Nikon df or......

[x-ray]

Good luck.

My last portrait session with my MF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 Ai used at f/2.8, using the original focusing screen, the DK-17M lupe, the green dot indicator and being extra careful about my focusing ended up with 1 photo out of 10 which was focused like I intended to (on my model's eyeballs).

Ive found through a great deal of experience that most subjects / people can't hold still enough for shooting at very wide apertures. The only have to move a quarter of an inch or so to shift focus to a different part of the face. Also if you're hand holding you're moving slightly too.

The only AF lens I use routinely on my DF is an 85 f1.4 D. I use the Df in continuous servo mode and manually select a focus point I put on the closest eye to the camera. I shoot at wider apertures with no problem and shoot commercial portrait sessions weekly. Today I have 5 physicians I'll shoot for one of my accounts and over the course of a year I probably shoot over 100 sessions. I won't say I get 100% sharp but it's over 90%.

Manual focus at close distance would present new challenges with a subject even barely moving. People rarely can hold perfectly still for shallow dof portraits.

 

[Highway 61]

Manual focus at close distance would present new challenges with a subject even barely moving. People rarely can hold perfectly still for shallow dof portraits.

My concern is that my in-focus portraits in such conditions using the same MF 85mm Nikkor lens at same aperture and same distance from the model are close to 100% when using my Nikon F2 w/ DE-1 finder and R focusing screen, and close to 10% when using the D700 or the Df with the factory focusing screen, the green dot indicator, and the DK-17M loupe. Meanwhile, my own eyes are still the same (AFAIK).

 

[Fraser]

Df 50mm 1.2 @ 1.2, standard screen and no DK-17M, just using the green dot.
16fbpicMarthacross_05 by f4saregreat!, on Flickr

 

[Timmyjoe]

Fraser,

You've got better eyes than I. I used the DK-17M when I used the Df a few months ago. I found it easier to focus the 50mm f1.2.

 

[Photon42]

I can focus the DF reasonably well with a 1.2 / 50 and 1.4 / 85 MF for head shots. There are clearly misses, but in general, I am happy with the outcome.

 

[x-ray]

My concern is that my in-focus portraits in such conditions using the same MF 85mm Nikkor lens at same aperture and same distance from the model are close to 100% when using my Nikon F2 w/ DE-1 finder and R focusing screen, and close to 10% when using the D700 or the Df with the factory focusing screen, the green dot indicator, and the DK-17M loupe. Meanwhile, my own eyes are still the same (AFAIK).

How old are you? Eyes change over time whether we notice it or not. My eyes have and I have excellent vision especially considering I'm almost 68. I can still read fine print without glasses. We're all different though.

Most people want to analyze images at 100%. Figure at 72 dpi what the size and magnification are at that percentage. I'd guess you're like most of us that we look at our film with a 4-6x loupe. Even a 10x isn't even close to what we see at 100% with digital.

Just a thought.

 

[narsuitus]

Would you?

I would sell the m9 and get a Fuji X-Pro1.

I would get a Nikon D810 and keep or sell the d700.

 

[Fraser]

I would sell the m9 and get a Fuji X-Pro1.

I would get a Nikon D810 and keep or sell the d700.

Too late I've bought the df and I wasn't planning on selling my M9🙂

 

[jmanivelle]

50 Summilux R v1 on Nikon Df


Wake up call by JM__, on Flickr

 

[jmanivelle]

Recently fitted the Nikon DK-17M 1.2x magnifying viewfinder on the Df and now wish I'd done that before !