Am I the only one excited for the Nikon DF camera?
insanefred
Registered Users Posts: 604 Major grins
I am pretty damn stoked about this camera. I am ready to put my D700 for sale for this camera. If the price is right and specs. :lust
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If so, I'm not really interested. After these few years of digital bodies, I've gotten used to rapidly changing these setting with my thumb and index finger flywheels.
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I'd say it is closer to a D4 and a F3 FM camera smashed into one.
There is no dedicated aperture control on the body or lens as far as I can tell. This is disappointing to me. The back of the camera is a carbon copy of the D610. Minus the video button of course. The front of the camera has 6 or 7 mystery buttons/wheels. So much for elegant simplicity, or K.I.S.S. design.
I would call it a D610 plus a few knobs that should have been there anyway, minus video, and minus 8mp. Not so interested anymore.
Agreed. If it had been a digital version of this: front, top, I would have been interested. Such a camera would force or encourage deliberate, manual shooting, while keeping it simple and compact.
I'm even more impressed today with Fuji, for getting it right. Shutter speed on the body. Aperture ring on the lens. EC dial. ISO dial would have been nice, but I have my Fn button set to ISO, so no biggie.
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
It's really just Nikon competing with their own line of cameras or just trying to find something that will sell. If the DF reduces demand further for the 610 or refurbished 600 and the price of those cameras drops, then maybe I get in the FX game.
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One card slot - not good.
"You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
Phil
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How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
I agree. I don't see the niche that it could fill.
Phil
"You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
Phil
Agreed. For the price, it should be one of two things:
A) the true D700 successor. 51pt AF, 8fps, 10fps with grip.
or,
An elegant, compact, true retro FF DSLR with the emphasis on manual shooting and simplicity, sitting somewhere between the Fuji XPro-1 and Leica M.
But it's neither.
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
The D4 sensor would be a good reason.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
The biggest appeal to me is the non-AI lenses, some good ones are selling for so cheap; very few even want them. Nice mechanical dials, small'ish look, a mix of features I like.
The 3 things that kill it for this camera, no high speed flash sync. (means I will still need my d700 for real work). The price is $2750; $400 more than I can even spend. :cry And no option for split focusing screen like the good ol f3 type K cameras.
Now that I think of it... I do not think this camera was meant for real professional use. It is meant for travel, casual, adventure type use.
Why?
http://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Camera-Sensor-Ratings
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
Because its the best low light camera I have used. I love the D800E but when the light is low and I'm shooting at ISOs above 1600 its the D4 that gets the call.
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How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
You got to be kidding. If I went with everything with what DXO mark says what's good and what's not. I would never be happy. Same with any other worthless lab testing site.
They are just a reference at best.
Actually I don't think DXO does, you're taking 2 specific data points but those don't tell the whole story.
IIRC they test for dynamic range at base ISO and then noise levels for the high ISO score. They don't test for the dynamic range at high ISO's so while the D800 downsampled can do very well noise wise it's a clear loser in terms of DR at those higher ISO's compared to the D4.
Well all those thousands of pictures I took with the D4 sure fooled me. If I had only known.
http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
But my point was that the D4 sensor in this camera can't possibly be worth a $1000 premium over the D610. I appreciate the insight that the D4 has better DR at high ISO, but $1000 better? Come on.
Regardless, I think Nikon is about to have a Sigma experience with the price tag.
An "accurate" reproduction of a scene and a good photograph are often two different things.
Since the D700 and D3 the only Nikon FF that has tempted me has been the D3S.....still waiting....I may just buy a refurbished D3S if I can find one.
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Just wondering, what specifically about the D4 autofocus do you like?
Thanks,
Phil
"You don't take a photograph, you make it." ~Ansel Adams
Phil
Looks like the D4 AF has much better coverage
D4:
D610:
When you look through the viewfinder of the D600, it's quite an alarmingly small amount of coverage...
This is how I feel about the Df. It has less features than a camera that costs 1k less and less features than one that is in the same price range.
Yes it can, perhaps not to you but to people who work above ISO 6400 it could and likely was worth the 3,500 dollar premium to get the D4. Now if they don't need the AF/FPS/ergonomics/video of the D4 they can get that sensor in a body for about half the price, if they included the D4's AF it would have been an ideal camera for some of my work, now it's one with a minor caveat. I'm looking at this body very seriously for the future
D4 has the best low light autofocus and also for fast action. Much better than the 610 autofocus they put in the DF.
They give it the best low light sensor....but handicap it by not giving it the best low light autofocus...so how much do you really gain...frustrating.
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http://aoboudoirboise.smugmug.com/
For my dollar if ISO is an issue, the price point of the Df gets it into used D3s or D3x territory. For me the performance of those cameras is worth the additional money.
Above 6400 there isn't a huge amount of difference between the D610 and D4.