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Best Nikon DF Review! By Fstoppers.

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#21
The point is that Nikon marketed a camera for "Pure Photography," and it appeals to people who know nothing about photography but like shiny stuff, whereas actual photographers seem to find it laughable, or at best visually appealing but an ergonomic disaster.

I can see a team of Nikon marketing execs sitting in a board room a couple of years ago plotting the Df, rubbing their hands together as they discuss the untapped market for a retro-styled D600, how Canon hasn't even thought of it, and how successful it will be. I wonder if that team has changed their dark suits and laptops for white jumpsuits and mops? ;)
 
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#25
Let's just see how long the retro-look lasts before quietly sliding off the current Nikon model inventory. Bonus points to the girl in the video at 11mins who wondered why he wasn't testing the Df by taking shots with it.

Anyone got a "Die hipster, die." t-shirt?

Disclaimer: That last comment is German for "The hipster, the". Cough cough, that should placate the lawyers...
 
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#26
tolusina said:
m said:
tolusina said:
BUT!!
I cannot find any such thing.
Click to expand...

"Type G and E lenses are not quipped with an aperture ring."
Click to expand...
Right.
So, where's the fake aperture ring claimed by f-stoppers dude?
I posted a pic above of a G lens, there's no aperture ring, real or fake.



.
Click to expand...

I think the "fake aperture" ring comment comes from the lens having the styling of an Ai-s lens with that silver band. But on this lens, it is just all styling!

It's crazy, if they kitted this camera with a metal 50mm Ai-s lens (I think they actually still make some), and some type of split screen (or at least peaking!) people would have gone nuts over this camera. In a good way!

That would have been "pure photography".
 
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#30
Albi86 said:
neuroanatomist said:
Albi86 said:
But I have to say, I'm surprised that so many people ACTUALLY liked it.
Click to expand...

Could be editing. Interview 100 people, 90 don't like it, the other 10 make it into the final cut. ;)
Click to expand...

There would be no point in doing so in a review meant to ridicule the camera ;)

I still think that Nikon didn't have a bad idea with a retro-looking camera, they just aimed at the wrong market segment.
Click to expand...

I agree, a good idea gone bad.
Retro looking is OK, but its grossly overpriced for one with so many crippled features. I'm surprised they put a rear LCD on it. I am thinking that the D4 was selling so poorly that it was a attempt to use up some of their overstock of sensors, they probably had to order a lot of them originally.

When that didn't work, they stuck a D4s on the D4, hoping that would fool buyers into going for it. Nikon's options are pretty limited, they are bleeding money and probably can't justify the investment to release a all new pro body, so they use gimmicks to boost sales.
 
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#32
I think the idea was good, the execution was rather poor. I agree, there is certainly a demand for retro-styled and simple-to-use cameras, even all-manual control. But this is a Frankenstein where Nikon seems to decide half-way to keep all the electronic controls anyway.
They could have taken a gamble and included only rotary controls for shutter speed, ISO, and a couple other things and made it lighter. They didn't have to look far- they could have made a cheaper, SLR version of the Leica and built it really, really well.
But they didn't. They tried to cover all bases. And I don't call that revolutionary. Just my opinion...
 
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#33
Most readers of CR have a functional and performance oriented view on photography. I think that explains the more or less unison reaction to this camera.

What this rather funny review shows is how the non-photography community reacts to the product. They like the look, it is different, it stands out etc. etc. they are not concerned with the impractical layout and disorganized buttons and dials. They would have it on "green" and leave it there, but look cool with an expensive and fairly high performance camera.

The price is somewhere between a Tag Heuer and a Rolex ... or an Armani suit with proper shoes ... ::)
 
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#34
I think it might be worth re-iterating, lest we end up in a future with no dials on our cameras, I actually love the premise of what they did with the Df. Adding more manual controls is really attractive to me, it's the main reason I keep tabs on Fuji.
The killer blow was the price. The Df at the same price as the D610 is an amazing piece of equipment. As a special edition camera for style junkies it's a joke.
 
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#36
There is clearly a demand a retro designed camera. Some people like there photography gear to look like stylish old school cameras. But they want many of the modern conveniences of a modern camera. I admittedly am one of them. I enjoy the act of taking photos. The feel of the camera as I manual focus and compose the image. As I see it the modern Canon cameras feel and look like soulless tools. They work with clinical precision. To me modern cameras like the D600 have all the ergonomics of a brick rapped in tin foil. And a button layout of a schizophrenic.

I like buttons, nobs, control dials and levers. I freakin hate touch screens on my camera. I am all for manual control. It sounds like I am in the DF target audience.

The problem with the DF is not one of concept. It is definitely one of execution. For the DF Nikon did not have constraint in mind. It is in you face with the rotary dials. Over the top with price. It also looks like you would spend more times playing with the dial then taking pictures. It looks like a complete mix of all the worst parts of digital and manual cameras combined.

In the most part what would work best is a new digital take on a classic design. Not a old school take on modern camera. By replace every modern feature with a manual control dial they created a fashion accessory instead of a camera. There is something to be said for ease of use and access to controls. But this thing like all of the newer Nikon's I have looked at is a fidgety camera. I am one to spend too much time fidgeting so I try to stay away form fidgety cameras.

I find more appeal in the OMD,Sony A7 Fuji cameras. I think Sony A7 would look sweet if they made a silver and black version.

I would likely buy a modern version of the Canon AE1 style camera. (It would need to have a updated shutter) But if Canon made a camera in this segment I wish they would make the effort to keep some of their modern elements and integrate them into a classic design.

But I think what I really do not like about the DF is that:
  • It is a Nikon
  • It has insane nob layout
  • It lacks clean sensible layout of manual controls
  • It has a insane price
  • it is a Nikon I am allergic to Nikon
 
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#37
Hi,
If Canon coming out a retro DSLR, hope they don't just only go for the look.

Anyway, I thought the Powershot G15/G16 already have the retro camera looks and are very usable ergonomics... may be Canon should just use the PowerShot G15/G16 design and make a interchangeable lens version... may be on the next EOS M.

Have a nice day.
 
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