as I have not tried any other combo.

These were mostly f/13-f/14 - which is where I like to have the 16-35mm. Although it was overcast (and snowing) the light levels were OK as it was shallow. So ISO 800-1000.

When I took the D7000 in with 10-17mm and mini-dome the sun came out and I shot at f/8-f/10 on ISO 200 (pictures not shared here).

Alex

Alex, shoot video!!! ISO 12800 if possible

I have been shooting lots of video - will make sure I try some that high. Although it is still in the camera - as I forgot my CF card reader! I will copy them across to the XQD card and download when I have a moment.

Alex

Amazing underwater photography with the D4 - thanks for sharing.

I was under the impression that underwater housing for new camera bodies lagged (up to) several years behind the release of the camera body because it took a long time to design. If I recall correctly this was the case for the D3.

But its seems like Nauticam has already come out with its D4 housing and the D4 has barely been released!

Does Nikon share specs with the underwater housing manufacturers? How did the D4 housing get developed get developed so quickly? (I'm assuming the buttons moved from the D3...it looks like it from the photos I have seen).

I was under the impression that underwater housing for new camera bodies lagged (up to) several years behind the release of the camera body because it took a long time to design. If I recall correctly this was the case for the D3.

 

But its seems like Nauticam has already come out with its D4 housing and the D4 has barely been released!

 

Does Nikon share specs with the underwater housing manufacturers? How did the D4 housing get developed get developed so quickly? (I'm assuming the buttons moved from the D3...it looks like it from the photos I have seen).

I think that there is a consistency in camera controls these days that means that makes it easier to design housings. And machining and manufacturing technologies improve and become more affordable, speeding up the time from design to production. But yes the world is changing. I did the D7000 review for Wetpixel (with shots from the Red Sea and UK) before DPReview published their land review with images taken close to their offices!

Also bear in mind that this is a pre-production housing - customer housings are not ready yet.

Alex

Did my first macro dive with the D4 today. Using 105mm VR and Subsee +5. Visibility was low (<3m) - little bit of plankton bloom and sediment stirred up by windy weather.

I was really pleased with how the AF worked. Normally for these conditions I would use manual (fixed) focus, but stuck with AF through the whole dive. Here is one of the better shots, a Dendronotus frondosus nudibranch, which I was keen to shoot as they have such nice patterns in this area:

Going to do more macro over the next few days. Hopefully in clearer conditions.

Alex

Enjoying a bit of apres-dive in Iceland...

Alex

Hi folks,

Part one (of five) of Alex's D4 Field Review is now up on the Wetpixel front page:

http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/nikon-d4-field-review/

We plan to try and add a page per day, so please check back for updates regularly!

Adam

Enjoying a bit of apres-dive in Iceland...

 

 

Alex

I like your "stars" pattern suit, Alex! Very cool! :)

Where the head and shoulders when you need it...

Lol! Looks like a serious case of Numb-face.

Some great shots Alex, especially love the Dendronotus frondosus one, more macro please!

Cheers,

Jim.

Hi all,

Second part of Alex's review has just been posted!

http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/nikon-d4-field-review/P1/

Alex's introduction to the D4 camera.

Adam

Part 3 has just been posted too!

http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/nikon-d4-field-review/P2/

Adam

Part 4 of Alex's mega review is now on the front page. It is entitled ISO, image quality and shooting FX.

http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/nikon-d4-field-review/P3/

Adam