Nikon Df - official

[I @ M]

I'm afraid I (easily)lose interest when reviews refer back to the difficulty of setting shutter speed and aperture via a rotating wheel that's perfectly placed to do the job, and about how much easier it is to these tasks via a dial that needs to be lifted to be unlocked and then turned ... and then pushed back and then locked into place again ....

Arthur Arthur Arthur, you young folks of the instant gratification era really need to step back in time to appreciate the steeped in traditional technology and the pure ways of photography.
I think you need to be educated by a backward step in time, buy an airline ticket, get your passport dusted off and join me photographing in backward places.

[ricktas]

Arthur Arthur Arthur, ...and join me photographing in backward places.

back wood ones too!

[I @ M]

Now that the hype has settled somewhat there appear to be some subjective thoughts on the DF ----

http://www.dslrbodies.com/newsviews/...-df-split.html

http://blog.mingthein.com/2013/12/24...2013-nikon-df/

It didn't take long for people to start picking the glitches.

[gailBee]

I did take the plunge and buy the Df. I wanted a lighter smaller alternative to the D3s to take out with me for personal use and also for portrait work. I use the D3s for work (event photography) and absolutely love it. But recently I had a shoulder injury and the D3s weighs a lot!

The reviews I read by Joe McNally etc on the Df are true - this camera's little knobs and dials really do help to put you in a thoughtful place as you create the next image Ill post some pics soon and write some more.

I really really love this little beauty of a camera!

following on from this rumour thread ....

Nikon Df

Personal thoughts:

+ Good idea.
- A bit late.
- Seemingly overpriced
- (for me) too small (or + depending on point of view)
++ D4 sensor
+ non Ai lens compatibility .. but this also extends to fully manually operated lenses too of which I have a few.

At closer to $2K, I'd have seriously considered it as an option for low light stuff and just general mucking about/fun.

Just read a quick hands on from Bjorn up there in the arctic ... he says that focusing is better than D800, even tho the screen is technically the same as that of the D800.
Another bonus in my book, as I'm a fan of many older manual lenses.

I don't really find that manual focusing lenses on the D800 is a major issue .. well compared to the same effort on either a D300 or D70 at least.
I had to eventually get a focusing screen for the D300 to help in that regard, but haven't really felt that the same was a necessity on the D800.
D800 appears about the same to me as the D300 is now with the KatzEye screen(obviously excepting for the split prism centre)

have though of getting an alternative screen for the D800 too .. but it's not imperative.
My hit rate for very shallow DOF images and the D800 is in the order of a bit of 50% spot on, and about 25% in the acceptable range.
Of course for fast action MF is pretty much useless, so time needs to be plentiful for manual focusing to get it right in shot.

So if it transpires that MF is indeed a bit better with the Df(than the D800), I may look at getting one in the long term future.

The ability to set aperture on non Ai lenses is a major selling point for me too. And I'm assuming this would also work for non native/adapted lenses too.
As the camera has no aperture prong to control the non Ai lens, the aperture is set on the lens and then entered into the camera for accurate metering.

I have a small selection of non coupled lenses that would benefit from this feature.

For me the major downsides are simply price and size(actually, size of grip).

Curious as to anyone else either considering it(or not).

[swifty]

I did take the plunge and buy the Df. I wanted a lighter smaller alternative to the D3s to take out with me for personal use and also for portrait work. I use the D3s for work (event photography) and absolutely love it. But recently I had a shoulder injury and the D3s weighs a lot!

The reviews I read by Joe McNally etc on the Df are true - this camera's little knobs and dials really do help to put you in a thoughtful place as you create the next image Ill post some pics soon and write some more.

I really really love this little beauty of a camera!

Nice to hear your thoughts and congrats on the purchase.
I finally had the chance to play with one at a camera superstore in Japan recently.
I think it really changes the philosophy in the way you shoot, even down to the way you hold and grip the camera. I must admit I didn't take to this well from my limited play.
For me, it didn't push the philosophy far enough.
But it's clear to me that I need far more time to experience the Df before making my mind up about it.