I’ve by no means shied away from displaying my appreciation for the Nikon Df, one of many Large N’s quirkiest and most sought-after DSLR cameras. Lengthy earlier than the Nikon Zf and Nikon Zfc graced the imaging panorama, manner again in 2013 when Miley’s Wrecking Ball was demolishing the billboard charts, Nikon launched a departure from the utilitarian DSLR norm.
Dubbed the Nikon Df for “Digital Fusion”, this attractive-looking DSLR was designed to bridge the hole between the aesthetically pleasing SLR movie cameras of yore with the cutting-edge specs of a then-modern digital digicam.
The Nikon Df owes its angular appears to the legendary Nikon FM and Nikon FE, whereas it borrowed its sensor and imaging processor from the then-flagship Nikon D4. Remarkably, this digicam can not shoot video. Pair that with its optical viewfinder, and I’ve referred to as this the most devoted retro digital digicam of all time.
Trying again on the Nikon Df, in a world plagued by attractive retro cameras, I’m struck by how odd it appears. On the time, I believed it seemed like an excellent devoted copy of a classic SLR – however then once more, I believed 1996’s Tomb Raider was nearly as good as videogame graphics may probably get.
The Nikon Df appears like any individual’s taken a Nikon FM and warped it in Photoshop. Clearly Nikon’s designers needed to work across the limitations of a DSLR’s inherently cumbersome development, because of the presence of a reflex mirror, and the result’s a digicam that’s squatter and taller than an SLR, with that unmistakable bulbous DSLR aesthetic.
Holding a chunky DSLR with no grip could be a nightmare, so Nikon applied a considerable grip. And that massive outdated pentaprism within the optical viewfinder means there’s much less room on the highest plate.
Massive parts of leatherette and flip-out rear screens that may be reversed and hidden are hallmarks of many retro cameras of at this time, however the Df’s rear appears very very like an ordinary DSLR, on account of loads of direct-access controls and a set rear display.
You would possibly assume this isn’t a really flattering retrospective on the Nikon Df in any respect, however quite the opposite. You see, all of those visible quirks quantity to a retro-themed digicam that very a lot has its personal distinctive aesthetic.
It may not be a devoted copy of an SLR-era Nikon just like the Zf or Zfc, however nicely over a decade after its launch the Nikon Df has develop into a fascinating blast from the previous, all of its personal. Each time I see a Df within the flesh, I can’t assist however assume it’s obtained mojo and a soul that’s missing in lots of fashionable cameras. And isn’t that what drives our love of retro cameras? An emotional attachment pushed by nostalgia.
You must look no additional than the used market to understand that the Nikon Df has a wholesome cult following. You’re nonetheless taking a look at upwards of $1,000 / £800 and far more for a mint instance. The limited-edition gold Nikon Df can set you again three or 4 occasions that quantity!
I say it each time I write in regards to the pricey outdated Df: I would like one! The stripped-back stills-only design actually appeals to me – and in a world the place 16-MP full-frame cameras merely don’t exist anymore, it’d make an amazing on a regular basis beater. Nikon’s solely retro-themed DSLR is quick changing into a retro, retro-themed DSLR, and I believe it’ll proceed to be wanted, lengthy into the long run.
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