What ever happened to loving a camera for the camera? Why does everything we buy have to fill a utilitarian hole? What happened to a love for the craft and as much as for the tool? There has been a lot of chatter around the Nikon Df and if we as photographers need it. It's gone so far as to suggest that it represents all that is wrong with photography these days. I want to argue the opposite. I want to argue it represents what many of us have lost as photographers: joy in the craft.
The theme of Lee's article of distaste stemmed from the question of use and features and business growth. I don't think that's what Nikon envisioned with this camera. Watch those Df teaser videos again. You'll notice the man isn't in a studio. He isn't at a wedding. He isn't posing a model or a couple. He is wandering a beautiful space and capturing moments that mean something to him. This is not accidental. Nikon knows what they want this camera to do and did their best to express that in short videos.
This is a walk about camera for camera and photography lovers. It bears a design that is reminiscent of what many of us shot our first images on. It reminds us why we started shooting to begin with and pushes us to find that part ourselves again.
I might shoot with my iPhone a lot, but that doesn't mean the photographer in me shuts off. I look at the pictures and still find myself wishing for better dynamic range or a higher quality image. I can't help it. This is also the case in the cameras Olympus, Samsung, Sony and others make (with the exception of the new Sony full frame which I have not yet shot on). The Df won't have that problem. I can shoot what I like shooting, shooting for myself and not a client, and also love the image quality. I rarely shoot video on my iPhone, so it's a feature I won't miss in a walk-about camera. I don't know how to shut off the video man in me, and I won't be shooting without the right gear, which I sure as heck won't be toting around Scotland when I'm walking around with my Df.
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"Ask any photographer their earliest memory of photography, every one of them will have a different yet impactful story. In all of our careers, there is a moment, not the one that deals with being a professional photographer, but one far more simplistic. It is the moment when we fall in love with photography.
"Like any relationship, photography is a journey. There will be times when we struggle through the feelings that we have lost our creative visions. However, there is balance in times that we feel the clarity from producing imagery that matches your mind’s eye."
-Blair Bunting on the Nikon Df
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This isn't a camera to grow your business. This isn't your second or third wedding body. This isn't your do-it-all camera. This is the "grow yourself" camera. This is a gift to yourself for a job well done. This is a camera to remind you why you are a photographer.
I may love the 5D MKIII or my 70D, but I love them in a "gets it done" kind of way. I would enjoy the Df in an "inspires me to love my craft again" sort of way.
Those of you hating the price for lack of features, quit looking at this camera from the perspective that it needs to be something it was never intended to be. Try and look at it as the answer to a problem you long forgot ever existed. Look for it to be the partner for when you need to get away, the camera that can be there as a physical reminder of why you picked up a camera in the first place.
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"I see plenty of people complaining about the lack of video, the high price tag, the fact that it isn't designed like a normal, modern DSLR. I think this camera is not for you. It's not meant to be a second body for weddings. It's not designed to shoot corporate videos with your slider. This, is a pleasure camera.
"A 5D or D800 with big proper lenses is a bit like a pick-up truck or a van. Great for work, but not so nice to go for a spin on the weekend. This camera is a Porsche. I want a Porsche. I want it to look good. I want it to be a bit different than my Monday-Friday camera.
"This camera isn't for everyone. It wasn't designed for everyone. I see a lot of comments that are similar to people who hate Apple for making beautiful things that cost more than ugly things. You can drive your Pontiac Aztek, I'll pay a bit more for an Audi."
-Comment from ParisShooter on Fstoppers
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Love the tool as much as the craft, and you might find yourself a much happier person. It sucks when a love becomes work. It can be hard to go back on the studio or with your eyes glued to a monitor for hours on end, editing. The Nikon Df wants you to be able to get away from that for a while without giving up the love for taking pictures.
That's what it aspires to, and whether it actually succeeds at that aspiration is eventually up to you, the purchaser. But the price point tells you this isn't a general consumer camera. It's not meant to be a "hipster" body or go against popular vintage looking Fuji or Olympus bodies. It's a different animal entirely.
I expect to catch quite a bit of flak for this opinion, and that's ok. Much like the Df, I stand for something whether or not it's fully understood by everyone. What actually matters is that these opinions and my purpose matter to me. In the end, isn't that what is important to all of us?
That was exactly what I was thinking. In all reality, the Df isn't that different from most DSLRs. A medium format system would change up the workflow so much more.
Unfortunately there are no more quality medium format scanners (don't try to mention the Plustek please). Film is fun but sharing your images involves digitizing them.
Also the spec sheets suggests that this is a very VERY competent camera that a pro photographer can also take to work. So it's actually a mixture of work and pleasure!
The question is, does it really have to be the overpriced Df? There are plenty of other cameras out there which can be your vacation camera. Much lighter and smaller as well for those trip vacations.
Time to switch over to the dark side fstoppers
still and idiotic camera for ... well.....
are you 14?
What you appear to be arguing in theory seems to be what many photographers are actually experiencing with the Fuji X-Series. Look at how they are described by the big names like Hobby & Arias as well as the everyday users and it is all about rediscovering the joy of photography in a body which doesn't seem to make sense from a commercial standpoint on the surface (although some have found that they do work) but the way the camera works, and yes - looks, paired with the image quality bring back a certain tactile joy of just using a camera for fun. I'd say that is very much the market Nikon seem to be going for with this.
Nice article. There's been so much whining in the forums about the Df, and it's fine to not like the camera, but I'm astounded by how many people don't "get" it. I feel like saying "are you a photographer or just a photo technician?" I mean, why do people buy Leicas? Why do people buy Ferraris or even BMWs over a Kia? It's because for some people, cameras, like cars, are not just for getting from A to B.
I agree with the article but I think the conditions for an accurate interpretation of a lot of distaste for the system is compared to the companies customer base and it's lack of integrating in the smart consumer.
With the announcement of competitive camera just a few weeks ago, with essentially more power and options at a cheaper cost, allows us to believe that Nikon does not think one will simply switch over on their new line at a compared rate of move from the standard model.
The Educated Consumer-
When a company pulls features, the expectations of the consumer feels that a compared pricing pull should also follow. A good example of this was when netflix lost 85% market share after the announcement of shifting services. By allowing a feature pull and a cost greater than next competitor the educated consumer and loyalist feel ripped off lead to believe there is a lack of respect toward them.
I'm sure there are people who would buy this just for the style as most gear heads do. As the article above states this camera is to serve a purpose for outdoor street photos with the feel of the old camera we all know and love and not to be anyones flagship pro camera. I couldn't agree more and that's why this camera will most likely fail. When switching from pro to purpose the main consumer now has more freedom from separation. If your not going to carry all your gear and lenses around then one is presented with the option of switching gear for a more optimal approach to suit their needs.
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In my opinion I would tell everyone not to buy any of these cool mirrorless cameras for another 6 months to a year until all the competition and options are out. If they like this camera and feel the need I'm sure by summer it will hundreds of dollars less to compete with the others.
Ok, so remind me why this is so awesome or what ground breaking path this camera has paved? After moving to the Fuji systems, I find this a step in the right direction, but not a whole new direction in itself.
I own both the Fuji X100s (for sheer joy of photography and super duper handy) and the X-E1 (with a few lenses for some serious work).
The Nikon DF to me seems like the extremely expensive brother to an X-Pro1 or (to be fair as it has a full frame sensor) the Sony A7 (or A7r). Frankly, this doesn't super excite me after holding and using a fairly retro Fuji system.
If I had the money (or 10 times the money), sure I'd try this out.. but for the time being, my Fuji(s) do the job just fine, while still bringing a lot of joy into the game of photography.
When I first read Lee Morris' post, I realized that people like him are what wrong with photography, not the Nikon Df.
Then I read this post, I realize that this is silly as well. The camera is equipped with a flagship D4 sensor and more focus point than you ever need, and the dials are brilliant and faster than menus or nikon's two buttons approach to change settings.
Tell me why we can't have a tool we love and have passion for to grow our business? This doesn't have to be a vacation camera, or a passion camera, this can be your work camera. You can have passion during work you know? If you can do that, your work will get better.
It's a Hyundai with a Ferrari body kit selling at Ferrari prices. Nikon is selling you the fluff. If you want to get nostalgic about photography and craft, get a manual slr for a fraction of the price of this and shoot film.
They're just tools, use what you like. But, I'm not going to let someone repackage my youth and resell it to me at a premium price.
Besides, my love of image making was never tied to any particular tools. It came from the process of making images.
Yay! Finally someone who thinks like me. I am sooo tired of reading "it will make photography fun again" comments. When I hear that, I hear "I actually don't like my job"
I understand when people get burnt out though and don't like their job anymore. It happens, especially in the hustle to keep the lights on and you end up doing jobs just for the cash.
Sometimes, the only thing that makes photography fun again is walking away from it for a while.
Couldn't agree with you more!
It is not a Hyundai with a Ferrari body selling at Ferrari prices. Get your facts straight before you post next time.
It's a largely re-wrapped D4. That is one HELL of a Hyundai! And if the wrapping is a Ferrari then it's a re-styled vintage GTO 250 and not an Enzo.
The D4 might be a good camera, but really, is it worth over twice the cost of a D600 body.
Don't get me wrong, I was really interested in this camera, but the innards do not excite me at all.
You're also missing the point that there's a whole legion of photographers out there like myself who do shoot a lot of film on much smaller, lighter, vintage cameras. But when it comes to digital if you want to shoot the equivalent frame size you're left will the oversized bulk and weight of the Canon 5D Mark IIIs of the world. Photographers that want a small everyday carry type of camera look to the Sony A7r, Nikon Df, or Leica M if you can afford it. Size MATTERS! And in this case the smaller the better in my opinion. This is a very positive step forward from Nikon.
Buy a Nikon D600 then and save yourself about $1500.
The way I understand it you're getting the guts of a D4 for half the price but lose a few features like video. I'm sure someone will write a memory card hack too. I personally pre-ordered the Sony A7r. The Nikon looks like a great manual camera which is how I like to shoot but the A7r is much smaller.
Yeah and the D4 is a great camera. But I can buy an A7R and 55mm for the price of the body, though the hybrid AF is on the A7 and that's probably enough pixels for me.
I'm going to shoot with Leica and Zeiss ZM's so the focusing wasn't a sales point for me. Lack of Anti-Aliasing filter and higher megapixel made the A7r the one for me. I do think Nikon didn't price this body aggressively enough, as in lower and more attainable. If they had bundled a lens and camera for 2200-2500 people would be singing their praises more.
Ahh, sounds like a nice set of primes. I believe Nikon use same sony in the D600 D610 as is in the A7 and the A7R is the sensor in the D800 probably.
The price point of the A7 bodies is excellent though the glass is very expensive
How about switching to film occasionally...maybe chase after old,used,rare,limited edition glasses from those years that remind you of when you fell in love with photography...I honestly can't find a reason why to pay all that money, going fake-retro,when you can do it properly instead..Plus in my personal opinion,photography is beyond the looks of any of its "tools",which,putting so much effort into choosing to buy,you can't simply stop loving whether their black canons,blue pentaxes or huge hasselblads ;p...
All of these comments make me really sad - so sad that an old school camera body will "make shooting fun again" for all of you. Shooting pictures has never, eveer, stopped being fun for me. Even in the most awkward or stressful situations, I am happy. Why?? Because I am doing what I love for a living....it has nothing to do with the camera.
At least you sound really satisfied with yourself. It has a lot to do with the camera. I am also a painter and let me tell you that it is very different to go from oil to acrylic to ink, different brushes, to paint on canvas, steel or wood et c. Any fine art photographer will tell you that the camera has massive impact on the flow of work and so on. It's very different to use a view camera and spend 25 minutes on a single frame, looking at your subject upside down, standing under that dark cloth looking at the huge glass. Very different from using a handheld snapshot camera like a modern dslr. It is very different to use different sets of buttons, feel them.
I feel sorry for you who don't seem to be sensitive to the world or the things you engage with. For me photography is a tactile affair. Touch matters immensely. I can't use so called modern cameras. I make horrible work with them. But I would never judge other people who love those types of cameras. When there finally is a proper tactile camera that many have longed for you think that the joy people express about that camera is sad. Really? Why not celebrate that there is now more choice? More people are happy? Or are you sad that there are people not like you who think differently?
What you said kinda throws me back to that "the camera shouldn't make the photographer" thing, somehow. It's like Nikon is trying to sell the idea that you should buy this thing in order to get in touch with your inner (and true) photographer. Seriously? lol By february they'll release a 2.0 version with 4k video and a coffee machine integrated.
I think the Nikon Df will make me fall in love with photography all over again. Or, it could serve as a serious workhorse camera for stills, and also at the same time, make me fall in love with photography all over again.
"I think the Nikon Df will make me fall in love with photography all over again." --> I dont see how you would Need a specific camera for that..
blah-blah-blah
Honestly for me, now I don't care which camera I use as long as they help me get the job done. They are like total tools that has no life. I shoot, I finish, I put it in the bag. I don't see them until before the next job and I DON'T want to see them until before the next job. But, looking at this camera, it made me feel like I want to see and hold it every day. Like the first time I first started before becoming a full time pro. And if Canon makes one too, I would seriously go for it too. I would seriously consider buying these big boy toys, because they are supposed to be like toys, not tools. Because as a kid, I would take my most beloved toy wherever I go, but a tool, I only take out when I need it for a task. But the Nikon Df is a bit special. It can be both a toy and a tool.
--"I see plenty of people complaining about the lack of video, the high price tag, the fact that it isn’t designed like a normal, modern DSLR. I think this camera is not for you. It’s not meant to be a second body for weddings. It’s not designed to shoot corporate videos with your slider. This, is a pleasure camera."--
The Fuji X100s has video, very inexpensive, has an awesome retro look and is PERFECTLY sized for simply walking around and enjoying photography (the basis of your argument).
This Nikon DF could have paralleled that, but it didn't. It's a $3000 DSLR with a cumbersome an bulky shape, lacking features which are standard to other cameras in the price point.
The simple fact is this camera is $1000 extra for the pure look of the thing.
I really wanted this camera to be an interesting piece of kit to supplement my gear as the Fuji X100s did for me.
It does not.
That being said, people spend $8000 on a Leica with even LESS features and no lens included and do so happily.
Nikon will sell many of these DFs.
+1
Shooting my X100s all day long yesterday reminded me I don't need a new Nikon retro camera with botched design.
the day i bought my x100s I stopped bothering with my DSLR. I didn't touch it for months... Only to shoot a wedding with it, yet I used the X100s as a back up for the wedding. Worked great.
Love the tone of your article! I encourage people to pick up a camera, rather than shun them from inside an elite club... I want to share this joy at whatever level. When you take a photo, it's about savouring moments. My mom took technically awful photos of my childhood that I cherish. Being angry about trendiness is ridiculous, and reeks of insecurity.
I have a problem with the Df and it's nothing to do with anything Lee said. I've slimmed down my own gear to my film rigs and my Leica M because I just shoot better that way and I have way more fun that way. My problem with the Df is that it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. It has this retro body, a manual shutter dial, but then doesn't ship with a lens (or at least, in publicity images) that has a manual aperture ring? That seems like a mistake. The Fujis and the A7 seem to have nailed down this sort of rig way better than Nikon seem to be doing. Those cameras know exactly what they're going for. I like that.
For me it's really just an incredibly nice looking upgrade to my D700 ;)
Problem is, it is both a huge upgrade to the D700 (D4 sensor, mostly) and a big downgrade (shutter, X-Sync, built-in flash, AF,...)
True, i could live with x-sync and missing pop up flash, but the Very centered AF points suck!, but i Will try it though ;). Exposure with 1/4000 and ISO 50, is the same as What the D800 can (1/8000 ISO 100), i just dont get the downgrade When the D4 sensor is already in there ;). And at that price, it should be the D4 AF system and 1/8000 shutter. But again, i Will try it, buying is something Else though ;)
For any electronic device, whether it's trendy or not, should we really care? It's what we do with it that counts. Now, does the electronic device fulfills my needs? That's another story.
I think the device called a camera should be redesigned from scratch. The 3 parameters of the exposure triangle: shutter speed, ISO and aperture are the very basis, hence they should each deserve a dedicated dial. Add to that an exposure compensation dial, MSAP dial, a fair amount of megapixels, a good dynamic range a hot shoe and I'm good.
Now wait a minute, it sounds pretty much like the Nikon DF... I just wished they could have increased the dynamic range, raised the resolution to at least 24Mp and have a decent price.
Nikon just made my life easier. At that price, no question, I'm keeping my money and I'll keep dusting off my D600 sensor every now and then for a while.
This camera, that camera, wrong with photography, good for photography. Whats wrong with you all?! Seems to me a lot people cannot cope with the fact that their jobs/skills/art is being equaled to those holding iphone. Sorry, photography has become commodity just like any other profession out there. I'm not a photographer, I'm a software engineer. But I enjoy photography because it gives me an outlet and if I make some money out of that, all the better. In my line of work google and apple ruined everything; API this, API that, just do this and that. A lot of chatter out there about lost art/skill. I see computers nothing but a tool. You guys (on this site) think iPhone can do this while Android can do that. In reality - its all damn software and phones are now just computers.
So the same goes for cameras. A camera is a tool which enables you to make a living in your line of work. Thats the bottom line. If you don't like the bottom line, change your thinking and you won't be writing articles as to which camera is good or bad because it doesn't matter. Digital vs. film, endless debate. Shut the hell up! I have Fuji x100 because I like the way it looks, to me its pleasing, useful, and damn fun to turn those dials to what I need. I guess I'll get the same thrill from this new Nikon Df. I also have Nikon d7000 and love it. Its a great tool which enables me to take great shots of what I want when I want and I can rely on it 100% percent not fail. Alas, I don't get the same thrill from turning its little knobs or pushing its buttons and its aesthetics, they are just fine.
My favorite is using old yashica mat. Loading the film, guessing exposure (don't you just love it when you get it spot on) and dialing in those knobs. Looking into viewfinder and taking that shot is nothing but pleasure. It doesn't make my photos better (worse even). But its pure joy to use it. I wish I had more time to join in photo session and do a nice studio shoot with it.
All I know is that I love photography. I know that I love cameras of all shapes and sizes, and I know that I don't need a camera that is 'retro' to get me to find my love for it that I lost or something. I mean I have an N80 which is pretty retro already. I wish film was more accessible still. I wish I could still shoot a roll and have it processed in an hour if need be. I would love to have all the cameras all the time to explore and take photos with but I just have a couple. I would love to have a 1DX, a Leica M, a Hasselblad, a D4, an X100, an Oly, an a7, AND this camera with lenses for all of them. If I was really making money at photography like some of you have become very accomplished at doing I would still just love everything about photography and it wouldn't require a camera to remind me of that love. If the intent of this camera was to bring back people's love of just photography I guess that's cool. However, you didn't need to do this for a person such as me because I already love all of it already ;)
buy yourself a nikon fa or f3hp and scan it with your everyday camera.... WTF ?????
I don't see how this camera is any less trendy than the Fuji x100 or x pro 1, both of which are highly sought after despite several shortcomings. I see this as Nikon allowing us Nikon shooters to enjoy some retro simplicity in a scaled down body. Since I have a pile of Nikon glass I can stop thinking about the Xpro1. Well done Nikon.
It's so weird, the fervent reactions this camera elicits, both pro and con. Nikon's to blame, to some extent, with the way they hyped it up and the breathless sloganeering that was used in the tease campaign.
That said, ultimately, the DF is a really simple proposition: it's a great camera for people who want a full-frame digital SLR that is smaller than current full-frame D-SLRs, with dedicated manual controls for all essential settings, native compatibility with Nikon F-mount, and maximum compatibility with very old Nikon F-mount glass...and willingness to pay almost $3K for such a camera.
I see it as a sort of Special Project for Loyal Nikonians, who have built up an arsenal of Nikkor glass over decades, and who want to use those lenses without a crop factor and with the sort of exposure controls they had when they bought those old lenses new.
It shouldn't appeal to more than a very few of us, but just because it's a niche camera doesn't mean it's now the vanguard of some sort of Retro for the Sake of Cosmetics trend. In fact, because it's priced and designed to be a niche camera, it's *not* the vanguard of that trend, to the extent that trend even exists.
A slightly different take. I shoot primarily editorial for magazines. Typically portraits, lifestyle, bands and events in almost any lighting situation. Often without time to set up the lighting I like. My workhorse is a D700 - tough, dependable and good (not great by today's cameras) low light capability.
Obviously my perfect camera would be a D3s/D4..but they are just out of reach financially. As I see the Df it is an almost perfect fit for me. ISO12,800, D4 sensor, the ability to use almost any lens and even more importantly at events the quieter shutter operation.
THe looks, yes, absolutely love them, and at the price of a used D3 I'm willing to give up a little in operational ergonomics in return for a camera able to do what I need it to do. My other thought on that is the same reason Zach Arias gave for shooting most of his work with the Fuji - to stand out and be remembered in front of clients. SOmething different than everyone else is using, marketing form over function, however as stated this pretty much fits all my needs.
Exactly!
Bravo!