It's getting really hard to tell the players without a scorecard. The newly announced Nikon D4 is amazingly similar in specs to the recently announced Canon 1D X. Both are mid-resolution (16MP & 18MP) full-frame cameras -- allowing for larger pixels and stunning low-light performance with ISOs in the tens of thousands promised. And both are wicked fast (11fps and 12fps), with full 1080p HD video, dual card slots, heavy-duty construction, full bit depth image recording, and scads of other features…

At this point it really comes down to which system you prefer or which camera you find easier to use. You can read all the details of the Nikon D4 online, but suffice it to say that if you have $5299 to spare when February rolls around and shoot Nikon, you’ll be drooling over the chance to get one of these. I’ll know more after I get some hands-on time with Nikon at PMA+CES next week, but from all accounts Nikon has listened to those who want a no compromise performance camera without worrying too much about massive resolution specs.