Nikon DF

[uhoh7]

If Canon did make a FF that echos the Canon 7... and the size is close also...
Canon could sell a ton...albeit with a new FF Mirrorless set of lenses at start up...

The formula is so obvious you know they will never do it.

Basically a canon 7 look-alike, but smaller and lighter. Leica CLish or even smaller.

New mount: just like the E mount, basically, so it can take M glass.

Adapters with mirrors like the Sony so the Big EF glass will AF fast.

New line of short flange lenses.

EVF and LCD, with MF aids equal or better than sony.

And: here's the crucial part: no AA and super thin glass over the sensor so it can handle the RF wides at least as well as M240.

Many will laugh at the last one...oh the RF market is super niche.

It may be niche, but it's a very vocal and very influential niche lead by Leica lovers which include some of the best pros working today.

It doesn't need to be simple, it just needs to look simple.

No-brainer. But you would have thought tablets and smartphones were a no-brainer for microsoft.

 

[daveleo]

A big part of the (general) letdown is due to the anticipation and frenzy generated by the marketing people.
And the bad outcome is this kind of thing hurts (in this case) Nikon's credibility -
if this is what they call a "back to basics" design, they are really disconnected from their customers who really really wanted this to work right.
Did the engineer/photographers honestly think this was what the world was waiting for?
Or, as someone commented above, did a committee of marketing VP's design this camera? It's like software bloat on the first issue of the code !

 

[uhoh7]

Somebody was saying the camera doesn't do video?

They can't be that silly can they?

 

[Highway 61]

And the bad outcome is this kind of thing hurts (in this case) Nikon's credibility -
if this is what they call a "back to basics" design, they are really disconnected from their customers who really really wanted this to work right.

I'm afraid you're right. People waiting for the "FM3D" didn't expect this at all and won't buy it as much as they had done if it had been the right thing.

And people being content with the now-called (how ironic) "classic" Nikon DSLRs won't buy it either.

As someone noted on another forum, at its body only price you can have a D800 with a good lens or a D600-D610 with a damn freaking good lens.

Time will tell but if the Df doesn't sell well this will be a terrible mistake from Nikon, especially after this "Pure" teasing campaign.

This might be the proof by the absurd that this is not possible any longer to make a FF DSLR which doesn't look, measure, and weight like a... FF DSLR.

While it IS possible, of course. But we'll never have it I'm afraid.

 

[Keith]

Wow ... I went to bed and got up to discover about six new pages of posts to read! 🙂

I have to say I'm happy with the look though I prefer it in black and although that top plate is a little busy everything is there for manual adjustment without going into menus or operating command wheels ... they got this right IMO and I don't really see that they could have done it too many other ways.

The heart of this (depending on your viewpoint) good looking beast is the D4 sensor and that alone is a very good starting point and a damned good reason to pony up the readies in my book. It's the class leading 24x36 sensor and will now be available in a body to suit an enthusiast and not necessarilly a working pro.

The thing that smacks me in the eye is that if the projected price of just under three grand with a lens is correct we have a camera that costs the same as the Sony RX1 ... how does that work? Admittedly Nikon have effectively given us a retro encased camera of a design they are well familiar with but it's still a lot of camera compared to the afore mentioned Sony.

I suspect I'll be pre-ordering when I can. It may not be everything I wished for but I see nothing about it that I'm unhappy with and it's definitely going to be a fast seller IMO.

 

[DNG]

The Sony A7R looks to be a better deal. It'll be good to see a few reviews and comparisons.

Spoiler Alert: Sony A7/r
Confirmed:
You must charge the battery of the A7/r IN CAMERA, and the Wall adapter is $50 extra... From a Professional Photographer who had one for a 1/2 day as preview tester.
-----
Not sure if a Cheap China battery charger will work or not..

-------------------------------

Wish this DF was closer to $2000, I think they would move more units per Quarter Sales Reports.
I like it, yes, bit fat, but not crazy fat.

 

[BlackXList]

I kinda like the way it looks to be honest.

The only thing that's jarring with me at the moment is the position of the playback button.
I'm sure that's an absolutely minor thing that a user would adjust to in no time at all, just my first instinct isn't to look above the screen for the playback button.

That said, I'm not a Nikon SLR user, so my interest is purely academic. I'm invested in my Canon "blobs", so there's no way I'll be getting one of these, just going "I kinda like how that looks" online haha.

 

[shadowfox]

Somebody was saying the camera doesn't do video?

They can't be that silly can they?

"Pure Photography"

😀

 

[uhoh7]

Spoiler Alert: Sony A7/r
Confirmed:
You must charge the battery of the A7/r IN CAMERA, and the Wall adapter is $50 extra... From a Professional Photographer who had one for a 1/2 day as preview tester.

It's the same nex batteries many of us now. Don't know where I got my charger, but I never charge in camera. Certainly most everyone will want a extra battery, though.

🙂

 

[DNG]

I kinda like the way it looks to be honest.

The only thing that's jarring with me at the moment is the position of the playback button.

I have never liked the Playback on the left upper back top plate either.

 

[david.elliott]

Is there any indication at all that this camera is optimized for manual focus? E.g. a good screen with a focusing aid?

 

[DNG]

It's the same nex batteries many of us now. Don't know where I got my charger, but I never charge in camera. Certainly most everyone will want a extra battery, though.

🙂

Good to know...
Here is what DPR says about that

Both the A7 and A7R use the NP-FW50 InfoLithium battery, which contain 7.7Wh of energy. This translates into 340 shots per charge (by CIPA standard testing).

As mentioned in the introduction, the default charging method is over USB, with an AC-to-USB adapter included in the box.

If you want faster charging, or just want a spare on-hand, you'll have to buy an external charger.


That must be the extra $50 I mentioned! No external charger included!!!

 

[literiter]

I'm gonna take my ratty old M2 for a walk tomorrow.

I scored some out of date Fuji 160s a while ago and we had a beautiful snowfall.

On the top of my M2 is 1 (one!) speed control dial and a rewind knob. Around the lens, for those that don't remember, are the f stops and focus thingy.

I get to focus it myself.
I get to choose the exposure.
I own it.
The camera doesn't need batteries, just a thumb.

Like the DF, I can't shoot movies with it.

Yeah, I'm an old fart.

 

[DNG]

Is there any indication at all that this camera is optimized for manual focus? E.g. a good screen with a focusing aid?

This is a good Q

It would nice to have a Slit-Image Screen, or at least a VF magnification option.
Does it have EVF or an Optical VF?
And EVF can support a magnified function.

It has a 2k LCD, That could support a magnified field... but not as convenient as EVF can,

 

[jsrockit]

That's debatable...Maybe $200 prettier, and throw in a pack of gum. The D610 is no beauty, but this Df looks a bit "off" like a dude in women's clothes 😛

I wasn't being serious.

 

[Vics]

OK, I guess the fun's over. Better get the F bodies back out and load 'em up!

 

[jsrockit]

OK, I gurss the fun's over. Better get the F bodies back out and load 'em up!

Sounds about right at this point... though for me it'll have to be an F2 or F3. 🙂

 

[DNG]

OK, I gurss the fun's over. Better get the F bodies back out and load 'em up!

Sounds about right at this point... though for me it'll have to be an F2 or F3. 🙂

My FE is loaded and ready with my Nikon 24mm f/2.8 Ais mounted.

 

[Samouraï]

The A7 is a clean-lined update of a classic silhouette. Simple in appearance, but modern and powerful in its capabilities (the A7r). And the pricepoint is exciting. Though, I wish it had a dedicated iso/shutter dial.

This Nikon DF is a bloated monstrosity of a camera. I am disappointed.

 

[gavinlg]

Honestly, I quite like this thing. It is no where near as elegant looking at it should have been (the F3 makes it look like an eyesore really), but the controls look excellent. I think in real life it will be a lot prettier than in pictures.

We finally have a camera with ISO adjustment on a dial (seriously one of the best ideas ever), it is fairly small but not too small ala NEX and om-d, it can take a HUGE back catalog of manual focus lenses plus classic style zeiss glass, it has one of the best sensors in the biz (megapixels schmegapixels), and I have no doubt it will be beautifully made and have a big lovely OVF.

Im pretty sure Ima get one of these. Question is - silver or black?