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Retro digital cameras are still in, but I’m here to tell you that you can forget about the many old-school mirrorless models with modern smarts from the likes of Fujifilm and OM System, and should check out the Nikon Df instead.
Launched in 2013, the Df was and remains the only DSLR of its kind, with retro design cues from Nikon’s good ol’ analog SLR cameras from decades past – think Nikon FM2 and others.
It’s bound by the same physics as Nikon’s F-mount DSLRs, which means it’s a blocky hunk of metal when compared to today’s streamlined mirrorless models, including 2023’s Nikon Zf, but by DSLR standards it’s on the smaller side, plus it also has a DSLR feature that seals the retro deal.
That feature is a bright and natural optical viewfinder. Retro mirrorless cameras such as the Nikon Zf, Fujifilm X-T50, and OM System OM-3 with their useful electronic viewfinders can’t quite reach the same retro heights as the Nikon Df with its lovely OVF, and its retro goodness isn’t even limited to that primary hook.
The DSLR is available secondhand only for approximately $950-$1,250 / £850-£1,150, depending on the condition, from reputable retailers such as MPB (who supplied the camera for this feature, many thanks), and is my top retro pick in 2025 – here are another five reasons why.
Less is more
The Nikon Df is riddled with limitations and, contrary to popular opinion, I think those limitations only strengthen its appeal. This is a camera comfortable in its retro skin.
Check this out – the Nikon Df doesn’t shoot video at all. And quite right – this is a retro camera and since when did an analog SLR shoot video? I get it, just because a feature is there, such as video recording, it doesn’t mean you have to use it. But knowing this is a photo-only digital SLR only amplifies its retro appeal, plus it results in a simplified menu because there are fewer options to pick from.
Want to shoot video? Other DSLRs and mirrorless cameras will do that modern trick in addition to photography – this one is photo all the way, and my second reason.
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Thirdly, the Nikon Df‘s full-frame sensor only shoots 16MP stills – it’s the same sensor as the Nikon D4 pro sports DSLR. By today’s standards, that’s not a lot of detail to play with. However, on the flipside photos look super clean in low light thanks to an ISO 100-12,800 sensitivity range that can be expanded to ISO 50-204,800. Trust me, I absolutely adore the look I’ve been getting in my photos with the Df – see some of my photos, above.
Reason 4: there’s also only a single card slot – boo to the Df I hear you say. Only, since when did a film camera take multiple rolls of film simultaneously? Once more, I like the limitation here – I’m stuck with one SD card, whether it corrupts or not. Just to be clear, card corruptions are pretty rare and you can mitigate the risk by regularly formatting the memory card in play (not before you’ve backed up, of course).
Truly old school
Where the Nikon Df shines among its peers is those exposure dials on its top plate; one each for shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation (see gallery below). These dials not only look the part, but they encourage you to take manual control of exposure and to learn exposure basics in a way that other DSLRs don’t. Many retro mirrorless cameras offer the same controls, such as the Nikon Zf, but no other DSLR does, and this is my fifth reason.
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What the Nikon Df does best though, is encourage you to slow down and enjoy photography
One trick the Df has up its sleeve, that more functionally complete Nikon DSLRs actually lack, is compatibility with Nikon’s vintage non-AI lenses – that’s those that predate 1977 – as well as Nikon’s modern-day lenses. That means you can attach an F-mount analog SLR lens with aperture control to the Df, and it’ll work just fine. Again, no other Nikon DSLR can do that, and that’s my sixth and final reason.
I paired the Nikon Df with an array of my own modern F-mount lenses for Nikon’s DSLRs, including the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art and Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 G, as well as older manual focus-only glass, such as 1981’s Nikon Ai-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.2. Knowing that just about any Nikon F-mount lens will work, including vintage optics, leaves me wanting to try out the weird and wacky lenses from decades past.
Retro as it may be, the Nikon Df is a digital SLR and enjoys many modern conveniences. It utilizes the same 39-point autofocus system as the Nikon D600 and shoots at rates up to 5.5fps, all recorded onto an SD card. There’s also some kind of witchcraft occurring with battery life – the tiny 1,230mAh unit somehow outperforms the likes of the Nikon D800’s physically larger unit.
What the Nikon Df does best though, is encourage you to slow down and enjoy photography. Like other retro cameras, its design is tailor-made for use with compact fast aperture primes, and to be used as an everyday walkaround camera.
For street photography and portraits, the Df is a winner and I can easily see it as my long-term backup camera for when I want to simply enjoy photography and sharpen my skills and technical knowledge. I can’t say the same for my Nikon D800, and for that reason, the Df is an absolute winner. What do you think – would you buy a DSLR from 2013 today? Let us know in the comments below.
