Nikon Df : sharing a message from Rachael Katz

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Highway 61

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De : KatzEye Optics - Customer Service <customerservice@katzeyeoptics.com>
À : ..@..
Sent on : Tuesday, January 14, 2014 5:38 AM
Objet : RE: Nikon Df
Hi Nicolas,

Happy New Year to you as well! We have not had the opportunity to study the
Df yet, so I cannot make any predictions at this point. Of course we want
to support the Df - it is an exciting new model - but we have faced
considerable difficulty with Nikon's recent full frame models, so it remains
to be seen. I will keep your email on file, and as soon as there is any
news about the Df, I will be sure to let you know.

Kind regards,
Rachael Katz
KatzEyeT Optics
Toll Free: 855-KatzEye (528-9393)
Outside USA: +1.413.743.2523
www.katzeyeoptics.com

>-----Original Message-----
>From: ..@.. [mailto:..@..]
>Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2014 5:18 AM
>To: customerservice@katzeyeoptics.com
>Subject: Nikon Df
>
>The following information was just submitted via the KatzEye Optics
>Contact Form.
>
>First Name: Nicolas
>Last Name: ..
>Email Address: ..@..
>Telephone Number:
>
>Hi Rachel and wishing you an happy new year ! A little quicknote to know
>whether you intend to manufacture a split image screen for the new Nikon
>Df. This will become very crucial for this peculiar camera. Thanks for
>your answer and best wishes, Nicolas
 
I'm not really sure that I understand why they would give users the ability to put pre-AI Nikkors on this camera and then not give the option to swap a decent manual-focus screen into the camera. It seems absurd...
 
ive asked this question without reply in several DF threads: is it true that in manual focusing legacy glass on the DF that the AF confirm green light comes on when image is in focus?

i hope a DF owner can answer this; my old 5d worked this way and i never had a problem manual focusing.
tony
 
hipsterdufus said:
I'm not really sure that I understand why they would give users the ability to put pre-AI Nikkors on this camera and then not give the option to swap a decent manual-focus screen into the camera. It seems absurd...
Click to expand...

You are right. Bulk aside, this is the one big design fail of the Nikon Df.
 
rbelyell said:
Is it true that in manual focusing legacy glass on the DF that the AF confirm green light comes on when image is in focus ?
Click to expand...
Of course.

The problem is that this focus confirm green dot relies on the AF ; thus, you sometimes never get the green dot when you use either very fast lenses, or some lenses having a very long focus throw. You keep getting the green arrows, either the right one or the left one, sometimes both.

And - while you are concentrating on getting that darn green dot, your subject walks away, or gets nervous, or the sun hides behind some clouds, whatever.

Just experienced two very nasty portraits sessions using a Nikkor Ai 85/1.8 @f/2.8 in moderate close-range focus (I was sitting at about 1.5 m of the persons I was shooting) under available light conditions. Lotsa OOF shots (either front focus or back focus when I wanted the eyes of my model to be in focus, which I get with no problem when using either a split image focusing screen on my Nikkormat and Nikon F/F2, or the rangefinder of my Nikon S2/SP). I wouldn't recommend getting closer than at least 3 meters from your subject if you shoot some portraits with a fast MF lens relying on the green dot. Until now I had been very happy with that technique but I had shot in bright light conditions and at farer distances only.

I was using my D700 but there is no difference between the two cameras that I am aware of re. that point.
 
thank you, i appreciate the thorough reply. as i recall from my 5d, it was similarly inaccurate at very close distance. my personal style is not to shoot portraits at extreme apertures, so luckily, that fault won't bother me. 2.0 is about as wide as i go in extreme circumstances, i'm mostly at 2.5-4 range for portraits.
 
I am beginning to think that Nikon DLSRs, whichever their form factor is, are for modern AF-S lenses, and that's it. No brand will ever make any MF-targeted DSLR I'm afraid. The marketing hype about the Df particularly sucks in that matter.

Since I don't own nor like AF lenses, I am now reconsidering using a DSLR. I'm not any professional photographer, I mostly shoot in B&W, so shooting B&W film with an old-timer SLR or an RF camera is still fine for me. For my very occasional color shots, a compact will be perfect.

I still have a nice collection of MF Nikkors, but at this point there is no Nikon DSLR (up to 16MP max. and a proper focusing screen for manual focusing) which matches my needs I'm afraid.

Of course I could install a Katzeye split image screen in my D700. Oh well. I have the DK-17M lupe which enhances the viewfinder much but this is not enough it seems.

Anyway. No big deal.
 
If you really like your Nikkors, you may consider going with a Speed Booster and a mirrorless camera, like a Fuji or Sony NEX. As long as you aren't doing landscapes (where the extreme corners mattter), the Speed Booster does a really nice job. I am currently using this setup with a Fuji X-E1 and some M42 glass.

No, it's not the same experience as a DSLR, but you may find it an acceptable compromise. As they say, there is no perfect camera.
 
Have you compared Live View focus vs. the green dot? If their point of focus is different, then maybe it's just a matter of playing with the AF Fine Tune function for specific lenses. Just a thought...
 
For you MF Nikkor lovers out there

For you MF Nikkor lovers out there

Look up one of my posts on hacking a Canon focusing screen to use in the Nikon D3. It's perfect.

kxl said:
Have you compared Live View focus vs. the green dot? If their point of focus is different, then maybe it's just a matter of playing with the AF Fine Tune function for specific lenses. Just a thought...
Click to expand...
The problem with using the AF sensors for a MF lens is that the sensors are optimized for the view and DOF of an f/2.8 lens. If you keep the camera on open-loop (continuous) focusing mode then it can compensate a bit but it gets the focus to within the DOF of an f/2.8 lens and says that's good enough. When shooting an 85mm f/1.4, that is definitely NOT good enough and I see it every time I'm shooting with my D3 and that lens up close. The green dot indicator will be lit up confirming focus over a depth of a few centimeters of actual focus.

If there is someone in the Philadelphia/NYC area with a Df that would allow me to poke around the camera to see if screen change is even possible without removal of the prism I would be very grateful for this opportunity. As collateral, you can hold the keys to my 1972 Mercedes-Benz, which I love more than your camera.

If the Df has the same focus screen dimensions as the full frame digitals (and the F6) before it, then it is only a matter of how to get it out of the camera to swap it. This can be done either with a tiny spring clip, as on the D2/D3/D700 or with a screwdriver which holds the carrier on, as on the FM/FM2. Too bad it's not as easy as it was on the F/F2/F3/F4/F5 with that large assortment of finders for individual specific use.

For y'all out there who prefer bare groundglass and shoot with a stable of FAST Nikkors (35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.2, Noct 58mm f/1/2, 85mm f/1.4, 105mm f/1.8, 200mm f/2) or the telephotos 300mm and longer, you'll benefit from a coarse-grit screen like an old D screen from the F series. The scattering angle makes subjects snap into focus across the whole field which is great for using a MF telephoto to pull focus when shooting sports.

This focusing screen issue and the stupid locking shutter speed dial are the only hurdles in my purchase of a Df. If I can work around these, I'll spring for one this year. I've wanted a shutter speed dial on my camera since the F4 was superseded by the F5 and dial-less cameras have reigned since.

If these issues can't be rectified, I'll just get another used D3 and an F2 to placate my penchant for manual controls.

Phil Forrest
 
Highway 61 said:
This is the case, I have poked into a Df and there is the same spring wire holding the focusing screen in place as in my D700.
Click to expand...

Aha!
Then it's only a matter of changing the screen to one of similar thickness and X/Y dimensions!

I'll start custom cutting Canon Ec-A and Ec-B screens for Df owners! Ha, ha, ha!

Ok, now to figure out how to have that stupid shutter speed lock disabled and I'll start selling plasma to finance one of these.

Phil Forrest
 
Phil_F_NM said:
Ok, now to figure out how to have that stupid shutter speed lock disabled and I'll start selling plasma to finance one of these.
Click to expand...

The shutter speed dial on the DF only locks when it's set on the 1/3 shutter speed setting (and the 1/3 shutter step speeds are then set with the rear command dial.) So it works exactly the same way the F3's shutter dial works which locks when set in 'A' mode. All the rest of the shutter speeds turn freely.

I used a DF for several hours. I ended up not liking the overall ergonomics and feel of the camera and realized I actually prefer the current paradigm of command dials and custom user settings. Although I do like using my F3 a lot, the current way that modern DSLRs (i.e., D3/D4/D800 etc.) operate is much faster and more efficient. But yes, I do fully understand the analog dial desirability (I also use the Nikon F2 along with the F3, and Leica M film cameras.) However, for an electronic DSLR, I think I really do prefer the current set ups with front and rear command dials and customizable buttons. I think the reality is that it's a lot more ergonomic/faster (for me at least.)
 
Highway 61 said:
+1 with VertovSvilova here. What's your concern with the shutter speed dial ?
Click to expand...

I've been reading a lot about the camera but haven't had an opportunity to play with one, so I'm just going by the internet information. I read that the shutter speed dial locked with each change but if that is only a mode issue then there's no problem at all.

I have pretty big hands so I'm going to have to actually handle one for a while with one of my favorite lenses on it to see how I like it. I'm used to the pro series Nikon way of holding an SLR (since the F5) and I'd certainly have to get used to a smaller form factor. It's not small enough to cradle in my hands like a Leica M body but it's also not as big as the D3.

I'll sit back and keep reading about it as well as go try one out for myself. Nikon releases usually don't have too many bugs to work out of the final product but given a few months, we'll see if there are any glaring issues that pop up.

Thanks for the correction on my assumptions of the camera! And thanks for letting me know the screen is held in with the D700 clip. That makes the decision that much more tempting.

Phil Forrest
 
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