YouTube videos: Nikon Df video reviews, D5300 skydiving

By [NR] admin | Published: January 22, 2014

Just few interesting (and funny) videos to get us trough Hump Dayyyy:

Funny Nikon Df:

Kai from DigitalRev on the Nikon Df vs. D4:

Nikon Df first impressions by Chase Jarvis:

Nikon D5300 skydiving from 13,000 feet:

This entry was posted in Nikon D5300, Nikon Df. Bookmark the permalink. Trackbacks are closed, but you can post a comment.

Michiel953

That Fstoppers Df video is very funny, made me chuckle. Guess I’m not a hipster…

Hipsters, come out of hiding please!
- Paul
  
  I am so, so happy about Lee’s video. So awesome. I had to stop watching though because I was laughing too much at my desk. NSFW. I’ll watch the last 10 minutes when I get home 🙂 🙂
- benji2505
  
  Good and refreshing video – I agree. Some similarities to the Digitalrev style, but definitely better than the standard reviews. ‘hope to see more of this
  
  Concerning unboxing videos: somehow I think that these are on the same level as photos of your cat on social media. I wonder what drives people to publish this.
  - Joshua Boldt
    
    Some people love unboxing videos. They get tons of hits. I think there is a cathartic response; it feels to the viewer like he is opening something he will probably never really own. There is also a sense of wonder in buying something new (partly why some people are addicted to shopping) and you can get a little of that feeling watching an unboxing. And if you are a fan of the person doing it then you feel like you are involved in their life and/or you just love to watch anything they do. There is a lot of psychology to it.
sperdynamite

There are a lot of good reasons to criticize the Df, and he did touch on some of those, but really this just comes off as reverse snobbery. As if design should play NO factor in building a tool. Hasselblad 500/200/2000s, Rolleiflex cameras, Leica film bodies, Nikon FM/Es, and even some view cameras all had great industrial and aesthetic design. I don’t know why bringing that to a digital camera is such a terrible thing. Now, is the Df a failed attempt at that concept? I would say yes. However it’s not the fault of the concept, it’s the fault of probably groupthink at Nikon. Then again, working around Nikon’s switch from AF-D to G lenses does present a problem when integrating PASM modes with physical dials, so who knows.
- Global
  
  Yes. Uh, haha. Oh, please talk to us more about Hasselblad.
  - sperdynamite
    
    I could tell you that before they got bought out by venture capital they made some of the best cameras on the market. Since your memory only extends 12-14 months, you may be missing out.
    - Jer
      
      You mean Vulture Capital.
- groucher
  
  Nikon FM/Es – Nikon, give us a gimmick-free digital version of those.
- koenshaku
  
  Yeah it is a shame it was so close to being the D700S I could taste it. Then they gimped it below a D610 oh well there is the DF 2…
- MShelbz
  
  The fact he claims you have to use a button to change the aperture on the Df shows he spent no time actually familiarizing himself with it. There is a dial on the front which is easily adjusted without ever taking your eye out of the viewfinder.
  
  There is some good reasons to dislike it, but I challenge anyone to spend 2 weeks with it with an open mind and not come away enjoying it.
  
  I have had mine for a little over a month, I am not a “hipster” nor have I used “every professional DSLR Nikon has made” however I have used a D700, D800, and D4 and I still prefer my Df over them.
  - Patrick Hall
    
    The button he referred to is infact the rotary dial you mention….
    - MShelbz
      
      He said that while pointing to the back. Giving him the benefit of the doubt there, it is not a button nor is it a distraction or hard to adjust while looking through the viewfinder.
      
      He still is a douche either way.
      - Joseph Farrugia
        
        That last Freudian slip of yours gave you away 😉
        “Douche”, really? Just because you disagree with his findings & testing method, which happens to be literally as “in the field” as it gets?
        
        MShelbz
        
        No, it’s his smug way of doing it.
        
        Like I said, there are a good number of reasons to criticize the Df, but his approach was as douchey as they come.
        
        He was wrong about the front dial, it controls aperture NOT shutter speed, and he took no time to learn it which showed all he wanted to do was be an asshole about it.
        
        His negative “review” is the only one I have even replied to because it was less factual than the evidence the Bush administration had to go to war in Iraq.
tertius_decimus

Hipster video is HILARIOUS!
Alyosha Karamazov

Girl modeling cameras: You don’t want to use the camera?

Hipster:….(no)…

The funniest video I’ve seen all week!
Jeff Hunter

That guy could be a comedy segment producer on Letterman. That was so funny on multiple levels! I loved it!
Neopulse

Dude, I could NOT stop thinking about the Fstoppers videos being a short sketch in Portlandia. He should try out for that show with THAT outfit on.
Spy Black

As a young man who professionally grew up in the digital photography age, I can understand Lee’s confusion and misunderstanding of the Df.
- Nicéphore Niépce
  
  As a young man I professionally grew in the daguerreotype age, and as I understand it the Df is a failed attempt at a noble idea.
  - Spy Black
    
    I don’t see it as that at all. Throw on an Ai lens and that camera handles exactly as I’ve been used to cameras handling for the last 40 years. Nikon did a great job on it, the only things they did wrong in my book was overprice it and not give it an optional MF screen.
- Martijn
  
  As you grew up in the film-era, i can understand you let nostalgia get the better of you. He has some very valid arguments. An APS-C for enthusiasts would make more sense.
  - Spy Black
    
    It’s not nostalgia, it’s how I’ve been used to shooting. The Df with an Ai or D lens on it will work exactly as I’ve worked with a camera for the last 40 years. I know most people today don’t work that way, that’s why they think this camera’s layout is screwed up. It’s not if you shoot with it the way you would shoot with an F or an F2. This camera wasn’t made for the mainstream.
    - Read the FAQ
      
      The reality is that Nikon themselves changed the whole camera design paradigm beginning with the F4. And the F6 was the final film camera that marked this paradigm with the shift into digital sensor photography with the D3 (which is basically the F6 but with a sensor.) Are you implying that the F4, F5, and F6 aren’t ‘valid’ film cameras? And it wasn’t only Nikon doing this. Canon, Minolta, Pentax, etc., all went to the new paradigm with their own film cameras.
      
      The F film system cameras that preceded the F4 used the ‘original’ film camera paradigm with visual dials on the top plate, etc.. And as a user of a Nikon film camera (I still use the F3 almost daily with my Nikkor AI/AIS lenses), I do find the film Nikon F paradigm to be quite natural since I understand that ‘original’ film camera paradigm. But the Nikon D (and F4/F5/F6) paradigm is actually a lot more efficient and much quicker to use in the field (e.g., D3/D3s/D4/D800/D600/D610, etc..) For a digital D series Nikon, I prefer the paradigm that began with the film F4 and I’ve become quite used to it now.
      
      The Df on the other hand is a mashup of both the F and the D design paradigms and ends up being bipolar. The reality is that the Df is simply a romanticized attempt at going back into time. There’s no other reason for it whatsoever. But sadly Nikon got that whole attempt wrong. It could have been a truly spectacular product if it were more clearly thought out and with even better build materials. Personally, I would have paid good money for a genuinely unique product (as it is, it seems too much like just trying to jump on the ‘analog style’ bandwagon.) And since it was not “made for the mainstream” (as you say) it could have been a daring attempt at a truly Nikon F style camera (and with a proper focusing screen.) Instead it was a timid attempt that ended up confusing the consumer as to what it actually is supposed to be.
      - Spy Black
        
        I dunno, it didn’t confuse me, the intended target, and works exactly as i see it working. It certainly is not a well implemented hybrid, I’ll give you that, but if used strictly like an F or an F2? No problem.
Ernesto Quintero

LOL that was a great Df review. It’s looking like the D800 will be my next Nikon DSLR.
- Jeff Hunter
  
  I’ve been using the D800 exclusively since May of 2012. I love it! It’s surprisingly versatile. It focuses quickly for birds-in-flight shots. It’s low light capabilities are surprisingly good. Of course it’s unsurpassed for tripod shots requiring a lot of detail and dynamic range. With so many pixels its cropping potential is invaluable. You can crop in to the equivalent of a 600mm or 1000mm lens and still maintain a high res image. It’s an inexpensive way to get some super-telephoto shots without investing a ton of money in lenses that weigh a ton. Yes I know it’s not exactly the same image quality as a real 600mm or 800mm lens, but it’s still pretty damn good.
- dgr
  
  I don’t think that was a real review unless you also think the D800 was made for perverts. lol
One More Thought

First, that D5300 video is really terrific. I still feel that the D5300 is a terrific little camera and a great bargain, overlooked by many.

Two, that F-stoppers video was really funny, and well done. I do respect the guy’s opinion….but…as others have noted, I am tired of people acting as if it’s somehow wrong to buy a camera in part based on look, feeling, style, etc. People buy all manner of stuff on style, including homes, cars, boats, clothes, watches, jewelry, eyeglasses, and much of it costing far more than a camera. The world would be a boring place if everything was designed and bought purely on utilitarian purpose.

I guarantee you that every critic of the Df has spent a lot of money buying products based on style and feeling.

I give Nikon credit for trying to create a different type of product and break out of the shell that Nikon and Canon seem to be in. And yes I know the retro trend is hot these days, but it is unusual seeing Nikon step out like this.
- Bud
  
  “The world would be a boring place if everything was designed and bought purely on utilitarian purpose.”
  
  I disagree entirely.
  It’s human nature to have fun with whatever you have in front of you.
  Fashion, over the centuries, has gone through the most bizarre trends. In today and out tomorrow, no lasting value. People who pay more for it are suckers.
  On the other hand things valued for their functionality stay in style longer, because there’s an objective measurement of their value.
  
  The problem with the Df isn’t the styling, it’s the disparity between the functionality and the price.
Beso

No much of a review but the video was entertaining.
Csaba

The fstoppers video is hilarious 😀 There are some good points in there about the problems with the Df as well.

I love the form factor, perfect for FX and lenses, I’d say better then the thin a7/a7r bodies are much worse, especially for fast aperture lenses (which SONY doesn’t seem to make for this very reason). I love the looks and the build quality. But the problem is with the controls and ergonomics.

I don’t want Nikon to decide whether I want to slow down or not. I wouldn’t want to be forced to slow down. It’s my decision. But that’s what the Df controls does, especially the locked EC button on the wrong side of the camera. He also has a point about the shutter speed dial (most users will put them on 1/3 position and forget about it). There are a host of other issues.

Retro done well is when you look down at your camera, and you can see what settings you’re at. The Df fails in this respect. The shutter speed dial will lie to you unless you’re happy with changing shutter speed in full stops (which is rather sloppy). Same goes for the ISO dial. Nikon could have used the dial to set minimum or maximum shutter speeds, but didn’t, so another dial that will lie to you.

And then, of course the (con)fusion part – setting shutter speed on the dial AND fine adjusting with a dial. If anything, simplicity would be the main selling point, especially in full manual mode. Fuji gets this really well. But with the Df, you fiddle with locks first, set shutter speed on the dial, THEN rotate another dial to fine tune – this is brainless ergonomics.

The worst part is Nikon’s claim that it took the 4 years to develop this camera. 4 frickin’ years! I really applaud the idea of fusing retro and modern, but that’s exactly what Nikon didn’t do. Digital and physical controls works against each other, not complement each other. 4 years to put an FM2 top plate on a body that handles like the d600, only worse (cause at least the d600 has U1 and U2 modes, which the Df completely misses).

I don’t mind the price, I don’t mind the 39 point auto-focus, I like the size and weight, I love the looks, and I certainly love the sensor, but 4 years of design to come up with a camera with such bad ergonomics – not sure where Nikon is headed nowadays 🙁
- Spy Black
  
  “Retro done well is when you look down at your camera, and you can see what settings you’re at.”
  
  No, retro is done right when you never have to take your eye off the viewfinder. That’s exactly what Nikon did with the Df, if you stick an Ai or D lens on it. You’re just used to shooting with a modern camera.
  - Csaba
    
    Just used to shooting? Like most photographers in the last decade? And you’re wrong on the viewfinder part. It’s my main gripe actually – I can change exposure compensation on my d800 while looking through the viewfinder. You can’t on the Df – or at least it’s far more fiddly.
    
    Same goes for shutter speed. Hold the Df to your eyes, and then unlock shutter speed dial, rotate it, then fiddle with the command dial to get what you want. Seriously? Or you can just forget about the top plate mechanical dials, and use it as a fully digital camera (except you will still fiddle with EC). And that is a failure in terms of retro ergonomics in my book.
    - Spy Black
      
      “Just used to shooting with a modern camera? Like most photographers in the last decade?”
      Yes! Exactly!
      
      “Hold the Df to your eyes, and then unlock shutter speed dial, rotate it,
      then fiddle with the command dial to get what you want.”
      Once again, you’re shooting the way you shoot with modern cameras. Unlock the shutter speed dial period, put on an Ai or D lens and use the lens F-Stop ring, and the camera will start to make a lot more sense.
      - Csaba
        
        I see your point, it does work better with Ai or D lenses than any other recent Nikon camera. But Nikon ships a new G lens as kit, and lenses are besides the point. The Df could have a much larger appeal if it had a better design. What’s missing is the actual fusion between the modern and retro elements.
        
        Better EC button placement won’t hinder your ability to use your Ai lenses the way you want – or to shoot the way you want for that matter. A(utomatic) modes on the shutter speed and ISO dials would have made tremendous sense, and would have made the PASM dial redundant. Better, simpler design. The EC dial could have been there instead. Or if Nikon wants to keep the PASM dial, they could have at least implemented U1 and U2 modes instead of the mess of the shooting and settings banks that current pros are blessed with.
        
        Again, I get your point about using lenses with aperture rings (Ai and D) but that doesn’t solve the other problems with the Df design.
        
        Spy Black
        
        I wouldn’t argue that it could have been better designed to work as a modern camera does. Perhaps a future model may. But as a retro camera, it works perfectly.
Martijn

i think the F-stoppers video really has a good point. Problem is, many people only cherry pick the stuff they disagree with in the video and start hammering on it. If you listen closely he perfectly says what is wrong with the camera.

– It’s too big and bulky as a non- professional camera. And too pricey for most at that.
– It’s not professional, because buttons and dails change features. On a normal dslr every dial has one purpose, maybe two. This makes it fast and easy to use the camera without looking. The DF changes, and even makes the camera confusing to use (on manual shutter speed on the dial says 1/60, and on Aperture if put on 1/60 it could just as well be 1/4? thats just a design flaw in my opinion.)
– If this would be APS-C he would probably buy it himself. Because it would be less bulky, its normal to have less buttons and APS-C is used more by enthusiast and amateur photographers. As a professional you want the best and easiest to use tool for the job. And the DF is not that tool. But for enthusiasts it IS a great camera if it was less bulky
- Stan Chung
  
  It’s fast enough for wedding and event shooting.
  Aperture priority or manual with auto ISO or TTL flash makes it simple enough.
  
  It’s a great talking point with guests.
  
  Definitely not gonna be for chasing down subjects with. Different kind of pros use different tools.
- MShelbz
  
  I guess I should return my Df for being defective since I can change the shutter speed without unlocking a dial?
Alejandro Jack

This video is so fun! it great he should stick to them. Because like the many wanna be reviewers talks nonsense. If you shoot aperture you you don’t care about setting the shutter speed you leave that to the machine. that is the whole point if not you would shoot manual. You just set the aperture and you check though the viewfinder to see how it is going. If you where to change something that would be the ISO no the aperture. And either you are an aperture shooter or a shutter shooter it is very difficult that you are going to get mixed.

Its also funny hearing Scott Kelby saying “they got the apple style” or something about cannon like saying design matters and then the same people talking about the Df is just for the looks. IT shows just how silly and double standard are people these days.

if you don’t like the Df don’t buy it and have a d800 or a d600 wich is better value/cost ratio. Why bother with the witch hunt? Is it so important to wipe the witches out of the planet. Or is that are so unhappy with your camera and yourself that you wan other people to be unhappy too!
FredBear

FStoppers: Cool video.
“I’ve been using Nikon for 10 years and have used every Nikon camera” – but still can’t pronounce Nikon?
Credibility zero.
- dgr
  
  Nikon is pronounced differently depending on what part of the world you are in. I know if I say Nikon the way it is pronounced by Nikon in Japan, here in the US I will either be corrected or people just won’t know what I’m talking about. Based on the target audience the video was attended for, 99.99% will know what brand he is referring to so in the end isn’t that what matters?
- clifflwms
  
  Nikon pronounces it that way in North America in their own advertising, therefore it’s NOT incorrect. People pronounce things the way that companies pronounce it to them, this argument is a little old actually…
- Mansgame
  
  Nikon is written using English letters when it originally was written in Japanese; therefore, there is no “correct” way to pronounce it.
dgr

Fstoppers got a new subscriber in me, I didn’t know they were a comedy channel.

There are people who will take these things seriously and will say they offended Df owners, hipsters (a stereotype) and everyone else who has ever been stereotyped throughout history. Hence all the negative comments in the initial write up of the Df.

Personally I thought it was hilarious when they said the D800 is for perverts. LOL
fjfjjj

I learned that Chase Jarvis thought the Df would be the size of a M43 camera, and FStoppers showed me how a hipster writer will apologize for his own thoughts when they’re unpopular on the Internet. Learning every day!
- clifflwms
  
  I’d love to see most full frame lenses on an M43 camera! I don’t know how he thought that was going to happen.
Z

The cropped skinny jeans look is … cringeworthy over the top …
Deter Pinklage

Nikon are for perverts!
Zohar

DF is in fact a bullshit camera for one reason only! you can not focus it at night time since it doesn’t have an AF assist light..
What is the point in installing a D4 sensor inside a camera, without giving it the ability to focus at night and letting it use its notch ability?
but also it has no video, one memory card, only 1/4000 max speed.
So for 2750$ Nikon can choke on it (and I need a new camera as a D700 + D3 combo user)
Nikon F4 Lover

P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }No one can convince me that the real F3 WITH interchangeable viewfinder can not be a digital SLR: https://scontent-b-ams.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/t1/1620690_621968861202884_500583162_n.png

I bet that Fstoppers would have liked the Df if it had an interchangeable viewfinder, look how he crawls on the ground for his view. I am not gone buy a (Nikon) DSLR without interchangeable viewfinder.
- Sundra Tanakoh
  
  Most likely this could be done given today’s electronics. The right side would need to be enlarged a bit to handle the battery, or maybe an extended height (D3, 3s, 4 sized) to put the battery and cards slots on the bottom. I think the thing I have always loved on my F2 and F3 is the interchangeable top and view finder, swapping that top off for a sports finder was always very helpful. Still miss the cats eye. Now when we talk retro…yeah that would do it for me at least.
Tomas

Going through the comments and playing spot the clueless hip- err.. “pure photographer” sure is fun (and easy)!
Larry L

Coming from the film days, 35mm, & 2 1/4 then going digital, I never liked the controls that you need to hold down with one hand a spin a wheel with the other, from, my past digital Nikons I have and had.. I really like the analog controls, and not so fat body, using the f stop ring on my old lenses, that you do not even need to see, you can just feel were you are at, works great for me. Why did they change that anyhow? The one glance from the top to see about all your settings with the metal nobs sets this camera in a class by itself, the camera i always wanted.

The IQ is amazing since after ISO 300 or so all the other higher pixel Nikon’s drop at a faster rate in Dynamic range, color depth. This one still brings out brilliant detail and color at higher settings. The colors just pop more. I almost never need a flash. I have a 48″ wide printer and do do billboard prints, and find the images very sharp for all my needs and unless I wanted the ultimate detail as in testing lenses shooting a flat object at f8 on a tripod. The weight of the body is also a real plus. I really do not know why so much criticism on this camera. Little pet peeves for the most part that hide the brilliant design. Even the battery door that is designed to snap off and not break, if set down on while open, is criticized. The focusing system for me works well and in real world shooting this camera is very versatile.

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