Nikon DF

The Beauty & Enigma Of The Nikon DF 😍

Good morning you awesome blog reading camera geeks! I have so much catching up to do! I just came back from a trip about a month ago and I haven’t moved since 😂 I don’t know where to begin so I might as well start with my latest video and it is a video review of Nikon’s legendary and perhaps infamous Retro DSLR…the Nikon DF ❤️

The Nikon DF was introduced in 2013 and even though there was a lot of hype and fanfare around its introduction, the Nikon DF was received with mixed reviews.

Even today, it is a camera that some people love and some people hate.

When it came out in 2013, many people thought of this camera as “SUS” 😂 as the kids today say. That means, we were “suspicious” of its retro looks, I guess the way many people see the new “Yashica” branded retro looking digicams which are dressed up like DSLRs but have tiny sensors.

The Nikon DF however is the real thing! It looks retro but plays the part with a top level, Nikon D4 full frame sensor.

This was a dream camera for me for some time. I’ve only mentioned to a couple of you guys here that I had it 😂

But I’ve had it since 2020 and this review was long overdue.

To me, it is what I call a “Beautiful Monstrosity” 😍 It is a 16mp Full Frame CMOS Sensor camera that seemed like the by product of an experiment in Frankenstein’s lab! It has the body and chassis of a Nikon D600 and the heart or sensor from a Nikon D4.

Even though it shares the parts of these two cameras, it has its own unique features which are the knobs and dials, apparently inspired by the film camera legends the Nikon FE and/or FM.

It is a unique camera as it’s the only “Retro Inspired” DSLR in Nikon’s now discontinued DSLR lineup. The Z mount system however has two retro cameras in the ZFC and the ZF.

In fact, it was my desire to get a ZF, or shall I say my desire to talk myself out of it that inspired this video 😂

In this video I go over all of this as well as give you my opinion on whether or not it’s worth the (still) relatively high prices.

I may update this article with pictures and other information so don’t be surprised if you see that.

Thanks for reading, watching, and I hope to be back with you soon!

Best, Sam

Photo Of The Day: “Growing Up” 😍👍

Good morning you awesome camera geeks! Here’s a recent shot with the Nikon DF and vintage 58mm f/1.4 Nikkor, not the new version. I really love the look of this old Nikkor for portraits!

The DF has a beautiful 16mp sensor that I feel lends itself well to portrait work. Even though it’s an older sensor now (same sensor as D4), it’s still an amazing performer. A smooth sensor. Not so digital looking but not quite film like either. Almost unique. It’s like the D3 sensor but even better!

Here’s another photo to whet your appetite! I used an action to create a chrome like look. I’m not sure I’m ready to do a review yet but hopefully soon! Still got a lot to learn about the DF but it should be fun!

Have a beautiful weekend you guys! 😍❤️👍

Photo Of The Day: “High Rise” Nikon DF

Good morning you awesome and beautiful camera geeks! Well 2020 will go down as the year Covid-19 came into the world and left a path of death and destruction.

Therefore I hate to say that, by God’s good grace, I prospered during that year.

As many of you know, my other job besides Camera Legend is in health care where I work as a physical therapist.

This photo was shot with a Nikon DF and 50mm f/1.8 Special Edition Nikkor. It’s a dream camera I’ve wanted since its introduction in 2013.

Just like many of you, my first thoughts during the initial wave of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 was that I wasn’t going to buy any more cameras and lenses.

I saw what the virus did to people and to the economy and it scared the heck out of me.

When I saw my first Covid-19 patients last year, I have to admit I was scared shitless! I seriously thought of quitting. But I didn’t.

The more patients I saw, the more I realized these people needed me. In those early days a COVID patient was almost like a leper. I remember that same attitude towards HIV patients.

So I took on more hours as my coworkers had to quarantine from contracting COVID. Some even quit and were enjoying life on unemployment.

It got to a point where I said you know what, if I’m going to die from this thing I might as well go out with a bang!

I am grateful and really very lucky to have not tested positive for COVID thus far 🙏🏻🙏🏻

So with the extra money I made I picked up a few of the cameras and lenses on my bucket list and the Nikon DF was one of them. It also helped that prices on high end cameras were unusually low at the start of the pandemic.

Anyway I’ll tell you guys more about my experiences with the DF in future articles and videos!

I know of the negative economic impact COVID has made on so many people so I am not writing this article to brag about getting a cool camera. In fact, my sensitivity to this point is why I’ve waited so long to reveal it to you.

And even though I feel guilty for treating myself, please remember that I did WORK for it! I went into those rooms with COVID patients while some took off, quit, or enjoyed that extra $600 in unemployment money.

Anyway the Nikon DF is a fantastic camera but there are some things that I didn’t like about it. But hey that’s a topic for another day! Stay safe, stay healthy. That virus is still raging even with the vaccines. Have a blessed day my fellow camera geeks! 😍📸👍🏻