My Turn Sitting in the Best Seat in the House (Shooting the Seahawks with Rod Mar)

Seahawks Fan

As a kid I was a football junkie who followed his favorite team carefully and knew what was going on with all of the players. I knew the other divisions and opponents well and I dreamed of the day when my little league football practices would pay off big as I got my shot to be a NFL football player.

Of course, I was young and idealistic so I eventually realized that my 6’1” 120 lbs frame in High School was sure to face certain death if I continued to play ball, so I hung up the cleats and became a TV fan like the rest of the world. However, the passion and desire to be on the field for an NFL game was intense, but I accepted the reality that day would probably never arrive. Instead, I chose other sports to shoot and enjoyed my successes as a motorsports photographer.

Shortly after I got my Canon 1D Mark III the passion to be closer to football burned again when my good friend Fred Nava sent me a link to a blog on the Seattle Times called The Best Seat in the House by sports photography legend Rod Mar. Rod has 25-years experience shooting sports so his great images captivated me. I watched his blog with great enthusiasm and day dreamed at what it would be like to sit in the best seat in the house with my camera one day. 

Fast forward to 2011 when a charity event at work happens where I get to meet Rod. We exchange some emails online and eventually I got the courage to ask Rod if he’d be up for doing a guest blog article reminiscent of one of his old Best Seat in the House articles. Rod’s a super nice guy so he agrees, but the reality of his busy work schedule kept causing delays.

While heading to my day job one day I get a phone call from Rod . He is now the team photographer for the Seahawks asks me if I could help him out as an assistant for a game. I immediately said hell yes. Since Rod doesn’t make offers like this very often (so please don’t ask), it was like getting called up to the big leagues.

The Big Day – A Dream Come True

A Dream Come True

It was the ultimate Christmas gift to be able to join Rod Mar on December 24th, 2011 against the San Francisco 49ers, so I was on time and ready to go.

After meeting up with Rod at the stadium I was given a vest to use for the game that labeled me as an NFL Photographer for the day. I immediately whipped out my iPhone 4s and snapped the shot above to send to my wife as I tried to contain myself from doing the equivalent of a touchdown celebration. At that moment the perma-grin was so big on my face that my cheeks started to obscure my vision! Here’s a shot taken by Rod as we walked out on the field prior to the game for the first time:

All grins looking like Tim Taylor of Home Improvement with my Think Tank Photo Modular Components and Keep It Up Shoulder Strap as well as a Black Rapid Strap 

Happy? Oh hell yeah – you bet! In fact, it only got better from here! I took my turn taking a shot of Rod and Blitz as well:

Team Mascot – Blitz & Rod Mar

Pre-Game Warm Up

Getting Prepped

The stage was set so I got my chance to warm up shooting the pre-game practice. Naturally my camera of choice was the Canon 1D Mark IV with the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, but a few shots were taken with the 24-105mm f/4L IS. I had a lot more gear of course, but in my frantic pace of keeping up with Rod as his assistant I didn’t feel like futzing with it. As a result, I could have (and should have) left nearly all of it home.
Off to a Running Start
(Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-20mm f/2.8L IS II lens @ 200mm, ISO 400, 1/640 sec., f/2.8)

I was also glad that I didn’t rent a 400mm because I had such great access that I was able to get most of what I needed or wanted with the 70-200mm with insignificant cropping when the action was farther away down the field. I could easily print a 16x24 or larger with the images I took, so the great image quality of my camera was a blessing.

Hangin with the Big Boys
(Canon 1D Mark IV, 24-105mm f/4L IS lens @ 60mm, ISO 640, 1/500 sec., f/4.0)

Lucky grab
Wrong settings but the stars aligned and I got the shot
(Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-20mm f/2.8L IS II lens @ 200mm, ISO 160, 1/250 sec., f/4.0)

Newbie Mistake
Doug Baldwin hands a kid in the stands a ball and I totally missed it – DOH!
(Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-20mm f/2.8L IS II lens @ 70mm, ISO 320, 1/500 sec., f/2.8)

Seagals 2012
Yeah, I could get used to this!

It was cool enough that I was this close to the players, but when the Seagals took the field I was like “oh yeah, awesome”!  Rod is also the official team photographer for the Seagals too (lucky bugger), so he was getting some great shots of them that day as well (starting with #10).

Ready – Action!

Rod breaks out the big boy toys

It was game time and it was time to get down to business. Now technically I was supposed to be Rod’s assistant where I help him schlep his gear around so he can get some great shots of the Seahawks (typically from the end zone with the Seahawks facing us), but I was beside myself with excitement so Rod was gracious enough to let me fire off some rounds. Here’s a shot he took of me during the actual game:

The Worst Assistant – Ever!
(FYI that film camera is for this)

Instead of doing my job, I was too busy grabbing shots like this from across the field:

Too Slow Joe
Cool shot, but lame compared to Rod’s (Search for Sherman here)
(Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-20mm f/2.8L IS II lens @ 200mm, ISO 1000, 1/250 sec., f/2.8)

Rod was nailing shots left and right using a 400mm lens with a 1.4x teleconverter (which if you’ve tried to follow action with that level of zoom, you know that’s tough!). However, I was struggling to get a good composition. I managed to get a few here and there like this:

(Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-20mm f/2.8L IS II lens @ 145mm, ISO 400, 1/1000 sec., f/2.8)

but it was tough. I’ve got the geek skills to know how to get the most out of the Canon 1D Mark IV so I was getting crystal clear sharp shots all day long (nearly 2800 by the end of the day), but getting the shot at the right moment framed properly is where you separate the posers like me from the legends like Rod.

(Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-20mm f/2.8L IS II lens @ 200mm, ISO 400, 1/1000 sec., f/2.8)

Sure I managed to get some good shots like the ones above and below, but when you take as many shots as I did with the right gear (and you know how to use it) then you are going to get lucky eventually.

(Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-20mm f/2.8L IS II lens @ 200mm, ISO 500, 1/1000 sec., f/2.8)

But often times I had accidentally let my shutter speed drop too low so the perfectly timed shot would be a tad blurry:

(Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-20mm f/2.8L IS II lens @ 200mm, ISO 1000, 1/800 sec., f/2.8)

I was also stupid and didn’t bring enough memory cards, so I ended up shooting half the game in JPEG instead of RAW and that hurt the image quality quite a bit. In my rush I just set the camera back to some old settings I had registered and they were too aggressive with the in-camera noise reduction (see above) – vs – RAW shots like the one below:

(Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-20mm f/2.8L IS II lens @ 70mm, ISO 320, 1/1000 sec., f/2.8)

Lessons Learned

Woohoo!

I had the time of my life, but I feel guilty for letting Rod down by not being a better assistant. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to do this again one day, but even if I didn’t I’m eternally grateful to Rod Mar for this incredible opportunity.

With respect to gear, I was very happy that I packed my Black Rapid RS-Sport (Adorama & B&H) as it worked brilliantly during the game when I was running around with my camera on my side. I was also thankful to Glazers Camera in Seattle giving me a Stuff It Microfiber Lens Cloth which I loved. I also made the right choice to use the Think Tank Photo Modular Components and Keep It Up Shoulder Strap (brilliant for phone and memory cards) as that kept all of my gear ready for me to get to quickly and easily (even if I was afraid to grab some of it due to fear of missing something).

My only regret was not getting some good knee pads as you spend a lot of the game on your knees and my bad knees weren’t built for that. They literally still bother me since that day, so that a was a big mistake on my part.

My Canon 1D Mark IV New Users / Shoppers Guide was balls on with its advice. If you REALLY understand the AF system of the 1D Mark IV (and few do), you can get a large number of sharp and in-focus shots.

Seagals transitions between movement and still
was actually harder to get perfect than game play!

The camera’s biggest flaw is that there’s no fast way to toggle the One Shot AF mode (needed for still shots) to AI Servo (needed for tracking moving subjects) unless you have a big lens with a AF Stop button that can be re-programmed. Given this fact most photographers find that using the AF On button to manually control focus and the shutter button for metering and shooting only works better. However, that takes practice so I’m super excited that the upcoming 1D X will allow one its front buttons to be programmed to be a focus mode toggle so I can get more sharp shots during transition periods.

Thanks Rod Mar

(Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-20mm f/2.8L IS II lens @ 105mm, ISO 640, 1/1000 sec., f/2.8)

I’d like to thank Rod Mar for giving me the opportunity to scratch this dream off the bucket list. My day shooting a NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers at the Seattle Seahawks is a memory I’ll never stop talking about.

(Canon 1D Mark IV, 70-20mm f/2.8L IS II lens @ 70mm, ISO 400, 1/1000 sec., f/2.8)

Here’s Rod’s game shots used by the team on their blog. Keep in mind that Rod literally got all of these shots processed during halftime and shortly after the game. It took me nearly a month to go through my shots and lightly process them!

Here’s a photo gallery of game action and the Seagals taken by other pros during the game.

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using select links in this article, I may make a commission. Thank you for supporting this blog by using my links.

First Look: Canon EOS-1D X with Real World Shots (Firmware 1.0.2) - Thanks CameraLensRentals.com!

The unboxing moment for my Canon EOS-1D X
purchased from CameraLensRentals.com

Thanks to my friend Barry Jackson at CameraLensRentals.com (review), my wish to own the 1D X has come true, but would it be all that I hoped for? Read on to get my first impressions.

First Impressions of the camera body

This camera feels a bit more bulky than my 1D Mark IV, but the menus and features are very similar to the 5D Mark III (with the 5D Mark III being better and easier to use). I was a bit disappointed with the loss of the HDR menu item (although the multiple exposures feature seems to be a way to get yet WITHOUT auto alignment), and the lack of a SD slot now means no EyeFi support.

The new rear camera LCD feels larger and better overall, and the new redundant buttons are a welcome addition that took me only a few seconds to get used to.

I was glad to see the addition of WB button, but horrified to see that quick menu doesn’t allow me to change file formats (from raw to jpeg, etc…). Sure I can go to the smaller display and use the new button next to it to change those modes, but that’s cumbersome and requires me to use the light button (which results in a new hideous orange instead of the classic green backlight found on other bodies).

My biggest disappointment is that this cameras mirror slap is fairly noisy – way more so than my previous 1D Mark III or 1D Mark IV. Even in silent mode, it’s kind of noisy. The 5D Mark III is much quieter which really makes it the better choice for wedding photographers (or others who need a stealth camera).

I also find that I get a different look out of this camera (especially with a ring flash) than I do with the 1D Mark IV, and I kind of like that 1D Mark IV look better. This camera produces amazing saturated and sharp images that are ready to print right out of the camera, but even with the raw files my default processing workflow has to change which could be unsettling for some photographers.

Perhaps my biggest surprise is that the in-camera metering – especially using Auto ISO in manual mode – is brilliant! This camera has a dedicated processor for metering (not found on the 5D Mark III) and metering can follow the AF point (not possible on the 5D Mark III), so I was getting great exposures all night long (whereas the 5D Mark III tends to be about one stop too dark with auto ISO in manual mode).

Sample Photos

I have a dedicated gallery of images I’ve taken with the 1D X here. Except where noted on in the captions, all of these images were taken handheld. All images from July 19 and the bookshelf shots were all taken with the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. All images included are the original in-camera JPEG files at compression 10, sRGB colorspace, Standard picture style and Low noise reduction (except for bookcase which used the camera default settings).

The following flower shots were all hand-held and used auto white balance (AWB) with spot focusing and metering following the AF point. Most were shot in M(anual) mode with auto ISO except where noted in the ISO of the originals. No flash was used – only ambient tungsten light. Click to view the originals.

ISO 25,600

ISO 25,600

ISO 25,600

ISO 20,000

ISO 20,000

ISO 12,800

ISO 10,000

ISO 6400

ISO 5000

ISO 4000

ISO 3200

ISO 2500

ISO 640

Yeah, WOW! If you aren’t impressed by that, then I’d like to see your unprocessed in-camera JPEG’s of what you think is a better camera, because I haven’t seen anything that has impressed me this much.

I haven’t done deep analysis yet, but it sure as hell feels like a lot better dynamic range and way lower noise than the already excellent 5D Mark III. You sure as heck aren’t going to get these kind of results with the noise monster D800 and even the D4 didn’t impress me as much with its kettle shot (see my review).

I’ll be shooting and co-teaching with Bryan Peterson this weekend (last years workshop), so I hope to get a chance to put this camera through its paces this weekend.

Bookshelf Photos

Comparisons to come in a future article, below are a few to wet your appetite. All in-camera JPEG shots below were taken with the 1D X mounted to a RSS BH-55 head on a Gitzo GT1541  with camera default settings using a 70-200mm lens set to 100mm at f/8 and ISO 100 using mirror lockup and a 10 second timer. Exposure was set to the required value to get a proper exposure, and IS and AF were turned off after focus was achieved on the first shot.

ISO 100

Screen shot of 100% Crop at ISO 100 RAW file
DPP 3.11 with Neutral Picture Style and no NR or Sharpening

ISO 25,600

Screen shot of 100% Crop at ISO 25,600 RAW file
DPP 3.11 with Neutral Picture Style and no NR or Sharpening

ISO 51,200

Screen shot of 100% Crop at ISO 51,200 RAW file
DPP 3.11 with Neutral Picture Style and no NR or Sharpening

The screen captures were taken from DPP to see what the images REALLY look like, whereas the JPEG’s are Canon’s default processing which I find to be excellent. Lightroom 4 will read and decode the RAW files, but it’s clear that their not spot on yet with their default reverse engineering of these files.

For the anal retentive folks out there, here’s my DPP settings for each of the RAW files screen captured above:

Wondering where all of the 1D X’s have been?

iPhone shot (at night under tungsten light) of the 1D X menu when I turned the camera on

Me too!

This camera has frustrated me quite a bit as I learned about it last October and have been lusting for it ever since. I ended up with number 953 according to my serial number, so where are the others? My guess is that the startup screen says a lot – London! With the Olympics stating this month, Canon had to get these cameras to the Olympics and have them ready to perform.

I’m pretty frustrated that Canon USA – even up until last week – was telling me that they didn’t have any of these cameras and that there was nothing they could do to help me to get one. Even Adorama and B&H let me down and couldn’t get me one in a timely matter, yet there were plenty stories on the web of ordinary consumers getting one. This was a total fail on Canon’s part and something that will limit how much free advertising I give them on this blog in the form of review coverage.

About the $6799 (USD) Price Tag – Is it worth it?

I had my first chance to use a Canon EOS-1D X on October 27, 2011. I wrote about that experience in my popular article HANDS ON: Canon EOS-1D X (sample images and video) 2-11-12 update which was featured on CanonRumors.com. I was so impressed with what I saw that I literally sold a car and saved the cash so that I’d be able to buy this camera when it came out. Thanks to my friend Barry Jackson at CameraLensRentals.com (review), my wish to own the 1D X has come true, but would it be all that I hoped for? Now that the amazing 5D Mark III is out  and I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing the D4 & D800 – would I really be satisfied with Canon’s flagship DSLR?

As a formerly very happy 1D Mark IV owner (also purchased from CameraLensRentals.com 2.5 years ago), I really was wondering if I should just keep the 5D Mark III and be happy with my 1D Mark IV. My 1D Mark IV had served me well for a wide number of events, including my dream to shoot the Seahawks with legendary sports photographer Rod Mar. As a result, I was really wondering if I could be happy taking a pass on the EOS-1D X.

Based on what I’m seeing in my first day testing (and I have a lot more to do before I draw my final conclusion), I’m pretty excited about what I’m seeing. The test unit I had in New York last year was able to bang out 52 RAW files at 12fps before choking (with the lens cap on and ISO 100), but this bad boy is getting 71 whereas my 1D Mark IV could only muster 45 under identical conditions with the same lens and memory card.

In my real-world test using my bookcase shot (so that lossless compression and complex JPEG thumbnail generation comes into play), I set my cameras to 1/30 sec at f/4 using ISO 6400. With the same lens and memory card I was able to get 49 RAW files (in 12 fps mode) with a 17 seconds buffer flush (i.e., red light off) versus 30 RAW with a 16 seconds flush for the 1D Mark IV. This is a great real world improvement!

Little tests like these and the previously mentioned image quality improvements really have me excited about this camera. However, $6799 USD is a shitload of money for a camera – especially when you consider the fact that the Nikon D4 is only $5999.95. Time will tell if this camera really seems to be worth parting with that much cash to get the state of the art DSLR that Canon has to offer right now.

Conclusion

I’m pretty happy with what I’m seeing thus far from this camera as the sample images blew me away. With in-camera processing, ISO 51,200 is totally usable, but the RAW is a little rough so I’d probably limit myself to 25,600 when possible. I’m very comfortable with this ISO though (which definitely feels at least 1 stop better than the 5D Mark III).

Stay tuned to this blog while I do a little more testing and report back some basic comparisons to other cameras I’ve reviewed like the D4, D800 and 5D Mark III.

Ordering Info

I purchased my 1D X at at CameraLensRentals.com (tell then ronmartblog.com sent you if you do too), but you can also buy one at Adorama, B&H and Amazon.

If you liked this article…

You may also enjoy these articles as well:

• REVIEW: Nikon D4 vs Nikon D800 & Canon 5D Mark III
• COMPARISION: Nikon D800 vs Canon 5D Mark III
• First Look: Nikon D800–Should Canon 5D-Mark III Users Switch?
• Parents Rejoice – No More Dark, Blurry and Out of Focus Pictures! (Canon 5D Mark III Real World Shots)
• Canon 5D Mark III Real World Shots–In-Camera HDR, High ISO, Flowers, Nature, People & Cars
• Canon 5D Mark III First Thoughts–WOW, Canon is BACK!!!! (REAL WORLD SHOTS)
• HANDS ON: Canon EOS-1D X (sample images and video)

More Info from Canon

• AF Setting Guidebook (READ THIS)
• 1D X Articles on Canon’s Web Site
• Canon USA’s 1D X Product Page
• On Screen Users Guides

Disclosure

I purchased this camera from CameraLensRentals.com with my own money. If you make a purchase using some (links – not all) in this article, I may make a commission.

REVIEW: Nikon D4 vs Nikon D800 & Canon 5D Mark III - Part I

Nikon D4 Courtesy of LensRentals.com (discount)
Purchase from Adorama or B&H

Introduction

This article is a high level overview of my first impressions with the new Nikon D4. I’m a Canon shooter who has owned the 1D Mark III and currently own the 1D Mark IV, so I’m used to pro bodies. I also have hands on experience with the Nikon D3, D3s, D700 and D800 (as well as other Nikon bodies).

To be clear I like Nikon, Fuji, and Canon cameras. It is my best interest to say nothing good about Nikon so you’ll buy one using links found in this article. However, my blog has always been about providing my honest opinion based on real world use so that’s what I provide here. I also will compare it to what I’m used to which is the Canon platform, so if you are a seasoned Nikon shooter those comments are probably irrelevant to you. If you are a Canon shooter considering a platform switch, then I think you should pay close attention to them.

First Impressions

The build quality of the D4 is what you expect from a pro body, so it won’t disappoint. There’s also all the greatest features and do dads that are sure to keep you busy for months as you get used to mastering them all. However, the default settings are very good and honestly the AF system out of the box is much easier and foolproof than the Canon 1D Mark IV. I find that I can dial in the 1D Mark IV with greater accuracy (learn how), but the D4 is certainly more forgiving (like the 5D Mark III).

I think the Nikon faithful are going to love this camera, but I don’t think it’s the huge leap of improvements that we saw when the D3 arrived. I think the D3s is probably one of the best Nikon bodies ever made, so I think upgrading from that body only makes sense for those who want to stay current.

The burst mode is fantastic and 49 frames with full uncompressed raw and JPEG Fine was easily reproducible over and over again. It seems that Nikon is artificially limiting the upper boundary since it’s so predictable, but 49 at 10+ fps is probably enough for most people’s needs.

I wasn’t able to test the new XQD memory cards, but personally I’m satisfied with the CF performance. In fact I was bummed that there was no built-in SD card for use with my Eye-Fi. This left the D4 with only one usable slot for me which was a real bummer. XQD feels like a beta max or memory stick ploy all over again, so I’m disappointed that Nikon chose this route.  CF is certainly more economical and is plenty fast.

My only gripe is about the price, but it’s roughly $1k cheaper than Canon’s upcoming 1D X. When I added up the cost of my gear and some of the new stuff coming out, it was obvious that Nikon is the more affordable platform these days.

I loved the new programmable buttons and options! I have always loved how Nikon makes so many features available on the camera, so from this standpoint this camera is a joy to use. The rear display also didn’t strike me as extraordinary but it worked reasonably well.

I did hate that the sub selector wasn’t redundant by default with the multi selector as I frequently hit the sub selector by accident. The result was typically annoying as I’d lose my preview or something equally frustrating.

Overall though my impression was favorable and I liked the D4.

Compared to the Nikon D800

As one might expect given the feature (and price) differential, I had a preference for the D4. I’m used to pro bodies with lots of flexibility in the custom settings, and the D4 doesn’t disappoint here. I also appreciated the fewer megapixels which made hand holding telephoto shots much more forgiving and therefore offering more sharp and in-focus images.

Overall, if I were spending my money I’d go for the D4 over the D800 for numerous reasons. Sure there’s more megapixels in the D800, but the D4 images are big enough for practical use. The D4 has a noise advantage (although subjectively it feels noisier than the D3s I used a while back).

The Bookshelf Test

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, then you know that I like to take shots of a bookshelf to compare cameras. The reason for this is simple – I can see how the camera performs in the deep shadows as well as the hot reflective surfaces – all under long exposures (no flash used). I always use Mirror Lockup and Manual mode with the focus set once and locked in Manual mode. VR is off and the camera is in a tripod with no movement in the room during the entire exposure.

One interesting thing that I noticed between these two cameras – even when using the same lens (Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II) – is that the D4 was about a half stop brighter. I noticed this when shooting the exact same subject (the bookshelf) using the same identical metering modes (Active Matrix) in identical light. Here’ an example at ISO 100 where 25sec was needed to get the shot on the D4 versus 15 seconds on the D800.

You MUST view these images at 100% for a fair comparison. Thumbnails are included here merely for reference.

Nikon D4, ISO 100, 25sec at f/8 100mm, Auto White Balance – In-Camera JPG
This is the setting the D4 indicated a correct exposure

Nikon D800, ISO 100, 15sec at f/8 100mm, Auto White Balance – In-Camera JPG
This is the setting the D800 indicated a correct exposure
Note due to the greater pixel density of the D800, this image has more artifacts at this size

Nikon D4, ISO 100, 15sec (-1EV) at f/8 100mm, Auto White Balance – In-Camera JPG
The D4 indicated a one stop (-1) underexposure, but it’s a match of the D800 setting

Where you really notice the difference is on the pink book where it says “academic” and the top of the red book.

Here’s some ISO 6400 swatches from in-camera JPEG’s at 100% for comparison:

D800	D4 0EV
D4 -1EV	5D Mark III

To my eyes it looks like the D4 does the best job of retaining detail when under exposed by one stop, and the D800 has the most noise but the most noticeable wood grain detail.

To see more bookshelf images from each of the cameras use the links below:

• D4 images, visit http://ronmart.zenfolio.com/d4
• D800 images, visit http://ronmart.zenfolio.com/d800
• 5D Mark III images, visit http://ronmart.zenfolio.com/5dm3vsd800

The Live View Bug

While there was more static than I’d like (and a lot more than Canon cameras), the Live View bug found in the D800 isn’t as pronounced. You still need to back off two zoom stops off the max in low light to get the most usable result, but the noise wasn’t nearly as debilitating.

Compared to the Canon 5D Mark III in the Studio

By the time I did this review I no longer had access to the Nikon 800, so I couldn’t take the same portraits. However, the sensor of the 5D Mark III is allegedly very similar to the upcoming Canon 1D X so I did the next best thing. Besides, the 5D Mark III is my personal favorite DSLR on the market right now so I thought it would be fun to compare the two.

I should also note that I didn’t bother testing my 1D Mark IV against the D4 simply because it’s a model that is soon to be retired and a previous generation camera. I will draw some more comparisons between the two in a future article.

Testing Methodology

The way I compared these cameras was to use the default settings (with RAW+JPEG Fine added and in M mode) in identical lighting conditions. The Canon 70-200mm lens is brighter and has greater reach due (compared the rear focus design of the Nikkor) so I had to adjust the camera position and settings to accommodate for these differences.

I did have a major fail in that I thought I had the no smile shot of the model in the first take so I shot several more where she was smiling. When I did the comparison at my desk, the best D4 shot was of a non-smile so I ended up with a subject variation. We are pixel peeping here though, so I don’t think it’s going to make a huge difference. What does make a difference is that the Canon does more in-camera sharpening than the Nikon.

I don’t have  place to host the raw images and I wanted to exclude software errors so I’m using in-camera JPEG’s from both platforms.

The studio was set up like this for this test shot:

Room Configuration
Model - Alessandra Mariella

The Images

Here’s an image taken with the Nikon D4 using the configuration shown above:

Nikon D4, Unedited In-Camera JPEG
1/40 sec at f/9, 200mm ISO 100, Auto White Balance

Canon 5D Mark III, Unedited In-Camera JPEG
1/60 sec at f/10, 200mm ISO 100, Auto White Balance

D4 Eye 100%

5D Mark III Eye

 

D4 Lips 100%

5D Mark III Lips 100% 

The Canon 5D Mark III over sharpens so it appears to have an edge, but when you look carefully at the two RAW’s I’d call them about the same. The D4 does seem to offer a little bit better detail at higher ISO’s, but it’s not the blow away leader that the D3 & D3s were when they were introduced. I think in the perfect lighting of the studio either camera will be sure to please.

I’d avoid shooting JPEG with the D4 as it seems to really benefit from RAW processing. I always urge people to shoot RAW on Canon, but if you shoot RAW+JPEG on Canon (when burst mode is not required) then you’ll find that the JPEG is usually usable most of the time. This is one place where I think the Nikon may be more of a time drain for event and wedding photographers. However, if you have your Nikon workflow down with your favorite actions then this is probably not an issue.

A word about AF accuracy

Settings for the shot below

Despite nailing the AF point, the shot was a miss
due to presumably a minimum focus distance issue

I’ve always said that if you photograph kids then you are a sports photographer, and my son gave the D4 a workout. I’ll talk more about that in a future article but note that about 40%+ of the images I took of my son were out of focus. As a former Canon 1D-Mark III owner, I felt like I was using that camera as I definitely get a higher percentage of in-focus shots with my 1D Mark IV and 5D Mark III. Some issues like the one above might be attributed to the horrible minimum focus distance of the Nikkor 70-200 lens, but I do think that some blame rest on the camera itself. However, I understand that this is a complex AF system just as those found in the Canon pro bodies, so it’s always possible that I didn’t have the perfect AF settings dialed in. I was shooting single AF point (and hitting my target) in AF-C when the subject was traveling and AF-S when the subject was stationary. In this case the subject was stationary and moving very slowly.

Unedited Real World Shots

The following are all shots uploaded from the in-camera JPEG’s with zero modifications. This is exactly how they came out of the camera with no cropping or edits. I don’t have a storage server for RAW’s but if there is a single image that you really want to see a RAW file then contact me and I can try to make it available to you via Dropbox.

For a full gallery of images click here.

Please note that I despise when photographers are showing nothing but a bunch of shots of their kids. I apologize for doing that here, but I got the D4 unexpectedly. I ended up having to review it during the course of normal family activities (often in non-ideal light) so this is the result. They are as real-world as it gets.

Spot focus is not as accurate as the 5D Mark III, but better than the 1D Mark IV

Swing test went very well

Random Dog

Dangle test – check!

Detail is good here at ISO 12,800

Great detail, but had to spot focus on the boat to get a correct exposure
Canon cameras would handle this best with Evaluate metering (similar to Active Matrix)

Dynamic range seemed pretty good, but I despise the white balance modes on Nikon’s

Evening flowers under tungsten (tungsten WB) at ISO 2000 (1/50 sec hand held)

ISO 12,800 under tungsten (f/13 for 1/50 sec handheld)

I never found a white balance mode outdoors that made me happy.
Auto white balance felt too yellow/orange

I settled on the too green and cold tone of Direct Sunlight (which I preferred to Shade & Cloudy)

I struggled with the D4 metering mode accuracy, but found spot to be my safest bet.

For this running series I got one of 10 shots in focus

This was handheld and with perfect light it does fine as a studio camera
Model - Alessandra Mariella

For Canon users who are considering switching platforms

As a camera body, you’ll enjoy the grip feel and all of the hard buttons. This is something that makes Nikons a joy to use. Many other things are about the same – just different so you’ll get used to it.

From a focusing standpoint I found the single point focusing to be similar to the 1D Mark IV’s single point focusing, but not as laser tight as the 5D Mark III and 1D X.

I’ll be blunt and say that I despise the Nikon metering system. It sounds amazing on paper, but in the real world it’s a total fail. Often times spot metering is required to get the desired result because center weighted is mostly useless (even with tweaking the size) and Active Matrix seems to enjoy silhouettes. On my Canon cameras I just set it to evaluate and maybe once a year I will hit a scenario where it fails so I’ll use spot or I’ll just use AE lock. On the D4 metering was a constant hassle – much more so than the D7000 and D800, so I often cursed it for missing the shot.

I have an equal disdain for the white balance modes of the Nikon which I admit are more accurate, but lack the warmth I enjoy from Canon. This is easily fixed in post-processing for RAW shooters, but I only use the RAW file as a emergency backup tool on the Canon platform because I like the in-camera JPEG’s so much. As a result, I found myself thinking traveling several years back in time where the in-camera JPEG was useless so being RAW only was required. This is something that’s just a difference from the platforms and Nikon would be nuts to change it, so this is where my comfort with the Canon platform shows.

As I mentioned in the D800 review, I’m also no fan of the rear focusing Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II. However, I found it much more forgiving than the D800 thanks to fewer megapixels. On the D800 with that much resolution the slightest movement causes motion blur but on the D4 in Normal or Active VR modes I had great success with hand holding the lens at low shutter speeds. It’s a darker lens with less reach than Canon’s new 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, so platform jumpers will be terminally ill when they experience the difference. It’s still a good lens though, so again this is just a platform difference.

In real-world use this isn’t the miracle camera that is going to blow you away. It’s a good camera, but everything I’ve seen from the new 5D Mark III (which shares a lot of technology with the 1D X) indicates that the Canon faithful will be rewarded for the their loyalty. With many great new lenses and cameras that allow you to focus more on composition, I think the reign of Nikon superiority for the last two generations has eroded. I thought of switching camps, but now I’m glad I didn’t.

If you liked this article…

You may also enjoy these articles as well:

• COMPARISION: Nikon D800 vs Canon 5D Mark III
• First Look: Nikon D800–Should Canon 5D-Mark III Users Switch?
• Parents Rejoice – No More Dark, Blurry and Out of Focus Pictures! (Canon 5D Mark III Real World Shots)
• Canon 5D Mark III Real World Shots–In-Camera HDR, High ISO, Flowers, Nature, People & Cars
• Canon 5D Mark III First Thoughts–WOW, Canon is BACK!!!! (REAL WORLD SHOTS)
• HANDS ON: Canon EOS-1D X (sample images and video)

More D4 articles coming soon!

Where to Buy or Rent

Click here to go to LensRentals.com (discount) to rent a Nikon D4 to help you decide if it’s the right camera for you. While you are at it you can pick up the same lens I used for this test here. Don’t forget that I have a discount for you as well.

You can also pick up the Nikon D4 from Adorama or B&H.

You can also pick up the Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II from Adorama or B&H.

Conclusion

I’ll add more after I’ve had more time to digest the nearly 4000 images I took with this camera, but for now I’m confident enough to say that this is a great camera for Nikon shooters. If you have a D3s then I’d call it an optional upgrade only if you have the bucks. If you have a D3 or D700, then I think it’s an upgrade you’ll really enjoy.

I’d also put this camera down as a better practical studio and every day use camera than the D800. Unless you need the megapixels this or even the D300s is going to serve you better than the D800 I think.

Don’t take my word for it though, click here to rent one and see of yourself using our exclusive discount.

Disclosure

If you make a purchase using links found in this article, I may make a commission. LensRentals.com provided the loaner Nikon D4 and 70-200 lens for this review.