Stop. Stop Showing Me The Pictures. Now I Want One, Too...

The way of the world is changing. No longer do we get told about new cameras before the customers. They get told before us - or they tell themselves. The rumour sites run red hot as soon as someone can get a faint whisper, and the imaginative writers can all file their copy on the merest whiff of a specification.

I am no different. I have not seen the new Nikon DF, nor am likely to do so for some time. I've skimmed D P Review, Rockwell, and The Vegetarian's Guide To Defusing Mortar Bombs and rephrased their speculative writing as best I can. In truth you can use your mouse to click over to their sites and get your rumours fresh...

But. I do have some ideas about it - firstly, I want to see it in hand - my hand.

I tried another much-rumoured product from a different manufacturer last week when their sales reps brought two examples in. Superb specifications, and should produce great images, but not if my right forefinger is pressing the button. My right forefinger had difficulty getting to the button, as it was positioned for someone else's hand geometry. With a camera strap on it just couldn't do it. Lovely camera, but no. Just no.

I have hopes for the Nikon DF. The ergonomics of Nikon cameras have always worked out well for me. The specs say it is considerably lighter than the other camera in the range that carries the same sensor, and that is attractive too. I always craved that sensor for its low-light capability, but quailed at carrying the machinery to support it. Old wrists are weak wrists.

Likewise, I like that the promise of being able to mount any number of older Nikon lenses to it - I HAVE any number of older Nikon lenses. Some are so convenient that they are the go-to choice even in the face of the fact that brand-new glass from Nikon is even better. I am not ashamed to admit that I can fool myself into thinking anything - I know my own weaknesses.

There may be a lot of readers who are in the same boat out there - and I think that they should set about cleaning and shining their collection of Nikon-mount lenses right now in preparation for the delivery date - whenever that turns out to be - so that they can bring them down here to the shop in a cardboard box and try out the new body. I am going to start tonight.

Note: This last weekend I was tasked with doing a wedding in a church that did not allow  flash photography. I squeaked it in with a Nikon D300s at 800 ISO and my zoom lens set on the VR setting. The church had glass walls and they opened one up to let the air in and the perspiration out. I see from the EXIF that I was down to 5.6 and 1/50 second for most of the ceremony. Thank goodness I work close to the floor and adopt the kneeling rifleman's position - the images are sharp enough. In future, if I can persuade myself to get the DF, it will be possible to push that ISO to 3200 easily and grab a stop and a speed and balance on one foot off the altar. Roll on the DF roll-out...