Any news on the 'D400'?

[GaryT]

So this is what the announcement in aug/sep is going to be about!?!? Well that's crappy!!

 

[NikonBob]

If Nikon does not announce a "D400" by the end of September (IMHO it will not be called the D400 since the number 400 has bad connotations in Japan - D401?) and it does not have the following specs -

1. magnesium-alloy construction with advanced dust and moisture countermeasures
2. 7 fps - 9 fps with a grip
3. Significantly larger buffer
4. Dual memory card slots
5. Improved low noise
6. Improved updated autofocus system
7. Minimum 16 megapixels (max 24)

I will continue saving for the D4.

 

[TheLost]

Things are looking bleak... Latest posts/comments on NikonRumors..

Q:Not sure why NR is pessimistic about D400 date[...]
A: I am not pessimistic, I am basing my opinion on the info I receive. Unless a miracle happens, there will be no D400 this year.

Q:Are you thinking now that the D400 is probably not going to be launched?
A: At least not any time soon. For a long time I was told that the D7100 will be the top of the line DX camera. It seems that what I reported an year ago is still true.

Q:I was told right after Earthquake by someone high up that there was no D400 planned. Nothing I've heard or seen since tells me anything different. Think of the amount of bodies they've released since the D300 and ask if they were releasing what is the hold up?
A: Same here - I was told that the D7100 will be the top of the DX line months before the camera was released. After it came out, many realized that the buffer is not fast enough and we all assumed that there will be a better DX camera coming soon. I have not heard anything reliable since that such camera exists.

 

[shadowlands]

Things are looking bleak... Latest posts/comments on NikonRumors..

Q:Not sure why NR is pessimistic about D400 date[...]
A: I am not pessimistic, I am basing my opinion on the info I receive. Unless a miracle happens, there will be no D400 this year.

Q:Are you thinking now that the D400 is probably not going to be launched?
A: At least not any time soon. For a long time I was told that the D7100 will be the top of the line DX camera. It seems that what I reported an year ago is still true.

Q:I was told right after Earthquake by someone high up that there was no D400 planned. Nothing I've heard or seen since tells me anything different. Think of the amount of bodies they've released since the D300 and ask if they were releasing what is the hold up?
A: Same here - I was told that the D7100 will be the top of the DX line months before the camera was released. After it came out, many realized that the buffer is not fast enough and we all assumed that there will be a better DX camera coming soon. I have not heard anything reliable since that such camera exists.

I know... I finally got tired of waiting, reading, hoping, etc... I sold my D300 and 17-55 F2.8 DX and bought a D700 and 28-70 F2.8.
I'm happy about the move. I do miss my D300 at times, but I enjoy that I can shoot at ISO 3200 and 6400 without fear.
I'm now committed to FX, as my bank account just got smaller.

 

[Tailgunner]

Things are looking bleak... Latest posts/comments on NikonRumors..

Q:Not sure why NR is pessimistic about D400 date[...]
A: I am not pessimistic, I am basing my opinion on the info I receive. Unless a miracle happens, there will be no D400 this year.

Q:I was told right after Earthquake by someone high up that there was no D400 planned. Nothing I've heard or seen since tells me anything different. Think of the amount of bodies they've released since the D300 and ask if they were releasing what is the hold up?
A: Same here - I was told that the D7100 will be the top of the DX line months before the camera was released. After it came out, many realized that the buffer is not fast enough and we all assumed that there will be a better DX camera coming soon. I have not heard anything reliable since that such camera exists.

I know... I finally got tired of waiting, reading, hoping, etc... I sold my D300 and 17-55 F2.8 DX and bought a D700 and 28-70 F2.8.
I'm happy about the move. I do miss my D300 at times, but I enjoy that I can shoot at ISO 3200 and 6400 without fear.
I'm now committed to FX, as my bank account just got smaller.

Ya, I'm thinking about buying a D800 my self. I really love my D7100 but the small buffer is killing me and I do't see a D400 anytime soon.

 

[Mach0]

Ya, I'm thinking about buying a D800 my self. I really love my D7100 but the small buffer is killing me and I do't see a D400 anytime soon.

The d800 won't be any better.

 

[Aloicious]

this isn't directly about a D400 but from nikon Nikon | Investor Relations | Q&A of Financial Results for First Quarter of the Year Ending March 31, 2014

We were hoping the market in China would recover in the second half of this fiscal year, allowing us to regain our pace in expanding the market. However, we now feel it is more realistic to expect recovery of Chinese economy to be delayed to almost the end of the fiscal year.

We are keeping inventory of our digital SLR cameras to extremely low levels. We plan to launch new products in the latter half of the fiscal year expect a shift towards newer products that have higher profit margins.

so to me it sounds like they are planning some more SLR releases, however their comment about shifting toward higher profit margin products, makes me question the D400 and D4x/D4s stuff due to a much more limited market on those items (from a business standpoint of specialized higher end bodies vs lower end consumer bodies which use cheaper materials and sell in a vastly higher volume) at least that's what it sounds like to me, not necessarily what will happen or anything, its equally possible that the higher price of the high end bodies brings a greater overall profit percentage and that they are going to focus on that...but either way, the first quote also makes me think some announcements may be delayed until late this year or early 2014.

edit- also on their projected estimation for the fiscal year ending Mar 2014, on pages 6 and 7 here:http://www.nikon.com/about/ir/ir_library/result/pdf/2014/14first_2_e.pdf
They mention this:

Accelerate shifting newer products in the entry class of D-SLR.

Sales mix is shifted toward newer products in the entry class of D-SLR in order to improve operating income ratio (7.9% in 1H → 12.0％ in 2H).

so take that for what it's worth, its not necessarily definitive against higher end bodies, but it also makes me question the 'typical' release of them as far as a D400/D4x/D4s are concerned.

 

[Aloicious]

Ya, I'm thinking about buying a D800 my self. I really love my D7100 but the small buffer is killing me and I do't see a D400 anytime soon.

The d800 won't be any better.

incorrect, Nikon rates the buffer at 14bit lossless compressed raw files for the D7100 at 6 images, and the D800 rates at 17 images. which is a significant difference, unless you're just doing 'spray and pray', in which case, really nothing will be large 'enough'

 

[coastalconn]

This would be rather sad news for me if there is no D300 successor, I really have no upgrade path... D7100 - lacks the build quality, direct controls and buffer... D600 doesn't interest me at all, D800 is too slow and not optimized for what I shoot.. I find it rather odd that Nikon would just abandon my market segment when I can't be the only one that is an action bird photographer.

 

[matthewo]

This would be rather sad news for me if there is no D300 successor, I really have no upgrade path... D7100 - lacks the build quality, direct controls and buffer... D600 doesn't interest me at all, D800 is too slow and not optimized for what I shoot.. would find it rather odd that Nikon would just abandon my market segment when I can't be the only one that is an action bird photographer.

I like the d800, I find 4 fps enough. I never just hold the shutter anyway. I tend to usually get way more photos then I need with 4fps anyways(5 FPS DX). haha.
although I think an old D3 would be a nice camera as a secondary body. although it wouldn't have the crop factor the d800 does. forget d800 resolution for detail, just remember why the wildlife photographers use the d800, FF ISO, with DX like reach, I would give up a few FPS for that anyday. but you still got to give it to the D800 as if you compare it to the D4 as far as resolution captured, the buffer, and or processor would be processing about the same amount of data, now if you could just unlock the DX mode for 8 FPS then it would be cool, I know it can do it, but of coarse Nikon doesn't want that

d800 with 500mm +1.4x teleconverter = 1050mm at 16 MP and F5.6 min, 35mm EQ. cant loose with 1050mm...

 

[Tailgunner]

This would be rather sad news for me if there is no D300 successor, I really have no upgrade path... D7100 - lacks the build quality, direct controls and buffer... D600 doesn't interest me at all, D800 is too slow and not optimized for what I shoot.. I find it rather odd that Nikon would just abandon my market segment when I can't be the only one that is an action bird photographer.

I honestly don't think Nikon has giving on a D300 successor, I just think they suffered major set back with the unfortunate events that took place in Japan.

 

[coastalconn]

I like the d800, I find 4 fps enough. I never just hold the shutter anyway. I tend to usually get way more photos then I need with 4fps anyways. haha.
although I think an old D3 would be a nice camera as a secondary body. although it wouldn't have the crop factor the d800 does. forget d800 resolution for detail, just remember why the wildlife photographers use the d800, FF ISO, with DX like reach, I would give up a few FPS for that anyday.

My biggest concern is my Osprey dive sequences... The Odds of catching the perfect talon down entry shot is greatly decreased with 4-5 FPS. They drop their talons in the last .25 seconds and getting 2 frames in that split second is crucial. The other thing I think about is the Eagle sequence I caught. I would have loved to have it in focus a little better, but only having 4 frames in this second would not been as nearly as cool... 1 Second in the life of an eagle - a set on Flickr If I ever get a do over of this I want to have all 8 shots in the sequence...

 

[Aloicious]

This would be rather sad news for me if there is no D300 successor, I really have no upgrade path... D7100 - lacks the build quality, direct controls and buffer... D600 doesn't interest me at all, D800 is too slow and not optimized for what I shoot.. I find it rather odd that Nikon would just abandon my market segment when I can't be the only one that is an action bird photographer.

I shoot the same thing as you and the D800 hasn't been problematic for me . but yeah a nice high end DX would be ideal I don't think the D7100 is all that great, its far too 'consumer' level to be a flagship DX body, I'm not really thinking a D400 that it WONT EVER happen, but rather I'm thinking we just can't really trust the "standard" updating time frame....to me the quotes from nikon apply more to the D4x/D4s updates than the D400, since I think there is definitely more of a market in the D400 area (since the D800 kindof covers most of what a high res D4x level would be, and the D4 is already a ultra fast, high ISO monster like the D3s, so unless they're able to expand that significantly, I'm not sure a D4s is warranted)...at least that's my take on it.

 

[matthewo]

man talk about a quickie. haha, understood. I guess what I shoot are slow

 

[matthewo]

the thing about the d4s or d4x updates, I really think d4x wouldn't be as important to the masses as a proper d4s, the d4x could have similar resolution of d800, or maybe 24mp with high fps, not really great IMO. a d4s with a noticeable improvement in ISO, over the slack non improvement in iso from the d3s to the d4. that what everyone wants, that's what makes people put down the big money, having the best ISO performance. that's why people drool and seeing usable performance at 20000 ISO, haha, is it really needed, probably not, but will it make people talk and respark canon / Nikon fight, sure...

we are coming to a point with the FF dslr cameras, that each new model is only a little bit better then the pervious model. people buy them for a few features, but mostly just to have the newest greatest thing. tell me why someone needs a d4 over a d3s if they don't do video?