Thinking of going from Nikon D4 to DF

[Keith]

When I bought my D4 (used) a while ago I had intended getting out and using it for some sports shooting ... in particular classic motorcross. However, over the last year or so I've had some health issues that have taken me a while to get on top of and the incentive to stand out in the middle of a dusty moto-x track with a very heavy camera is not really there any more. I like the D4's sensor but I certainly don't need the D4's AF capabilities and frame rate etc because that's not the way I'm using it now.

I'd never really laid eyes on a DF until today when I was in a tech store getting something for my computer and they had one on display in their Nikon cabinet and they let me have a hold of it briefly before giving me the hard sell, causing me to leave. 😀

The plot now thickens because I remember looking at the price and thinking it was pretty cheap and then checking prices on line when I got home and in oz they seem to be up around $2800 for the body alone and often more. I rang the shop back and it turns out that the camera in question is on special because they no longer want to stock high end DSLRs as they seldom sell. To my amazement the camera comes with the 50mm f1.8 kit lens and is priced at $2200 😱 I'm not sure what my D4 is worth but surely it would still be worth the cost of this DF at least ... it (the D4) has about sixty thousand actuations on it and looks much like new. I know the DF will suit my style of shooting a lot more than the D4 these days but I was wondering how hard a D4 will be to sell?

 

[kipkeston]

While I don't have first hand experience with either camera, I think most would not recommend a DF for moto-x. Can anyone confirm?

 

[Keith]

While I don't have first hand experience with either camera, I think most would not recommend a DF for moto-x. Can anyone confirm?

That's not an issue because as I explained above that is off the menu thanks to some recent health issues. I'm more interested in a camera with a sensor as good as the D4's but without the weight and size ... and also good for focusing manually because my two main lenses are Zeiss ZF primes aside form the 24-120 G that's on the D4 currently. 🙂

 

[ChrisLivsey]

. and also good for focusing manually because my two main lenses are Zeiss ZF primes aside form the 24-120 G that's on the D4 currently. 🙂

ISTR the consensus at the time was disappointment that the Df screen was not fully optimised for manual focus, it was felt to be a little better than others but not sufficient.

 

[Fraser]

Are the zeiss lenses ai?
If the are ai then they will work just fine, from memory you can store 9 different lenses and it's easy to set up a shortcut to the menu. I wasn't keen on the df when it first came out and really the only reason I bought one was when my m9 was back in Germany (I do have work Camera's but like the d4 they are a bit heavy for walk about) but now I have one I love it best fun I've had for years with a dslr works great with all my old nikkors. It's a well put together camera and ok it's not Nikon fm small but it's a lot smaller than a d4 or a 1dx.
As someone on another forum commentated if it said Leica on the front it would be the best dslr ever made!!!
Leica should buy a load of df sensors for their next m!

 

[Keith]

Thanks Fraser. The Zeiss primes are non chipped ZF and I always used them happily on my D700 so I figure the DF will love them too. I used the shortcut button to the lens presets on the D700 so setting up the DF will be simple.

After wrestling the D4 for the last year or so I was blown away by the size and weight of the DF. My shoulder is pretty buggered these days and the D4 really starts to tell on me very quickly if I have to carry it around for any length of time.

 

[Ronald M]

Tried manual focus on DF years ago. No better than other Nikon DSLR. Certainly nothing like my F2, not even close.

Biggest advantage is ability to use non Ai lenses.

Buy a D750. Medium size/weight right # of MP. Better sensor.

And since they do not want to stock high end DSLR, the good price for the DF is probably offset by a poor trade value.

 

[Highway 61]

Tried manual focus on DF years ago. No better than other Nikon DSLR. Certainly nothing like my F2, not even close.

Biggest advantage is ability to use non Ai lenses.

Buy a D750. Medium size/weight right # of MP. Better sensor.

+1. If you don't plan to use a lot of non-Ai lenses the D750 is really a way better choice than the Df. 24MP, two SD cards, better battery, better sensor, interesting flippable rear screen, body of exactly the same size as the Df. And less expensive...

The only disadvantage of the D750 is that it doesn't take the DK-17M eyepiece loupe. But you can hack it so that it does (examples on the web).

 

[mcfingon]

Apparently you can fit a manual focus screen to a Df Keith:
http://www.jerkwithacamera.com/nikon-df-split-screen-manual-focusing-screen/comment-page-1/
Other people are saying you can do the same to a D750 but the stock screen is OK for bright primes:
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3800624

 

[kipkeston]

There is an equivalent eye mag for the prosumer bodies. I would personally wait for the D750 replacement or better yet a D500 full frame or DF2 in 2017.

 

[Keith]

The screen isn't a huge issue for me because over the years I've become used to focusing my Nikons manually with the green focus confirmation dot ... it's no more difficult or slower than using a rangefinder once it becomes second nature.

 

[Kent]

Just answer these questions:

Do you need the fast AF of the D4?
Yes - keep the D4. Stop reading here.
No - next question...


Do you own many old manual Nikkors and want to use them?
No - keep the D4. Stop reading here.
Yes - see below...

Go and get the Df. You will love it!

😉

 

[mcfingon]

That Df and lens does sound like a good buy Keith. I like being able to focus manually and see the result on any position of an SLR screen, so the green dot doesn't do it for me. Paradoxically, I enjoy the separate rangefinder window on the Leica III. I may be biased.

 

[Keith]

Just answer these questions:

Do you need the fast AF of the D4?
Yes - keep the D4. Stop reading here.
No - next question...


Do you own many old manual Nikkors and want to use them?
No - keep the D4. Stop reading here.
Yes - see below...

Go and get the Df. You will love it!

😉

That was easy ... 😀

 

[willie_901]

It's hard to ignore the convenience of the lightweight Df body.

Here's some data that shows the two cameras' data streams perform similarly.

Dynamic Range

Read Noise

The D4 is better at the absurd values of ISO ~20,000 and above... which I think is irrelevant

While the manual focus issue is real, with some effort it is possible to make the most out of the green dot. You already have significant experience with green dot focusing so all should be good.

 

[Ken Ford]

I've had a Df for about six months now. I originally bought it with the intent of using mostly manual focus Nikkors, but it actually gets used more often with AF primes. It works exceptionally well with either. Green dot focus confirmation works well with the MF lenses, even my 50/1.2.

Yes, IMO I'd do this switch in a heartbeat given the background you spelled out in your first post. The Df is an amazing body, and looking at the exchange rate that seems like a very good price.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Have had the D4 since 2012, well over 100,000 actuations, so I'm pretty familiar with it. Borrowed a Df for a week last spring and shot the heck out of it. With the Nikon magnifier eyepiece (DK-17M) in place on the Df, I found it pretty easy to focus my AIS Nikkors, even the 50mm f1.2. The same cannot be said for the D4. Even with the magnifying eyepiece, I still missed many shots trying to manually focus the D4.

From the lenses you have listed Keith, I think the Df would do you fine.

Not sure what the market for the used D4 would be in Australia. Maybe check eBay, look at completed listings. Also might want to list it here, and on some of the other photo websites that include classifieds.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Luke_Miller]

With the Nikon magnifier eyepiece (DK-17M) in place on the Df, I found it pretty easy to focus my AIS Nikkors, even the 50mm f1.2.

This is my experience as well. I did a head-to-head comparison with my F3HP and saw no noticeable difference in my ability to focus. I have a wonderful group of manual focus Nikkor primes and find the Df to be a great host for them

 

[Fraser]

I have no trouble focusing manual lenses on my Df, after a bit of practice you can look at both the screen and the green dot at the same time. I bought a 35mm 1.8 af fx G (whatever) and that makes a nice lightweight compact package and the focus works plenty fast. I like it with the older af d lenses they seem to work well. Its also a good excuse to buy a 50mm 1.2. The lens at the moment I use most is a 55mm F3.5 ai which works great and because of the good high iso it doesn't make any difference that its a F3.5.
good luck.

 

[dasuess]

My Df has been the only camera I have used since I bought it back in July 2014. As you can see from signature I have a bevy of manual focus Nikkor primes and they all work wonderfully using the green dot focus method.