Nikon Df Viewfinder Focusing out of the box

<p>I opened a new Df and placed the battery in the charger. Meanwhile, I wanted to view a Non-AI Nikkor-H 85 f1.8 through the optical viewfinder. To my surprise, I am not able to come close to focusing this lens. I can approach and pass a focus point and do the same with the diopter, but it far out of focus. This lens works beautifully on my Nikon F and F4. I cannot see any markings on the screen, like the F4 AF bracket. I only see my subject as a blur. <br>

Any thoughts?</p>

 

<p>You need to have a battery inserted to see through the viewfinder properly. This is because there is an LCD overlay that is in a dimmed state when no battery is fitted.</p>

<p>Yes, try waiting until the you have the battery installed. Things should brighten up after that.</p>

<p>Congratulation for your new NIKON Df camera. You gonna like it. I haw a D3s, D4 and I like the Df the most. Super easy to focus with all kinda lenses, AI, AI-S even not AI, all of them working fine on the Df. It has the brightest viewfinder on DSLR cameras. All of the DSLR camera viewfinder blur when no battery installed. Well, we learn all the time.</p>

<p>As suggested to install a charged battery, it works fine now. I now note that Nikon mentions this on page 10 in the provided manual. They could have elaborated a little more, though. I learn that the battery is in demand even when the power button is off. For all practical purposes, I am coming from the world of fully mechanical cameras (Nikon F fan) up to the electronic Nikon F4, so digital is a new avenue for me (except for P&S).<br>

Bela, are you enjoying your manually focusing with the supplied Df focus screen. <br>

</p>

<p>As I recall the Df is easy on battery power.</p>

<p>Hi Christian. Yes, I do, using all type of lenses form a non AI to AI-S and any new AF-S lenses. Focus is no problem, I haw enough experience and practice form the film era, ( 60 years of photography ) no AF. My reflexes is well trained to shoot an unexpected flying bird and get the bird in focus. Actually, most of the time I using "M" mode, "center weighted" metering on all my cameras and almost never using autofocus. I love my NIKON Df. I make compensation, finger on the shutter speed dial, accordingly.<br>

One more. I can shoot two days in one charge of batteries. So far, I never needed the spare batteries I haw.</p>

<p>If Nikon could sell the Df for about the same as the D750 they would sell a lot more of them. At the original price it has priced many potential buyers into something else. A shame because it is a really nice camera to use.</p>