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Before the launch of the Nikon Zf, photographers massively lusted over the Nikon Df. Many of them wanted a retro-style camera body. And originally, all we got was a smaller, APS-C option. And still, the Nikon Df remains to be the Nikon F mount digital camera that really lasted and ended up being lusted over more than nearly any other out there. We published our review of the camera in 2014, and it still is one of the reviews we reference a few times a year. And, back in 2023, we even updated it.
But is the Nikon Df still a camera that’s worth it in 2025? Honestly, I’d say yes — if you’re looking for a specific look. The Nikon Df had a 16MP full-frame sensor. That’s in this place beyond the 12MP sensors that are considered by many to be the holy grail and instead gives us a bit more megapixels. However, as Nikon always has, this camera is about performance in low light. In that way, they’ve always been so much more conservative than others.
As it is, most full-frame sensors these days are 24MP. With the Df being lower, the images will be cleaner than most cameras you can get from this time period.
Obviously, though, you’re not buying this camera for the image quality. Instead, you’re buying it for the experience. And indeed, the experience is a nice one. But at the same time, Nikon designed this camera almost like something that they didn’t totally want to commit to. It was only when the Nikon Zf launched that it felt like a camera the brand really wanted to get on board with.
One of the most important things about the camera though, is the mount. In our review, we stated, “The combined CPU and Ai notch (collapsible metering coupling lever) is the most innovative thing on the camera, as this allows you to use the old non-Ai lenses which cannot be used on other Nikon DSLRs.” Our review also says that it sometimes feels very plasticky and that it doesn’t feel like a $2,700 camera — which is cost at the time. Today, you can get it for around half that price as it still retains its coveted nature.
