I bought my Df back in 2019 and was so impressed with it I went out and bought another one. The colour rendition and dynamic range on this baby outclasses even my D700 and D810. I reckon you've grabbed yourself a bargain there Allen and yes, it will surely emerge as a legend.
I love the Df and have one in black and silver. I think these cameras are going to go for high prices eventually. These cameras are the closest you can get to shooting old and new Nikon glasses with the film experience. The image quality is stunning.
I combine the Df with a Af D 35 mm f2 which makes it quite small or the Voigtländer 40mm manual f 2. It is one of my favorites and speaks to me...more than the Zf ever did
Yes, the Df remains to this day the most satisfying digital camera I ever owned, mainly due to the IQ derived from its sensor. It is magical. And I still prefer the "real life" (D)SLR experience, despite the progress made by EVFs. People complain about AF performance and MF aids, but those work well for me: AF is very good except when in really low light/low contrast situations, and I have learned to fully trust the "grey dot" of the electronic rangefinder for manual focus (even when the "dot" does not flash on, the behaviour of the two triangles around it gives a reliable indication. And you still have your eye and the viewfinder's "ground" glass). In particular, 3D AF works very well, despite the absence of eye AF and the limited screen coverage of the AF module. Not failproof by any means, but reliable enough for sharp focus in 95% of mainstream circumstances. For the rest, just buy an old D4 and get the same IQ. I have more fun shooting with the Df than with the Zf, even if the Zf beats it on all objective performance metrics.
Hello Allen. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with the gear you actually use, and also your workflow with the final results of your photos. Related to gear, according to many youtubers, everything they review is great, easy to use and has fantastic ergonomics. Then one goes to the store to try X brand mirrorless camera, and finds it has sharp dials, micro buttons, and terrible ergonomics. So I really appreciate that you speak from experience. Learning from you day after day.
Great video Allen, I sold my Zf in favor of the Df as the shooting experience felt more connective. Similarly paid a pretty penny for a top example was rather surprised given its age.
The Df was a gorgeous camera and deeply misunderstood at the time. Wonderful to see its resurgence. It was designed to be a digital Nikon F, built in their flagship Sendai factory with their flagship sensor and processor. It was intended to be used with all Nikkor f mount lenses going back to 1959. Nice video.
Thanks for the video Allen yes the Df is a great camera and the files are wonderful. The sensor is the D4, 16MP one. The D3 and D4 sensors were designed by Nikon not Sony and the huge photosites you get on those sensors are in a class of there own aesthetically.
The Nikon Df looks like the Nikon D4. For that reason i use still the Nikon D4. The Nikon D4 is best camera out there. And it’s a legend as also the D3, D3S, D700 and the Df. For wedding i shoot always with the Nikon F4S. Working in the darkroom is always a special experience; after photographic exposure, you put the film or paper in the chemical baths and watch your image come to life.
I won't poo poo the A7Cii as I have never used one - I really think the D4, D4S and D3/S, D700 even all have that large pixel goodness - as the 16/18/20 megapixel Canons do too - anyways, why worry about the size or the shutter noise of a camera? Why bother hiding at all, like you could play into the fact that you have white-haired loudness a bit, don't worry about, shit, you could pretend to be like Garry Winogrand, like you don't know what you're doing with the camera with looking like an oldie like that - these strengths should be played into is all I mean. Plus they allow us to use cheap, loud and obnoxious dSLRs and people just think you're daft and ignore you... and that is a good thing! Also something that young people can't do so well.
. I seem to remember most of the Df reviews of the time it first appeared were not very positive and they put me completely off it. I’m pleased to hear your thoughts so I’ll take another look. Currently I have the original Z7 and love it to pieces. It has the D850 sensor, the dynamic range of which is even slightly higher than the Z8 & Z9. I also have the new Fuji X 100 VI as an every day walk about camera and have never had so much fun. 40mpx, 35mm FFE (full frame equiv), lens ring to quickly digitally zoom to 50mm and 70mm FFE, image stabilisation, fast enough auto focus, face and eye detect, built-in ND filter, leaf shutter, built-in flash, top flash sync speed 1/ 2,000 sec, auto focus works with infra red filter attached, Fuji film simulations, jacket pocketable. Couldn’t be without it now. Thanks Allen, I look forward to your follow up video.
I imported a Df just a few weeks ago from Japan and I'm still getting used to it, but so far I love it. I think it goes best with AF-D lenses that have an aperture ring.
on the mention of a camera for street, you may find something from Lumix well suited towards that. I have a LX100 mark II that’s a brilliant little camera with an excellent Leica lens. Leica re-released it as the D-Lux 8
Dear Allen, I had a mint df a few years ago and sold it to fund a shiny new Fuji xt5 (or something of the sort, I don't remember really, but I do remember the df!) - one of the dumbest things I have ever done. The df is one of a kind. I will have to rebuy it! I bought a Sony a7c ii a week ago. It's great - but for a Sony. If you compare image quality between the df and the a7c ii - the Sony will disappoint, especially in high iso. But it does have its merits - it's a tiny speed demon and a very easy carry around camera. With a suitable lens it can fit in a winter jacket pocket. But, well, the df produces much better images.
I had one new when they came out but was disappointed with the build - parts of it felt plasticky - and it was not as sturdy or as ergonomic as the D810 that I also had around that time. Although I hankered after the film-camera controls that I had had on the Nikon F3 and Leica R6.2 some years earlier, the DF didn’t live up to that nostalgic experience and its feel and operation for me personally fell far short of the carefully designed mixture of dials, buttons and top setting screens of more modern Nikons.
Guess everyone has different views but for me it's the image quality that blows me away - And I have D200 (yes 2006!) on the way with it's CCD sensor - be interesting to see the photos from that one!
Any camera we like can easily be called a legend. But is every camera truly a legend? No! For a camera to become a true legend, it must: 1/ Hundreds of thousands of photographers must have spoken about the camera in the same way. (Especially those who have been professionals for years and award-winning photographers, even though they have tried dozens of cameras, always have one specific camera in their heart) 2/ Its reputation must have surpassed any criticisms. 3/ It must have something unique in its features or a combination of features that make it stand out from other cameras. 4/ Its durability and reliability over time must have been proven. Is there such a camera? Yes, there is, and it’s the D700, not the DF 🙂
I bought my Df back in 2019 and was so impressed with it I went out and bought another one. The colour rendition and dynamic range on this baby outclasses even my D700 and D810. I reckon you've grabbed yourself a bargain there Allen and yes, it will surely emerge as a legend.
Agreed. I bought my first one and then bought another. I think people are going to realize how good this camera is.
I love the Df and have one in black and silver. I think these cameras are going to go for high prices eventually. These cameras are the closest you can get to shooting old and new Nikon glasses with the film experience. The image quality is stunning.
I combine the Df with a Af D 35 mm f2 which makes it quite small or the Voigtländer 40mm manual f 2. It is one of my favorites and speaks to me...more than the Zf ever did
I think Nikon put some special magic sauce in the D4/Df sensor - I have a D4 and love the image quality I get from it.
Yes, the Df remains to this day the most satisfying digital camera I ever owned, mainly due to the IQ derived from its sensor. It is magical. And I still prefer the "real life" (D)SLR experience, despite the progress made by EVFs. People complain about AF performance and MF aids, but those work well for me: AF is very good except when in really low light/low contrast situations, and I have learned to fully trust the "grey dot" of the electronic rangefinder for manual focus (even when the "dot" does not flash on, the behaviour of the two triangles around it gives a reliable indication. And you still have your eye and the viewfinder's "ground" glass). In particular, 3D AF works very well, despite the absence of eye AF and the limited screen coverage of the AF module. Not failproof by any means, but reliable enough for sharp focus in 95% of mainstream circumstances. For the rest, just buy an old D4 and get the same IQ. I have more fun shooting with the Df than with the Zf, even if the Zf beats it on all objective performance metrics.
Hmm - haven't tried the 3D focus - I'll give it a go at the weekends wedding :-) Thanks Allen
The df is the only camera from day one til now that has never left my side. It is simply my digital f3 and produces the best image quality.
Hello Allen.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with the gear you actually use, and also your workflow with the final results of your photos.
Related to gear, according to many youtubers, everything they review is great, easy to use and has fantastic ergonomics. Then one goes to the store to try X brand mirrorless camera, and finds it has sharp dials, micro buttons, and terrible ergonomics.
So I really appreciate that you speak from experience.
Learning from you day after day.
Great video Allen, I sold my Zf in favor of the Df as the shooting experience felt more connective. Similarly paid a pretty penny for a top example was rather surprised given its age.
The Df was a gorgeous camera and deeply misunderstood at the time. Wonderful to see its resurgence. It was designed to be a digital Nikon F, built in their flagship Sendai factory with their flagship sensor and processor. It was intended to be used with all Nikkor f mount lenses going back to 1959. Nice video.
Thanks for the video Allen yes the Df is a great camera and the files are wonderful. The sensor is the D4, 16MP one. The D3 and D4 sensors were designed by Nikon not Sony and the huge photosites you get on those sensors are in a class of there own aesthetically.
The Nikon Df looks like the Nikon D4. For that reason i use still the Nikon D4. The Nikon D4 is best camera out there. And it’s a legend as also the D3, D3S, D700 and the Df. For wedding i shoot always with the Nikon F4S. Working in the darkroom is always a special experience; after photographic exposure, you put the film or paper in the chemical baths and watch your image come to life.
I won't poo poo the A7Cii as I have never used one - I really think the D4, D4S and D3/S, D700 even all have that large pixel goodness - as the 16/18/20 megapixel Canons do too - anyways, why worry about the size or the shutter noise of a camera? Why bother hiding at all, like you could play into the fact that you have white-haired loudness a bit, don't worry about, shit, you could pretend to be like Garry Winogrand, like you don't know what you're doing with the camera with looking like an oldie like that - these strengths should be played into is all I mean. Plus they allow us to use cheap, loud and obnoxious dSLRs and people just think you're daft and ignore you... and that is a good thing! Also something that young people can't do so well.
Best feature Nikon DF has - is it doesnt have a Video mode.
If it had Expeed 4, be cool in black.
. I seem to remember most of the Df reviews of the time it first appeared were not very positive and they put me completely off it. I’m pleased to hear your thoughts so I’ll take another look. Currently I have the original Z7 and love it to pieces. It has the D850 sensor, the dynamic range of which is even slightly higher than the Z8 & Z9. I also have the new Fuji X 100 VI as an every day walk about camera and have never had so much fun. 40mpx, 35mm FFE (full frame equiv), lens ring to quickly digitally zoom to 50mm and 70mm FFE, image stabilisation, fast enough auto focus, face and eye detect, built-in ND filter, leaf shutter, built-in flash, top flash sync speed 1/ 2,000 sec, auto focus works with infra red filter attached, Fuji film simulations, jacket pocketable. Couldn’t be without it now. Thanks Allen, I look forward to your follow up video.
I imported a Df just a few weeks ago from Japan and I'm still getting used to it, but so far I love it. I think it goes best with AF-D lenses that have an aperture ring.
on the mention of a camera for street, you may find something from Lumix well suited towards that. I have a LX100 mark II that’s a brilliant little camera with an excellent Leica lens. Leica re-released it as the D-Lux 8
I very nearly bought the Df when it came out because its files were just stunning.
I have two black Df’s and they’re my favorite cameras EVER.
I would be curious to hear about your experience on the DF vis-a-vis autofocus performance AND also manual focus experience with older vintage lenses.
Dear Allen, I had a mint df a few years ago and sold it to fund a shiny new Fuji xt5 (or something of the sort, I don't remember really, but I do remember the df!) - one of the dumbest things I have ever done. The df is one of a kind. I will have to rebuy it! I bought a Sony a7c ii a week ago. It's great - but for a Sony. If you compare image quality between the df and the a7c ii - the Sony will disappoint, especially in high iso. But it does have its merits - it's a tiny speed demon and a very easy carry around camera. With a suitable lens it can fit in a winter jacket pocket. But, well, the df produces much better images.
Best looking DSLR ever made besides Pentax
I had one new when they came out but was disappointed with the build - parts of it felt plasticky - and it was not as sturdy or as ergonomic as the D810 that I also had around that time. Although I hankered after the film-camera controls that I had had on the Nikon F3 and Leica R6.2 some years earlier, the DF didn’t live up to that nostalgic experience and its feel and operation for me personally fell far short of the carefully designed mixture of dials, buttons and top setting screens of more modern Nikons.
Guess everyone has different views but for me it's the image quality that blows me away - And I have D200 (yes 2006!) on the way with it's CCD sensor - be interesting to see the photos from that one!
Any camera we like can easily be called a legend. But is every camera truly a legend? No! For a camera to become a true legend, it must:
1/ Hundreds of thousands of photographers must have spoken about the camera in the same way.
(Especially those who have been professionals for years and award-winning photographers, even though they have tried dozens of cameras, always have one specific camera in their heart)
2/ Its reputation must have surpassed any criticisms.
3/ It must have something unique in its features or a combination of features that make it stand out from other cameras.
4/ Its durability and reliability over time must have been proven.
Is there such a camera? Yes, there is, and it’s the D700, not the DF 🙂