Nikon's stylish Df full
(Credit: Nikon)
Nikon's roots in photography dig deeper than most, so it's not surprising that when it finally decided to pop out a retro camera it went just a little further than everyone else. In this case it means not just the de rigueur two-tone silver-and-black body bristling with dials (though you can get it in basic black as well), but also full support for the company's pre-1977 non- AI (Automatic Maximum Aperture Indexing, in other words, automatic metering) lenses without fiddling.
One potential downside: the camera doesn't support video.
Given that, I've got mixed feelings about Nikon's sensor choice. The camera uses the sensor and Expeed 3 processor from the D4, which will be two years old in January. The advantage of that sensor is that you get about two usable stops of low-light performance over the newer ones. But for sharpness and tonal range, if you subscribe to DXO's methodology, the sensor isn't even as good as the D610's. The question becomes: are there more people who want to shoot in the dark than who want best-in-class photos in bright or dim light? I'm somewhat inclined to think that the OLPF-free sensor from the D800E is the better choice for this model. That sensor in this body would really tickle the fancy of the type of 'passionate photographer' Nikon wants to attract. And while the D4 sensor has more latitude, the D800E's is certainly no slouch in dim light.
In conjunction with the camera, Nikon will be reissuing its staple 50mm f1.8 lens to offer as part of a kit. While the lens has the same optical components as the current version, it's constructed of aluminum.
Here's a slice of the increasingly competitive full-frame field:
Canon EOS 6DNikon D610Nikon D800Nikon DfSony Alpha ILCE-7/7R Sony Alpha SLT-A99 Sensor effective resolution
20.2MP CMOS n/a 14-bit
24.3MP CMOS n/a 14-bit
36.3MP CMOS 14-bit
16.2MP CMOS 14-bit
24.3MP Exmor CMOS/ 36.4MP Exmor CMOS 14-bit
24.3MP Exmor CMOS n/a 14-bit
35.8 x 23.9mm
35.8 x 24mm
35.9 x 24mm
36 x 23.9mm
35.8 x 23.9mm
35.8 x 23.9mm
Focal-length multiplier
1.0x
1.0x
1.0x
1.0x
1.0x
1.0x
ISO range
ISO 100 - ISO 25600/ 102400 (exp)
ISO 50 (exp)/100 - ISO 6400/ 25600 (exp)
ISO 50 (exp)/100 - ISO 6400/ 25600 (exp)
ISO 50 (exp)/100 - ISO 12800/ 204800 (exp)
ISO 50 (exp)/ ISO 100 - ISO 25600
ISO 50 (exp)/ ISO 100 - ISO 51200/ ISO 102400 (exp, via multishot NR)
Burst shooting
4.5fps 15 raw/unlimited JPEG
5.5fps n/a
4fps n/a (5fps with battery grip)
5.5fps n/a
2.5fps (5fps with fixed exposure)/ 1.5fps (4fps with fixed focus) n/a
VF
Optical 100% coverage 0.70x
Optical 100% coverage 0.70x
OLED EVF 0.5-inch 2.4 million dots 100% coverage 0.71x
OLED EVF 0.5-inch 2.4 million dots 100% coverage 0.71x
AF
11-pt AF 1 center cross type
39-pt 9 cross type (Multi-CAM 4800FX)
51-pt 15 cross type; 11 cross type to f8
Hybrid AF system 25-area contrast AF;117-pt phase-detection/ 25-area contrast AF
-1 - 19 EV
-2 - 19 EV
-1 - 19 EV
0 - 20 EV
-1 - 18 EV
Best video
H.264 MOV 1080/30p/ 25p/24p; 720/60p/ 50p
H.264 MOV 1080/30p/ 25p/24p; 720/ 60p/50p/ 25p/24p all at 24, 12Mbps
H.264 QuickTime MOV 1080/30p/ 25p/24p; 720/60p/ 50p/25p/ 24p @ 24, 12, 8Mbps
None
AVCHD 1080/60p @ 28Mbps, 1080/60i/ 24p @ 24Mbps
AVCHD 1080/60p @ 28, 1080/24p @ 24Mbps, 1080/60i @ 17Mbps
LCD size
3 inches fixed 1.04 megadot
3.2 inches fixed 921,000 dots
3.2 inches 921,000 dots
3.2 inches fixed 921,000 dots
3 inches tilting 921,600 dots
3 inches articulated 921,600 dots
Wireless flash
No
Yes
Yes
n/a
No (No on-camera flash)
No
Battery life VF/ Live View (CIPA rating)
1,090/220 shots (1,800mAh)
900/n/a shots (1,900mAh)
900 shots (1,800mAh)
1,400 shots n/a
340 shots (1,080mAh)
410/500 shots (1,650mAh)
Mfr. price
$2,099 (body only)
$2,099.95 (body only)
$2,999.95 (body only)
$2,749.95 (body only)
$1,699.99 (body only)/ $2,299.99 (body only)
$2,799.99 (body only)
$2,899 (with 24-105mm lens)
$2,699 (with 24-85mm lens)
n/a
$2,799.95 (with 50mm f1.8 lens)
$1,999.99 (with 28-70mm lens)/ n/a
n/a
I'm predisposed to like the Df, as it's shiny with dials and a good full-frame sensor. Nikon certainly gets points for style, and I agree that a lot of folks won't miss the video. But I think that sensor will keep it from being a slam-dunk choice among photographers who've gravitated to similarly targeted models like the Fujifilm X100S. Sony's A7R lacks an optical viewfinder, doesn't excel for autofocus, and isn't as shiny, but in exchange it's a lot cheaper, significantly smaller, and produces stellar photos; the Nikon D610 is a lot cheaper with a lot more features and I assume (I haven't tested it yet, but it's pretty much the same as the D600) produces the same great photos. Yes, for the Df you can go on a binge with all the old Nikon lenses you can scoop up cheaply on eBay, but if you're that photogeeky then you know that these days you can mount almost any lens on any body with a little work.
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