The Nikon Df Review will be up within 2 weeks!

The Nikon Df review will be up within 2 weeks!

Happy Monday!

Many of you have been asking me for my Nikon Df review but I actually have just gotten the camera less than a week ago. It usually takes me 2-4 weeks of use to get to know a camera and test it so my review has not even been started yet.

With that said, check out how gorgeous this camera looks in chrome with that 50 1.2 Lens that I spoke about a few weeks ago…stunning! After having the black and silver here, I prefer the silver and when paired with some of these manual Nikon lenses it looks and shoots amazingly well. The camera is fat but light and manually focusing is hit or miss. Use your eyes and the VF and you may miss..use the green dot focus verification in the VF and you will nail it.

In any case enjoy the images of the Chrome Df I have here and expect the full review in about 2 weeks. You can see a 1st look review I posted on AMAZON Here!

The Nikon Df is currently in stock at B&H Photo and Amazon.

1st up a few images of the camera:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

And a couple of images from that exact combo that I snapped last night all manually focused at f/1.2. This lens will give you a classic rendering when wide open, as it is a “classic” lens that is still being made by Nikon. While all images below were shot at 1.2, this lens gets VERY sharp by f/2 and it feels fantastic on the camera. Much nicer than those hollow plastic 50 1.8’s…

DSC_0116

DSC_0148

DSC_0143

Full review probably around Christmas Eve. 😉

97 Comments

  1. Shooting 3 weeks with the camera, Using all of my AI and not AI lenses, I like it very much, the IQ is almost better then my D4. Yesterday out in the field, glows, I had difficulty to change ISO, has to remove the glow of my hand to able to push the little release button to able to turn the wells. In long run, I definitely need an extended battery grip or some short of extension to hold the camera more stable with longer lenses then 105mm. The Battery and memory card placement is the most stupid thing, Nikon designed for this beautiful camera. A short time problem, using Photoshop-CS5 I can’t open the NEF (RAW) files, so, I’m forced to use fine quality .jpg. Witch is not my leaking, because I like to edit my images, sometime extensively. I hope, shortly, some Adobe upgrade would be available. Over all, it is a beautiful and very good camera.

    • I have been enjoying the camera as well with Nikon and Zeiss lenses. I mostly use Auto ISO as I find it works perfectly. As for an extended grip, that would defeat the purpose and design of the camera IMO..I mean, why not just get a D800 or D4 if you want a larger camera? As for the SD card, should have been on the side and not in the battery door. It seems to me that the battery door is a weak link and over time going in and out for the SD card can possibly break the door. Photoshop ACR now supports the raw files BTW, just download the ACR update. Worked for me a few days ago.

  2. I’ve had my Df a week now and while its a nice camera to look at handling isn’t the best, it feels too wide and front heavy even with my 50mm 1.2 AiS, when carrying it you really have to make an effort to grip it where as the D600/D800E just feels like there resting in your hand, as a D800E and D600 shooter I wasn’t impressed with the image quality either, on both the D800E and D600 my 50mm 1.2 is usable @ f1.2 and crazy sharp @ f2 but on the Df it’s clean but not that sharp, not soft but no real definition or bite, as for high ISO the Df is pretty good but the extra MP’s of the D800E more than make up for it as the images even at high ISO’s of the D800E hold more detail, the Df just seems to lack anything special in its image quality even with lenses that have bags of character.

    Handling, size, weight, image quality and high ISO performance the D600 is so much better than the Df.

  3. Is anyone already shooting a DF and able to tell something about autofocus speed in dimm light? I understand the autofocus module from the d7000 works much better in a FX body. If it does I want to buy a DF, but I like to be sure before I buy. (Now shooting a d700)

  4. Handled a Df again today in a shop (got a laughable offer for my 8 months old D800 body; an Amsterdam sense of humor I think) and couldn’t really connect. Feels very light in relation to its size, fiddly knobs and dials, manual focusing in a direct comparison equal to the D800 with the new 58, switching from body to body. “Feels” less sturdy than the D800, that’s for sure. Doesn’t mean it is less sturdy.

    That sensor would still sway me. Not the retro styling which, in handling the camera, makes you think there has been improvement in handling and ergonomics over the years. But. That price tag. I’m not into burning money anymore.

    • Most people (including myself) tend to equate weight with strenght. Magnesium alloys are quite light but very strong. Space age metals are used in aircrafts, bicycle frames etc. After handling the camera for almost two weeks now, I can attest that the camera is well built and probably stronger than it initially feels when you first handle it.

      • I believe that Marc. It’s price and fiddly (and the D800), in that order, that’s keeping me from the Df. I have other spending goals (6 months old twins f.i.) that deserve more priority than burning money on gear, whilst I could be taking pictures in the little spare time I currently have.

  5. I agree with your Amazon review. Yeah it would be nice if it was cheaper but people really should not minimize the d4 sensor. Especially now that the DXO score has officially made it the king of ISO. Really interested on your thoughts about the silver one. Is it as cheap looking as people say? I really want it over the silver.

  6. It just got the highest ISO rating of any camera tested on Dx0, even higher than the D4!
    This is exactly what I want the camera to do, so I think I’m buying one 🙂

    ET

  7. I think my inclination would be to use this camera for street and travel work with nothing but top-end AIS primes. Shoot it the way I used to shoot the F3 (but now with all the advantages of digital capture and fantastic low light performance). I’d love to rock it with a simple kit:

    1) 28mm f/2 AIS
    2) 50mm f/1.2 AIS
    3) 105mm f/1.8 AIS

  8. Hi Steve,

    Look forward to your review.

    Couple observations after a few days Df-ing (and new to Nikon), maybe you can include in your review:
    – What’s up with this WB control, they made so many options easily available but I really struggle to easily use and understand the WB manually (to quirky a operation, too many options)
    – The control > assign Pv and Fn is completely useless to me as I cant seem to assign any relevant settings (e.g WB, picture control, etc.), am I doing something wrong?
    – You may want to explain Settings > AF fine-tune … I am shooting the 50mm 1.4D and had to adjust -15 to get it sharp. (together with the D4 sensor it just sucks in light, amazing combo! – cant use the aperture ring 🙁 )

    Thanks

  9. Can anyone explain (maybe Robert Falconer, or retow or one of the other early users) why the Df (in the ten minutes I handled it in a shop) felt easier to focus manually (albeit with the 50/1.2) than my D800? According to the specs on Nikon Imaging they have the exact same focusing screen.

    • interesting question Mike. I have not used a DSLR for a few years now and on picking this up noticed this, though expected it to be more like my old DSLR in MF. In fact it was very smooth and almost silky for a DSLR. Given this is harking back to the AiS days it may just be geared more towards this than fast AF with zooms and large lenses associated with DSLR’s. It is also balanced better with smaller focal lengths given it’s smaller size compared to genuine DSLR’s akin to mirrorless cameras (wide angles up to !00-120mm).

      I’m curious as to the answer.

    • Depends on what you mean by easier.

      But based on my experience with the camera, I would say it has less to do with the focusing screen and more to do with the clarity of the viewfinder. It’s entirely possible that the Df has a different coating on the mirror that has been tweaked to provide increased light transmission. But I don’t know that for sure.

      In a SLR’s optical system, focusing screen, mirror, and pentaprism design are really the only things you can adjust to improve focus.

  10. I have a black DF since a few days and picked up a 1972 MF 105mm f2.5 Nikkor. A magic combo. That 50 1,2 is on my wishlist as is the vintage 85 f2.

  11. I stopped by the dealer yesterday to fondle some new and new-ish cameras. Disclosure: I shoot a D4 and a Leica M, plus a Sony RX100-II and a Nikon 1 V1.

    Nikon Df: lighter than I expected, dials feel cheap and plastic-y, locks on dials are a PITA for the most part, body is too thick. I would much rather have a used D3 or D4.

    Sony A7: really light weight (too light), too much plastic, shutter is LOUD, didn’t get a natural feeling for the UI, body is too short from top to bottom, needs a grip but not that huge one Sony sells.

    Olympus E-M1: impressed. Solid and comfortable feel, AMAZING EVF – better than all other EVFs. Still way too complicated menu system.

    Nikon 1 V2: impressed with solid dense feeling, great grip, really good EVF, very simple UI (nice!). Still way overpriced compared to great V1 deals.

    Leica Type C: worthless EVF, very compact and thin.

  12. I’ve never needed the other aids with the split screens in older film bodies. For the more rare times where the lighting was just too low to focus, I made other lighting or shooting choices. Simply not enough of an issue. Further, to be honest, as much as those old lenses are nice, I find little value in dealing with the inferior performance to that of any of my modern lenses on modern bodies. But some people are more interested in the experience, so to each their own.

  13. This ‘THING’ ( The Df ) to me is as appealing as stalinist architecture but a lot of people seem to like this stuff (I still own a Nikon F2). The Df has a great sensor in a weird package and that packaging is pure marketing fluff for the style conscious.

  14. I’m loving mine. You can get Lightroom 4 and 5 to process the .NEF files by using a program to change the camera type from “NIKON Df” to “NIKON D4”. Worked for mine using LR4.4.

    I spent yesterday using a 55/1.2 and Vivitar 135/2.3, in short- easy to focus using any part of the screen and compares with using an E Screen in an F3. ISO performance is amazing, a little noise reduction in LR makes ISO 20000 even better.

  15. Steve; I am interested in how fast the df focuses in low light. Please include this in your review.

  16. I wouldn’t buy back into Nikon, but I owned the Nikon D4 and that camera is magic … all the way up to 12K ISO. The D800e cannot touch but unless you have the lenses to resolve the D800e and a tripod, I don’t think you get the full resolving power of the D800e sensor. The D4 sensor is phenomenal … just shoot and no worries about the availability of light. If this Df camera shares that sensor, this is going to be a phenomenal performer.

  17. Hello Steve,

    I also purchased the DF silver . I would really appreciate your opinion on the following. Many people online are saying that the silver DF is more like plastic as compared to the black DF. Now I know that they are both built with the same magnesium alloys and other materials. Why do they think the silver DF feels cheaper? I think as you have said, that the silver DF looks terrific. I am sure that if we did a blind test with both black and silver DF’s that no one would be able to tell the difference. My understanding of this is that most people who think that the silver DF feels more like plastic, are people who remember SLR cameras from the 90’s. Many cheap SLR cameras such as Nikon’s, Canon’s, Minolta’s etc were made of cheap silver plastic. I am from a generation where cameras such as the OM1 and OM2 were made of brass, both the silver and black cameras felt equally solid. The black models were at the time considered to be for professional photographers. It would apparently make them more invisible as photojournalists. We were even charged a premium for black models. You are a Leica rangefinder user. Leica has almost always offered the body color options that Nikon is again offering with the DF. Maybe that’s the reason why you can appreciate the silver DF more than other’s who have been using black only cameras since the advent of dslr’s. What are your thoughts on this? Why do you think many are saying that the silver camera feels cheaper?

    • Marc…
      Who cares what ‘may people’ say…you bought a Silver one, just like me, because that’s what you want !

      And thousands of ‘have not’s’ will discuss, let them

      • Hans, I totally agree with you. I chose the silver camera because I like it and would never change for a black DF, but I would still like to know why I keep reading this from some reviewers on the web.

        • Marc … I do understand that feeling for ‘acknowledgement of choice’, it’s very human.

          However, you did noticed too that on the WWW you will have endless discussions about the Nikon Df.
          And reviewers are humans too, it’s their opinion, like critics on a play.
          The discussion is not about the technical side of the Nikon Df, beside some people who want Video in it (Yes finally a camera without this !), But about wether they like the retro-style or not, and believe me (or not) 99,99% of them never seen a Df in real life.

          i have mine now 10 days….didn’t make too much shots (i’m still in the process of building a relation with the Df), it’s Silver and it looks good and feel good. Why Silver? taste….the black one will attract other people

          Cheap….plastic…remember the 99,99%…

          The design, some say like Fm2, allow silver… can you imagine a Silver D800? or D600, no…why…because
          the design is black

          Enjoy your Df…this one will stay a long time

        • Just enjoy it. There are enough black cameras out there. I went for the black version but it was a tough call. And shouldn`t we all have both, a silver and a black one anyway?

    • As far as the silver one feeling cheap; It’s all in their heads. I doubt that most of the people have actually handled the cameras. A lot of internet pundits like to make claims on things they don’t have experience with.

      I ordered both the silver and the black because I wasn’t sure which one I wanted. They both feel exactly the same. I ended up keeping the silver. Of course some wise-guy at the camera store was trying to tell me about “being stealthy, and attracting thieves, and street photography, blah blah blah…”.

      I bought the silver because I like the way it looks. If that’s a sin, oh well.

    • Never heard of a silver OM1. True, there was a chrome OM1 , and a chrome F1 and a chrome FE2 and a chrome M6.. Metal chrome coating over brass. Never ever heard them referred to as ‘silver’ as though it were just another paint color for your car.

      Since these new models aren’t chrome (or you can bet they’d call them chrome), what exactly is this ‘silver?’

      • I have a ‘silver’ OM 1 and a black OM 2 in my closet and yes you are right, they never called it silver but I don’t think they used chrome, at least it wasn’t shiny chrome like we see on motorcycles. Using chrome on the DF with it’s magnesium alloy body would defeat the purpose I think, of making a light dslr.

  18. Still thinks it looks much better in black. Handled a silver one in the store and a silver Df doesn’t look nearly as nice as a silver FM2. Compared focus with D800 and while they looked very similar I had an easier time focusing the Df. I love the ergonomics. I have waited a decade for a Nikon with manual controls. I still use film cameras because ergonomics of most digital cameras (all dslr’s) suck with their control wheels, PASM and fat grips. I have six manual nikkors that will be used with this camera. It’s incredible how the majority of photographers are seduced by the notion of speed. With a camera like the Df I am in control.
    Unbelievable: the people who prefer conventional lay outs who come to Df threads just to bash it and write mean things about people who like it. If it’s not made for you then don’t be a dickhead about it. The OMD em1 sucks because it doesn’t have proper controls. The best ergonomics can be found on Leicas but they are out of my reach. With the Df we finally have a full frame alternative and this is huge!

  19. Just guessing here, from being a D800 user and a Df shop tryer, once you’ve got your preferred settings diaed in, the D800 will be easier to handle.
    Please prove me wrong… 😉

    • I shoot with 3 D800e’s, my preferred camera because of the amazing sensor for my beauty and fashion work. But I can’t say I really enjoy that camera’s ergonomics as much as the D4, which I also shoot with as well. The Df has a pleasing quality to how it handles, with the control dials. I also like the shutter sound a lot. It just feels perfect for my casual photography.

  20. Actually, the body only versions have been out of stock almost since day one at B&H and Adorama and Amazon (the latter unless you want to pay a several hundred dollar premium). I’ve seen Adorama list these as in stock, but only after you place the order do you get an email saying the item is on backorder.

    Don’t know if the body only versions are available anywhere in the US without a price premium?

  21. Steve,

    Appreciate the time you are taking with these reviews and I am looking forward to your DF review.

    I really cannot wait till you get some time make some new images and post them, regardless of the camera you use.

    I have learned a great deal on technique and composition from those posts and the ones from your guests.

  22. I prefer this sensor to the current Sony a7/r. Have seen a number of images now from both and I much more prefer how this sensor at 16MP renders (personal taste) over the a7/r, D800/e with a more natural, less clinical look. This whole resolution, 36MP and upwards direction is just overkill IMO (unless work demands it) and has thrown a spanner in the works whether lenses can compliment the sensors. Read somewhere Sony working on a 54MP camera for next year….

    As Kristian Dowling mentioned in a recent review, not many people know about this sensor as it sits in a high level pro body (D4) that not a lot of people will have used.

    Manual focusing on this is smoother IMO than a7 as well if comparing native lenses. As Steve as mentioned can’t comment on accuracy.

    This is the sensor Leica should license for the M240…..in theory at least….

    • sensors are not mainly responsible for the look a final image – they just record shades of grey. its the photographer who makes the photos look like he wants them to look by using light; changing camera settings, developing the raw files and photoshop. looking at a stunning image at the end of this process you wont even care what camera or sensor was used.

  23. When Film photography were still done, there was less cameras launched, or rather not as many quite so often
    Photographers used their gear for longer before buying another ‘better’ newest addition. The better photos were ‘got/made, by photographers knowing their craft. Now the talk is of how many buttons, functions, spec etc etc …
    Anyhow, I like the Chip, but this thing is a gimmick, and I think it may have been ‘ more’ … However will soon see it in the flesh, and would then decide if its worth consideration. As things stand I like my D700, and think thats actually a ‘classic’ all things considered

    I don’t like the D600 or 610 all that much, but the pixel count/chip, may be just what I need 🙁

  24. I don’t think you have a good copy of the 50 1.2 there Steve, my first copy suffered mushy edges much like what I’m seeing in those sample, oddly enough that was a 41xxxx serial, my current copy is 42xxxx and performs much better

    • The newer 50mm f/1.2 AIS lenses used 9 aperture blades, the older AI versions used 7. But once they went to 9, the formulation remained the same and hasn’t really changed. Nikon was also very good in those days about maintaining consistency with their IC.

      So variations probably have more to do with age and the individual usage the lenses have had over the years.

      Anything over 400001 was manufactured after 2006, btw.

      Mine’s 302909, which means it was made in the early ’90s sometime. No issues with mine, though.

      • I’m familiar with the 7 & 9 blade versions although I’ve not used the 7 blade version, the point I was trying to make (probably poorly) was that the 50 1.2 in those samples looks mushy on the edges at 1.2, my first copy was the same but my second copy @1.2 has smoother edges (less harsh), by f2 both were perfect.

        • Right. My point was merely that it’s not likely because the second one is a later serial number and thus improved optically, it might just be sample variation based on age, use … all sorts of other wear & tear factors.

  25. I’m really interested in the Df because I want a camera with better low light capability than my Leica M 240.
    The M is really best at base ISO of 200.
    Yes, it can work up to ISO 3200 but it loses the Leica magic and looks like a point and shoot.

    I just came back from 2 weeks in Vietnam and had a hard time in the early morning light with the Leica.
    I hope the Df will be the answer I’m looking for.
    I would pair it with the 50 1.2 and the 20 2.8 and call it a day 🙂

    Waiting patiently for your review Steve

  26. Not something I would buy….(still a Canon FF guy)….but the silver Df is REALLY kind of cool looking. At least Nikon is doing SOMETHING! …more than we an say for Canon..who seems to be totally asleep on all fronts…hopefully they will wake- up.

  27. Not something I would buy….(still a Canon FF guy)….but the silver Df is REALLY kind of cool looking. At least Nikon is doing SOMETHING! …more than we an say for Canon..who seems to be totally asleep on all fronts…hopefully they will wake- up.

    • “At least Nikon is doing SOMETHING! …more than we an say for Canon..who seems to be totally asleep on all fronts…hopefully they will wake- up.”

      Again, I’m not sure it’s safe to say that. Canon is selling more cameras than any other manufacturer in the world. So they’re doing something right.

      As to new product, they are introducing new stuff, maybe just not what the readership here is after. But if you look at the new EOS-D1 C 4K camera ― and their cinema series lenses ― they’ve definitely got their own market specialization they’re servicing.

      There’s been a rumor floating about that Canon is planning their own retro camera. If the Df sells really well, then you might just see it, ya know, the whole Mustang begets Camaro thing.

      But personally, I don’t think so.

  28. Hey Steve could you do a little mini review on the simple studio led lights I would love to hear more about them.

  29. Hey steve, not sure you have a thing for coma. But why 2 out of 3 them directly exposed the weakest weakness of this lens? From my understanding, the new 58 1.4 was specially designed to overcome this coma and flare issue. Anyway, people may argue that crazy coma is the “characteristic” side of 50 1.2 but clearly, that was simply an optical design flaw.

  30. I don’t really care about Df at all butI’m actually curious about the photos you’ll make with the Df.

    With all the cameras you’ve really liked and spoke well about, like the RX1, X100s, some of the m4/3 thingies, Nikon 1, Monochrome etc, you’ve created beautiful pictures with them. The others you’ve just liked, not as much.

    I’m not talking about the quality, low light performance, DOF or anything like those. If you, Steve, really like a camera, your images taken with the camera also get A LOT more beautiful. I can see that you got excited and inspired while using that camera.

    So, in short, I’m looking forward to see what you’ll achieve together 🙂

    • On Saturday, I won a great used version on ebay for $425. Not that expensive considering it’s nearly $300 less than a new one.

      I also picked up two Nikon FE2 cameras (about $125 each) for shits and giggles. I bought an all black version and a silver and black version. Oh yeah! I’m going old school for a bit. 🙂

    • you should noticed that Steve does not seem to love or even like any Fuji’s cameras no matter how brilliant pictures one pull out from them

      • I do not like them due to the dodgy AF that plagues certain lenses. They have improved but the build lacks, the feel lacks, and the speed and usability lack when you compare to other cameras. I’d take an E-M1 anyway over ANY Fuji (and did), and this is coming from a guy who has shot them all. I also find the results from the Fuji nice but nowhere near as good as people make them out to be. The output from the XTrans is flat when compared to other cameras and yes, I have seen thousands of photos online from the Fujis and the X-Trans has the same look and signature across the board. Just doesn’t do it for ME. If they release an X-Pro 2 that is made well, feels nice, is responsive and fast and doesn’t use an X-Trans sensor I am sure I will love it but doesn’t matter as most love them as is. 🙂

  31. I think Nikon missed an excellent opportunity to actually do something new and innovative. While the retro look is novel, and some of the core elements of the D4 have potential, they stopped short of a true classic.
    Fundamentally, they have this product geared towards people who have or want to use legacy Nikkor glass. But good grief, why NOT innovate some form of focus aid, besides the little green dot which has been in every other Nikon DSLR and SLR for decades? I have numerous old lenses, and I never mount them on my current Nikon body because they offer no photographic nor user advantage, with such minimal focusing aids.

    • “I have numerous old lenses, and I never mount them on my current Nikon body because they offer no photographic nor user advantage, with such minimal focusing aids.”

      Just a question: When you used those old manual focusing lenses with your old manual focus bodies, did you get any sort of computer focus confirmation aid (excepting the split-image microprism screens)?

      Put another way: try focusing a manual focus Nikkor on an FM in extremely dim light.

      With the Df and a manual Nikkor, you can. In some very real ways, the manual focusing lenses can be used much more accurately today than they could have been 40 years ago.

      Not a bad trade off, I’d say.

    • Nikon gave up on this camera being a classic the minute they put the D7000 autofocus module in it.

      My opinion is that the Df, together with the D600, are Nikon’s last attempt to empty our wallets on FX / F-mount gear before they launch their mirrorless full frame, which I’m 100% sure is in the pipeline, if not they might as well file for bankruptcy.

      • While I’m pretty confident that Nikon must have a new mirrorless system at least in the design or development phase, there’s no indication that they plan to announce such a system in the immediate future. But who knows what next year could bring…

        As to bankruptcy? There are only three profitable camera makers in the world right now. Nikon is one of them. I’ll let you guess who the other two are (hint: neither is an M4/3 manufacturer).

  32. I’m excited to read your review! I’m shooting the black version of the Df with the new 58mm f1.4 lens. It’s a bit fat as you say but very light and I love using the dials for the controls.

  33. As someone who is tired of seeing “reviews” that come out day one and just rehash the specs with minimal actually time behind the shutter I appreciate the extra time and care you put into your reviews. They are fantastic. Even though I’ll probably never jump to the Nikon I’m still excited to see what you have to say.

  34. Really… why bother… overpriced, heavy and just a sentimental nostalgic trinket! If you must buy a Nikon just get the D610 and a couple lenses for the same money.

    • Im guessing you never held one…not heavy, in fact much much lighter than I imagined it would be. I would never buy a D610..does nothing to inspire or make me want to take it out. There is much more to a camera than output..much much more. That is why cameras like the Leica M (which is much more expensive than the Df) are so special..as well as the E-M1, Sony RX1, etc.

      • Hear, hear….Price is just an exchange argument

        I’ve got mine now 1 week and took it right away on my trip to Thailand, it’s light, just a little more than my M9, it’s attractive, i have the silver one, it’s a real low light friend and my 3 AF-D lenses look good on it.

        The 58/1.2 is wonderful, i am looking for a 105mm f/2.5 of f/1.8

      • I had such a bad experience with my Nikon D600 with continuous Dust and Oil spots recurring soon after cleaning, I am done with Nikon for good. They would not acknowledge a problem to me. If it was not for the quality service of B&H, I would have lost quite a bit of money. For one month, I have been making pictures everyday with my OM-D E-M1 and will never go back to DSLR’s. In-Body Stabilized, Wonderful EVF (I can really “See”) what my adjustments are doing. Built-In Level Gauge, Light Weight, Great Grip, Smooth Controls, Lenses! – Fast Focusing, Always Responsive… This is the first really satisfying Digital Camera since I switched from Film in Dec 1999. Thanks for all the info and inspirations that your Blog brings to me.

          • You praise the em1, a similarly nostalgic, overpriced camera yet diss the dr for the same thing.

          • Nikon is a Scumbag Company just like Sigma. They dont care at all about you and will backpeddle every mistake. Evidence of poor customer service, aweful product quality and unintelligent management is all over the web. Buyer beware.

            Too bad that this camera is so damn nice. I’ll buy it just because I like the idea and because I can afford it. But I won’t be sad when companies like this get what they deserve.

            If you play with the likes of these, you need to expect to get screwed.

          • I have been with Nikon for many years but the quality of their products sucks badly ad their ‘customer service’ has that stench of ‘incompetence, ignorance and apathy’ about it. I left Nikon about a year ago and won’t be back in a hurry.

          • Fascinating. I’m not going to comment on Nikon CS, as it probably is crappy. But, how does the quality of their products suck badly when the quality of the files continues to get better and better? 3 years ago, Nikon barely had a commercial grade DSLR (Canon had the 5DmkII which raised the bar). Nikon now has the D610 and D800, which raises the bar for DSLR commercial photography to a whole new level. And the D800 practically makes the low-end MF digital back moot for commercial studio photography.

            The best thing though is, we consumers now have a plethora of good options so we can always change systems, or add additional systems to our kits – whether it be for work or farting around. 🙂

      • Yes, Steve is right, the new Df is a lot lighter than the other full frame Nikon cameras. If Steve is not doing the review for this new camera, we will miss something. For the price, as long as people can afford one and like it
        , buy one, there is no such thing as over priced. Too bad for the D600 dust problem, but this can be fixed by Nikon, send it to them, they can fix it. According to my understanding with the Nikon service, if you are sending the camera to them the second time for dust problem, they will replace a new shutter for you provided the camera is within the warrantee period.

      • Steve, I have never found a camera that inspired me to take a single photograph. Maybe the 4×5 I’m designing and building will, but even that I doubt. Now what does inspire me? The act of taking a picture does. And frankly I don’t care wether I use an LX3, a GF1, an EM-5, a GX680 wit a glorious 50 mm, or a 4 x 5 of my own build (with a Schneider 90mm). The closest thing to a inspiring camera is a Nikon F3 HP and the Df alas is miles away from that beastly simplicity.

        Greets, Ed.

    • heavy? have you picked the camera up? it weighs next to nothing.
      “sentimental nostalgic trinket!” you must be kidding, the df has the sensor from nikon flagship camera. it produces stunning images.
      overpriced to you maybe but not to everyone, the price issue is really depended on what a person is happy to spend.
      if you equate the value of the camera by its specs alone then you may come to the conclusion that it is poor value but there much more to this camera then its spec sheet, like a leica theres a lot to be said about how the camera feels to use

      • This is nothing like a Leica. Nikon follows the Trends these Days – the Marketers are running show today… this is just their little effort to combat the controls available with Leica, Panasonic, Ricoh-Pentax, Olympus, Fuji-X, and Sony Cameras.

        • as far as there being more to the df then just the specs alone there are similarities to a leica m.
          both cameras seem “down” on specs when compared to other dslrs but both are an absolute pleasure to use and produce sterling images imo, hence the comparison

        • Do you mean Leica doesn’t do marketeer influenced marketing? The well heeled Louis Vuitton set disagrees with you.

      • Mojokielbassa: You sound like a very bitter person to start with. I have been into photography close to 35 yrs and have always used Nikon. Digital and slide. I also shoot medium format ( Mamyia) with slide. Not to mention, any shot with slide from a medium format, will blow any picture from a DSLR out of the water. I also probably have more equipment that would probably make your head spin.

        Nothing is perfect! And if you’ve had such bad experience, maybe you should get rid of what equipment you have and use your cell phone for pictures. One more thing: I am wondering if the problem might not be you.

        Many people today that have been weaned on digital ( Auto this and auto that) are delusional, thinking they know photography; and in reality, don’t know jack.

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