Digital Nikon FM2

[Jorgen Udvang]

This comes close to the good looks of my favourite SLR, the FM3A (which I still own). It's a shame that it's so overweight, oversized and overpriced.

Ummm, the FM3A is 142.5 × 90 × 58 mm and 570g. The Df is 143.5 x 110 x 66.5mm and 765g. Not that oversized and overweight, particularly not if you add a few rolls of film to the FM3A. The $2,000 price difference will buy you 200 rolls of film and developing at best. I use film and enjoy it, but cheap, it isn't

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

But for those who don't want to shell out nearly $3,000 for a kitsch, retro styled Nikon, there's always this Stellar value, Limited Edition Hasselblad for just a fraction more at $3,175, zoom lens included!

 

[retow]

I like the dedicated iso dial. Other than that it reminds me of an overdone Disney Eiffel Tower or Vegas Roman Colosseum. Too hard a try on retro and never a match for the real thing.

 

[greypilgrim]

Never used an FM3 or an F3. Started out with an F and then an F2A. Loved the FM2.

Dunno, this look like a kludge to me. I guess I will have to try it out in a store at some point to see how it behaves. It certainly isn't screaming drop $3000 to me (which is probably a good thing).

Doug

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

The focusing screen is fixed according to dpr. That's a bummer

 

[monza]

Yes, the focusing screen is a big disappointment for manual focus with legacy glass. Bad Nikon!

 

[Oren Grad]

On the off chance that $2750 seems a bit pricey just to get that flippable coupling lever, this seems an opportune time to remind people that John White still does AI conversions at $35 a crack, so you can use those oh-so-precious pre-AI lenses on any Nikon DSLR. Better yet, the low-end Nikons without screw-drive AF will accept them even without AI conversion, though with those cameras you're on your own for metering and are stuck with the APS-C crop.

 

[fultonpics]

fixed screen? oh well, I don't care, i never figured out how to change it anyway. the camera looks too cool to pass up. think of all the people who will come up and ask where do you get film developed? i want a black one.

 

[bensonga]

Nikon isn't Leica so it makes more sense to design a camera that looks like a retro Nikon than like a new Leica.

Now, Nikon probably isn't that interested in selling old AIS lenses - they are mostly an embarrassment compared to current lenses (with a few exceptions of course).

I wasn't suggesting they make a retro Nikon that looks like a new Leica, but that they make a Nikon with the clean design of a Leica. A Nikon that is still a DSLR, which is of course, a market which Leica abandoned.

Re selling old AIS lenses....why is it that Zeiss and Leica can produce and sell high quality manual focus lenses, but Nikon thinks it can't?

I was hoping this new Nikon DSLR, devoted to "pure photography" and seemingly harking back to Nikon's roots (some might call it retro), would indeed be that camera...ie a camera without all the bells and whistles of every other Nikon DSLR (for those who want video, Nikon makes plenty of cameras to satisfy that need).

This would be a Nikon that excels at the use of manual focus lenses (including the limited range of AIS lenses which Nikon still sells, plus the manual focus lenses offered by Zeiss). Maybe Nikon could even offer a few of their best new AF lenses, in a manual focus version.

I'm sure there are a few others like me who would buy into it.

Gary

 

[Steen]

ought to be priced according to specs


The Nikon Df is basically a retro D610 with a D4 sensor at a D800 price

Imagine a similar retro D610 with a D610 sensor at a D610 price

 

[fotografz]

Are there any technical reasons you can think of why Nikon couldn't have made a digital F3 with controls as simple and uncluttered as a Leica M9?

Drop the video, put a great pentaprism on it and a decent screen for manual focusing. Keep it simple (or if they insist "pure"). They could have sold a lot of AIS Nikkors.

This DF is just a big disappointment.....especially to those who still enjoy "pure photography".

Gary

Well my friend, with the M9 you have to access frequently used stuff via the side menus buttons and do it on the LCD screen ... so the camera is hardly a Leica M6 or MP film camera in simplicity of use.

I kinda like all the controls as analog dials on this Df camera ... a bit much in silver, but it pulls together in black IMO.

If I had Nikon stuff, this would be a contender. I even like 16 meg full frame for goofing around type of shooting ... big photo-sites do have their charms.

- Marc

 

[rayyan]

I hope it sells well.

As a guess, the senior citizens ( inc. me ) might want ( need ? ) one.

The young huns..well, maybe to feel what it was like in grandpa's times.

On a pension, a bit pricey for me; but then again I can survive on dates and camel's milk...

Good luck Nikon.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

Re: ought to be priced according to specs

The Nikon Df is basically a retro D610 with a D4 sensor at a D800 price

Imagine a similar retro D610 with a D610 sensor at a D610 price

Unfortunately, I think you are right about the basis for the Df being the D610. That probably also explains why it's not possible to change the focusing screen. Time to change to a Katzeye screen on my D700 maybe?

 

[kipling]

This camera is a sad compromise. It's a real shame Nikon didn't have the courage to do something unique.
It's not simplistic, it's not truly retro, it's not beautiful, it's not groundbreaking, it's not smaller or sleeker than a normal DSLR…the only thing it really seems to be is expensive.

No guts, no glory.

 

[Hulyss Bowman]

Well... this is just a toy, not a tool.

Nikon gone hasselblad way lately. 3000 € !!!

If ppl want "pure photography" experience in digital world better way to jump on a SIGMA DPmerril. The prices have been cut by $200 on all the line last week (maybe they will come with something new soon ).

My D700 with his 12400 actuations stay in my eyes a far better tool than this bold DF marketing joke. He will stay my rugged companion until his mechanical death, with his killer AF module and good controls.

Using a difficult manual lens on the D700, like the 50f1.2, is very easy even with conventional screen.

Don't get me wrong, I love NIKON but I probably love what they were. The SONY A7 line look far more useful and fun to use.

For me this is the milestone were SIGMA took a better reputation than a brand like NIKON. At least they don't betray themselves. SIGMA = true Bushido Spirit !

 

[Stan ROX]

Don't get me wrong, I love NIKON but I probably love what they were. The SONY A7 line look far more useful and fun to use.

Hulyss,

I fully agree with you. When a colleague yesterday sent me the link to the new Df, I wasn't that excited.

Sure, it's nice, but where is the real innovation? The Fuji's did that three years ago, and I also fully agree with you that the A7 (esp. the A7R) ist definitely more appealling.

The only company that still denies that there is a retro-trend is Canon :ROTFL:
And even funier, there are still people that think that Canon will deliver a 48 MPix-monster soon :ROTFL::ROTFL::ROTFL:

 

[Vivek]

And even funier, there are still people that think that Canon will deliver a 48 MPix-monster soon :ROTFL::ROTFL::ROTFL:

They will and so will Nikon. Next year it will all be 40-50MP FF cameras.

 

[Amin]

The focusing screen is fixed according to dpr. That's a bummer

That is an inexplicable oversight on Nikon's part. The biggest appeal for this camera is for all manual use, and it's just not the same trying to manually focus AIS lenses without a split screen and microprism ring.

 

[Stan ROX]

They will and so will Nikon. Next year it will all be 40-50MP FF cameras.

You won't see such a camera from Canon. I bet. They have serious sensor problems.

Not that Nikon is all that error-free.

 

[Vivek]

A bet you will surely lose! :chug:

Several years ago Canon demonstrated a 256 MP (something like that) FF body and they have also shown the highest sensitivity sensored camera. The tech capabilities are already there. The hiccup is in commercialization of those. They will overcome (they have to) the problems.