The first camera and housing we've been able to get hold of is the Nikon D4 and Nauticam NA-D4 and I have brought it up here to Iceland to put it through its paces. I will publish a full review at the end of this trip, but I thought I share a few thoughts and pictures informally in the forums during the trip, when internet access allows.
I am excited about reviewing the D4 because it is an amazing device for creating images, a massive step from the D3. The image quality is phenomenal and the despite the AF system has blown me away, despite being on paper the same as the D3/D700/D800. But for underwater photography its little brother, the D800 matches it in many areas and actually has a feature set that I think is more suited to most underwater photography. I'll get into that in the review when I have had the chance to test it in a variety of conditions (but I hope that the review is also relevant for D800 users and they see much of their new tech used underwater for the first time).
I am also excited to review Nauticam's NA-D4. Nauticam are now one of the largest forces in underwater photography and I know people who have switched from every other housing brand to Nauticam housings in the last few years (and to be fair some that have switched the opposite way). But this is Nauticam's first housing for a flagship SLR and will have to be something special to attract photographers (who will be pro or semi-pro and long standing shooters) from other housing brands. This housing is a late prototype.
But I'll get into all of that in the review.
I arrived in Iceland yesterday afternoon and did a evening check dive in the sea with my D7000. But today I headed inland with to Iceland's famous Silfra, the dive between the continental plates in incredibly clear water. I've shot this site before and it is not actually the aim of this trip, but it is spectacular and I also liked the idea of calm freshwater for my first dives with such an expensive camera. Although driving up there, the weather was hardly benign:
This being Iceland the weather soon changed and we even had sun for a bit (and at least the snow provided a good studio for photographing the housing, see below). Nikon promote the D4 as pushing limits and certainly the dark, narrow canyon of Silfra, under heavy clouds, is a perfect test for high ISO shooting (especially because the clear water necessitates stopping down to have enough depth of field to keep everything in focus and get good corner sharpness). I wouldn't review a more mainstream camera in such extreme conditions - but the D4 should be tested in conditions that push limits and the next 10 days will be testing those of the camera and me!
The Nauticam housing is well made and attractive, with some now classic Nauticam design flourishes and some intelligent new features. One I really liked was the lever for ISO, which is under your right thumb (rather than being a push button low . On a camera like this you are likely to want to change ISO frequently.
I had better stop this is turning into a review. I'll share some images from Day 1 with the camera.
Alex
