DP Review First Impressions of Nikon Df

Ratings

2 of 5 stars
What’s this?

Nikon’s new hotness is a full-frame digital camera styled in a flagrantly retro fashion. It looks fantastic, if you ask me, a welcome break from the Nike sneaker-esque styling of digital SLRs from the past decade-plus.

Nikon Df Front
Nikon Df Top

On the other hand, DP Review, in its first impressions of the camera, has some thoughtful comments about the practicality of this nostalgic sensibility.

“As far as I can see there are no unequivocally good reasons, either from an engineering or ergonomic point of view, for the Nikon Df to look like an over-sized [Nikon] F3… My worry about the Df is that Nikon might have gone too far backwards for the sake of cosmetic appeal, without really adding any practical benefit to the shooting experience… from a cold, hard practical point of view, I can’t shake the feeling that the Df is a little bit… silly.”

Read full DP Review piece here. There are also some good pictures at The Verge.

Jump to this link

+

3 Comments

  1. Steven Hoober

    So, I have to know if you post this just because you love the look, or due to some deeper desire for the format?

    I want something more like this for the old-fashioned control setup. I still wish I could twist (say) the shutter speed dial, and know that a click is a stop, and it will stay there. Sometimes, I even shoot in total darkness (yes, I have night vision adapters) where it’s impractical or stupid to look at an LCD, etc. to change settings.

    But the review gives credence to my worries: It’s a half measure. Too many digital-centric controls still. Too many fussy buttons. Not mechanical enough.

    I think a lot of machine-era design was very, very well thought out and the pace of innovation was spot on when they designed the F, or FM, FG, etc. Nothing wrong with that interaction to me, at all.

  2. Gabe

    Really cool, but it looks heavy. I couldn’t see a pro using one of these. They’re more concerned with speed and weight rather than the aesthetics of their gear.

  3. Dan Bretl

    I love the look of the Df, and I want one badly. I’ve been shooting with a D3 for many years now. I’m tired of the weight. (Gabe, there may be some valid criticisms of the Df, but one of them is certainly *not* its weight. It’s a very light camera body for its power.)

Thank you! Your remarks have been sent to Khoi.