Richard & Caroline's Blog

It’s always risky giving first impressions of a camera you have never used, the Nikon Series 1 V1 should have taught me that.

So the Nikon DF the ‘Retro’ Nikon, harking back to the days of the great Nikon FM, FA, and of course the F3.  Well theres the good the bad and the ugly.

First the Good.  Its based on a Nikon D600 with a D4 sensor that for users who currently have a D700 makes it a great upgrade path.  While it will not keep up with a D4, with that sensor it will have great quality and fit with people who thought the D800 is over kill.  I love the analogue controls on the top and while a bit chunky it does not look to bad.

The bad, well thats the price, for basically a D600 and focusing package with the D4 sensor its way over priced.  I would also like to know if the mount is attached to the back via the metal chassis, in the D600 it is not which means people like me with big long heavy lens risk warping the mount reference to the back.  The D800 and D4 has no such issue.

And the Ugly, well as much as I like analogue controls, when Nikon moved to the G range of lens they lost the aperture ring so there is an odd aperture control on the front and from the back its still looks like any other digital SLR.  I know its tough getting away from the large LCD and digital controls but Epson got it right when they embarrassed Leica by producing the worlds first digital Rangefinder with the RD-1 with the reversible back.

I have to admit I like it, but at £1000 over the cost of a D600, sorry I would rather buy the D800 and spend money upgrading my computers to cope with the 36 MP files.  Money better spent I think.  For now I will scratch my Retro itch by using my Leica M4, M8, Hasselblad V and Ebony.  Now the Ebony, thats Retro!

Yesterday was the Lincoln Photo Show.  We had Canon and Nikon with there current range, no Nikon DF (more thoughts about that soon).  Olympus and Panasonic where also there and Sony.

There was also the usual second hand stalls and accessories.  Altogether a good turn out.

The second hand stalls had some great old film classics, Large Format, Medium Format and 35mm all covered.  I was tempted a little by one of the old wooden large format cameras with a brass lens but I have to keep reminding myself, despite my collection of Leica’s, a Ebony, Hasselblad and a brace of Nikon SLR’s I am not a camera collector.

I was particularly interested in trying out the smaller mirror less cameras.  I am still not sure where Nikon is going with the Series 1 range and I may give it the boot and move to either a high end compact like a Ricoh GR or MicroFourThirds.

The little Olympus OM-D E-M5 was my first port of call, I did not have as long as I would have liked with this but it felt good in the hand.  Unfortunately it had no battery so I could not give it a real try.

Next was the new Full Frame Sony A7, now this was much better then I expected from the pictures.  If I wanted a camera as a second body to my Leica then this would bit it.  I also found the viewfinder very good.  I have issues with the viewfinder in the NEX-7 and was worried about this one, but I had no issues with it.

Lastly I had a good long play with the Panasonic GX-7.  Now this was a fantasic little camera and the viewfinder was excellent and even had an easy to use and very powerful diopter adjustment.

I spent some time comparing the Sony and the Panasonic.  The Panasonic is a very competent camera with nice handling.  I would struggle to justify the extra price of the Sony.  While I know the Sony is aiming at a very different market being full frame, the Panasonic is just so good for so much less cash.

The Panasonic would fit in with my needs quite well and would replace the Nikon V1 but a Sony A7 just replicates what I already have in the Leica M8.  While one could consider the Sony to be a very good spare body for a Leica outfit, and with its high image quality, full frame sensor rivals a Leica M which costs a great deal more.

I think a number of owners of Leica Glass would be very tempted by the Sony and Leica glass would get round the biggest issue with the Sony, and that is there lack of very good high quality glass.

So that has given me lots to think about.

While at the show I also got the change to have a look at the NEC Spectraview Reference Monitors.  Capable of displaying 98% of Adobe RGB they make an excellent monitor for a digital darkroom.  I might just have to get one for the new office as a Christmas present to myself.

So after all the rumours and for Nikon a clever advertising campaign; not something they are usually good at the new ‘Retro’ Nikon was announced.

It actually looks quite good, and a few years ago would have been a must buy for me. For general use the DF hits the sweet spot in many areas. Full frame, smaller and lighter then many DSLR’s of this spec and 16 MP which to me is about ideal. While I would love something like a D800 for studio use and weddings it’s 36 MP means slow work flow. I would need to invest in new computers, not something I am intending, unless someone wants to buy me an 11 inch MacBook Air for Christmas to fit in my camera bag or the new MacPro for my office.

At 16 MP it should have excellent noise and would be very useful in a church during Weddings, so I might still get one in a years time when prices start to slip. As a carry around camera my retro needs are now fulfilled by my little Leica M4 and Leica M8.

I have not yet had a good look at the spec it sounds very D4 like in some areas if that is the case then this will be one sweet ‘Retro’ Camera.

While Leica with the M has been the ultimate retro camera, many camera manufactures now are playing the retro card.  Fuji in particular have been very good at this with some of the X cameras.

The last few weeks has seen more and more rumours spreading about a retro Nikon coming soon.  Many have said it will be a modern digital Nikon FM.  I have the Nikon FM2 and its one of the best all mechanical 35mm SLR’s available.  Hopefully Nikon will announce it on Tuesday and we will know for sure.

Street Photography is generally all about shooting people, generally without them noticing.  The stronger images tend to be ones that tell a story, ask a question or are of a decisive moment.

This example I took at the weekend is more a question kind of image, you wonder what the man is thinking about as he takes in the magnificent view of Lincolnshire Cathedral.

This weekend was the annual Lincolnshire Sausage Festival; and we also had a celebration of Food and Farming in Lincoln Cathedral.  Lots of interesting characters, stalls and things to taste and photograph.