Nikon, steps in with an alternative....{merged}.

[stevelap]

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No doubt there are quite a few reviews up by now, here are a couple for a first look at specs and handling

 

Nikon DF Review: Hands-On Preview

 

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/photo-news/540182/first-look-review-nikon-df-dslr

 

The UK kit price is £2750 and, according to both BJP and AP, there will be no body only option here for the time being, which seems odd.

[earleygallery]

I think that fact the camera only comes complete with a 'retro styled' 50mm lens, uses a relatively low MP sensor, and the marketing shot of it next to fountain pens and pocket watches suggests that this is mostly a novelty/fashion item.

 

I personally like the traditional shutter dial, and the 'retro' look but rather than looking like a simplified digital body it appears to have more dials and buttons than my Canon DSLR's. It looks fussier and less likely to be as intuitive in use, despite the 'retro' controls.

 

Ulitmately, unless you buy a camera purely on looks and you love the old school Nikon styling of this model, I don't really see the point of it.

[MarkP]

I think that fact the camera only comes complete with a 'retro styled' 50mm lens, uses a relatively low MP sensor, and the marketing shot of it next to fountain pens and pocket watches suggests that this is mostly a novelty/fashion item.

 

I personally like the traditional shutter dial, and the 'retro' look but rather than looking like a simplified digital body it appears to have more dials and buttons than my Canon DSLR's. It looks fussier and less likely to be as intuitive in use, despite the 'retro' controls.

 

Ulitmately, unless you buy a camera purely on looks and you love the old school Nikon styling of this model, I don't really see the point of it.

 

I agree. I was impressed until I saw the back of the camera.

I was hoping it would be a minimalist digital FE-2 as the M9 is a digital M7.

 

Although tempting for the 28-90 Vario-Elmarit I really am moving away from getting another camera system.

And I sold my old AI-S lenses and F3/T some years ago.

[IWC Doppel]

This is the Nikon Df camera | Nikon Rumors

 

Not a rangefinder, but... Very nice and compact FF.

PS Leica please add the ISO/EV dial on your next M

 

I'm sticking with my M9-P, but if I was moving from a heavy D4, the answer is less straightforward

[onceuponatime]

Nikon DF Review: Hands-On Preview

 

First Look Review: Nikon DF | Amateur Photographer

 

I am sorry to say it looks and from first handling reviewer impressons a bit of a Frankenstein.

With Dpreview calling it silly.

[flyalf]

This will be a success, and Leica should take some learning from the current class leader in design:

 

- No fiddling around with silly movie capabilities. Lets be honest, who in their right mind buys a M for producing Youtube content?

- Dedicated ISO and exposure compensation buttons. Still Leica misses the fundamental control on their Ms.

- Separate window with essential information not shown though mechanical buttons.

- Start-up time 0,14 s*, shutter delay 0,052 s. Leica is in another (read some divisions below) league.

 

Dont get me wrong, I love my M, but Leica can do better.

[flyalf]

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Great news. There is already a thread on this:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-forum/306820-nikon-r-solution-2.html

 

Agree with you:

This will be a success, and Leica should take some learning from the current class leader in design:

 

- No fiddling around with silly movie capabilities. Lets be honest, who in their right mind buys a M for producing Youtube content?

- Dedicated ISO and exposure compensation buttons. Still Leica misses the fundamental control on their Ms.

- Separate window with essential information not shown though mechanical buttons.

- Start-up time 0,14 s*, shutter delay 0,052 s. Leica is in another (read some divisions below) league.

 

Dont get me wrong, I love my M, but Leica can do better.

[IWC Doppel]

This will be a success, and Leica should take some learning from the current class leader in design:

 

- No fiddling around with silly movie capabilities. Lets be honest, who in their right mind buys a M for producing Youtube content?

- Dedicated ISO and exposure compensation buttons. Still Leica misses the fundamental control on their Ms.

- Separate window with essential information not shown though mechanical buttons.

- Start-up time 0,14 s*, shutter delay 0,052 s. Leica is in another (read some divisions below) league.

 

Dont get me wrong, I love my M, but Leica can do better.

 

I agree. I love my Leica but this does reduce the differntiation for Lieca. Oh and I wont buy one and very happy with my M9-P, but if I as a Nikon user the attraction of a rangefiner is reduced IMO

[IWC Doppel]

I think that fact the camera only comes complete with a 'retro styled' 50mm lens, uses a relatively low MP sensor, and the marketing shot of it next to fountain pens and pocket watches suggests that this is mostly a novelty/fashion item.

 

I personally like the traditional shutter dial, and the 'retro' look but rather than looking like a simplified digital body it appears to have more dials and buttons than my Canon DSLR's. It looks fussier and less likely to be as intuitive in use, despite the 'retro' controls.

 

Ulitmately, unless you buy a camera purely on looks and you love the old school Nikon styling of this model, I don't really see the point of it.

 

I think this is spot on for those wanting FF performance in a more retro smaller format. If Leica dismiss this as pointless more fool them. FF interchangeable lenses and some D4 inards is hardly novelty IMO.

[sc_rufctr]

Great camera and concept but it's not really an alternative for anything Leica make right now.

OK for converted R lenses but the focus screen is not changeable and it doesn't have a split screen.

 

The Leica M is on its own and for good reason. It really is the closest to "pure photography" right now

[sc_rufctr]

It must have a real focus screen to be considered "pure".

 

The focus screen is not changeable and does not have a split screen.

[stevelap]

I think that fact the camera only comes complete with a 'retro styled' 50mm lens, uses a relatively low MP sensor, and the marketing shot of it next to fountain pens and pocket watches suggests that this is mostly a novelty/fashion item.

 

I personally like the traditional shutter dial, and the 'retro' look but rather than looking like a simplified digital body it appears to have more dials and buttons than my Canon DSLR's. It looks fussier and less likely to be as intuitive in use, despite the 'retro' controls.

 

Ulitmately, unless you buy a camera purely on looks and you love the old school Nikon styling of this model, I don't really see the point of it.

 

I wouldn't totally disagree with you James, but depending how you look at it I think the Df, now Nikon's smallest DSLR and it's most compatible model with nearly all Nikkor lenses, can justify itself to a certain extent.

 

E.g. that "relatively low MP sensor" is actually the sensor from Nikons flagship pro DSLR, so for those who covet the D4's top low noise/high iso performance they can now have it (albeit without a 1/8000 shutter and machine gun frame rates) without having to lug such a huge beast around. The Df also still has front and rear controls wheels, as well as those more traditional dials, so it can be used retro style or just a you would a modern Dxxx with AF-S G lenses. Having said that, if control wheel style operation is all that it would be used for then yes, probably little point in getting one other than aesthetics.

[gyoung]

Indeed, if they want it to be used for manual focus, surely a split image would have been much better. I can use the focus confirmation but its not ideal.

And what is the point of that 1.8/50, the focus scale and DoF scale are laughable, mere tokenism, and it seems to be at a hefty premium on the 'normal' 1.8/50.

They seem to have lost the plot, endless new zooms of mediocre quality, large, heavy and expensive 'premium' lenses while the nice compact ones (20/2.8,24/2.8, 35/2) are in dire need of updating, which Canon have done.

 

Gerry

[earleygallery]

I wouldn't totally disagree with you James, but depending how you look at it I think the Df, now Nikon's smallest DSLR and it's most compatible model with nearly all Nikkor lenses, can justify itself to a certain extent.

 

E.g. that "relatively low MP sensor" is actually the sensor from Nikons flagship pro DSLR, so for those who covet the D4's top low noise/high iso performance they can now have it (albeit without a 1/8000 shutter and machine gun frame rates) without having to lug such a huge beast around. The Df also still has front and rear controls wheels, as well as those more traditional dials, so it can be used retro style or just a you would a modern Dxxx with AF-S G lenses. Having said that, if control wheel style operation is all that it would be used for then yes, probably little point in getting one other than aesthetics.

 

Hi Steve,

 

I'm sure the sensor is great but most of their other DSLR's have higher MP's - I think I'm right in saying that it's use in the D4 is aimed at press/sports photographers who need high frame rates.

 

Just as an aside, my DSLR's are only 8MP and produce perfectly good results so I'm not being critical of the cameras MP count as such, just how this camera appears to have been positioned in the market.

 

The new Nikon is a nice idea, but a half baked one IMHO.

[pgk]

The new Nikon is a nice idea, but a half baked one IMHO.

A bit of a dog's dinner if you ask me. Hardly simplistic in styling and the most retro thing about it is the FM like nameplate on the prism housing. Of no interest to me whatsoever.

[keithlaban.co.uk]

Do you remember those pictures of the beautiful long haired blonde who turns around to reveal she’s an Afghan hound? Can't help thinking the Df is the reverse. OK from the front, but turn it around and it is a dog.

[flyalf]

I wouldn't totally disagree with you James, but depending how you look at it I think the Df, now Nikon's smallest DSLR and it's most compatible model with nearly all Nikkor lenses, can justify itself to a certain extent.

 

E.g. that "relatively low MP sensor" is actually the sensor from Nikons flagship pro DSLR, so for those who covet the D4's top low noise/high iso performance they can now have it (albeit without a 1/8000 shutter and machine gun frame rates) without having to lug such a huge beast around. The Df also still has front and rear controls wheels, as well as those more traditional dials, so it can be used retro style or just a you would a modern Dxxx with AF-S G lenses. Having said that, if control wheel style operation is all that it would be used for then yes, probably little point in getting one other than aesthetics.

 

Hi,

 

The question is what one gain from NOT having the high MP sensor (as in D800), The answer seems surprisingly not much, or am I missing something here? Judging on data you gain a little on low-light performance, perhaps most on less noise and great tonality, but you loose color depth and dynamics. See comparison on Compare cameras side by side - DxOMarkDXOMark

[gyoung]

It might cope better with the older lenses which object to sensors with high pixel density

 

Gerry

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[Angora]

Great project and great cues for the R10.

Now, for the execution?

 

Pros

• 100% OVF: yummy, excellent.
  
• AE-Lock location: quite good, especially since the AF-On button (closer to the thumb) should be able to be reconfigured as AE-Lock.
  
• Dials, esp. ISO dial : excellent, thanks to this the camera can be operated without ever looking at the LCD screen.
  On that note, I can't believe the DPR reviewer is actually complaining about the legitimate presence of dials and basically calls this design choice a "backward" and cosmetic-oriented.
  Gee... just how technologically brainwashed have people become?
  

 

Cons

• Body size: a bit too fat for my taste, Nikon could have done better in that department - even if that meant downsizing the LCD screen (really, who cares about its real estate? It's supposed to be a functionally retro camera). Not a deal breaker however.
  
• Single memory card slot: would have been better if a second one could have been squeezed in.
  
• No optional split screen: are you kidding me? That's a major disappointment. This is where Nikon has really messed up the execution. Why take great care to ensure retrocompatibility with legacy lenses, and to make it possible to operate the camera without having to chimp at the LCD screen... only to forget addressing the focusing concerns? Really, this is utterly silly.
  

 

So... Df2, when?

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[Angora]

Hi,

 

The question is what one gain from NOT having the high MP sensor (as in D800), The answer seems surprisingly not much, or am I missing something here? Judging on data you gain a little on low-light performance, perhaps most on less noise and great tonality, but you loose color depth and dynamics. See comparison on Compare cameras side by side - DxOMarkDXOMark

 

People have been saying that using a lower MP sensor would help in obtaining decent results with older lenses.