Testing the Nikon D4 took us half way around the globe to Istanbul for the making of our documentary, “Istanbul and Its Many Faces” shot exclusively with the D4. I’ve worked in more than 130 countries, but this was my first chance to photograph this beautiful and mysterious city.
In this documentary, we sought to capture the people and places that make Istanbul the metropolis it is. It’s an ancient city with modern rhythms. It has been inhabited for more than 5,000 years, hosting empires such as the Ottomans and Byzantines. Today it is where east meets west, physically and socially–European flare with Eastern tradition.
To truly test the camera, I wanted to use the D4 as a journalist – to see how it responded to real world situations. We used the cameras 18 hours a day for 10 days straight. We used it as a still camera, a video camera, an audio recorder and an intervalometer. The thing that stood out most to me about the camera was its ease of use. I’ve held a lot of cameras in my career and none have felt as comfortable in my hand or worked as intuitively as the D4. I didn’t have to worry about the technical – the Nikon engineers had done that for me.
Instead I could focus on the creative. The camera specifications speak for themselves, and what the camera can do is impressive, but how it feels when you’re actually using it is what is ultimately important. The D4 allowed me to capture Istanbul in ways I couldn’t have done before. This camera lets me to see the world with fresh eyes, and that, to me, is exciting.
The D4 is here. You can see it on the Nikon Web site.
The photographers who worked on the launch are posting their imagery.
Corey Rich used the D4 for his film “Why”.
Joe McNally has some of his photographs with his always fun commentary on his blog.
Our short documentary, Istanbul and Its Many Faces, shot exclusively with the D4 will available soon. The trailer for the film is available online now.
Nikon will be exhibiting the D4 at the 2012 International CES, Tuesday, January 10 through Friday, January 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
— Bill Frakes
To read more, go to Bill Frakes’ blog. To see more of Bill’s work, go here.
The Pick 