Something surprising...

I'm a hard guy to surprise.  So when Nikon came out with their Df camera body a week ago I was very, very surprised.  Rumours had been leaking for a few weeks, and I took them with a pinch of salt.  Not that I believed the rumours weren't be true, but rather that the Nikon offering would underwelm.  I mean, a retro camera by Nikon?!  Users have been clamouring for YEARS and when Nikon finally does answer a massive user call like that it's normally a case of too little and too late.  There is already a sense within Nikonista ranks that the batton has firmly passed to Canon again.  The D700, Nikon's first full frame masterpiece is long history and the replacements have been.. ahem.. iffy.  The D800, the supposed replacement is slower and more bloated.  The D600, a supposed tweener camera, for aspiring full-framists who hadn't moved to FF with the D700 and were in the market for something simpler got exactly what they wanted.. Except that Nikon users DON'T fit well into that category!!  We all just wanted a D700 replacement, as fast, as durable, as good as the old one, but.. ahem.. BETTER.

Well, now with the Df those holdouts may have actually got what they wanted.  Of course nothing is perfect in Nikon world.  Nothing ever was, nor will it ever be.  Each product is by force a compromise between differing prospective user demands, but to their credit Nikon generally erred on the side of pro users, thinking that if their buyer wasn't going to use a feature yet, they would grow into it.  Markedly different from the Canon approach, which is to segment their offerings by purposely crippling the various models so that as soon as you've exhausted the camera's limitations (very quickly in some cases) the only option is to upgrade or move up the model ladder.   In recent years Nikon was taking this approach, one adopted by fast moving consumer electronics companies like Sony and Canon, and which Nikon had not yet joined.  But following the the great adage "if you can't beat them join them" Nikon decided to adopt some of the more (financially) successful strategies of their eternal enemies, Canon.  Sad day indeed.  But TODAY..

.. we see a departure from that rather unglamerous itty bitty incremental upgrade strategy.  Today, Nikon has offered us something fresh, something new.  That it had to be a recreation of an old film-body style FM camera is a of a juxtaposition, but in this world of hankering back to bygone (read better) days, they did the only sensible thing, and made the digital camera as manual and basic as possible.  Out went the video (whoever said photographers wanted to shoot video!?).  Out went the overcrowded LCD top.  Out went the flash (on this I'm a bit less happy, but don't let my disappointment be a fly in Nikon's retro ointment).  In came some very basic dials.  Now, to manage a camera you can go back to aperture, speed (together with ISO.. digital's wonderful addition to basic controls) and just take a bloody picture.  The camera is lighter, smaller than any other full-frame animal.  It has the guts of a D4 and D600 (sensor and exposure metre respectively), a weather-sealed body as good as the D800 (just don't go near salt water!) and a very attractive FM camera styled body.  Intelligent design. Without the religious implication.  Something well thought out and almost Apple like, if Apple were ever to really design a camera (the Leica attempt was simply a branding effort, not a real camera..).

Now, who is this camera for?  I mean it's ONLY 16mps..  That's 8 less than the D600 and a whopping 20 less than the D800.  Not a sports camera by any means, nor for wildlife.  Videographers doing weddings?  Get a life and use your iphone you idiots.  So no, not those people.  Someone with lots of manual lenses at home?  Yes, you will be well served, as Roslett from Nikonians says the viewfinder is VERY nice thank you very much, and manual focusing is a real pleasure.  Kid pictures? Well, with the very physical controls, it may be easier to set up than the usual digital interface, so I have to say yes.  But in the interest of complete opinion, I'll have to check with my wife on that!  The limited mega-pixels may be a blessing for most people who photograph with intent, not people who are endlessly cropping (use a telephoto for deity's sake!), as your files won't be endlessly large.  This will be a great camera for people who actually print their pictures, versus the great majority of people out there who pixel peep at 200% in lightroom or post their efforts in Facebook or flicker or whatever photosharing service is the flavour of the month .  This will probably appeal to a bunch of Apple design people, those that don't already own a Leica Monocrome or a Fujifilm X100 or Sony ff 35mm (the model escapes me.. a sort of camera for someone who wants to show off their photographyness but who again just pixel-peeps).  This will appeal to people who have good taste and appreciate classic design (yes, more Apple people).  This will appeal to rich people.  This will appeal to professional photographers who want a lightweight camera backup, or one to take on holiday and that doesn't scare the wife away.  This is finally a camera that I can be proud to own.

Now if Nikon hadn't priced this one out of the ball-park, I might actually sell my D600 to buy one!