The Nikon Df is hipster perfect

SINGAPORE — Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, especially when it comes to cameras: The popularity of lomo cameras, Instagram and Fujifilm’s retro-styled digital cameras are an unstoppable trend in the world of photography.

Digital photography’s benefit of eschewing the need to develop film has many of us not looking back, but for those who love to blend personal style with photography, or just have a hipster’s inclinations, the Nikon Df might be the camera for you.

Looking like some of Nikon’s classic film cameras, the Df attempts to mix the convenience of digital technology with the style and thoughtfulness that goes into film photography. As a result, the Df looks so good that almost anyone I met wanted to get their hands on it for a closer look.

Despite the old-school stylings, the Df is stuffed with some of Nikon’s latest technology. For starters, the Df comes with a 16.2 megapixel full frame CMOS sensor — the same that you can find in Nikon’s flagship D4 camera, coupled with the same processing engine as the D4, the Expeed 3. This means that the camera is able to produce some extremely sharp and detailed images, even in low light.

However, the auto-focus function is a step down from the D4, and the difference can be felt instantly. Speed and accuracy does suffer in low-light conditions, but give the autofocus time to get it right and you will be rewarded with great images.

It’s a good thing that you have the option to get the AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G (Special) kit lens together with the Df. It might not be Nikon’s best 50mm lens, but it’s sharp, has great bokeh (background blur), and is generally a pleasure to use. This version is also styled with a silver ring, which better matches the Df.

Part of the charm of the Df is the presence of multiple dials that adorn the top of the camera, together with many other switches and buttons that serve as the way of operating the camera. This retro aesthetic recalls the time when analogue dials controlled every aspect of the camera.

Using them, however, is another issue — some dials need a second button to be depressed for them to turn, others need to be lifted up before turning. Usage isn’t the most intuitive and unless you’re very familiar with the layout, you will have to take your eye off the viewfinder, adjust your dials, and then shoot again to see if you have the right settings. Coupled with the fact that some dials and buttons don’t have labels, things can start to get complicated. The Df isn’t meant for quickly getting a few shots.

You could, after all, shoot in pure auto mode, but getting this camera without making full use of its dials would be missing the point.

Eventually I did begin to appreciate the importance of setting up my shot so that I wouldn’t waste time with continuous adjustments, but the trade-off is that you will need time to get familiar with estimating. Frustratingly, this means that you will also miss shots along the way.

But the Df’s complicated controls is still great training for photographers, and in the end is suited for situations where you have the time to contemplate your shot.

Finally, if you’re used to shooting some HD video with your DSLR, Nikon has left that feature out of the Df — it’s purely a photo camera.

Nikon touts the Df as the fusion between “tactile precision mechanics and exquisite image quality”, but you will have to get past a few bouts of confusion before you can really make full use of its potential.

Still, if the looks of the camera around your neck are a priority, and you’re also just not patient enough to get into film, maybe the Nikon Df is for you. But at just shy of S$4,000 for the kit lens package, be prepared to fork out a hefty sum.

The Nikon Df comes in black or silver and is now available at S$3,699 for the body only. It can be purchased with the AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G (Special) kit lens at S$3,999.

Specifications:

16.2-megapixel full frame CMOS sensor

EXPEED 3 image processing engine

ISO: 100 to 12800 (expandable from 50 to 204800)

Storage: SD and UHS-I compliant SDHC and SDXC memory cards

Nikon Multi-CAM 4800 autofocus sensor module with 39 focus points