Nikon DF announced – Smallest full frame DSLR

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The highly anticipated Nikon DF is finally announced. The revolutionary camera has come to light after a series of short Pure Photography teaser videos. The Nikon Df combines the design and controls from its classic film cameras with the modern technology of a digital SLR. The Df’s body resembles that of Nikon’s F-series 35mm cameras, complete with dials for shutter speed, aperture, and exposure compensation. The Df utilises the full-frame CMOS sensor from the D4, the autofocus system from the D610, the weather seal as the D800 and the same video function as the D700 (i.e. no video). It icertainly sounds like a fusion that

Nikons announced that the Df was developed with a different approach and with an eye on offering different forms of value. Not only does it support the capture of more beautiful and artistic photos, as well as a variety of photographic expression, possible with other cameras, it also allows users to take their time with each individual photo to achieve images they will enjoy, as well as making the process of photography itself more pleasing.

The Nikon Df is available to pre-order at B&H (Black | Silver).

 

The Nikon Df comes in black and silver. The large mechanical dials that dominate the top of the Df are where photographers will rediscover the pleasure of camera operations and the photographic process. Instead of seeing the exposure over the LCD monitor, the camera’s top deck makes ISO sensitivity, shutter speed, and exposure compensation setting change an ease.

The back of the Nikon Df looks pretty familiar to most DSLR. It features a 3.2 921K dot LCD with the array of buttons similar to most DSLR. The Df’s large, high-definition LCD monitor comparable to the D4 has a wide viewing angle, clear visibility with less surface reflection thanks to the integrated glass and panel structure. The extended color reproduction range ensures better image reviewing. During live view shooting, you can magnify images up to approx. 15x to achieve the exact focus. The playback zoom can magnify large-size FX-format images up to approx. 30x for quick and accurate focus confirmation. Scratch- and shock-resistant reinforced glass is employed for the monitor surface.  The back dial will be use for aperture control. It has a dedicated AF-On button as well as the commonly use D pad.

Designed to travel, the Df has the smallest and lightest body among Nikon FX-format models. It measures at 143.5 x 110 x66.5mm in size and weight only 710g.

In addition to compatibility with latest state-of-the-art NIKKOR lenses, the Df is also compatibe with vintage NIKKORs. Its lens mount was designed with a collapsible exposure-meter-coupling lever to accept almost all NIKKOR lenses, including non-AI lenses. You can register up to nine non-AI lenses in advance, adding lens information such as focal length and open aperture values. You can attach the pre-registered non-AI lens, select the corresponding lens number from the menu and then choose "non-AI lens" from the exposure meter-coupling options. By matching the aperture value set with the lens aperture ring to the camera via the command dial, you can meter with vintage NIKKORs.

Nikon Digital SLR Camera Df Specifications

Type
Type
Single-lens reflex digital camera
Lens mount
Nikon F mount (with AF coupling and AF contacts)
Effective angle of view
Nikon FX format
Effective pixels
Effective pixels
16.2 million
Image sensor
Image sensor
36.0 x 23.9 mm CMOS sensor
Total pixels
16.6 million
Dust-reduction system
Image sensor cleaning, Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX 2 software required)
Storage
Image size (pixels)
  • FX format (36×24): 4,928 x 3,280 [L], 3,696 x 2,456 [M], 2,464 x 1,640 [S]
  • DX format (24×16): 3,200 x 2,128 [L], 2,400 x 1,592 [M], 1,600 x 1,064 [S]
File format
  • NEF (RAW): 12 or 14 bit, lossless compressed, compressed, or uncompressed
  • TIFF (RGB)
  • JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx. 1:4), normal (approx. 1:8) or basic (approx. 1:16) compression (Size priority); Optimal quality compression available
  • NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats
Picture Control System
Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape; selected Picture Control can be modified; storage for custom Picture Controls
Media
SD (Secure Digital) and UHS-I compliant SDHC and SDXC memory cards
File system
DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0, DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras) 2.3, PictBridge
Viewfinder
Viewfinder
Eye-level pentaprism single-lens reflex viewfinder
Frame coverage
  • FX (36×24): Approx. 100% horizontal and 100% vertical
  • DX (24×16): Approx. 97% horizontal and 97% vertical
Magnification
Approx. 0.7x (50 mm f/1.4 lens at infinity, -1.0 m-1)
Eyepoint
15 mm (-1.0 m-1; from center surface of viewfinder eyepiece lens)
Diopter adjustment
-3 to +1 m-1
Focusing screen
Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VIII screen with AF area brackets (framing grid can be displayed)
Reflex mirror
Quick return
Depth-of-field preview
Pressing Pv button stops lens aperture down to value selected by user (exposure modes A and M) or by camera (exposure modes P and S)
Lens aperture
Instant return, electronically controlled
Lens
Compatible lenses
Compatible with AF NIKKOR lenses, including type G, E, and D lenses (some restrictions apply to PC lenses) and DX lenses (using DX 24 x 16 1.5x image area), AI-P NIKKOR lenses and non-CPU lenses. IX NIKKOR lenses and lenses for the F3AF cannot be used. The electronic rangefinder can be used with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or faster (the electronic rangefinder supports the center 7 focus points with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/8 or faster and the center 33 focus points with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/7.1 or faster)
Shutter
Type
Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter
Speed
1/4,000 to 4 s in steps of 1 EV (1/4,000 s to 30 s in steps of 1/3 EV with main command dial), X200 (with shutter-speed dial only), bulb, time
Flash sync speed
X=1/200 s; synchronizes with shutter at 1/250 s or slower
Release
Release modes
S (single frame), CL (continuous low speed), CH (continuous high speed), Q (quiet shutter-release),  (self-timer), MUP (mirror up)
Frame advance rate
1 to 5 fps (CL) or 5.5 fps (CH)
Self-timer
2 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s; 1 to 9 exposures at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2 or 3 s
Exposure
Metering
TTL exposure metering using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor
Metering method
  • Matrix: 3D color matrix metering II (type G, E and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses); color matrix metering available with non-CPU lenses if user provides lens data
  • Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 12-mm circle in center of frame; diameter of circle can be changed to 8, 15 or 20 mm, or weighting can be based on average of entire frame (non-CPU lenses use 12-mm circle)
  • Spot: Meters 4-mm circle (about 1.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point (on center focus point when non-CPU lens is used)
Range
(ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 20°C/68°F)
  • Matrix or center-weighted metering: 0 to 20 EV
  • Spot metering: 2 to 20 EV
Exposure meter coupling
Combined CPU and AI (collapsible metering coupling lever)
Exposure modes
Programmed auto with flexible program (P); shutter-priority auto (S); aperture-priority auto (A); manual (M)
Exposure compensation
-3 to +3 EV in increments of 1/3 EV
Exposure bracketing
2 to 5 frames in steps of 1/3, 2/3, 1, 2 or 3 EV
Flash bracketing
2 to 5 frames in steps of 1/3, 2/3, 1, 2 or 3 EV
Exposure lock
Luminosity locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button
ISO sensitivity
(Recommended Exposure Index)
ISO 100 to 12800 in steps of 1/3 EV; can also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.7 or 1 EV (ISO 50 equivalent) below ISO 100 or to approx. 0.3, 0.7, 1, 2, 3 or 4 EV (ISO 204800 equivalent) above ISO 12800; auto ISO sensitivity control available
Active D-Lighting
Can be selected from Auto, Extra high +2/+1, High, Normal, Low, or Off
ADL bracketing
2 frames using selected value for one frame or 3 to 5 frames using preset values for all frames
Focus
Autofocus
Nikon Multi-CAM 4800 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, fine-tuning, and 39 focus points (including 9 cross-type sensors; the center 33 points are available at apertures slower than f/5.6 and faster than f/8, while the center 7 focus points are available at f/8)
Detection range
-1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F)
Lens servo
  • Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); continuous-servo AF (AF-C); predictive focus tracking activated automatically according to subject status
  • Manual focus (M): Electronic rangefinder can be used
Focus point
Can be selected from 39 or 11 focus points
AF-area modes
Single-point AF, 9-, 21- or 39-point dynamic-area AF, 3D-tracking, auto-area AF
Focus lock
Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button
Flash
Flash control
TTL: i-TTL flash control using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor is available with SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, SB-600, SB-400 or SB-300; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used with matrix and center-weighted metering, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with spot metering
Flash modes
Front-curtain sync, slow sync, rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, red-eye reduction with slow sync, slow rear-curtain sync, Auto FP High-Speed Sync supported
Flash compensation
-3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3
Flash-ready indicator
Lights when optional flash unit is fully charged; flashes after flash is fired at full output
Accessory shoe
ISO 518 hot-shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock
Nikon Creative Lighting
System (CLS)
Advanced Wireless Lighting supported with SB-910, SB-900, SB-800 or SB-700 as a master flash and SB-600 or SB-R200 as remotes, or SU-800 as commander; Auto FP High-Speed Sync and modeling illumination supported with all CLS-compatible flash units except SB-400 and SB-300; Flash Color Information Communication and FV lock supported with all CLS-compatible flash units
Sync terminal
ISO 519 sync terminal with locking thread
White balance
White balance
Auto (2 types), incandescent, fluorescent (7 types), direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, preset manual (up to 4 values can be stored, spot white balance measurement available during live view), choose color temperature (2,500 K to 10,000 K); all with fine-tuning
White balance bracketing
2 to 3 frames in steps of 1, 2 or 3
Live View
Lens servo
  • Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time servo AF (AF-F)
  • Manual focus (M)
AF-area modes
Face-priority AF, wide-area AF, normal-area AF, subject-tracking AF
Autofocus
Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected)
Monitor
Monitor
8-cm (3.2-in.), approx. 921k-dot (VGA), low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with approx. 170° viewing angle, approx. 100% frame coverage, and brightness control
Playback
Playback
Full-frame and thumbnail (4, 9 or 72 images or calendar) playback with playback zoom, photo slide shows, histogram display, highlights, photo information, location data display, and auto image rotation
Interface
USB
Hi-Speed USB
HDMI output
Type C mini-pin HDMI connector
Accessory terminal
  • Wireless remote controllers: WR-R10 and WR-1 (available separately)
  • Remote cord: MC-DC2 (available separately)
  • GPS units: GP-1/GP-1A (available separately)
Supported languages
Supported languages
Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian
Power source
Battery
One EN-EL14a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
AC adapter
EH-5b AC Adapter; requires EP-5A Power Connector (available separately)
Tripod socket
Tripod socket
1/4 in. (ISO 1222)
Dimensions / weight
Dimensions
(W x H x D)
Approx. 143.5 x 110 x 66.5 mm/ 5.6 x 4.3 x 2.6 in.
Weight
Approx. 765 g/1 lb 11 oz with battery and memory card but without body cap; approx. 710 g/1 lb 9 oz (camera body only)
Operating environment
Operating environment
Temperature: 0 to 40°C/32 to 104°F; humidity: 85% or less (no condensation)
Accessories
Supplied accessories
(may differ by country or area)
EN-EL14a Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, MH-24 Battery Charger, DK-26 Eyepiece Cap, String for eyepiece cap, UC-E6 USB Cable, AN-DC9 Camera Strap, BF-1B Body Cap, BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cover, ViewNX 2 CD-ROM
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About Kent Yu

Kent is a professional wedding and portrait photographer based in Queenstown and Wellington, New Zealand. He creates beautiful, natural and story telling wedding photos. Kent has his work published in international magazines and is a regular author to a number of photographic publication. He is fascinated by photographic equipment and enjoys showcasing the gear used in creating his images. You can find him on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

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