My take on the new Nikon Df ...

Sorry I haven’t posted for a while, but I’ve been writing two novels (the second one nearing completion) and I haven’t been able to do much shooting.

What’s taken my eye in recent days, however, is the announcement of the new full-frame digital camera from Nikon, the Df, which will go on sale in UK on 28 November at the eye-watering price of £2,700, give or take, a RRP which includes a new 50mm lens.

(Apparently in the UK there is no option but to buy the camera with its bundled kit lens. In the US, a body-only version is available around 300 dollars cheaper than the dollar RRP for the kit, which is a shade under $3,000.)

So, what do I make of this new offering?

I sincerely believe the company have a winner here, despite the asking price.

I had a brief look at the camera from a purely non-technical viewpoint, with the onus on how it might appeal to street photographers. I think the main thing about the Df is its film camera-like looks, harking back to Nikon’s popular F series, and the fact that, although similar in size and weight to the D600/D610, it does appear more compact.

(I still shoot much of my street photography with a D40 and prefer SLRs. I came back to photography with a renewed interest in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when I owned two Practikas and a Canon EF-M, before switching to Nikon in 2005 when I bought an F65.)

I like the fact that the Df has no movie mode. This, together with the Df’s film retro appearance and manually-activated controls, is likely to appeal to many photographers, including street shooters. (I think the Df might be taken for an old film camera on the street, thus appearing less threatening, and perhaps more inconspicuous ... particularly in black.)

Will I buy one?

Maybe in a year or so when the price comes down (by which time I hope a body-only version will be available in the UK).