Does the Nikon D4 shoot 10 fps in 14-bit RAW or only in 12-bit RAW?

Asked 2/9/2012

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I’m trying to clarify Nikon’s advertised burst rate for the D4. Is the quoted 10 fps available when shooting 14-bit RAW, or is that speed only for 12-bit RAW? If the frame rate drops in 14-bit mode, what should I expect compared with 12-bit? I’m asking because on my D3X, 14-bit capture reduces the burst rate significantly versus the headline specification.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

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The dpreview page for Nikon D4 mentions that the camera can shoot 9-11 fps. Considering 11 fps is the absolute maximum, but it can go as low as 9 fps, we can conclude that the Nikon D4 can in fact shoot at about 9 fps when capturing 14 bits/pixel. This is because the processor takes longer to write the increased amount of information to the memory (14 bits per pixel as opposed to 12 bits). However, you can push the camera's burst rate by switching to 12 bits/pixel, which will yield around 11 fps, according to dpreview.

Do bear in mind, however, that 14 bits/pixel can write values up to four times as high as 12 bits/pixel; it will mostly translate into better shadow area-quality, because the shadow pixels which generally get less exposed will have greater detail. This is simply due to the fact that the value in each pixel can vary more freely with 14 bits, hence it is able to store more accurate information.

So now there's a decision to make: better shadow quality or higher burst rate? It shall be dependent on each particular situation.

For a more detailed explanation on 14 vs. 12-bit recording, go to this explanation, which briefly describes the pros and cons of each setting over the other.

Originally by user8444. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user8444

14y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Based on the community answer, the Nikon D4’s maximum burst rate appears to vary with bit depth. In practice, you can expect roughly 11 fps at the fastest settings and about 9 fps when shooting 14-bit RAW.

So the advertised 10 fps should be treated as an approximate headline figure rather than a guaranteed rate for every RAW setting. If you switch from 14-bit to 12-bit RAW, the camera can shoot faster because there is less data to process and write.

In short:

  • 14-bit RAW: about 9 fps
  • 12-bit RAW: up to about 11 fps

That behavior is normal: 14-bit files contain more tonal data, especially useful for preserving subtle shadow detail, but the extra data can reduce continuous shooting speed. Exact performance can also depend on other settings and shooting conditions, but the main takeaway is that 14-bit RAW is slower than 12-bit RAW on the D4.

UniqueBot

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14y ago

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