As far the smaller Df grip - it is designed to be held old school way with left hand under the camera with fingers gripping the lens and (manually) focussing the lens. The right hand is more a support. Its only a modern thing that you walk around holding cameras with one hand.
One of the rare photographers who seems to understand that dual-card slot isn't the good backup. Exactly needed is multiple cameras and preferred to even shoot multiple cards by swapping cards now and then to new empty one. The only benefit to shoot on both cards same time, is to minimize card reader error that could corrupt the card while in reader and connected to computer. Then you can get a new reader and read a second card.
Dave, it's a good thing most of your generation never worked with big-bulky-all-manual medium format bodies from the 1980's-1990's era! I love the DF. It's the best DSLR Nikon has ever produced. Is it perfect? No, it isn't - and neither are the rest of the cameras on the market. The sad part about our industry is camera manufactures have turned photographers into tech geeks. Way too much emphasis is put on electronic features. Wish they'd get back to the basics of photography. If Nikon were to make a totally manual DSLR with a stellar sensor found in the DF, I'd be one of the first one to buy it. But it doesn't exist, and I bought a DF because it's the closest thing to it.
+Mario Menard My Asian genes are pretty good, so it might come as a surprise that I started my career shooting the four-letter-word FILM! Still haven't brought myself to sell off my beloved Hasselbad kit, so I'm no stranger to the "good old days". The Df is ok for nostalgia, but there's better gear out there for both ergonomics and focus acquisition.
Totally, I'm between the 750 and the DF, now the balance is more on the DF because of the nicer sensibility of the D4 sensor, and because I'm just used to FE series bodies, besides it's so damn good looking, I think it's the most beautiful DSLR camera ever made.
It takes a bit to get used to, but give it a chance and it's the most versatile way of focusing and instantaneously switching from continuous to faux single-shot mode. Cheers and thanks for watching!
Some good points, I have had to re glue the rubber on my d300s and I never noticed the front lug on my Df being in the way, it is in the front for better balance since the body is light and thinner than the new bodies. The door pops off as a designed safeguard not to damage it if set down while open or bumped. You can see the small boss in the metal for it to pry off. With the Df you can see most of your settings at a glance, I now can use my Fstop rings that allow me to have a solid start stop analog set so I can just feel the setting. Also I at times, bumped my front wheel throwing my speed off and not realizing it. You also need two hands to change the ISO and exposure compensation & mode on the modern camera's. The Df is better sealed and has a all metal bottom also so your tripod mount in not in plastic. The grip just takes a little time to get used to but for one handed shooting, holding a bounce card or flash, I use primes and the 28-105D older but very, light, sharp and contrasty, $185 ebay nikon zoom. Forget the 24 -70 tank for one handed all day work.
Hi Dave, I enjoyed and agree with most of your ergonomic review of the D750. I did notice, however, that you didn't mention the difficulty one has to go through when changing the settings in the shooting mode wheel, i.e going from single shot (S) to continuous low (CL) or CH or Q etc. I have fairly large hands and holding down the button and turning the wheel is a bit of finger contortion. Looking forward to your future comments on the D750.
Thanks Ralph Sealey ! Re: shoot mode wheel. I don't find myself ever changing this setting, as the 3-shot CL mode allows me to reliably take single shots and then continuos 3-shots/sec. I also find the Quiet modes useless (not a lot of reduction in noise), so keep it on CL. That being said, I'm not a sports shooter, so rarely find myself needing more speed so YMMV. Cheers and happy New Year!
Love your review here. I shoot with a D750 and the classic D700. For some reason, I was interested in how the Df compared. The best aspect about the D750 is the tilt LCD and its killer low light ability. Have not picked up my D700 for some time. This week I took it out for a spin. The colors that it produces are fabulous. Almost sold it on eBay.Glad it's still in my stable.Love your videos.What interested me the most in this review was your take on the grip and how uncomfortable it is.
Thanks for commenting James and for the kind words. Warms my heart :) . I agree: Nikon colours are super good. And yeah: I don't miss holding the Df at all. I'm going to be doing a review of the Sony A7iii I just picked up and I also dislike the "feel" of the camera vs my stable of D750s. God bless and thanks for contributing to this community :)
Excellent comparison! Especially liked the 2 slots point. Frankly, I never understood all the rave about 2-slots. Get a fast 64-128 (or more) card and have 1 or 2 more as spare ones. Resolved.
+Serge Seva Cards do fail, even Sandisk - I use Sandisk cards bought from a chain camera store and they do fail. Human error - you wipe a card you may be able to get the data back, may be you can't. You have a second card and you have a second copy. Obviously 2 cameras or 2 shooters with 4 cameras is good too, but that covers a different failure mode.
Jason T They may fail. Agreed. However, it never ever happened to me. Plus, if I really need to protect some photos from accidental wiping , I can always lock them on the card (at least, my Olympus camera has this protection feature). Two slots is good, no arguments, but it's not something photographers should panic about, if their camera lacks them.
i'd say - df is rather for street photo, you'd get a leather strap on side, pass your hand in it and it'll hang very secure all the time (i hate neck straps :-). guess i've smaller hands than you - i personally prefer df feel, d750 is a bit too big for me. leather on df - yes, you can buy it on aliexpress and glue it again... df became very interesting option today, in 2019, they finally became affordable, ~800 euros with less than 1/2 mtbf on shutter... i don't shoot video with nikons (i do it with g80 or rx100), for me df is sexier and more pleasant for street and travel... personally the thing i miss the most (besides its crappy af, as opposed to one on my d7200, for example) - lack of af assist for dim places shooting, i'm obliged to mount old sb26 on it just to get af assist for better af speed
Dave, loved the reviews of the '750. I can't wait to get one and retire my two D200's! Noticed you do not talk about the battery grip accessory. Do you use them and if not, why?
***** I don't use the grips because I have small asian hands ;) I have a buddy who needs and loves them, so definitely not a necessity, but see how it feels for you as everyone has different hands and preferences.
Very interesting - thanks for posting - I really like the idea of a DF but not the spec nor the price ! Roll on the DF 2 (sure its on the way) wish Canon would be brave and bring out a similar product ( I use several brands - NOT a fan boy of any - overall I prefer Canon) - in the meantime I'll keep going Nikon retro with my 1976 Nikkormat FT2 ....
Thanks for watching mikeismad61 ! Not sure when Nikon will roll out an updated Df: historically they're a little slower than the competition with rolling out updates (with exception to consumer cams). Glad to find a fellow brand-agnostic photographer :) Happy shooting!
***** It's quite common for the DF loosing the eye cup as there isnt any lock mechanism. Got mine replaced and still wondering how it got it lost in the first place.
Hey Dave, if you like to have instant control over ISO / shutter / aperture, why don't you assign the movie button to change the ISO? I think that solves your problem. It's possible with the D810 (one handed, ISO and Auto ISO control), check it out for the D750.
Hi Dave, the position of the camera strap logs is not really an issue because when shooting the strap is always down and not in the way. Until I saw your vid, I never thought about it in the last 3 month with my DF and also never thought about in the the last 20 years with my F3 which has the strap logs at the same position. The DF is for people like me, never stopped shooting old SLR's, using (old)lenses with aperture ring, and shoot most of the time manual or in A mode. Its just that Nikon didn't go the whole way like Epson did with their RD1. My only complaints so far are the missing Focus screen (fixed now with the new K screen from focusingscreen.com) and the (for me) useless switches and buttons from the digital models. Nikon should fix this with the next version, and also deliver the cam with a flip screen like the Epson. 24MP and no low pass filter would be also nice.
TheMod2001 Thanks for your input. Will agree to disagree re: strap lugs :) It's not so much about the strap being in the way as the lug itself. We carry our cams on slinks via the bottom 1/4-20 mount, so straps are not physically in the way. But the lug is *always* in the way. Cheers and happy shooting!
Hi Dave, thanks for sharing. Am going to buy D750. Just wondering, can we check the shutter count with D750 itself? i mean without opening photos taken by D750 with certain softwares or uploading them to some websites.
Mrlolibre Loaded question! LOL! We were Canon shooters years ago. It's really a matter of personal choice as both can create great images, but I believe the Nikon D750 is king of stills for most right now.
somehippie Just figured out you're asking about the silicon ring on my *finger* :) No: it was a birthday gift from my wife - we practice karate and can't wear jewelry (to prevent sparring injuries). But good catch: it's strangely handy for opening jar lids and lens filters :D Cheers and happy shooting!
I got a question, is the 1/4000 max shutter speed a problem if I want to shoot at f/1.8 for the bokeh in bright sunlight ? too bright ? sometimes I got a problem with my D7100's 1/8000 so I guess it would be worse, and sure I know D750 is much better in low light than the D7100 but what about sharpness both are 24 mp but the D7100 has no low pass filter , I need your opinion and thanks in advance :)
Ahmed Elshorbagy Have not shot with the D7100 so cannot give meaningful comparison. But full frame trumps cropped sensors in all cases I've experienced. Re: 1/4000. Not as big a deal as you might thing, especially since they added the low ISO50. Either way, you can't shoot at 1.8 in full sun without neutral density filters.
Both cameras have those antiquated round lugs that date back to the original Nikon F days. Poor design as you cannot attach the camera strap directly to the camera - instead you need either a metal ring (round or triangular) in between. The Canon design is much better which allows the strap to loop directly to the camera
Actually, it might be my third-party lugs (I always remove the included ones because I prefer the Gordy's strap lugs with a couple of their o-rings to prevent scratching).
Such an old review but lets comment anyway right? The grip being narrow. Add a grip extender or make one like old photographer's used to. Honestly this camera seems like it got the short end of the stick from photographer's that lack creativity (not in terms of images but ingenuity). Instead of complaining why not try to fix the problem yourself ah too much work. Add a flash arm (problem solved) Add a rotating grip, problem solved. Add an L bracket, problem solved. Add a block of wood to the side and tape it to your camera, problem solved. Add textured tape to it for friction then attach your camera to a camera strap (dual, single, sling, etc). Hold your camera from the base of the lens and bottom plate to support your lens and camera body. Add a battery grip (don't think Nikon made one but a Chinese company did.) Out of the box I'd say the DF gets C for ergonomics compared to today however there's grips and cages to be mounted. Also this camera could have made a lot of people money. How? Well the only way to make real money is to solve a problem that can positively effect a large group of people.
But add this and add that makes for a bulky and heavy kit. I agree that part of being a pro is creative problem solving. But good design and ergonomics don't have to be mutually exclusive.
@@dqstudios I'm not understanding your response. Better ergonomics on a full frame DSLR would be too bulky from adding a grip, that would fix the issue. But if it came like that from the factory I'm assuming it wouldn't be an issue and not considered bulky. But if you the user add the grip it is bulky? I'm saying it like that b/c when you add the grip that's made for the DF it's still smaller than 99% of all full frame DSLR bodies.
@@dqstudios Adding a battery grip would be overkill for a camera that shoots over 1300 photos on one charge. I guess the way I wrote things suggested a person put all that stuff on at once. I was making suggestions as to get around the ergonomic issue most have stock. For me personally I don't have an issue with the ergos b/c of how I use my index and middle finger. I shoot with my middle finger most of the time and use my index finger for selecting exp. comp.
As far the smaller Df grip - it is designed to be held old school way with left hand under the camera with fingers gripping the lens and (manually) focussing the lens. The right hand is more a support. Its only a modern thing that you walk around holding cameras with one hand.
One of the rare photographers who seems to understand that dual-card slot isn't the good backup. Exactly needed is multiple cameras and preferred to even shoot multiple cards by swapping cards now and then to new empty one.
The only benefit to shoot on both cards same time, is to minimize card reader error that could corrupt the card while in reader and connected to computer. Then you can get a new reader and read a second card.
Dave, it's a good thing most of your generation never worked with big-bulky-all-manual medium format bodies from the 1980's-1990's era! I love the DF. It's the best DSLR Nikon has ever produced. Is it perfect? No, it isn't - and neither are the rest of the cameras on the market. The sad part about our industry is camera manufactures have turned photographers into tech geeks. Way too much emphasis is put on electronic features. Wish they'd get back to the basics of photography. If Nikon were to make a totally manual DSLR with a stellar sensor found in the DF, I'd be one of the first one to buy it. But it doesn't exist, and I bought a DF because it's the closest thing to it.
+Mario Menard My Asian genes are pretty good, so it might come as a surprise that I started my career shooting the four-letter-word FILM! Still haven't brought myself to sell off my beloved Hasselbad kit, so I'm no stranger to the "good old days". The Df is ok for nostalgia, but there's better gear out there for both ergonomics and focus acquisition.
+Dave Cheung Asian genes??? How does that have anything to do with the discussion?
Totally, I'm between the 750 and the DF, now the balance is more on the DF because of the nicer sensibility of the D4 sensor, and because I'm just used to FE series bodies, besides it's so damn good looking, I think it's the most beautiful DSLR camera ever made.
Loved your explanation of the bottom and tethering that you didn't mention could be used wirelessly using the hot shoe
Never thought of removing the autofocus from the shutter button. That actually sounds super intuitive to my way of shooting. Awesome tip!
It takes a bit to get used to, but give it a chance and it's the most versatile way of focusing and instantaneously switching from continuous to faux single-shot mode. Cheers and thanks for watching!
Some good points, I have had to re glue the rubber on my d300s and I never noticed the front lug on my Df being in the way, it is in the front for better balance since the body is light and thinner than the new bodies. The door pops off as a designed safeguard not to damage it if set down while open or bumped. You can see the small boss in the metal for it to pry off. With the Df you can see most of your settings at a glance, I now can use my Fstop rings that allow me to have a solid start stop analog set so I can just feel the setting. Also I at times, bumped my front wheel throwing my speed off and not realizing it. You also need two hands to change the ISO and exposure compensation & mode on the modern camera's. The Df is better sealed and has a all metal bottom also so your tripod mount in not in plastic. The grip just takes a little time to get used to but for one handed shooting, holding a bounce card or flash, I use primes and the 28-105D older but very, light, sharp and contrasty, $185 ebay nikon zoom. Forget the 24 -70 tank for one handed all day work.
Excellent video ...thank you!!
Hi Dave, I enjoyed and agree with most of your ergonomic review of the D750. I did notice, however, that you didn't mention the difficulty one has to go through when changing the settings in the shooting mode wheel, i.e going from single shot (S) to continuous low (CL) or CH or Q etc. I have fairly large hands and holding down the button and turning the wheel is a bit of finger contortion. Looking forward to your future comments on the D750.
Thanks Ralph Sealey ! Re: shoot mode wheel. I don't find myself ever changing this setting, as the 3-shot CL mode allows me to reliably take single shots and then continuos 3-shots/sec. I also find the Quiet modes useless (not a lot of reduction in noise), so keep it on CL. That being said, I'm not a sports shooter, so rarely find myself needing more speed so YMMV. Cheers and happy New Year!
Love your review here. I shoot with a D750 and the classic D700. For some reason, I was interested in how the Df compared. The best aspect about the D750 is the tilt LCD and its killer low light ability. Have not picked up my D700 for some time. This week I took it out for a spin. The colors that it produces are fabulous. Almost sold it on eBay.Glad it's still in my stable.Love your videos.What interested me the most in this review was your take on the grip and how uncomfortable it is.
Thanks for commenting James and for the kind words. Warms my heart :) . I agree: Nikon colours are super good. And yeah: I don't miss holding the Df at all. I'm going to be doing a review of the Sony A7iii I just picked up and I also dislike the "feel" of the camera vs my stable of D750s. God bless and thanks for contributing to this community :)
Excellent comparison! Especially liked the 2 slots point. Frankly, I never understood all the rave about 2-slots. Get a fast 64-128 (or more) card and have 1 or 2 more as spare ones. Resolved.
***** Yes!
+Serge Seva
Cards do fail, even Sandisk - I use Sandisk cards bought from a chain camera store and they do fail.
Human error - you wipe a card you may be able to get the data back, may be you can't.
You have a second card and you have a second copy.
Obviously 2 cameras or 2 shooters with 4 cameras is good too, but that covers a different failure mode.
Jason T They may fail. Agreed. However, it never ever happened to me. Plus, if I really need to protect some photos from accidental wiping , I can always lock them on the card (at least, my Olympus camera has this protection feature). Two slots is good, no arguments, but it's not something photographers should panic about, if their camera lacks them.
+Jason T veteran comment. professionals would chose 2 over 1
Save raw on one card and jpeg on the other.
Df, I love it!
i'd say - df is rather for street photo, you'd get a leather strap on side, pass your hand in it and it'll hang very secure all the time (i hate neck straps :-). guess i've smaller hands than you - i personally prefer df feel, d750 is a bit too big for me. leather on df - yes, you can buy it on aliexpress and glue it again... df became very interesting option today, in 2019, they finally became affordable, ~800 euros with less than 1/2 mtbf on shutter... i don't shoot video with nikons (i do it with g80 or rx100), for me df is sexier and more pleasant for street and travel... personally the thing i miss the most (besides its crappy af, as opposed to one on my d7200, for example) - lack of af assist for dim places shooting, i'm obliged to mount old sb26 on it just to get af assist for better af speed
Dave, loved the reviews of the '750. I can't wait to get one and retire my two D200's! Noticed you do not talk about the battery grip accessory. Do you use them and if not, why?
***** I don't use the grips because I have small asian hands ;) I have a buddy who needs and loves them, so definitely not a necessity, but see how it feels for you as everyone has different hands and preferences.
Very interesting - thanks for posting - I really like the idea of a DF but not the spec nor the price ! Roll on the DF 2 (sure its on the way) wish Canon would be brave and bring out a similar product ( I use several brands - NOT a fan boy of any - overall I prefer Canon) - in the meantime I'll keep going Nikon retro with my 1976 Nikkormat FT2 ....
Thanks for watching mikeismad61 ! Not sure when Nikon will roll out an updated Df: historically they're a little slower than the competition with rolling out updates (with exception to consumer cams). Glad to find a fellow brand-agnostic photographer :) Happy shooting!
I hope to see the comparison of the pics but I did not see any ..
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Nice video, your missing the eye cup cover on your Df get one before dust gets in ;)
Antonio Alcala Good catch! I told you I always lose that stuff ;)
***** It's quite common for the DF loosing the eye cup as there isnt any lock mechanism. Got mine replaced and still wondering how it got it lost in the first place.
Kenny Chan Glad I'm not the only one! LOL! :)
*Golden Opportunity… !!! Black Friday You can buy Canon EOS Rebel SL1 very cheap here Only $599* amzn.to/1zbbCjp
Hey Dave, if you like to have instant control over ISO / shutter / aperture, why don't you assign the movie button to change the ISO? I think that solves your problem. It's possible with the D810 (one handed, ISO and Auto ISO control), check it out for the D750.
Jens Mollenvanger Yes: I have :)
Great comparison! I have the D750 and planning to have df also. Can you do a review of nikon 58mm f1.4g? Thank you
Thanks for watching! I only review gear I'm interested in purchasing, so no 58mm f1.4 review in the works.
Hi Dave, the position of the camera strap logs is not really an issue because when shooting the strap is always down and not in the way. Until I saw your vid, I never thought about it in the last 3 month with my DF and also never thought about in the the last 20 years with my F3 which has the strap logs at the same position.
The DF is for people like me, never stopped shooting old SLR's, using (old)lenses with aperture ring, and shoot most of the time manual or in A mode. Its just that Nikon didn't go the whole way like Epson did with their RD1. My only complaints so far are the missing Focus screen (fixed now with the new K screen from focusingscreen.com) and the (for me) useless switches and buttons from the digital models. Nikon should fix this with the next version, and also deliver the cam with a flip screen like the Epson. 24MP and no low pass filter would be also nice.
TheMod2001 Thanks for your input. Will agree to disagree re: strap lugs :) It's not so much about the strap being in the way as the lug itself. We carry our cams on slinks via the bottom 1/4-20 mount, so straps are not physically in the way. But the lug is *always* in the way. Cheers and happy shooting!
*****
Ok, makes sense in this case. Thx for the reply.
You could always try using a camera strap if your fed up of holding it.
We do use camera straps. But you still have to hold it to shoot.
what lens do you recommend for weddings - 24-70 and 70-200? best price
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Hi Dave, thanks for sharing. Am going to buy D750. Just wondering, can we check the shutter count with D750 itself? i mean without opening photos taken by D750 with certain softwares or uploading them to some websites.
longyan kanpan I don't know of a menu item which shows the shutter count.
Just stay with your 750 and I’m happy with my DF
Is Nikon better than Canon? Is that the reason why you personally use Nikon?
Mrlolibre Loaded question! LOL! We were Canon shooters years ago. It's really a matter of personal choice as both can create great images, but I believe the Nikon D750 is king of stills for most right now.
Is that a rubber ring for camera stabilization?
somehippie Just figured out you're asking about the silicon ring on my *finger* :) No: it was a birthday gift from my wife - we practice karate and can't wear jewelry (to prevent sparring injuries). But good catch: it's strangely handy for opening jar lids and lens filters :D Cheers and happy shooting!
Sometimes SD cards fail and having 2 cards helps.
I got a question, is the 1/4000 max shutter speed a problem if I want to shoot at f/1.8 for the bokeh in bright sunlight ? too bright ? sometimes I got a problem with my D7100's 1/8000 so I guess it would be worse, and sure I know D750 is much better in low light than the D7100 but what about sharpness both are 24 mp but the D7100 has no low pass filter , I need your opinion and thanks in advance :)
Ahmed Elshorbagy Have not shot with the D7100 so cannot give meaningful comparison. But full frame trumps cropped sensors in all cases I've experienced. Re: 1/4000. Not as big a deal as you might thing, especially since they added the low ISO50. Either way, you can't shoot at 1.8 in full sun without neutral density filters.
Thanks for your time, really helpful :)
+1 kung fu grip!
What camera did you film this review with?
itzdizzle21 I used a Nikon 5300 with the fully articulating LCD screen. Cheers!
Ah the DF. The camera that proved some people have more money than brains. 😂
Both cameras have those antiquated round lugs that date back to the original Nikon F days. Poor design as you cannot attach the camera strap directly to the camera - instead you need either a metal ring (round or triangular) in between. The Canon design is much better which allows the strap to loop directly to the camera
Actually, it might be my third-party lugs (I always remove the included ones because I prefer the Gordy's strap lugs with a couple of their o-rings to prevent scratching).
Thank you.. your qualms about the Df is rather pedantic though
Such an old review but lets comment anyway right?
The grip being narrow. Add a grip extender or make one like old photographer's used to.
Honestly this camera seems like it got the short end of the stick from photographer's that lack creativity (not in terms of images but ingenuity).
Instead of complaining why not try to fix the problem yourself ah too much work. Add a flash arm (problem solved) Add a rotating grip, problem solved. Add an L bracket, problem solved. Add a block of wood to the side and tape it to your camera, problem solved. Add textured tape to it for friction then attach your camera to a camera strap (dual, single, sling, etc). Hold your camera from the base of the lens and bottom plate to support your lens and camera body.
Add a battery grip (don't think Nikon made one but a Chinese company did.)
Out of the box I'd say the DF gets C for ergonomics compared to today however there's grips and cages to be mounted.
Also this camera could have made a lot of people money. How? Well the only way to make real money is to solve a problem that can positively effect a large group of people.
But add this and add that makes for a bulky and heavy kit. I agree that part of being a pro is creative problem solving. But good design and ergonomics don't have to be mutually exclusive.
@@dqstudios I'm not understanding your response. Better ergonomics on a full frame DSLR would be too bulky from adding a grip, that would fix the issue. But if it came like that from the factory I'm assuming it wouldn't be an issue and not considered bulky. But if you the user add the grip it is bulky? I'm saying it like that b/c when you add the grip that's made for the DF it's still smaller than 99% of all full frame DSLR bodies.
@@dqstudios Adding a battery grip would be overkill for a camera that shoots over 1300 photos on one charge. I guess the way I wrote things suggested a person put all that stuff on at once. I was making suggestions as to get around the ergonomic issue most have stock.
For me personally I don't have an issue with the ergos b/c of how I use my index and middle finger. I shoot with my middle finger most of the time and use my index finger for selecting exp. comp.
@@dqstudios also the little grip you'd add is like the weight of a nickel so I'm def confused about the heavy comment.
vdo recording to iso button that I try to find thanks a lot