Nikon DF first impressions

carguy

Senior Member
Damn, I thoght you already had your hands on one :)

Looks like we need a Df forum under 'Nikon DSLR Cameras'

Some of those comments in that link make my chuckle a bit. Ahh the anonymity of the internet :)
 

kiwi86

Senior Member
I'm a little disappointed.I was interested in the quality of images from ISO 6400-25600 (lowlight).
All the pictures I put on the same size 16,2 mpx and … clear winner is canon 5 D mark III.
Nikon D4s please.
 

gqtuazon

Gear Head
Damn, I thoght you already had your hands on one :)

Looks like we need a Df forum under 'Nikon DSLR Cameras'

Some of those comments in that link make my chuckle a bit. Ahh the anonymity of the internet :)

Df is on my watch list. It will be in my hands, eventually.


Sent from my iPhone.
 

gqtuazon

Gear Head
I'm a little disappointed.I was interested in the quality of images from ISO 6400-25600 (lowlight).
All the pictures I put on the same size 16,2 mpx and … clear winner is canon 5 D mark III.
Nikon D4s please.

So, which camera do you actually own? If you are expecting to see clean images at those ISO levels when pixel peeping, I think you are expecting too much.

I will be a believer once you show an image from a Canon camera that is recovered from shadow details at 100% view even at ISO 100 and DOES NOT show any banding. I can almost guarantee that you'll see plenty of banding.
 

kiwi86

Senior Member
I completely objective.Download images and compare at 100 zoom.
Look at the darker parts of the image (faces on the left).
I have both canon (my old 5D mark 1 and D60) and nikon (D800E).
 

gqtuazon

Gear Head
I completely objective.Download images and compare at 100 zoom.
Look at the darker parts of the image (faces on the left).
I have both canon (my old 5D mark 1 and D60) and nikon (D800E).

Without further going through useless argument, I do not agree with you but I respect your opinion. Everybody has their own opinion.


Sent from my iPhone.
 

Sambr

Senior Member
I'm a little disappointed.I was interested in the quality of images from ISO 6400-25600 (lowlight).
All the pictures I put on the same size 16,2 mpx and … clear winner is canon 5 D mark III.
Nikon D4s please.

I totally disagree - I get very good images from my D4 @ 12,800 through to 104,00 I shoot lots of early morning low light wildlife & indoor sports such as roller derby. You only wish you could own a D4
 

kiwi86

Senior Member
I work as a graphic designer. Every day I get a lot of pictures with all sorts of cameras. Well it is difficult to compare because of the very wide range of lighting conditions.
It is quite understandable that the images at high ISO cant achieve quality images at low ISO ​​and the good or controlled lighting conditions.
Therefore, we want such comparisons where we have the same lighting conditions.
In this way, everyone formulates its opinion
By the way my Nikon D800E is the best ;)
 

Brian

Senior Member
I've seen one graph that shows the DF with lower noise levels that the D4: the difference attributed to slower read out rates. That makes sense, higher clock produces more noise.

My local shop has the DF with lens in stock. If one is there when I stop by on Monday or Tuesday... Plus a D800e for work would be nice.
 

Brian

Senior Member
When checking a DF new in the box, make sure to put a battery into it. The one I checked out had the mirror partially up- and it came into the proper place with the battery inserted.

Focusing with the Vivitar 135/2.3 Series I was easy: bright finder and screen like using a Nikon FE2 with a B-2 screen installed. I have an E-2 in my FE2. I end up replacing the split-prism screens in my Nikon film cameras with B or E style screens, an occasional P screen or J screen.

The camera is light, was well balanced with the Vivitar 135/2.3 on it. That lens is about the same weight as the Nikkor 135/2. The Vivitar uses floating optics for close-range correction.

I'll be using the camera over the next week, will post some results. All that talk of waiting 6-months to a year.... I lied.
 

Brian

Senior Member
A quick test of manual focus, I've taken 11 shots with the camera using the 55/1.2. No problem focusing it. The camera is well-balanced with this lens on it.

I like this camera, first DSLR bought in 12 years.

This is with the 55/1.2 wide-open, ISO 12,800. Very dark, only lights on were the LED lights on the tree. Focus on "Herbie, Dentist, DDS".
 
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gqtuazon

Gear Head
A quick test of manual focus, I've taken 11 shots with the camera using the 55/1.2. No problem focusing it. The camera is well-balanced with this lens on it.

I like this camera, first DSLR bought in 12 years.

This is with the 55/1.2 wide-open, ISO 12,800. Very dark, only lights on were the LED lights on the tree. Focus on "Herbie, Dentist, DDS".

Thanks for the feedback Brian. Any feedback on the auto focus ?



Sent from my iPhone.
 

Brian

Senior Member
"It has autofocus?" I promise to try it out with my AF lenses. I have a first-series AF 50/1.4 that hunted like crazy on the N8008s and N70. It was better on the D1. Which is where it is now. The 50/1.8G is the only "modern", ie this century, AF lens that I own.

Another with the 55/1.2 wide-open, ISO 100. I'm getting a really good hit rate with the 55/1.2, "my opinion"- one of the more difficult lenses to use wide-open. It was very cold this morning, and I did not have any problems using the camera, setting dials, or accessing playback with gloves on.
 

Brian

Senior Member
Just some quick tests with the 50/1.8G and the first-generation AF-Nikkor 50/1.4: AF is fast and accurate, pixel peeping some typewritten pages and some objects in the room. The F1.8 lens is quite sharp, also just pixel peeping. The camera is better balanced hanging from the strap lugs with a Manual Focus lens on it. The 50/1.8- leans a little bit back as the lens is light, the 50/1.4 AF-Nikkor: heavier than the 1.8, but not as heavy as the MF lenses.
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
"It has autofocus?" I promise to try it out with my AF lenses. I have a first-series AF 50/1.4 that hunted like crazy on the N8008s and N70. It was better on the D1. Which is where it is now. The 50/1.8G is the only "modern", ie this century, AF lens that I own.

Another with the 55/1.2 wide-open, ISO 100. I'm getting a really good hit rate with the 55/1.2, "my opinion"- one of the more difficult lenses to use wide-open. It was very cold this morning, and I did not have any problems using the camera, setting dials, or accessing playback with gloves on.

I have to agree about the 55 1.2 being difficult to focus and will add that even when stopped down it has strange characteristics. I find the focus will change plane when it closes down. I've had to get a focusing screen for my D700 to use it properly and found that if I'm going to use it at 5.6 or 8 I have to check the focus with the diaphragm closed at the final aperture if I want the good result.

​The Df is just a tease for me right now. I'll check it out when it's in my local store.
 

gqtuazon

Gear Head
Interesting video from this guy. He sounds really excited. Some of the issues with the early adapters is that Adobe / Lightroom users do not have a NEF encoder available yet.

 

Brian

Senior Member
I have read online- have not tried it out, that some users changed the "DF" to a "D4" in the NEF file and all of a sudden Lightroom could process the file. I'll have to try this and report back.
 

Brian

Senior Member
I am really liking this camera. I used the 50/1.8 "G" that came with the, Autofocus is fast, accurate, and quiet. I also tried out the 50/1.4 AF-Nikkor with it, a bit louder than the "G"- but not as loud as an N8008s. Size- is what I'm used to with a Nikon film camera and a Leica Digital rangefinder. I bought the Df to mostly use with manual focus lenses.

Shown with the Nikon F3 (AF with a standard DP-3), and the MF-14. The half-case is the CF-23D. Lens on the F3 is a Nikkor-SC 50/1.4, factory AI converted with the HN-7 hood. The Leica M8 is in a Zhou half-case, and has the 50/1.5 Aspheric Nokton on it.

If I had put the Autofocus DX-1 on the F3AF, it would be much larger and uglier. The AF on the F3 is slow. The m8 is a 1.3x crop, but is physically the same size body as the M9 and M Monochrom.
 
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