Comparing the Nikon D610, Df and D800

Last week, I held in my hands, both the Nikon D610 and the Df. And while Df was kinda cool, the D610 impressed me the most.

My initial reaction was, “Wow, this feels light”. But the D610 is only slightly larger than the D90 I‘m used to. And because it’s only about five ounces heavier, it feels lighter than it should. It felt great in the hand, and considering this is a full-frame camera, I would have no qualms about carrying it around all day.

The grip made all the difference. All the grip material on this camera has a grippy, rubberized feel, unlike my D90, D50, and N80.

The Df is almost exactly the same weight as the D610, but with all that “metal”, my perception was that it was actually lighter, because I felt that the metal should have made it heavier. Despite its appearance though, this is not your uncle’s Nikon. The metal is NOT dull chromed brass, but aluminum (or something like it), and it just didn’t have the right feel. Sure, it looks retro, but it doesn’t feel retro. In fact, it feels kind of…chincey. The black model might subdue that perception. And, I can see where the controls might be difficult to work with. 

The D610 on the other hand felt just as good as the D800, which I also held in my hands. And at seven  ounces heavier, and substantially larger, the D800 felt cumbersome.  The build quality was essentially the same, and both felt like they belonged in a class together. Except that the D610’s machined logo shows up the D800’s understated “pro” tampo.

I had downloaded the user manual PDF a while back, and have been reading it religiously ever since to see if this camera is actually going to do what I need it to. Subtleties like, can I shoot a DX lens in full-frame mode (Yes!), and can I now use the aperture ring on a manual focus AI lens (Yes!), and just how does the viewfinder indicate a DX crop? And can I use the mirror lockup with a remote release (Yes!) and will those wonderful User Mode presets store the settings I need them to (Yes!). From what I can tell, every restriction I have thus encountered has been lifted. 

The menus have been spruced up a bit graphically, but otherwise don’t depart significantly from the standard fair. And the controls are much improved with the AF mode button concentric with AF-MF lever, and that wonderful release mode dial that it shares with the fully-pro bodies. The addition of a dedicated button for picture control makes perfect sense. 

To have a full-frame DSLR with this level of performance, plus the convenience of Auto, Scene and U1 and U2 modes will be the best of all worlds.