Nikon DF or D800

anthony4335

I am looking into buying a new camera, currently have a D300. The 2 I am looking at the moment are the DF and D800, do not really want to spend any more than these so the D810 is out of the question at the moment.
I am hoping others have looked into these options already and might be able to offer some insight.
Currently I am leaning towards the Df at the moment. Video is not a priority (would be nice).

Cheers

5uspect

I'm a Canon user but since all of our lab equipment uses F-Mount we went with the D800 as our main lab camera. Personally coming from Canon I find it an ergonomic mess. The image quality and auto focus are exceptional however!

The only downside of the DF appears to be the AF.

anthony4335

Cheers, funny thing is that one of the things that is putting me off the DF is the controls, I am used to and love the controls of the D300, which are more like the D800.

D.S.

I have the D800 which I purchased late last year. I have played around with the Nikon DF a few months ago though didn't review it as part of my purchase process. Some thoughts on the camera I have and the DF below from memory..

Main point I'd make is that it really depends on what style of photography you shoot? I'd argue the D800 is a perfect landscape / portrait system (studio and natural) while the Nikon DF is slightly better for street / portrait, less so for landscape.

D800:
- The D800 dynamic range is superb - you'll need to bracket / blend multiple exposures a lot less with this sensor.
- The resolution suits my style of photography and uses but has it's drawbacks (large file sizes mean the need for more external harddrives - though these are relative cheap these days). I have been doing a bit of panoromas/brenizier stitching and compositing recently, and the file sizes are massive (unless you use jpeg which I won't do) which means you needs a decent pc / laptop to process. Also the high resolving power also means that flaws in your technique / camera shake show up much more clearly when pixel peeping than with a lower resolution sensor. Coming from the D90 - this has caused me to change how I shoot..
- Another drowback of the system is the lenses in my view. I am a bit anal about IQ and the resolution / sharpness I get natively before I go into post. You'll find that a large amount of the available F mount lenses won't resolve anywhere close to the maximum available resolution of the D800. I don't know what FF lenses you currently have but there are a specifc number that resolve well on the D800 (only 1 IIRC is actually close to the 32mp of the sensor). This might mean you have some further investment to make.
- I find the LCD a bit average (particularly when zooming in) for focusing when I shoot landscapes - the 810 and D4S are the only ones that beat it though in Nikon FF range IIRC
- The camera is big and bulky - particuarly if using a grip - but doesn't bother me so much when it's paired with a blackrapid strap. However, it's not a perfect camera for street photgraphy due to it's size and how consipicous it can look. It's perfect for landscapes/portraits. Can do some sport with a grip but the file size means the camera has a slower fps rate.
- the built in commander mode for flash I find pretty handy.. - DF doesn't have this

DF:
- ergonomics for me were really fiddly, and actually slowed me down.
- the camera felt really unbalanced with the bigger prime lenses (e.g. sigma art) and zooms. It seemed to be a perfect walkabout camera / street camera / portrait camera when using the smaller fast primes
- better native ISO range than D800
- lower resolution at 16mp i found too low for my needs personally..
- looks cool and retro - not as noticeable / conspicous when you are out and about with it.
- The AF wasn't great - but it was grand for 80% of applications..but really annoying when it came unstuck..

That all said - if you are into portrait/landscape mainly, you can't wrong with the D800 if it fits your price point (and if you have already have lenses / or factored that into your budget). If you haven't factored in lenses - I'd go with something like a D610 (which I prefer to the DF) and spend the balance on great glass. Given how good DSLRs are these days, snd if budget is a factor, I'd recommend buying a quality second hand system and spending the money on the best glass tbh.

eoglyn

But with the EF you can eschew those pesky remote electronic shutter releases and go for an actual analogue cable release instead :rolleyes:

Without experience of either, reviews of the DF tend towards style over substance while the D800 seems like a proper workhorse and more

anthony4335

Cheers for the replies, I am slightly leaning toward the D800 now. I have been looking around at prices and have found this site,
http://www.hdewcameras.co.uk/nikon-d800-digital-slr-camera-body-995-p.asp ,great prices with a 3 year warranty. The only issue from some might be the camera's are not EU sourced but the price difference if huge. Has anyone had any experience with this company, most of what I have searched and read appears to be positive .

RickyWed

it all depends what you want to shoot, i personally would get d800 its more versatile in my opinion.

RickyWed

Cheers for the replies, I am slightly leaning toward the D800 now. I have been looking around at prices and have found this site,
great prices with a 3 year warranty. The only issue from some might be the camera's are not EU sourced but the price difference if huge. Has anyone had any experience with this company, most of what I have searched and read appears to be positive .

Check this: eglobalcentral, i am shopping here and no complaints, but never bought anything of such a huge value though, but also never paid vat here.