The Df Revival

[Thomas G]

A sturdier outer shell and less fragile control buttons are my premier wish for a Df2.  Ideally, a shell of titan would be a dream come true.

Agreed, or +1 in new internet language.
My panda is showing some heavy wear on the metal coated plastic parts.

Also an improved front wheel - it's not easy feasible in cold and wet conditions in the actual incarnation.

[RobOK]

My Nikon Df arrived back at noon today. It survived the journey intact, the box was undamaged and more importantly the camera is perfectly fine.

All the menus had been reset to factory defaults so I’ve spent awhile inputting my choices.

I'd be curious what you (or others) change in the menus. To be honest, I don't have mine written down so i don't know that I could recreate my current setup.

[John Geerts]

Agreed, or +1 in new internet language.
My panda is showing some heavy wear on the metal coated plastic parts.

Also an improved front wheel - it's not easy feasible in cold and wet conditions in the actual incarnation.

Oh yes. Titan version would be great.  My greatest annoyance is the lock on the ISO-wheel.  When looking through the viewfinder it's hard to change the ISO settings. But that's perhaps a very personal thing

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Personally I find the locks very nice. Nothing moves out of position unless you wish to. I rarely change ISO anyway.

Auto-ISO could help in the case you describe?

[John Geerts]

Oh yes. Most of the times, in daily action, Auto-ISO is the convenient way and that works pretty good. 

But with completely manual operation and a desired fixed shutter time and aperture (Especially with fixed aperture lenses) ISO is the key to the correct exposure. 

It's not a big thing, but I get annoyed removing my eye from the viewfinder to find the correct lock-button, as I  tend to switch it with the exposure-compensation lock  

[Jack Dahlgren]

I find the locks easy to deal with too. Put thumb on button, use first finger to rotate dial.

Mostly though I just set mode to M, set aperture and shutter speed where I want and let auto-ISO take up the slack. I do adjust exposure compensation frequently for different lighting when it is necessary.

[tommiejeep]

My only real complaints of the Df , and D750, are the focus point coverage and 1/4000.  Some minor gripes with the front wheel and no AF assist light.   I much prefer the Df sensor to the D750.  After using EM1 and a7rii for some time I really like the wide spread of focus points for composition.  Cannot afford a D5 but I am enjoying the D500 but do not need the speeds for the Df both in fps nor AF. I can easily live with the current sensor  but little chance of that.  I am in the wait and see mode.   I prefer the U1 and U2 to shooting banks.

[David H. Hartman]

I'd be curious what you (or others) change in the menus. To be honest, I don't have mine written down so i don't know that I could recreate my current setup.

You likely can save you settings to your memory card as I can with my D800 and D300s. These cameras have four custom settings and shooting settings banks. I have one for general photography, sports (less auto features, more buffer), video and timelaps. I use general about 85% of the time.

You can copy the *.bin file to your memory card and from there to you computer. When I format memory cards, about once in ten days, I copy the settings back. I write protect the *.bin file on the primary card so I don't accidentally over-writing it.

This is quite easy to do. I don't have to dive deeper than the first page of My Menu to switch between general and video.

I hope something here helps

Dave Hartman

[chambeshi]

This looks like an older article published in Japan early last year, but only picked up by Nikon Rumours 2 days ago

http://nikonrumors.com/2017/01/12/rumors-from-japanese-magazine-nikon-df2-to-be-based-on-the-d750-24mp-sensor.aspx/

[golunvolo]

I just tried the df for the first time. Only for a few frames with manual lenses 105mm f2.5 and 28mm f2 . I´m a child of this new era, started with a d200 so ergonomics and specially grip is something I don´t if I will get use to. I see there is a work around that. It is not the kind of camera best fitted for when I get paid... Even with all that, I enjoyed the experience a lot iq, specially in low light, is still excellent.

   ...and I like it 

  iso 3200 and 12800, manuel focus in dim light
 

[richardHaw]

 

[Kenneth Rich]

Yesterday was a horrid day, weatherize, in the town in BC where I live, and I spent a pleasant couple of hours reading the twenty pages comprising this thread.  I read  the posts that then comprised this thread more than two  years ago, AFTER I bought my Df body, and had read nothing about this camera other than the Nikon advertisement which promised to put the fun back into photography.  I knew, instinctively, this was the camera for me, as it seemed to me that the Df was the closest I'd ever get to a camera like my F2SB, and could use my collection of Nikon lenses as effortlessly as the old film camera body could. I saw no risk, no potential disappointment, an bought a black body after five minutes in the store;  I was an instant convert, and remain a Df lover.  Thank you, Nikon.

[Bill De Jager]

I'm now on the Df bandwagon.

When I originally heard it was coming out, I looked forward to it with great anticipation.  It'd be fun to use the old kind of control dials again, and especially to manually focus lenses via the viewfinder like I'd done for decades.  This camera wouldn't replace my more modern DSLRs, but would supplement them and give me some additional options.

However, reviews were mixed; the designers didn't do as good a job as they should of integrating new and old functions, and included a strange mix of consumer and pro features.  While I wanted the camera for its ability to manual focus with old lenses, I also wanted it to double as a handy AF camera so the AF module was a disappointment.  This camera seemed like a half-baked and flawed effort that might be much better in a second iteration.  Then there was the price.  I could not justify paying US $2750 for a camera that I'd (most likely) eagerly replace in 2-3 years.

So I waited.  Waited for a big sale.  Waited for the Df2 to come out. Waited to see if refurbished or used units would come down in price.  I waited for 4 years.  Meanwhile, it's now rather uncertain that there will ever be a Df2, especially given Nikon's difficult situation at present.  So I began to think that there was less value in waiting and that I really should take the plunge sooner rather than later.  Then last week, I found a used Df in excellent condition at B&H for just US $1450.  At that price and given my current attitude, I decided to go for it.

I've not really put the camera through its paces yet, but I've confirmed its great utility when used with manual focus lenses.  I suspect this is going to be one of my favorite cameras.   I still have to see how it handles with autofocus lenses, which it will be asked to do now and then.  The ergonomics could be better and might frustrate me if I shot all day, but should be no problem when the camera is used intermittently. 

I'm also looking forward to using the Df in low-light situations.  I wonder how it'll stack up against my D750?

Here it is with the Nikkor-H 85mm f/1.8:

Df with 85 by Bill de Jager, on Flickr

[Jack Dahlgren]

That lens looks right at home on it.

Maybe it is not the best camera for AF, but it is quite fun with manual lenses. I use a dk-17m magnifying eyepiece on it to help with fine manual focus. It can cause some vignette in the viewfinder corners,  it definitely make focusing even more precise.

[rosko]

Congrats for your purchase, Bill !

Your Df seems to be in very good condition.

Now, something I'd like to point out :

It'd be fun to use the old kind of control dials again, and especially to manually focus lenses

Do you mean ''non AI/Auto lenses'' when you say ''manual focus lenses'' ? as you can use manuel focus lenses with any Nikon body...
Anyway, I bought my Df because it offered this feature which also exists on the F4 and more old bodies (I own many non AI lenses which I didn't want to convert).

I love this 85mm f/1.8. I have the same, but with an AI kit I swopped  from a very worn one. Just a gem made of metal and glass...

Actually, Nikon was, with this concept, clever enough to push on the ''nostalgic side of baby boomers, and younger as well.

I am sure, you will enjoy it !