A New DSLR not HDSLR from Nikon.....so no video mode, Nikon DF

Its too early to tell but this might be an awesome video camera, It has HDMI out but even more important is this:

  • Support for a Storied NIKKOR Legacy: In addition to being compatible with all current AF, AF-S, DX and AF-D NIKKOR lenses, the Df is also compatible with classic Ai and non-Ai NIKKOR glass. Thanks to a new metering coupling lever located on the bayonet, the user has the ability to once again enjoy their lens collections with renewed functionality. Full-aperture metering is also supported.
I take that to mean no more going out of live view to change your aperture. It just need clean HDMI out and it might be awesome.
 
I'm no expert but why is the price so crazy? It has the sensor of the D4 which goes for close to $7,000 in Australia. If this takes D4 stills $3,000 seems alright.
 
Dan Pears said:
I'm no expert but why is the price so crazy? It has the sensor of the D4 which goes for close to $7,000 in Australia. If this takes D4 stills $3,000 seems alright.
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I was thinking the same thing. The D4 is an amazing tool and less than 3K is a crazy good deal for missing video and a good looking body
 
Lots of photogs always say they want a DSLR without video. Now they have one they can buy. Let's see what they prefer, this or the similarly priced D800.
 
I think the camera is total dick. For dentists and showing off at the golf club.

Tragic to see nikon go the way of hasselblad.

I take it nikon thinks these old style bodies are cool. In that case I am very cool

The museum in my front room..

shelf.jpg

S
 
I like the direct mechanical controls for manual settings. The thing I miss most with modern DSLR's is there is seldom simple direct instantaneous full manual control for ISO, shutter speed and aperture settings. Suzy's Nikon D40x is frustrating because there is no easy way to directly set aperture manually on lenses that don't have an aperture ring. You have to do it in a menu.
All the automatic menu driven crap just gets in the way. The Df is going to seriously appeal to experienced still photographers who don't need it.
 
Not compact? No care.

For god's sake Nikon just man up and give us a compact mirrorless like the new Sonys. Give it a short flange distance with a new mount but the ability to use F-mount glass with an electronic adapter - dothat and then we'll be talking.
 
atarijedi said:
Might be good for going to less safe areas, who wants to steal an old film camera?
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This kind of thing always comes up when talking about something less than a full professional camera, but the reality is that if you're in a "less safe area" where that is genuinely a concern, you're more likely to get robbed for your wallet and phone anyway. Pulling out any camera would mark you as a tourist, and someone looking to take advantage wouldn't be too concerned with what camera you have, just that you're a potential mark.
Maybe it might not get picked up when a burglar is hurriedly rummaging through your house, but don't think that it's any sort of protection out on the streets.

BTW, I like the look of it, but without video it's not too interesting to me at that price point.
 
bitcrusher said:
Its too early to tell but this might be an awesome video camera, It has HDMI out but even more important is this:
  • Support for a Storied NIKKOR Legacy: In addition to being compatible with all current AF, AF-S, DX and AF-D NIKKOR lenses, the Df is also compatible with classic Ai and non-Ai NIKKOR glass. Thanks to a new metering coupling lever located on the bayonet, the user has the ability to once again enjoy their lens collections with renewed functionality. Full-aperture metering is also supported.
I take that to mean no more going out of live view to change your aperture. It just need clean HDMI out and it might be awesome.
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No video functions on this camera. Strictly one for the stills guys unless the HDMI is useful for high quality live view recording to an external deck.
More likely just for viewing stills on your TV.
If it produces D4 quality still images at half the price in a rugged weatherproof body as the trade off for no video, then it will find a market even if it is a small one among dedicated stills photographers. Looks to be an excellent wide DR low light camera.
Nikon already has plenty of HDSLR options in the lineup. Nothing wrong with building one just for high quality stills only with the kind of manual controls that many of us would prefer in such a camera.
 
I just hope they wise up and add video to the Df2. Love the look of this camera and would immediately swtich back to Nikon if this camera had proper video with a mic and headphone jack.

I've always preferred the older body designs. Probably because that's what I learned on back in the mid 90's.
 
Razz16mm said:
I like the direct mechanical controls for manual settings. The thing I miss most with modern DSLR's is there is seldom simple direct instantaneous full manual control for ISO, shutter speed and aperture settings. Suzy's Nikon D40x is frustrating because there is no easy way to directly set aperture manually on lenses that don't have an aperture ring. You have to do it in a menu.
All the automatic menu driven crap just gets in the way. The Df is going to seriously appeal to experienced still photographers who don't need it.
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I'm with you on that.

Love the old school controls.
 
Andrius Simutis said:
This kind of thing always comes up when talking about something less than a full professional camera, but the reality is that if you're in a "less safe area" where that is genuinely a concern, you're more likely to get robbed for your wallet and phone anyway. Pulling out any camera would mark you as a tourist, and someone looking to take advantage wouldn't be too concerned with what camera you have, just that you're a potential mark.
Maybe it might not get picked up when a burglar is hurriedly rummaging through your house, but don't think that it's any sort of protection out on the streets.

BTW, I like the look of it, but without video it's not too interesting to me at that price point.
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You know, the scope of "what is desirable" is pretty broad too. Whenever I have the 1D-C out, I'll let interested people pick it up, and they'll ask, 'why is it so heavy?' and I'll say it is old. And they scrunch their nose in an unpleasant way and hand the thing back to me. Then go drool over a 5d3 or NEX, that someone else has. idk, works for me.
 
This is a camera designed for old men.
Not to be too harsh on old men as I hope to live long enough to be one, but the retro look and removal of any video function is clearly marketing to the Get off my lawn! crowd. If you've spent any time on photography boards, you'll see they're just overflowing with video haters. These are the guys who think that any video feature is coming at the expense of more photography features, and that it's all just polluting their pure photography experience.
 
I'm going to copy/paste my post from another forum:


Until [the inexplicable fawning over the Df in the thread where this was originally posted], I had no idea people in the market for a $2700 camera were as stupid as your typical stand-in-line-for-whatever-rehashed-nonsense-Apple-slaps-their-logo-on consumers.


This is a cash grab and not one iota of anything more - the release of a matching "special edition lens" should be enough tell you that. Nikon saw that Fuji and Olympus were doing well with the obnoxious superficial retro thing and decided to jump on the bandwagon. This is a sensor, AF module, meter, etc etc from Nikon's parts bin in an awkwardly retro body with three-steps-backwards controls and especially ergonomics. And it's not even smaller or lighter! And they didn't even put any effort into the "special edition" lens besides the retro silver ring - where's the aperture ring, cheapskates? And it makes the sure-retail-price-is-a-bit-lower-than-a-D800-but-it's-so-much-simpler-to-assemble-that-the-profit-margin-is-probably-double A7r seem nicely priced.


Do not reward this kind of behavior.
 
Andrius Simutis said:
This is a camera designed for old men.
Not to be too harsh on old men as I hope to live long enough to be one, but the retro look and removal of any video function is clearly marketing to the Get off my lawn! crowd. If you've spent any time on photography boards, you'll see they're just overflowing with video haters. These are the guys who think that any video feature is coming at the expense of more photography features, and that it's all just polluting their pure photography experience.
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Hey! I resemble that remark! :cool:

So I have done a lot of event shooting, mostly gala events, art openings and such, over the years. My drill for these is to walk through the space with an incident light meter, take direct light and ambient light readings throughout so I know what the value range for middle gray for key, and shadow areas are for the entire space. Pick an ISO value for the event. Set a center zero EV exposure value to shoot around usually working within a +/- 2 stop range, and shoot. Compose, focus, and change aperture and/or shutter speed on the fly with no need to even refer to a light meter again using visual judgement and Adams zone technique. Want shallow DOF, go open and up the shutter speed. Want deep DOF, stop down and reduce shutter speed. I know what the optimum exposure is for skin values anywhere in the room just by observation. All available light, no flash. I hate flash. A manual aperture ring, a shutter speed knob and manual focus is the fastest most efficient way to do this period. It was actually more difficult shooting film since there was not near the latitude for post adjustment that you have with modern raw digital cameras.

Some of us old farts are skilled enough not to need all the electronic crap.

Sometimes a single purpose tool that is perfectly optimized for one function is superior to a compromised multi-purpose device that does a mediocre job and is more difficult to use.
 
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