Nikon Retro F-Mount Camera (FM2 Style)

moreorless

Any guesses as to the top controls? the shutter speed dial and release modes we can see but theres also at least two more dials(possible three as the shutter button looks like it might be one) with the one to the right of the prism looking like it might be dual purpose.

I'm guessing composure comp next to the shutter speed dial, maybe ISO and modes on the right had side? If the camera does have an OVF/EVF or some other form of electronic focusing aid then perhaps a dial to control that? a dial to control the level of zoom on an EVF would be useful I'd say.

TaoTeJared

Shutter speed (left), Shutter release/On-off (center), Front user dial (aperture/shutter) or compensation dial.

Left side of the body looks to be the usual left body dial/button (D800 = Quality/WB/ISO/Bkt, ring for drive mode, self timer, etc.)

TaoTeJared

I'm willing to bet the shutter speed dial will have the same speeds as the FM2s but obviously not be limited to those. Realistically the Compensation dial at +/- covers the rest of the 1/3 stops. It would be exactly what my X100 has.

Ade

From the front photo, the ring for the drive mode, self timer, etc., seems to be on the right side -- collocated with the shutter speed dial -- instead of the usual left dial. (Hard to see but I think the white markings are single servo, continuous servo, quiet mode?, and timer). Maybe on the left side we get exposure comp?

proudgeek

I don't want to sound ignorant or negative, but I don't understand the appeal of this. Can someone explain to me what this does that my D800 does not? Is it a question of ergonomics? Styling? I get that if it really is a D4 sensor under the hood then that's incrementally better, but how much? Thanks in advance for the lesson.

PB_PM

If exposure comp and ISO are on the left that would match the older bodies, makes sense.

The appeal is a combination of tactical controls, the styling, and of course the sensor. Nikon's history, their best cameras ever made, had this styling. In a way the camera speaks to the past, while saying that Nikon is also living in the present (after all it is a digital camera). The D800 is a wonderful camera, but when I look at it, it doesn't say Nikon to me, this DF does. I know almost all cameras from the late 70's and 80's had that body style, but that's not really the point.

sevencrossing

. Can someone explain to me what this does that my D800 does not?

The idea is it makes you look Cool; you know like Ray -Ban's or having a Defender
the Land Cruiser is far superior to Defender but the Land Cruiser's are not Cool
retro is cool

proudgeek

The D800 is a wonderful camera, but when I look at it, it doesn't say Nikon to me

Maybe that's what I'm missing. I shot a Konica back in the 70s and 80s so I'm not feeling that "style disconnect." My D800 says Nikon to me when I look at the logo on the front

sevencrossing

The D800 is a wonderful camera, but when I look at it, it doesn't say Nikon to me

Ah, Is that what I am doing wrong, I am looking through it, not at it

patternsoflight

Well, I for one don't want the sensor in the D800 (too many pixels) and would rather have a camera that is simple, intuitive to use, and somewhere in the 12 - 16 mp range. If this camera is that, and priced 'reasonably' I'd buy it. We shall see.

PB_PM

The D800 is a wonderful camera, but when I look at it, it doesn't say Nikon to me

Ah, Is that what I am doing wrong, I am looking through it, not at it

Is that why you never take any pictures? I have troubling picking things up I don't look at. :P

In all seriousness though, the feeling a camera gives you is part of the package, whether you admit it or not. When you like what you are using, it is inherently easier to work with. I recall some (nameless) individuals on this form going ape over the "look" of the D800 when they got it. This is no different, just because you don't find it interesting doesn't mean others will not.

sevencrossing

somewhere in the 12 - 16 mp range.
I think it is very unlikely Nikon would bring out a pro DX with only 12 -16 mp
if do only want 12 mp, what is wrong with the existing D300s

feeling a camera gives you is part of the package
feel and look are two very different things
if you want a landscape camera that "feels right" a Wide Angle Rollie is very hard to beat
sadly no digital equivalent

PB_PM

somewhere in the 12 - 16 mp range.
I think it is very unlikely Nikon would bring out a pro DX with only 12 -16 mp
if do only want 12 mp, what is wrong with the existing D300s

You mean besides the poor low light performance...?

feeling a camera gives you is part of the package
feel and look are two very different things
if you want a landscape camera that "feels right" a Wide Angle Rollie is very hard to beat
sadly no digital equivalent

Sure, I like the feel of the brownie bullseye, but that doesn't mean I'd want to shoot with it today. Not really in the same category though. The DF is hardly meant to take the place of the D800 as a "landscape" camera. Not sure where that even came into the discussion?

Personally I'm looking to replace my D700 with the DF, not the D800.

luigi454

I really hope they put the level in the viewfinder like the d800 and d7100/d7000 has.

KnockKnock

I will be very curious to see how the software is designed. How much they want to cater to modern users. If they will strip out the menu diving that these buttons will replace? Or provide alternative ways to doing things. I don't have hands-on time with a pro body, so I'll be curious to see if it's simple, pure, and how full-featured.

@proudgeek: size, weight, and as you said, ergonomics. I doubt this will do anything you can't do in terms of specifications or image quality. Ignoring the retro aesthetic debate entirely here. Well, okay one thing, street shooting without totally outing yourself to your subjects.

Many of us spent years/decades with a full frame camera that was small but had a huge viewfinder, so big that you could manually focus in < 1sec. The Pentax MX, Olympus OM, Canon AE-1, Nikon FM line. These were all ballpark 500g cameras. As full frame digital cameras went pro, they went big, but I think they left a lot of amateurs behind. The viewfinders in the common crop-frame cameras aimed at amateurs are a joke and require autofocus. They separate you from your subject with a tiny tunnel of darkness. So 'we' miss that connection with the subject.

I fear this may be priced beyond what a normal amateur can shell out though. I'm bracing myself for $2600, and looking to the D610.

adamz

what is interesting for me is the location of the metering options: spot, matrix and center weighted. is it possible that we will see a removable pentaprism... hopefully

Elvishefer

Wouldn't that be tough with the flash hot shoe on top of it? Or am I not understanding what you're saying...

PB_PM

It would require electronic contacts (like the MB-D12 for example) between the pentaprism and the mount, but it is not impossible.

adamz

it was done in the past - nikon f4 removable pentaprism

patternsoflight

Personally I'm looking to replace my D700 with the DF, not the D800.

I agree 100%.

What I mean is that with the pixel density of the D800, it requires the best lenses and tripod use. That's not what I want to buy; I'm not going to use this camera to shoot landscapes and blow them up to 4' by 6'. If I wanted that kind of camera, I'd buy the D800. I want a camera which:

a) will support my use of the deep heritage of Nikkor manual focus lenses in some fashion through either an easy-to-use focusing screen itself (split prism, anyone?) or a tech aid such as focus peaking
b) will give me enough pixels -- 12mp, 16mp, 24mp all are fine -- but not so many that my technique needs to be exemplary for every image or else I risk nerfing the sensor I have spent so many dollars buying
c) will reward the years and years I spent with a manual film camera honing my picture-taking instincts as opposed to my 'spinning the right dial at the right time' instincts as so many modern cameras do.

Now, I might be whistling in the dark, but when I watch those videos, THAT'S what I see. More so than the shape of the pentaprism, it is a feeling of walking around with a camera in your hand that is so functionally straight-forward to use that it ceases to be something you have to think about. Like an FM3a for some, an F3 for others.

It seems to me that Nikon said "Hey, that Olympus OM-D is on to something, let's do a Nikon version building on our own history."

I hope they do exactly that.

JakesGT

somewhere in the 12 - 16 mp range.
I think it is very unlikely Nikon would bring out a pro DX with only 12 -16 mp
if do only want 12 mp, what is wrong with the existing D300s

You mean besides the poor low light performance...?


So the D700 would be a nice choice or D3

TaoTeJared

I don't want to sound ignorant or negative, but I don't understand the appeal of this. Can someone explain to me what this does that my D800 does not? Is it a question of ergonomics? Styling? I get that if it really is a D4 sensor under the hood then that's incrementally better, but how much? Thanks in advance for the lesson.

I think your "idea" of the product is slanted in the opposite direction of what some shooters (I'll include myself in that) really enjoy (when they get the opportunity.) I keep seeing similar comments as if this is created to pull photographers away or to change bodies and that is not the point at all. It is really along the same lines of shooting with my X100. It can supplement your shooting style if you prefer the older tactile shooting style.

Does it replace anything? - no.
Is it intended to replace anything? - Yes, a Film camera before all the auto and plastic bodies.
Is it intended to replace any of my digital cameras? - * No.
--*-Maybe a Fuji system, or those who went retro Pani/ Oly (but those are much smaller and cheaper systems - but probably a few.)
---(Well if you had really deep pockets and had a Leica, or were swaying towards the Sony a7/r series this is intended to go head to head with those. More the Sony than Leica - Leica shooters are just a different breed of shooter.)
Can it supplement a D800 system - oh yeah! I use my X100 to supplement it now and it does well with just a 35 on it. If it is a cheaper (or equal to D800) High iso system that I can put a FX lens on!!! Yes. I'm not planning on shooting sports with it.

I'll leave my ears/eyes open to comparisons of the D4 sensor vs a D800 - but to my eyes in certain areas, it is far from just an "incremental difference" - very far from it.

proudgeek

Thank you TTJ and everyone else. It sounds interesting and I'm happy that Nikon is making a body that so many of you want. Nothing wrong with a company paying tribute to its heritage by updating a classic (like the new VW Bug). It just doesn't seem as though its strong points suit what I enjoy most about photography. That said, I look forward to seeing the images created by those of you who do buy it and of course reserve the right to change my mind.

donaldejose

The images created by the DF won't be any better than those created by the D600 or D610. It is the process of creating those images which will be different. We will see how many sell. I suspect only the older folks who shot during the film era will enjoy using that old user interface.

PB_PM

I'm only in my late 20's and I find it appealing, you might be surprised by how many people are interested.