Nikon Df Review

Last week, I got the new Nikon Df. I’d been very excited for this camera to come out and was really looking forward to testing its low-light capabilities.

Here’s a test shot I took at ISO 51200, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with its performance. I’d say the camera is definitely living up to its hype. This image was taken using my Nikon 105mm Micro at 1/30 (handheld, due to the VR feature of the lens) and f/9.  As in much macro/close-up work, I manually focused the lens, rather than relying on the camera’s autofocus system. The image was entirely lit by the lights of my Christmas Tree. Because this was a test shot, I used the camera’s auto white balance feature, and the color that came out was pretty close to this. While there is definitely some grain, the fact that I was able to shoot this image, in color, is remarkable.

For those of you who don’t know, the Nikon Df is a recently released camera that is premised on the fusion of Nikon’s classic film cameras and modern technology. The camera contains the same sensor as the legendary D4 and a retro design. It’s not for everyone (for instance, it doesn’t shoot video or have such niceties as user settings, auto mode, popup flash or dual SD card slots), but it’s really the perfect camera for my shooting style.