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Archive 2014 · Nikon DF does catwalk

  
 
Paul_K
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Nikon DF does catwalk


Maybe this might interest someone.

Bit the bullit and got a DF this Thursday

As I plan to use it seriously tomorrow, I decided to put it to the test (and familiarise myself with it) on a local fashion show in the Hague, The Netherlands.

Pain points to be tested were:
- AF speed, as the internet is full of stories that the 39 pints AF is not fit for really heavy duty, especially under bad light and fast moving subjects
- Size, said to be too small for comfortable use with anything other then small prime lenses

IMO no painpoints : DR, and high ISO. The modified D4 sensor does the job excellently, even with heavily under and overexposed files (yes I messed up at times)

Venue was in a shopping mall, partly in the central hall with a mix of daylight from high windows, sometimes bounced or diffused, sometimes directly on the models, and with the artifical light from the window displays from the shops in the central hall, and partly in the corridors running from the central hall to the shops with mainly the running lights and the lights from the displays of the shops.

Set up: DF with 70-300 VR in Manual Mode, AF-C (shutter priority) with 39 AF points.
Exposure between 1/250 and 1/400th at F6.3 (ISO between 640 and 2500, I messed things up a bit), WB daylight with an additional SB800 in BL TTL / FP mode for fill in the central hall and for when shooting in the corridors.

Size : Having worked with older films camera's like the F2 and FE in similar set ups (4.5/80-200 zoom and Metz CT64's) I had not problems with the smaller body and larger lens (and flash on top)

AF: Also no problem, was fast enough for me, even when using the AF fields on the outside on the fast moving models (why do they always do that ...) in the dimmer corridors.

http://www.pbase.com/paul_k/20140322_new_babylon

On a side note, despite the lower MP count, I really liked what the modified D4 sensor in the DF does. Like it much more then the one in D800, although I'm not writing that one off.



Mar 24, 2014 at 09:12 AM
Chris Court
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Nikon DF does catwalk


Totally agree: My AF also gets very shaky after 39 pints.



C



Mar 24, 2014 at 11:37 PM
niXer
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Nikon DF does catwalk


Yeah I am glad I bought the Df when I did.

I still have my D3 for anything mission critical but the Df is the camera I use the most. For 90% of what I shoot it fits the bill nicely and my God the weight makes shooting all day a breeze.

I too worried about the speed and while it's no D3, it is no slow-poke either.

Glad I am not the only one. Too bad too many people panned it without even trying it!



Mar 24, 2014 at 11:56 PM
Vinnie_VdB
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Nikon DF does catwalk


Very difficult circumstances to take pictures but when I looked at them at original format is non really sharp and colours are "different". Don't know it it was the resizing, pbase, ... A few examples:
http://www.pbase.com/paul_k/image/154927137 'grainy, skin tone, lacking sharpness)
http://www.pbase.com/paul_k/image/154927132
...

The 70-300mm is also I'm afraid the weakest link in your set. A camera like the Df deserves the 70-200f2.8 (with a 1.4TC for example) to really shine.



Mar 25, 2014 at 12:15 AM
Paul_K
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Nikon DF does catwalk


Vinnie_VdB wrote
Very difficult circumstances to take pictures but when I looked at them at original format is non really sharp and colours are "different". Don't know it it was the resizing, pbase, ... A few examples:
http://www.pbase.com/paul_k/image/154927137 'grainy, skin tone, lacking sharpness)
http://www.pbase.com/paul_k/image/154927132



You're right about the IQ of these two pictures. But in defence of the DF, I must mention that the original shots were heavily (well over 2 stops, I messed things up ) under exposed, so I have had to pull some tricks in Capture to get an somewhat acceptable picture. Given the nature of the shoot (testing out the new camera) I have also not taken the trouble to get the 'ideal' perfect processed shot (I'm not much into LR and Photoshop anyway) and just did some exposure and color correction (together with resizing and sharpening) in Capture.


The 70-300mm is also I'm afraid the weakest link in your set. A camera like the Df deserves the 70-200f2.8 (with a 1.4TC for example) to really shine.


I beg to differ, the 70-300 is a much better lens then is often given credit for. Sure, the 70-200 VRII is a much better lens, as should only be expected given the price difference, and together with my 2/200 and 200-400 lenses are my standard choices for serious catwalk photography.

http://www.pbase.com/paul_k/20120609_antwerp

But as said previously this was just for playing around and testing the camera for size and AF speed (which alsomuch better and IMO incorrectly by so many 'reviewers' been written of beforehand purely based on reading the specs). And I must admit I had a good time from the presumptuous reactions of the 'professionals' when they saw me shooting with what looked like some old fashioned (I have the silver version) and a 'consumer grade' lens.

And to aggravate things , I plan to mainly use the DF with my 35+ year old manual lenses (it was a luxury purchase as I already have a D3 and D800 for professional shooting), which for all the nostalgia and love poured over them, in all honesty are really not on par (technically speaking) with the modern top lenses.

PS Sorry for the Bold letter type, guess I did something wrong here too ...



Mar 25, 2014 at 06:10 AM
davidnholtjr
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Nikon DF does catwalk


Good stuff.

But the models look like they are bored, only a couple smile.



Mar 26, 2014 at 09:29 AM
sjms
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Nikon DF does catwalk


they always do. its the "look"


Mar 26, 2014 at 09:30 AM
davidnholtjr
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Nikon DF does catwalk


sjms wrote:
they always do. its the "look"


Well it's for the "Fashion" anyway, so I guess they don't need to smile.



Mar 26, 2014 at 09:51 AM
low325
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Nikon DF does catwalk


everytime i see threads like this....

keep d800, or sell and get Df
keep d800, or sell and get Df
keep d800, or sell and get Df
keep d800, or sell and get Df!!
keep d800, or sell and get Df!!!!

what do i do?!?! sigh....



Mar 26, 2014 at 01:06 PM
Paul_K
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Nikon DF does catwalk


low325 wrote:
everytime i see threads like this....

keep d800, or sell and get Df
keep d800, or sell and get Df
keep d800, or sell and get Df
keep d800, or sell and get Df!!
keep d800, or sell and get Df!!!!

what do i do?!?! sigh....


Two different camera's for IMO two whole different uses

D800: Fast AF (on par with D3, be it somewhat less snappier), high MP count (could matter if you sheet pictures which require much detail, cropping afterwards, or smply like to pixelpeep) good high ISO (close to D3), due to high pixel count/detailed files carefull shooting technique and excellent lenses recommended. The high pixelcount for some is a major selling point to boast about and 'proof' their professional status.

DF: full frame in small body (no matter what they say, it's about the size of a D70), excellent high ISO (D4 sensor) very acceptable AF (OK, not as good as D800 or D3, but still..). Less MP and 'less' detail allows sloppier shooting style then D800. Depending on version may look very much old fashioned amateur camera ( I have the silver one and really had those kind of reactions, so quite the opposite of the fake hipster image some accuse the camera of) which might suite you or not.

Must admit that for me it a luxury purchase, based very much on the second set of reasons, also helped by the fact I still have several old manual lenses I never felt comfortable using on the D3 and D800 (too small for such big bodies). And I was able to get a good deal at Calumet in The Netherlands on the camera + lens set during their Spring Festival. As a pro I can get a refund of the 21% VAT and I was able to sell the lens within two days after purchase.



Mar 26, 2014 at 03:14 PM





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