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Digital Nikon FM2

Shashin

Well-known member
Just imagine if Kodak jumped on the retro fad. They could have brought back the digital Brownie. Personally this retro phase is disturbing. It is either because it is fashionable or the only market left for "serious" cameras is old guys. Neither is sustainable.

I loved my FM, but I don't want a digital version of it. I would prefer something better.
 
M

mjr

Guest
I have to agree Will, I don't understand the retro thing, want a FM, buy an FM and some film, technology moves us forward so embrace it! I want lasers please, if there's no lasers then I'm not interested.

Mat
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
This looks less interesting by the day. See what it really is but starting to have a bad feeling. I also hate I mean hate the wording pure photography. Someone please explain that one to me. There is nothing pur about it , it has and always will be on gear about the limitations of technology in a period of time.
 

jonoslack

Active member
Stop Press

Spotted in the wild today - Nikon DF tester having trouble with the wind-on lever . . .


having trouble with the concept of 'pure photography'





100% crop showing pentaprism and wind-on lever
 
V

Vivek

Guest
This looks less interesting by the day. See what it really is but starting to have a bad feeling. I also hate I mean hate the wording pure photography. Someone please explain that one to me. There is nothing pur about it , it has and always will be on gear about the limitations of technology in a period of time.
As Jono shows, only a brief period of time with it in the Scottish wilderness, that man turned into a young boy! :)

That magic comes from "pure photography". :ROTFL:
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Hmm Vivek - does that mean if I buy one I'll suddenly be 30 again?
Why not 25? :D

I already did find my "pure photography" in the current set up I have.

A 100% crop shows a stereo view of me with it. :)

 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Just imagine if Kodak jumped on the retro fad. They could have brought back the digital Brownie. Personally this retro phase is disturbing. It is either because it is fashionable or the only market left for "serious" cameras is old guys. Neither is sustainable.

I loved my FM, but I don't want a digital version of it. I would prefer something better.
I don't think Nikon has ever called it a digital FM. What is a fact is that:

- Many of the ergonomic features of "traditional" cameras worked very well, and sometimes better than on their modern, digital counterparts.
- Most "professional" digital cameras are huge compared to say an F3 and often a challenge to travel with or take for a hike in Scotland.
- Other categories of electronics have mostly developed into smaller but more powerful units. I'll leave comparisons between the Lumia 1020 and D800 to Ken Rockwell, but it is a paradox that a phone manufacturer can deliver a decent quality 41MP camera with Zeiss optics integrated with a 150g combined telephone and computer (soon with RAW support), while the Nikon weighs at least ten times as much after you mount a lens on it.

I don't really expect a digital FM from Nikon, but if they can deliver something around that size, and with a simple, mostly mechanical user interface with the D4 sensor and the ability to mount and meter with all Nikkor lenses, it would be a major improvement over anything Nikon has presented until now as far as DSLR bodies go.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
going to get this over the A7s
Totally agree, and even if I didn't have a bunch of F-mount lenses, there are so many of them available used for very reasonable prices. Native lens support beats using an adapter hands down every time. No worry about where infinity is, no stop-down metering, no adapters to remember (or forget). And if it really is the D4 sensor, that's the only argument I need. That's a really, really nice piece of silicon :)
 

NotXorc

New member
Shields Up – Sarcasm Alert!

Some definitions of pure from the New Oxford English Dictionary as they may apply to the yet-unannounced DF:

pure |pyo͝or|
adjective

• free of any contamination; not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material
translation – "We're moving past the D600 debacle."

• perfectly in tune and with a clear tone
translation – "Shutter sounds nice."

• dealing with abstract concepts and not practical application
translation – "Uh oh!!!"

• without any extraneous and unnecessary elements
translation – "No Nikon branding on neckstraps and pentaprism hump."

• of unmixed origin or descent
translation – "We didn't reuse any *cough* parts from another model."

• wholesome and untainted by immorality, esp. that of a sexual nature
translation – "Features an anti-nude picture control setting."
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
I like this "Pure Photography" slogan. It reminds me of something I imagine I had. I never did of course, but that's besides the point :)
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
Totally agree, and even if I didn't have a bunch of F-mount lenses, there are so many of them available used for very reasonable prices. Native lens support beats using an adapter hands down every time. No worry about where infinity is, no stop-down metering, no adapters to remember (or forget). And if it really is the D4 sensor, that's the only argument I need. That's a really, really nice piece of silicon :)
While I agree on everything, I cannot agree on the D4 sensor. The D4 sensor is already 2 year old design, why would Nikon choose to build this in digital terms "ancient" sensor into such a groundbreaking digital F like camera? Why not just use one of the latest designs with say 24MP? Or why not also come with a 24 and 36MP solution like Sony?

I think the really shaking news about that new digital F is that it very well might belong to the mirror less club - finally! And that also would create a totally new FF line of Nikon cameras - very well that could be also supporting the just so popular RETRO wave, which all manufacturers are jumping on.

Don't get me wrong, I also lust for a simple digital camera which is F3 size and allows usage of the arsenal of Nikkor F glass :D
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Because the D4 sensor is very, very good, it's the sensor of their top model, and it's a Nikon only sensor. I doubt that the target market for the DF is interested in more resolution than 16MP, and 24MP only gives 23% more linear size anyway. Those who need 36MP probably also feel that they need all the bells and whistles of the D800(E) which, if the rumours are correct, isn't much more xpensive anyway.

I'm only guessing of course, but judging from the 2 videos, I think I start to see where Nikon is aiming with this.

As for Sony, that's an electronic gadget manufacturer. Anything other than the maximum number of pixels would be unthinkable.
 

Jorgen Udvang

Subscriber Member
Jorgen,



Not in my experience. :)
I must admit that I've never hiked in Scotland, although it's still on my list of "Should do". What I do frequently is to get as much camera gear as possible in the carry-on bag with budget airlines. I haven't lost that discussion at check-in yet, but that's partly because I've started carrying m4/3 gear most of the time. It would be nice to be able to take a couple of FX bodies that don't eat up half the allowance.
 

bradhusick

Active member
From video #3, my guess of the camera size is no larger than 140mm wide by 90mm high. No idea on depth. Obviously this grab is missing the pentaprism housing (which I am including in my estimate.)

Tasty!
 
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