The Df Revival

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I bought my Nikon Df with 50/1.8 the first weekend that it was available, bought from a local camera shop on "Small Business Saturday". I love it. Just perfect for me. Learned the Menu system enough to configure it the way I want the first week of owning, use dials and buttons after that. Menu gets used to Format cards and setup manual focus lenses.

Nikkor-O 35/2 Factory Ai'd, wide-open, 1/30th second, ISO 12,800.

Luray Caverns by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Black Bears in Caves at Midnight, in focus.


Festival of Lights by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

35/2 at F2.8, 1/40th, ISO 6400.

DSC_7738 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Nikkor 85/2 Ais, at F4.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

The arrival of the Df for me was the final push to have all my manual F-mount lenses modified with a CPU. I didn't want to fiddle with a control on front of the camera when I could work the natural way rotating an aperture collar on the lens.

I'm happy that the project now is completed. Never counted how many they are, but must be well above one hundred.

[null]

I'm happy that the project now is completed. Never counted how many they are, but must be well above one hundred.

I have found the right place to be. I have 80 lenses (15 Nikkors) in Leica mount, about the same in f-Mount.

[richardHaw]

Sorry if this question has been asked. Do you guys think that the focusing screen from the FM3A or F6 will fit the Df? Thanks

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I purchased an K-3 screen for my Df from www.focusingscreen.com. Apparently this is from FM3a, but they probably did some tweaking on it to make it fit. The screen works splendidly, by the way.

[richardHaw]

I purchased an K-3 screen for my Df from www.focusingscreen.com. Apparently this is from FM3a, but they probably did some tweaking on it to make it fit. The screen works splendidly, by the way.

Thank you for the confirmation. I wonder how different it would be

[Airy]

Any trouble with mounting and (heaven forbid) adjusting ?

I did that with my canon T90 back in the eighties, an easy job, but the screen was replaceable "by design".

On their catalogue, they have uniform matte "S type" (my preference, since I dislike the disturbance brought to the field view by the microprisms etc.). I'd even prefer matte with grid, but they do not seem to propose grids at all.

[Akira]

I don't see any sense to replace the default screen of Df with yet another matte?  I realize that Df with the default screen is noticeably more comfortable to focus manually even with Ais 50/1.2 than D750.  And you can use the on-screen grid.  Is the replacement coarser than the original?

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I handed the camera over to my Nikon contacts at the national repair facility and they fixed the installation while I had a nice cup of coffee.

There are advantages and drawbacks to a split-image finder, like with any other screen. As I have used similar screens frequently in the older days of the film era, the split image didn't disturb me at all. It certainly helps me acquire pin-point focus with a wide range of lenses in poor light. The K-3 has a collar of microprisms surrounding the central split image and these microprisms assist focusing as well.

Asking price for the modified K-3 was not too bad and the added benefits are more than worth the price I paid. The supplier shipped the modified K-3 rapidly as well.

The K-3 overall is slightly coarser than the stock screen, but not dramatically different. It is just even more precise when one wants to focus bright lenses.

[abergon]

I have also replaced the focusing screen of my Df with a K-3 from focusingscreen.com. I have found them reliable, with a fast delivery. I initially intended to replace the  screen myself, based on my experience with Canon bodies (EoS 1V and 6D), but I found it much more difficult. Before breaking something I went to a small photo repair shop in Paris who services my film cameras, and they were happy to do it for a small fee.

As regards usage, I prefer to use manual focus anyway, so a split-screen really makes a difference to me.

[richardHaw]

I am contemplating on the FM3A or F6 screens
I want the K!!!

[richardHaw]

currently having a gout attack, if i can manage to walk to the camera shop later, I will get myself an FM3A screen and see what I can do to make it fit.


By the way, was contemplating to DIY something like this but found out that the person selling this is a bar buddy. Might get one

[chris dees]

.......
I didn't want to fiddle with a control on front of the camera when I could work the natural way rotating an aperture collar on the lens.
......

Last weekend I used my Df with an AF-lens and it took me some time to figure out how to adjust the aperture. One get used to it quite easily.

[richardHaw]

Success

Sort off...

[BW]

Any trouble with mounting and (heaven forbid) adjusting ?

No problem. I did it. If I can do it everyone can. Thats a fact!