So New, So Old: Df anyone?
Discussion
K12beano said:
Slightly impromptu trip to my favourite shop today - came away with a low-mileage used Df!!
Going to see how I get on as it's intended to complement what the D800 will do. No doubt will be cranking up that ISO and see how amazing this D4 sensor really is!! (Good thing is I could take it back if I don't get on with it, but it was a pretty good price for body only.)
Its new price, with the lens, was down to £1899 last week (£2750 when this thread started?) - that seems like quite a bargain!Going to see how I get on as it's intended to complement what the D800 will do. No doubt will be cranking up that ISO and see how amazing this D4 sensor really is!! (Good thing is I could take it back if I don't get on with it, but it was a pretty good price for body only.)
And just re-reading this thread ......
GetCarter said:
Bet the price goes up rather than down (like the D800)
Are you actually a government economist Steve? 
Edited by Elderly on Saturday 31st January 09:22
Crazy bit of kit!
So, from starting point of a second body/back up to support a D800 I went through a few possibilities with the nice chaps at Grays
D3 - cheap, indestructible, pick one up and instinctively you know where everything is
D800 - got one, why do I want the same?
D700 - yeah! cheap, great value
D3s - not so cheap, see above
D3X - ooh maybe, but then it’s just a “big D800” isn’t it?
D4 - OK, don’t be silly you can’t afford one of those, although the sensor’s pretty good……
London-027 by Beano!, on Flickr
ISO 100 with a 45mm f/2.8 at f/5.6
Sharp and clean
So let’s handle the Df and see what we think. Whoa! it’s a fiddly little thing and you’ve got to relearn a lot and then again…..
London Mornings-013 by Beano!, on Flickr
ISO 3200 with a 45mm f/2.8 at f/8
Still sharp and clean
A D4 sensor - brilliant….but a relatively crappy AF with all the focus points in the middle? What? We can go to high ISO but it won’t focus in low light! Even better - the screen is a typical, but non-interchangeable, Nikon modern bobbie that’s pretty useless for trying to manual focus.
Although the AF indicator light seems spot on, but back to AF mode then - at least the controls are familiar for that, so let’s move to an AF lens
Actually - and I haven’t fine tuned it yet - the focus seems “not bad”
Hampton Court Test Day Take 2-009 by Beano!, on Flickr
ISO 3200 with a 85mm f/1.4 at f/1.4
The pentaprism viewfinder is pretty good - you can’t adjust much with your eye to it though, so that will slow you down and then you do have a very familiar info screen to play with - on a nice big display and there’s always Live Lieu (something which I thought I would hate three years ago when I first got the ‘800, but which I have quite grown to love.
Hampton Court Test Day-013 by Beano!, on Flickr
ISO 1600 with a 14mm f/2.8 at f/8
Then again the dials are all accessible - but stupidly fiddly, with locking pins all over the place! The on/off “dial” is stupidly fiddly with cold hands.
It’s bloody stupid taking only one SD card and packing that in with a tiny battery under a “retro” fiddly cover, too!
No you’ll hate it…
…or you might love it.
It has taken me about two days to get familiar with it. I’m going to like it - a lot.
So, from starting point of a second body/back up to support a D800 I went through a few possibilities with the nice chaps at Grays
D3 - cheap, indestructible, pick one up and instinctively you know where everything is
D800 - got one, why do I want the same?
D700 - yeah! cheap, great value
D3s - not so cheap, see above
D3X - ooh maybe, but then it’s just a “big D800” isn’t it?
D4 - OK, don’t be silly you can’t afford one of those, although the sensor’s pretty good……
London-027 by Beano!, on FlickrISO 100 with a 45mm f/2.8 at f/5.6
Sharp and clean
So let’s handle the Df and see what we think. Whoa! it’s a fiddly little thing and you’ve got to relearn a lot and then again…..
London Mornings-013 by Beano!, on FlickrISO 3200 with a 45mm f/2.8 at f/8
Still sharp and clean
A D4 sensor - brilliant….but a relatively crappy AF with all the focus points in the middle? What? We can go to high ISO but it won’t focus in low light! Even better - the screen is a typical, but non-interchangeable, Nikon modern bobbie that’s pretty useless for trying to manual focus.
Although the AF indicator light seems spot on, but back to AF mode then - at least the controls are familiar for that, so let’s move to an AF lens
Actually - and I haven’t fine tuned it yet - the focus seems “not bad”
Hampton Court Test Day Take 2-009 by Beano!, on FlickrISO 3200 with a 85mm f/1.4 at f/1.4
The pentaprism viewfinder is pretty good - you can’t adjust much with your eye to it though, so that will slow you down and then you do have a very familiar info screen to play with - on a nice big display and there’s always Live Lieu (something which I thought I would hate three years ago when I first got the ‘800, but which I have quite grown to love.
Hampton Court Test Day-013 by Beano!, on FlickrISO 1600 with a 14mm f/2.8 at f/8
Then again the dials are all accessible - but stupidly fiddly, with locking pins all over the place! The on/off “dial” is stupidly fiddly with cold hands.
It’s bloody stupid taking only one SD card and packing that in with a tiny battery under a “retro” fiddly cover, too!
No you’ll hate it…
…or you might love it.
It has taken me about two days to get familiar with it. I’m going to like it - a lot.
Gassing Station | Photography & Video | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff