For me, it's like when I switched from Canon to Nikon after shooting Canon for over 45 years. I borrowed a friends Nikon for an afternoon just to see what Nikon was all about and I really liked how my pictures came out. I started paying attention to the DF thread and the manual focus lens thread where the shooters were using a DF and just really liked the pictures they were posting. It just evolved from there I guess. I also like the idea of smaller files too. Now only time will tell if I end up as happy as I think I'll be.
sandycrane wrote:
I have never found the images from the d4 and Df to be exceptional. I know I must be missing something. What should I be looking for?
Obviously . . . exceptional . . . is subjective. Exceptional pictures in my opinion have far more to do with the photographer than the equipment.
I'd be interested to learn what bodies in your opinion produce "exceptional" pictures. Steve P's pictures seem exceptional to me?
ab7638 wrote:
It was a difficult decision....DF users had some really great photos and I would have gone the DF route if it wasn't for the fact that my granddaughters do ballet and sports. Lots of low light focusing or fast action. I'm hoping to sell my D810 to off set the cost of going with the more expensive D4.
I shoot a lot of high school sports and drama. You will love the D4 . . . especially for sports. For drama my D800 was excellent.
I think you are making a good choice to go with a D4. It will cover both sports and drama and you very likely will be happy!
Grantland wrote:
Obviously . . . exceptional . . . is subjective. Exceptional pictures in my opinion have far more to do with the photographer than the equipment.
I'd be interested to learn what bodies in your opinion produce "exceptional" pictures. Steve P's pictures seem exceptional to me?
Thanks.
Hi,
Well, I assume that those who choose the D4 and Df did so because they found something special in the IQ of the sensor. Perhaps it was more about the professional qualities of the D4 and retro design of the Df?
Anyways, I like the old Canon 5Dc for its almost pastel colors and smooth sharpness. I like the D810 for its resolution and its bright colors and tonality. Although not a SLR, I really like the Sigma DPMerril because it blows my socks off. Many of the photos I've seen from from the DF seem muted and lacking in bite. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.
sandycrane wrote:
Hi,
Well, I assume that those who choose the D4 and Df did so because they found something special in the IQ of the sensor. Perhaps it was more about the professional qualities of the D4 and retro design of the Df?
Anyways, I like the old Canon 5Dc for its almost pastel colors and smooth sharpness. I like the D810 for its resolution and its bright colors and tonality. Although not a SLR, I really like the Sigma DPMerril because it blows my socks off. Many of the photos I've seen from from the DF seem muted and lacking in bite. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places....Show more →
Honestly, I don't think there's anything "exceptional" about the sensor in the D4, other than it's low light abilities. I actually like the sensor in my D810 better, especially for color at ISO under 1600 ~3200, depending on the scene. However, the D4 sensor is still really nice, has good dynamic range, decent color and is situated in a camera that's amazingly aggressive when it comes to getting the shot. When I'm in a situation where I need to capture an image no matter what, the D7200 and the D810 get left behind and I grab the D4. Period.
That said, I also believe much about what makes a good photo has far more to do with the light and conditions than anything the camera brings to the table. Not sure if the images below are exceptional, but I'm pretty happy with them
Steve,
From your examples I can see you've made good use of the high ISO capabilities. I especially like the exploding Polar bear!
With the D810 with Zeiss lenses and the Sigma Merril I have become addicted to micro-contrast, and perhaps that is what I miss in the Df images. ( I am not as familiar with the D4.) I see some of this in the Polar Bear foreground and the mosses and lichens, but I miss sparkle in the water by the brown bears.
I guess its just a personal problem.
What I do see is the countless hours you spend in the wild waiting for that right moment and your ability to hit the button when it arrives.
Sandy Crane
Boise, ID.
In my case, I prefer my DF image output to the D800's with my D800e mostly gathering dust (it's a great camera but I love the feel and the way the DF works and have yet to have any problems locking the AF on to target).
sandycrane wrote:
Steve,
From your examples I can see you've made good use of the high ISO capabilities. I especially like the exploding Polar bear!
With the D810 with Zeiss lenses and the Sigma Merril I have become addicted to micro-contrast, and perhaps that is what I miss in the Df images. ( I am not as familiar with the D4.) I see some of this in the Polar Bear foreground and the mosses and lichens, but I miss sparkle in the water by the brown bears.
I guess its just a personal problem.
What I do see is the countless hours you spend in the wild waiting for that right moment and your ability to hit the button when it arrives.
Sandy Crane
Boise, ID....Show more →
Sandy,
Most of what you describe you are looking for may have more to do with camera settings and or post processing than it does with sensor technology.
