Yearly Archives: 2013

Nikon Df

Cameras

What were they thinking?

Retro looks in cameras are nothing new. Olympus replicated the looks of its (excellent) film era OM SLRs in the OM-D MFT models and Panasonic and Fuji have had a good go at the Leica M rangefinder in their GX7 and X100, respectively. These latter two models added better digital sensors and took away bulk, cost and weight, so there really was something new being said there.

But Nikon’s attempt, the Df, which seeks either to copy the film era F3 or the FM/FE/FA, depending on which you wax more poetic about, looks like an exercise in futility. And failure.

Here are the reasons why:

  • A ridiculous $2,750 asking price for the body only
  • Bigger than the FM/FE/FA by a substantial margin
  • The D4’s 16mp sensor at a D800 price. Heck, you can get the 24mp sensor in the D600/610 for a great deal less
  • A comically cluttered look from any angle – the sell being that this is a return to ‘pure photography’
  • Claims that pre-Ai lenses can be used – ummm, if you like metering stopped down, that is – oops, forgot to mention that ….
  • No movie mode. Duh!

As for the ‘pure photography’ crap, I count 32 switches and dials on this comedy hour special. For comparison, I get to 26 on my D3x, hardly a ‘simple’ camera.


Clutter galore.


More clutter and complexity.

Ah, you say, but look at the technological sophistication.

Uh huh. Like:

  • A low sync speed metal focal plane shutter
  • A very noisy flapping mirror
  • A mid-20th century pentaprism glass hunk
  • A tired focusing device – one unsuited to MF ‘purity’
  • No interchangeable focusing screens
  • A rubber plug doubling as a (not so) built-in eyepiece shutter for those ‘purist’ night shots on a tripod
  • No ten pin accessory connector socket

A fool and his money may be easily parted, but I rather doubt Nikon will see too many of either when it comes to this abomination – fools or money. It used to be doctors and dentists who collected toys like this; now a few will sell to Silicon Valley geeks and their pictures will be every bit as good as those of the medical set which came before.

Christopher Morris

Photographers

An astute eye.

Christopher Morris is an American photographer residing in Paris. His is an exceptional vision, strongly attuned to the absurd, especially in his observations of American politics, though the results have none of the nastiness found in the work of a Robert Frank. He sees the quirkiness and silliness of our political process but delivers his vision through gentle and very perceptive eyes.

Some of the funniest work is to be found in the ‘L’Officel Paris/Republican Fashion’ – the images here do all the talking, no narrative required:


Click the image for Morris’s web site

Highly recommended. Also be sure to check his glamorous fashion images for Dior/Armani/Lacroix. The use of manipulated selective focus here is especially effective. Check also his ‘American Portraits’. Where the easy thing would have been to succumb to the temptation to do a hatchet job on these stereotypes, Morris takes the high road, delivering images with dignity and calm insight. Finally, the Dolce & Gabanna images are simply lovely, as high class as is everything about this label.

Try to see his site on an iPad. The UI is the best engineered I have yet seen.

Stacks

Dining, Paintings

A lovely environment.

If you want to get into any of the three Stacks restaurants – in SF’s Hayes Valley, in Palo Alto or my local, in Burlingame – get there as soon after 7:30am opening as possible. Much later and there is certain to be a long line outside and there’s a good reason for that.


Stacks this morning. iPhone5 snap.

The service is world-class and the environment is reminiscent of nothing so much as a Tissot, although dress standards are not what they were in Victorian times:


James Tissot’s ‘Ball on Shipboard’ – 1874. Tate Gallery.

And while you can probably get similar food at the local greasy spoon for less, you will not get the atmosphere to be enjoyed here, at Stacks you will not be forced to converse with horny handed sons of toil at the bar. My son did serious damage to a couple of pancakes and I destroyed the all meat omelette. The pot of coffee provided, and left on our table, would have fueled a whole Arctic expedition. With tip our meal came to $30.