How HUGE is the DF? Look and see!

[x-ray]

I was packing my M9 to go to Leica today for an RF alignment and was thinking how large the body is compared to my M film cameras and how often I've read how people complain the DF is HUGE and they want a smaller body. I also read where people compare cameras to the M9 praising Leica for such a small camera.

I decided to put the M9 and Df side by side and see just how HUGE the DF is or isn't. You be the judge.

Excuse my photo's they were shot with my iPhone.

 

[x-ray]

A few more images. the lenses on the Nikon is the 105 f2.5 and the M9 is the 90 apo asph Summicron. The second shot is the baseplate of the M9 on the base of the Df.

IMO the biggest difference in the two bodies is the mirror box and prism of the Df. Actual body size is about the same with the M9 just a tiny bit smaller. I don't see it as a HUGE difference.

 

[N.delaRua]

The other factor in size is lens size. The M should win that 9/10. DF looks like a load to me, but the M9 is not tiny like a M6.

 

[swoop]

The Df is smaller than I imagined.

 

[2WK]

Looks nice, Id like to give one a whirl.

 

[x-ray]

Very true. Leica lenses are much smaller but then they don't have AF or any other features. On the other hand IMO the lenses are what makes the Leica system worthwhile. Nikon lenses are no slouch but the current crop of M glass is the best I've ever seen for sharpness wide open corner to corner. Stop other makes down a couple of stops and they're all excellent. Nikon and Canon both make spectacular glass.

 

[x-ray]

The Df is smaller than I imagined.

I've noticed some folks blow things out of proportion.

A few years ago I did a lens comparison of several lenses side by side with a 35mm film box. Th elena I targeted was the 50 Planar M compared to a 50 Summicron. There was hardly any difference in size. Both were about the size of a film box but people were complaining that the Planar was huge compared to the Summicron. I threw in a collapsible 50 summicron and 35mm f1.2 Nokton. There may have been a 50 1.5 Nokton in the mix. The 35 1.2 was certainly larger but not huge and none of the others were much different in size.

The Df is really not a large camera. It's certainly smaller than my D800.

I'm extremely pleased with it and expect it to perform just like my other Nikon gear. I certainly expect it to be much more dependable than my M9.

 

[Bille]

http://camerasize.com/compare/#495,487

Also check out Digitalrev on the Df ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHNm54U1nQ4

 

[akptc]

That M9 is a beast ..😱😀

 

[marcr1230]

The closer camera looks larger in relation to the further one due to the
Wide angle on the phone camera

Try the reverse setup or back to back with an overhead view

 

[x-ray]

http://camerasize.com/compare/#495,487

Also check out Digitalrev on the Df ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHNm54U1nQ4

The guy on Digitalrev is just another guy trying to be clever and cute. Not! I didn't watch the entire thing because I'm tired of reviews from people that hardly know what end of a camera to look through. Wonder if he ever shot a frame of film in his life. Enough said.

Ok the Df is a little bigger than the FM but look what it does. AF, auto everything for that matter, all the electronics to make it happen and a motor drive. Add a motor to the FM or FE and see how much bigger it is. It takes space for this stuff. Let's see the FM/FE autofocus or process it's own film. How often do you have to load the FM/FE compared to the Df? Look how much smaller it is than the D800 and the D4.

 

[x-ray]

I'm trying to show they are almost the same thickness and height minus the prism. Look at the overhead shot. The camera was about centered. Trust me that are almost the same minus the prism. No tricks.

 

[helvetica]

The guy on Digitalrev is just another guy trying to be clever and cute. Not! I didn't watch the entire thing because I'm tired of reviews from people that hardly know what end of a camera to look through. Wonder if he ever shot a frame of film in his life. Enough said.

Kai actually shoots with an M2 as his personal camera - but like anything in the entertainment industry, he'll say anything for views and subscriptions.

 

[x-ray]

Kai actually shoots with an M2 as his personal camera - but like anything in the entertainment industry, he'll say anything for views and subscriptions.

I just don't find this kind of review amusing. It must be the in thing to bash.

 

[gavinlg]

Great comparison x-ray - thanks. The DF definitely isn't as big as people make it out to be.

 

[x-ray]

Great comparison x-ray - thanks. The DF definitely isn't as big as people make it out to be.

It's really not a large camera but again it's all relative. I don't have huge hands and the camera is very comfortable to me. It's also not very heavy which I like especially as I get older.

 

[dcsang]

Put it side by side with the Sony A7 or A7r... it's huge. 😀

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Chris Bail]

Thanks for the comparison. I was wondering how big it was going to be vs my current M8. If I decide to give SLR's a go again, I'll certainly be looking at the Df.

 

[gavinlg]

Put it side by side with the Sony A7 or A7r... it's huge. 😀

Cheers,
Dave

True as well.

Although, one of the reasons I prefer the x-pro1 to the xe1/2 is the size. The XE is just that little bit small and therefor a little uncomfortable for my hands. The x-pro1 is leica size, and therefor perfect. Sometimes smaller isn't better!

 

[x-ray]

The Fuji is an interesting camera. A good friend has a couple of them and really gets some great images.

I haven't seen the sony but can't say I care for the mirror less cameras that I have seen. The x pro 1 is nice because it has a very good optical finder as well as the electronic. I'm a big fan of fuji optics too having owned several of their medium format cameras and some view camera lenses.