The Fstoppers Nikon DF Camera Hipster Review

About two months ago, I posted a highly controversial post called The Nikon Df Represents Everything Wrong With Photography. Even though I completely stand behind my original article, I began to wonder if I had not given Nikon's newest DSLR offering a fair chance. Today I decided to take the Nikon Df out into the real world and not only test it's photographic capabilities, but also hear what normal people had to say about it.

I'm going to let me video speak for itself, but I did find the Nikon Df camera to have some strengths and weaknesses. In no particular order, here are some of the pros and cons after playing with the camera for a few days.

Pros:
Overall Styling: This is the most noticeable change and definitely the most controversial aspect of this camera. I however do really love the way this camera looks aesthetically.
The Sensor: It's a Nikon D4 sensor for half the price of the real thing. The image quality is amazing, but not necessarily better than the D800 once you convert the D800's 36 megapixels down to same 16 megapixels found in the D4.

Cons:
No Video: I know some photographers don't care about video but it does not cost any extra to include it. If this camera was truly a vacationer's dream, then video should be an important feature to include.
Confusing Buttons: As noted in the video, sometimes exposure controls are associated with the retro knobs and other times they are associated with standard rotating "digital" knobs. But what really makes little sense is when aperture and shutter control is mixed with both button varieties. It's way more confusing than any film or digital camera Nikon has ever put out.
New Battery: Yep this takes yet another battery. The En-EL14a is smaller which is nice but not at the expense of having to buy another battery when I have already invested heavily in the universal EN-EL15.
Slow Focus: While the Df has the same Nikon D4 sensor, it definitely does not have the same lightening fast focusing. I guess if you really wanted to "slow down" your photo taking experience then you'd just manually focus but from my field test the focusing seemed slower at times than the Nikon D600 or D7000 I used to own.

Camera Size: This may or may not be a negative thing for the average user but I assumed this was going to be a small pocket sized camera that I could easily travel with. It's not. It's basically the same size as the D600 but it doesn't have the full hand grip on the side so it's incredibly uncomfortable for me to hold. If you have small hands you may like it though. 

The Retro Look: The thing that has been overlooked so far is that there are no retro styled lenses out for this camera. Sure it comes with the retro 50mm 1.8 lens, but the second you replace that lens with a newer Nikon 24-70, 70-200, or any other G lens, the whole system looks rather strange and out of place. Maybe Nikon really only ever envisioned Df users using the 50mm or older non AI and non AF lenses, but I'm sure most any real traveling photographer is going to want a wider lens and probably some sort of small telephoto. Once you place one of those lenses on this camera, the whole illusion of the retro look is completely removed.

 

Conclusion

As expected the Nikon Df takes great pictures, but honestly, all new DSLRs these days do. The camera has an appealing look that the average person, and I, really do like. If this camera was less than $1000 and was smaller I think it would be a massive success for amateurs and pros alike but it's 3 grand. For 3 grand you can get the highest rated DSLR of all time, the D800. If you were only going to own 1 camera, I'd have to recommend the D800.

I think the Nikon Df camera is going to find its way into the homes of wealthy photographers who have a collection of gear, old and new. The Df is a very good camera, it's just a little too slow, and a bit too uncomfortable for it to be considered a standard "pro" camera. That doesn't mean you can't take professional images with it. It simply means that I don't think droves of professionals will be throwing their D800s and D4s out anytime soon to make the Df their main camera.

I will end this post with a quote from my previous, extremely controversial post because I still stand by what I said:

"I’m honestly really excited that Nikon is doing something “different” but at the same time I would hate to see this camera, which I believe in many ways is a massive step backwards, become the best selling “pro” camera simply because it looks cool. We buy things every day because of the way they make us feel and that’s fine. I believe this camera will bring a lot of people a lot of joy. I just don’t want you to forget that we are supposed to enjoy photography, and not just being fashionable photographers."

As I said at the end of the video; if you're a pro or trying to go pro you may want to check out our photography workshop in the Bahamas. Check out this link for a contest to win a free trip.
 
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Lee Morris's picture

Lee Morris is a professional photographer based in Charleston SC, and is the co-owner of Fstoppers.com

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210 Comments
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Funniest review in a long time. Great job... I laughed my ass off. :) Well played...

Fantastic! Me? The camera I want to use each and every time is the one that takes the best photos. Period. I don't care if it's made out of gold or if it looks like a cardboard box...as long as it takes the best photos, that's the one I want. I agree with you 100% on Nikon's move with the DF: Just one more way to market mediocrity and still make money.

i enjoyed this, thanks for the laughs

Best review ever Lee, thanks!

Hahaha. This made me laugh so much! Thank you for this!

hehe thats a great vid )

by far the best camera review i've ever watched!

So entertaining! More videos please!

love this video.

Now, that's a cool review!

Amazing as usual! Great job Lee and the Fstoppers crew! This has to get some kind of award.. maybe a webby! Now let's talk about winning that workshop Bahamas trip..

Loved it. Best honest entertaining review I've seen.

Why don't you get a mere fact about it not having VIDEO its not designed nor was the thought to make it a Video ability Camera. Your so hooked on that and can't get over that fact. By not having it allows for that Smaller Battery with more Life to it. Did you shoot Super 8 with a FM? No why because it was not meant to be.

Majority of shooters do not touch or even seriously use Video cause they don't edit or even want to get into it but its a handy thing at times its not gonna work like a Dedicated Video Camera is and wish so many would get over that.

Confusing Buttons omg you never shot Film you dont understand the Buttons, Guess you don't need to also use a Fuji Finepix X series or a Lecia. I can look right at the buttons and get it and what they do and how to use them.

The Focus speed seriously if your a spray and prey Photographer no its not meant to be that. It's not designed for a Sports or Action Photographer. How ever many have no issue with it and I'm sure a Firmware is gonna fix that as many have done.

No retro styled lenses for that again if were the spoiled AUTO FOCUS world then yes your right but that would mean NIkon would have to then come out with a 2nd line and there's No Need. I know tons of Photographers who use Manual Glass many they have to get Modified to use them and very few were AI. So you can get a ton of real Retro Manual Glass that's made superior to todays plastics standards next to nothing.

Also Nikon is not the only one who went to the Retro Camera but they are the first that got it right in many aspects. Also harping on Mega Pixels seriously your saying a D4 with 16 is not enough MP, nor is a Canon 1Dx which also shares that 16mp.

Yeah if your spoiled and drawn to the D800 or others then your not the target Nikon was even trying to win. Many photographers have been wanting that Feel and Look of the FM and other earlier Nikons with today's technology minus bloat they dont need or want and to be able to use the glass they invested in they Nailed it.

Moose Peterson a serious name everyone knows loves it. Joe McNally loves it and uses it as well. Moose Peterson uses it as his go to Camera now. So I'm sure if people listened to both Joe and Mooses stories they might get it. Surely these 2 guys are renowned enough names to clear up doubts. You can though throw in Bob Krist as well for another name and I'm sure these 3 are when people look at the stuff shot by them with it and read their articles or watch their video reviews then people will take it more seriously.

Rocco Ancora did a wonderful story on it and an amazing Photographer. John Defiora did another amazing write up and photo session with taken with the Df.

If Nikon sold you on a D800 and they did a Df is not your Camera that simple it wasn't meant to hit the same people. Yeah there is 2 tweaks id love to see and Im sold on it and love everything about it from a Straight Photographers stance. A second Memory Card and a Grip which they can make a updated one with a Grip to add 2nd Battery and 2nd Memory Card in it as well since using SDHC it would be even more perfect.

There is many Top Names out there who like it and Use it and many of us are not the Photographers they are or making a great living at it like they do. So it's easy to be a skeptic and not of truly looked.

My Suggestion google some names watch the videos on youtube and read first hand by some serious Pro's who will kick that Amateur or Hobby shooter thought out of the park. It's pro stuff my friend and once a few firmwares tackles some small issues its only to make it better.

Am I the only one that finds it interesting that you say "it wasn't meant to hit the same people" yet then a few sentences later say we need to google other photographers so we can take up their same position? I personally know a lot of the photographers you mentioned and very few of them would ever give a negative review of any camera. That's not a good or bad thing but many of them are sponsored...just something to think about

My favorite part of the video... "But you don't want to use the camera?" "No"

The aviators girl at 11:00
"But aren't you reviewing the cameras?"
"Yeah, yeah. That's why we took two pictures of you holding them"
"But don't you want to use the cameras?"
*pause*
"No."

Gold.

Agreed, That is the highlight and pinnacle of the review!
Just hilarious!

The best review I have ever seen EVER.

I've been visiting this site a few times daily for a LONG time. Never once left a comment. But this video right here... Amazing. Content like this would definitely make this a more dynamic place. Bravo!! Awesome, awesome, awesome!!

We need more videos like this! Great job Lee - utterly brilliant!

Great review that shows how ruined is the art of photography. People with cameras vs serious artists.

Funniest thing I've seen in a long time. Bravo Lee!

A Great proof about how aesthetics often is more important than functionality! A concept a photographer should be familiar with!
Unfunny!
I want my 19:12 back!

"Cons:No Video: I know some photographers don’t care about video but it does not cost any extra to include it. If this camera was truly a vacationer’s dream, then video should be an important feature to include."

as a software engineer, I take offense to that XD hours of labour go into programming and testing features such as video and people just pass it off as something that can be "implemented for free". Its like how you feel when people are JUST paying you to take pictures and post processing is free.

What percentage of the time goes into the programming vs. the hardware? And nobody is asking for free, this is already a $3000 overpriced camera. If a D3200 has video, then so should this.

95% of my time is software... 5% hardware... building software is much more time consuming than designing hardware. And in the article he said, and i quote " but it does not cost any extra to include it" implying that its as simple as copy and pasting code, which is not always the case

You maybe correct in that it isn't a copy and paste job, but it could be....from my perspective I just don't know. What I do know is the D4, D800, D610, and every other camera model does included it. It just seems strange to not include it for some reason. I'd have to believe that if Nikon is paying their engineers so many 100s of hours to get the video feature to work, in the end, that cost is negligible compared to the profits made on the camera. So in essence the engineering is free from a cost of development vs profit margin perspective.

I think what he meant was that since they're pretty much putting existing camera parts into a new body, there are no associated costs for developing a NEW video feature. The sensor comes from the D4 which already has video capabilities so it really isn't saving them any money when it already CAN do video.

Love the wardrobe. Get 'em Mr. Hipster!

hahaha good one Lee.... Good one!

haha this is my favourite video you have made to date!

Where's the Nut Room?!

Damn it Lee. Turn off your damn blinker!

Very well made and fun video! And it does show that for "normal" people (who could be said to be more objective because they are unaware of the camera world trends) the Df looks both better and more modern.

Agree that for some the Df is probably confusing. The Df is for those of us who used Nikon classic cameras and still use them because the options for real dials are so few.

Note to Lee Morris: the Df control layout comes pretty much straight from the legendary F4. The F4 was also a "fusion" camera as it was the bridge from the classical layout on the F3 to the layout of the F5. Control wheels have nothing to do with digital. Back in the film days it was much more accepted to want real dials. We were a minority but nobody questioned me for buying a FM2 instead of an F100. They were just optimal for different things. On the F4 it was possible to make the same "mistakes" as on the Df yet that camera was always celebrated as having one of the best ergonomics of all time.

To anyone who thinks the Df layout is some kind of new mistake – it's really not. Check the F3, F4 and F5. Especially the F4. The chief designer for the Df has been on the design team since the early 80's. The Df is for those few of us who have used these classic cameras, love them and wish we could have back the control layout we prefer.
thanks to fstoppers for using great humour to bring everyone together. Nothing sorts out chasms and bad blood as a good bit of laughter and self distance. Cheers!

I'm looking at the F4 camera now and while I do see the top "classic" knobs, it doesn't have the forward and backwards "new digital" knobs. I think this is the issue we were having....you have two knobs for the exact same function and depending on how you have your camera set, sometimes only one set works, sometimes the other set, and other times both work in conjunction. It can easily be confusing where as the F4 looks as straightforward as possible.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. You have two sets of controls. Either you can use the wheels or you can use the dial and aperture ring or a combination depending on what you prefer. What is unclear to you?

One mistake which is possible, also with the F4, is to set the camera in Aperture priority while the shutter dial may still show for example "1/125" although the shutter time might actually be something different since the shutter is automatic in "A" and "P" modes. I agree that the Fujifilm solution is far more elegant, a design that was possible since they started from clean slate, I don't think the F4 layout is problematic at all. Nobody ever complained about this with the F4. If you shoot in A a lot just set the shutter to the "1/3 step" indicating electronic control.

I am always in Manual, always, so for me personally it's not a problem. My perfect Df? No autofocus, no control wheels, no grip, no P or S mode only and A on the shutter. But hey, we can't have everything exactly like we want it and I think the Df is fantastic and unique camera.

Another Nikon FX choice, this time with the popular ‘retro’ look… but I
have to agree: expensive and probably for the category ‘want to have’
rather than ‘need to have’!

that was amazing, hilarious! thank you!

This was awesome!

The df sure looks nice, but the layout of the buttons does seem to suck. When I want to slow down, I'll just put a film in something real vintage. The digital needs to be fast!

Why does digital "need" to be fast?

I very much agree, Lee. I just toured the American Southwest for 10 days with the Df and the Nikon D5300 in my bag, among other cameras. I really really really wish that in addition to the Df, Nikon makes a DX version that has the 24 MP, AA-filter-less D5300 sensor. That would be the absolute ultimate adventure / landscape camera.

I'll be creating my own final review of the Df, and it will definitely highlight the same conclusions that you have drawn here.

=Matt=

PS: I suspect that the Df has some sort of "hipsterizing effect" on anyone who touches it. I grew a beard for the first time in my life while using the Df. Coincidence? I think not!!!

As a fan of growing beards in the winter (and honestly being too lazy to shave), I want to make it known that having a beard doesn't make you a hipster. It's the whole outfit and outlook on life that does :)

Fair enough, but nonetheless during my trip I was pestered by all my adventure team mates whenever I got out the "hiptstercam". I didn't mind...

Okay, Lee,
You lost your cred with a review like that. Okay, it was a parody, but going "hipster" on us? Even "Instgramming" portions of the video. But thank you for educating me on what a hipster is. I do not consider myself a hipster just because I still use a film camera; it's because my Canon A-1 still works after 33 years and I've had trouble finding and rationalizing the cost of buying a DSLR.
I've read Moose Peterson's blog posts on the Nikon Df and he loves it. But in your video, you mention that in certain modes, the manual buttons don't work as they should. Plus the aperture ring on the Nikon 50 f1.8 is decoration.
Will you or Moose convince me to buy a Nikon Df? Nah. If I wanted to go retro, I'd shoot film. I don't buy cameras as a fashion statement. I buy cameras for functionality and that's why I bought my Canon A-1 in 1980 or 1981. Back then, the A-1 was state of the art.
Okay, the chrome on the Df looks cool, but if I wanted a chrome camera, I'd shoot with the Canon AE-1. All my Canon cameras are black: A-1, F-1N (bought used July 2013), T-50 (gift March 2013), and EOS 5D Mk III (Christmas gift from wife). Yea, a 5D, when I thought a 7D was more in the budget. The 5D has more controls than the A-1, F-1N, and T-50 combined. But my EF 24-105 F4L lens doesn't have an aperture ring like my Canon FD lenses do.
PS:
Fstoppers won't lose me as a reader.

A DSLR will pay for itself if you take very many photos. You see the photos you take with a digital camera are FREE! What does a 36 exposure roll with processing cost nowadays, 10 to 12 dollars? So for the cost of less than 100 rolls (360 photos) you can buy a DSLR with one lens. You can also store multiple copies on an external storage device for insurance against loss and also share them via the internet. And if you're into enhancing RAW files via post processing software you will have even more fun. Remember, you can change ISO from picture to picture instead of changing film. And digital ISO capabilities far exceed film ISO capabilities. There are so many reasons to go digital. I promise you will wish you had done it years ago!

If you never shot film, then I'll understand why you make these comments. I know technically "film is dead", but film is a medium, with it's own look. Inasmuch as I shoot digital, I still shoot film for how it looks. It's like painting with oils, or watercolor. Each has their own look, yet both require a brush to paint with. So it is with film. There's no such thing as "film versus digital", there's only film, and then there's digital.

Oh, I've shot a lot of SLR film, going all the way back to 1968, including transparency and B&W. I still have everyone of my half dozen or so film SLRs. I've been digitizing my favorite transparencies with the Nikon scanner. I finally got into digital in 2010. I haven't missed film one bit. I enjoy using Lightroom so much I don't think I'll ever be returning to film. I have to wonder how much longer 35mm film will continue to be available. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Yes, unfortunately, unlike other mediums, this one seems destine to be destroyed by economics.

+1

19 minutes well spent. All fstoppers reviews should be done by Hipster Lee from now on.

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