TechSmart 121, October 2013 TechSmart 123, December 2013 | Page 8

NEW GEAR

HOT STUFF

NIKON Df

Awesome retro looks are not the only attraction of the
beautiful Nikon Df, since a full-frame sensor is also onboard.
Hi-Ho Silver!

In keeping with its old-school design philosophy, Nikon has left out
the video recording functionality. If
you want video you will have to pull
out your Galaxy S4.

With looks reminiscent
of Nikon’s old 35 mm
cameras (in our opinion
the old F3), there is
something very attractive about the Nikon
Df’s magnesium alloy
body. With companies like Olympus
and Fujifilm going
retro for awhile now,
we’re glad Nikon
finally jumped on the
bandwagon.

With a weight of 765g it’s Nikon’s
lightest camera in the FX (fullframe) line-up, being 85 g lighter
than its D610 full-frame brother.
Still, it’s no match for the almostnot-there 465 g of Sony’s recent
A7R full-frame mirrorless camera
(see below).

Matching its film-camera
looks is the Df’s 16.2
megapixel full-frame CMOS
sensor, being the same size
as a 35 mm film negative – 36
x 24 mm. It translates to good
low light performance, wide dynamic range and of course better
image quality.
The Df will be
available in SA
mid-January. There
is no local retail price
available yet.
$2 747 Statesides
(body only).

NO WEIGH!
It’s not only Nikon’s Df that is heating up the full-frame segment, since Sony’s recently announced Alpha 7 and 7R are also inspiring chatter for all the right reasons. One downside to
going full-frame is the accompanying weight issue with these larger cameras. Thanks to its
mirrorless design the Alpha 7 and 7R cuts down on bulk considerably, weighing in at 474 g
and 465 g respectively. What needs to be seen is how pros take to the digital viewfinders on
these, instead of the traditional optical ones.

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December 2013 | TechSmart