Nikon first showed off its newest full-frame D-SLR, the D4S, at CES. The company planned to put in the hands of photographers covering the Winter Olympics in Sochi, and sought to quell speculation by announcing that yes, the camera was coming. But it provided no other details at that time, opting instead to wait until today to reveal its tech specs to the world.

The D4S is the replacement for the D4. Like its predecessor it's a fast-shooting, big camera that's aimed squarely at photojournalists and sports photographers who demand incredibly fast, accurate focus at high frame rates. The D4S uses a new image sensor, but one with the same 16-megapixel resolution of the D4, and a new EXPEED 4 processor that supports continuous shooting at 11fps with autofocus and autoexposure for each shot. An improved mirror return system lessens the blackout time between shots.

The sensor design does include an optical low-pass filter, which has been removed from recent cameras from Nikon, including the current top-end APS-C model, the D7100. Omitting the OLPF increases the absolute sharpness of images, but a Nikon spokesperson stated that low pixel density of the D4S sensor is more prone to color moiré than the 36-megapixel D800E, so it remains a necessity.

The low pixel density does give the D4S a distinct advantage compared to other full-frame cameras: Low image noise. We haven't had the opportunity to test it, but the D4 was the best low-light camera to pass through our testing labs in memory, and the D4S promises to better it. The new camera can shoot at ISO 25600 in native mode, and it can be pushed all the way to ISO 409600 in extended mode.

There are also improvements to the autofocus system. Nikon states that the system is faster overall, but there are a few refinements in terms of control that weren't available in the D4. Group Area AF ties groups of focus points together, breaking the focus area into five areas, which will improve accuracy when tracking an object. The focus system now recognizes when you switch from portrait to landscape orientation, and can be set to adjust the active point automatically as you change the orientation of the body—so if you're shooting a subject in landscape orientation and the focus point is at the top-center of the frame, switching to portrait will move the point to what would be the right-center if you had not moved the camera.

Metering is improved as well. Face Detection is active when using the optical viewfinder, which will better expose human subjects. Improved white balance works in conjunction to deliver images with more accurate skin tones. If you shoot in Live View, the camera will react more quickly to changes in exposure. And there are number of time lapse improvements. You can now capture up to 9,999 images in a time lapse (up from a comparatively paltry 999 images), and the camera will balance exposure from shot to shot to compensate for slight changes in lighting, so your time lapses won't have a flickering look.

Event shooters who aren't after huge prints can now shoot in Raw format in a reduced resolution. In addition to the standard full-size 14-bit Raw images, the D4S has a 12-bit 4-megapixel Raw option. Other minor upgrades include a Gigabit Ethernet port (the D4 topped out at 100Mbps), and the ability to adjust the color temperature of the rear display.

There are also some improvements of which videographers should take note. The D4S can record in 1080p60, up from 30fps. The HDMI port still supports clean output for use with a field recorder, but it can now simultaneously record compressed footage to a memory card as well. Audio levels can be adjusted while recording, and the frequency can be set to a wide range to pick up ambient sound, or a more narrow frequency to isolate voices.

There are some slight changes to the control surfaces of the camera, but no major physical differences. The D4S has dual card slots (one CF and one XQD), and it includes a new ENEL18A battery that's rated for 3,020 shots per charge. Older ENEL18 batteries are also supported.

The D4S is set to ship on March 6. Its price is higher than the D4, so be prepared for some sticker shock: $6,499.95.