A new full-frame Nikon flagship camera is born at the top of the DSLR mountain. The predecessor to the Nikon D4, the Nikon D4S comes with a better auto-focus, enhanced low-light shootings and speedier data handling.

Although the Nikon D4S has the same megapixel count and sensor size as its predecessor at 16.2MP full-frame imager, the sensor tucked in the Nikon D4S is a new chip with new image processor in the form of Expeed 4.

According to Nikon, the autofocus system of the new D4S is "tenacious," offering the same 51-point system but with a new focusing mode. Basically, the user can choose one focus point, while the camera utilises adjacent points to maintain the focus in fast-moving objects with the 11 fps continuous-shooting mode and "Group Area AF."

The Nikon D4S appears to be an incredible low-light shooter. In fact, although the D4 is already revered with its astronomical ISO levels, the Nikon D4S takes the game a notch further with its improved sensor's sensitivity to light. The D4 delivers ISO settings up to 12,800, which is expandable to 204,800 but the Nikon D4S sports a maximum ISO setting of 25,600, which is expandable to 409,600.

Apart from the photo-taking improvements, the video capabilities of the Nikon D4S also got a bump up. Even though the Nikon D4S is not the best DSLR in this department, this new powerful camera can shoot 1080p video at 60, 30, and 24fps in full-frame mode and 30 and 24fps in a crop mode. Users can also use the Nikon D4S' manual exposure controls in video mode.

Another interesting fresh feature of the Nikon D4S is the "RAW size S" option that captures 12-bit .NEF files that are half the size of the regular 12-bit .NEF RAW files. Basically, the images are uncompressed 12-bit images captured at a 4MP resolution designed for faster uploading and processing in a computer.

With all these features comes a price. The new Nikon D4S cost $6500 for the body alone on its release date on March.

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