Nikon Introduces Df Retro DSLR

[CoryAmmerman]

<p>I'd love to have this camera, mainly for the dials on top. I think the retro look is nice as well. Too bad it's WAY outside my budget. Oh well. Maybe I can sell a kidney. ;-)</p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<blockquote>

<p>Why would they make it with a single SD card slot? Is it a matter of overall size?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>No space for two - the card sits next to the battery and is accessed from the bottom of the camera. Seems to be very clear that there is not going to be a battery grip for this one.</p>

[donbright]

<p>The camera is now presented on the Nikon open page.</p>

[johnw63]

<blockquote>

<p>but then, a lot of those who buy the Df probably won't be using it to take pictures, at least not many of them.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Just because it doesn't fit YOUR needs , doesn't mean it will just be an unused collectable , sitting on some yuppies shelf. That's a ridicules statement. How much did you pay for a D1 or D2 or D3 Nikon, Shun ? If you got them new, it was TWICE what this is going for. Were you also some collector who just stuck them on a shelf ?</p>

<p>Just realize that this camera is a tool and not EVERYONE wants or needs the same tool. </p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<p>The look of the <strong>D</strong>igital <strong>F</strong>rankenstein is growing on me - the black one looks really good, the silver one (or more precisely, the Panda version) - not so much.</p>

[edwardchen]

<p>This camera doesn't have what my current d800e doesn't have.<br>

I don't want to spend extra $2750 for just the "look"<br>

size wise, it's not significantly small either. No video. Yeah. Nikon said , it's Pure photography. So my d800e is not?<br>

Also, it has only one command dial. I am used to 2 command dials. No split screen ?<br>

I pass, for now.</p>

[lahuasteca]

<p>From a former FM2n/FE2/FM3a user who longed for a return to the small, discreet etc. Will I be buying one? Nope, a little (actually a lot) out of my budget range, already own a D700, and don't see how spending more $$$$ will improve my photography. Money goes to lenses and travel. I think the camera is a lot larger than the FM/FE series.</p>

[donbright]

<p>I've been interested in this release, and have ridden along here this last week, and a half, with the mindset of a lifelong Photographer who has never owned a DSLR, but I'm shopping! The D-600 got my attention because of the price, Then the D-600 had the nightmare issues with the shutter, Then Nikon released the D-610, now this the Df. The Df is $750 more than the 610. Does the Df justify the $750 over the D-610? I think so. As one who is not shooting weddings anymore, or providing any Professional service as a Photographer, I think the Df fits the bill. There are 8 Nikkor lenses involved in this decision too, so a Nikon D camera is somewhere in the mix. I'm sorry I missed out on the D-700, but this option with the Df is a priority buy for me as I will be watching out for performance reviews like a hawk.</p>

[Landrum Kelly]

<blockquote>

<p>This camera doesn't have what my current d800e doesn't have.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I have the D800E, and, regardless of what anyone says, there is no way that the D800 series is going to beat the D3s or D4 in low light. The viewfinder is also noteworthy. Using other focusing screens on big DSLRs has been a frustration in the past. There may be more.</p>

<p>There is also a simplicity to shooting cameras with fewer megapixels which I find very appealing--especially when there is some reason for the reduction in megapixels (low light capabilities and fast turn-around on processing).</p>

<p>--Lannie</p>

[kohanmike]

<p>Couldn't care less.</p>

[Andrew Garrard]

While the functionality exposed through the dials needs some menu use on low-end Nikon's, I do want to stress that it never did at the high

end. The new knobs don't stop you having to use menus (compared with, say, a D800), but they do make you move your hands away from

the shutter release. I'm not going to claim that the D800 sensor can match the D4 at high ISO, but I do claim it's very close. The D3s is a

different beast. I really think the D610 sensor would have made more sense, but then it wouldn't have the magic halo factor.

 

 

Anyway, I hope it's a success, but I'm clearly not the target market, even if a lighter FX body and better lens compatibility had some appeal.

I said the same about the 1 series and got one anyway - but only at better than half the launch price!

[bob_bill]

<p>Fine Corinthian leather. Gear shift lever falls readily to hand. A connection with my camera. Yes 2 hands and my forehead. I just want my camera to get out of the way and let me capture my vision. It's just a tool. It is close to my wish list though. D4 IQ. I'd like to know more. Suddenly that's not enough? Looks like the down sized d4 in the way the d700 was a downsized pro camera. Looks more like the replacement I wanted for the d700 than the d800. 16 mp probably all I need for portraiture. 5.5 fps, but more if battery pack? Maybe 8? I'm not sure about the intent to use the old lenses. Were the pros using old lenses on the $6k d4? Big question for me is the build of the body, is it a more durable pro construction? d4 has about 13 stops dynamic range, that I like. Useable iso to 12400. I didn't go beyond 1600-2400 on the d700 if I could help it. Could be my next camera inspite of the corny ads. Enough to make Mad men puke. Will have to see how I feel about the controls. Would be nice to have a wheel for ISO although I could change it on the d700 without taking it from my eye. In low light I adjust it in manual after selecting aperture then running out of shutter speed I need. I would give it at least 6 months and perhaps the price will drop a bit and any bugs will get ironed out. I too will be watching closely. As for the retro look, I'll paraphrase Ernst Haas, Leica smeika, retro metro. But that feel of fine Corinthian Leather, how can I resist. Fernando Montelban, where are you when we need you. Oh, and just in time for a relationship/connection for the holidays. I hope it buys me a good present.</p>

[johnw63]

<p>This camera weighs exactly what the F3HP weighed. It is not as small, then, as an FM2 or something, but I don't think you COULD make a FF camera that small and retain the LCD screen.</p>

<p>Read the Hands on Review at DPReviews. Shun picked the worst comment out of the whole thing. </p>

<p> </p>

[mike_halliwell]

<p> I like the press photo with the old books, maps, pocket watch and compass. The money it's next to is about the amount of change you'd get from nearly £3000, as I'm sure there's going to be £:$ parity pricing.</p>

<p>...and what is it with the 'retro' label being demonstrated by all-things-British? All the vids are from here* as is the cash (£8.45) in the pic. Bit of cultural stereotyping going on...:-)<br>

__________________<br>

*I <em>think</em> all the locations are Scottish, but being an English '<em>southener</em>', I'm not sure. The cash is definitely English, that's no Scottish fiver!</p>

[Landrum Kelly]

<p>Nikon is continuing a tradition of keeping a line of cameras going which have the two following characteristics combined:</p>

<p>(1) full-frame sensors and</p>

<p>(2) modest numbers of megapixels.</p>

<p><strong>NO OTHER COMPANY HAS DONE THAT (</strong>with the exception of the Canon 5D<strong>), AND THAT IS THE REASON THAT NIKON HAS THE BEST LOW-LIGHT CAMERAS IN THE WORLD. </strong> HERE ARE THE CAMERAS IN THIS SUPERB LOW-LIGHT LINEAGE:</p>

<p>D3 12 megapixels</p>

<p>D700 12 megapixels<br /> <br />D3s 12 megapixels</p>

<p>D4 16 megapixels</p>

<p>D<em>f </em> 16 megapixels</p>

<p><strong>THAT'S IT! </strong> This is a relatively small but very important lineage and legacy of low-light full-frame cameras from Nikon. THIS LINEAGE CHANGED THE FACE OF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY WHEN CANON SEEMED TO BE RUNNING AWAY FROM THE FIELD WHERE FULL-FRAME DSLRs ARE CONCERNED.</p>

<p>When I bought the D3s second-hand off eBay in the summer, many persons questioned my judgment, since I am not typically an action shooter--and I already had the D800E and the D7000.</p>

<p>All that I can say is that I wanted the best low-light camera that I could afford. I HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMED BY THE D3s. IT IS WONDERFUL. It is more than I need in terms of features, but it does give me incredible low-light performance.</p>

<p>I want this one, too--or, in exchange for the D3s.</p>

<p>I rather like the retro design and some actual functional components from the retro tradition.</p>

<p>Most of all, however, I like the guts in this new machine: THIS THING IS GOING TO SURPRISE SOME PEOPLE, BUT <strong>NOT THOSE WHO HAVE OWNED ONE OR MORE OF THE ABOVE CAMERAS.</strong><br /> <br /> This is a great legacy camera from Nikon, and I happy to celebrate its announcement.<strong> There are going to be some believers.<br /></strong></p>

<p>--Lannie</p>

[edwardchen]

<p>D800/e is very close behind.</p>

[Landrum Kelly]

<blockquote>

<p>D800/e is very close behind.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>It is a lot of trouble compared to the simpler cameras referred to above. As I said above, I have both the D3s and the D800E and love them both--but I am sure glad that neither is the only tool at my disposal.</p>

<p>There really is a lot to be said for the simplicity of handling smaller files. If I had to choose between one or the other, however, it would admittedly be a hard choice, since the D800E can do things that the cameras above cannot do.</p>

<p>What I like about the D<em>f</em> and the other low megapixel cameras I mentioned above can be summed up in one word: <em><strong>SIMPLICITY.</strong></em><br>

<em><strong> </strong></em><br>

--Lannie</p>

[mike_halliwell]

<p>Had the first pre-order 'Offer'.....<strong>£</strong>2749.....that's <strong>$4400</strong> for the camera + lens. Crazy, crazy marketing!</p>

[luke_kaven]

<p>So here it is, the precise D700 replacement everyone was asking for: A D4 in a small body, designed purely for the ends of still photography, at about half the price. I might even trade my D4 for it.</p>

[borgis_karl_johan1]

<p>If this camera performs well with no hidden ergonomic or technical bugs I think it may well become a moderate bestseller and a cult camera, definitely not just going to collect dust in an collector´s cabinet.<br>

The absence of video may deter some buyers though.</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

15mm eyepoint means extremely difficult to use with eyeglasses. Multi-CAM 4800 is another downside. Interchangeable focusing

screens should be made available. Otherwise I like the design and concept. Since I wear glasses, it's out of the realm of possibilities to

buy this camera.

 

I actually think 36MP files are such a nuisance (high image quality, yes, but it does limit how much I can shoot) that at this point anything

less would be a relief. The D4 does have cleaner shadows at high ISO than D800(E) (the latter has cleaner low ISO).

[mike_halliwell]

<blockquote>

<p>So here it is, the precise D700 replacement <em><strong>everyone</strong></em> was asking for</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>You're having a laugh, right?</p>

[jose_angel]

<p>I`m having it, too! LoL<br /> Well, it is a very nice camera. Like the old film Leicas and Nikons.<br /> And as Bob says, it`s cheaper that a Leica. More people can buy it, and they will enjoy a cool, fashion camera.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>After the initial buzz of the first teaser movie, the ongoing series of movies took much too long for my short attention span. Somehow down that line, I lost interest. Now that it's here... no, highly unlikely I'll go for it. It needs to come down a good bit in price before I even start considering.<br>

The AF module is a bit disappointing, but I really would only use this camera with Ai/AiS primes. The sensor - great. I think the right choice. I bet my oldish Ai/Ais primes would fit perfectly fine with a Df...(and I happily accept their inferior performance for their rendering which I prefer).</p>

<p>But just a bit too many niggles to really win me over; at this price, it should be a bit closer to perfection. Lovely, the dials on top - but too many of them, too many secondary-sub-dials. The F3 is simpler, and it should be F3-simple. The viewfinder I should really see in person how good it is for manual focussing; hopefully it was Nikon's prime concern in the design of this viewfinder, because it's who they try to appeal to... if it's not optimised enough for it, bummer. And it really should have been interchangable. Ergonomics, I'd have to feel it in my hands to know whether it feels right....it looks a bit too fat, really, at which point a larger handgrip becomes more comfortable, in my view. And if it doesn't give the feel that my F3 does... well then it's just a retro-looking D700 with slightly different specs, and I'd see no reason whatsoever to replace my D700 with it.<br>

Niche products - they're tricky to get right. Especially at €2500-3000 thereabouts.</p>

<p>But kudos to Nikon for trying. I always have spoken up against the likelihood of Nikon doing a FM2/FM3-style niche digital camera, and they proved me wrong big time. And I think that's a good thing. More choice can't be wrong, and Nikon respecting its own heritage is not a bad thing either.</p>

[Didier Lamy]

<p>"Viewfinder Eye-level pentaprism single-lens reflex viewfinder<br>

Frame coverage FX (36 × 24): Approx. 100% horizontal and 100% vertical<br>

Magnification Approx. 0.7x (50 mm f/1.4 lens at infinity, -1.0 m-1)<br>

Eyepoint 15 mm (-1.0 m-1; from center surface of viewfinder eyepiece lens)"<br>

Given the big bump on the camera I expected an outstanding viewfinder, this one is just good, I agree with Ilkka (eyeglasses too) 15mm eyepoint is too short, and "approximately" 100% means <100%.<br /><br />I will stay with my F3HP until my Coolscan falls apart, then I will go digital with this Df.</p>