Which to buy: Nikon Df or Nikon D4s?

Jim Grey at Down the Road posted another batch of photos from his Nikon Df today.

I've had a low-key hankering for one since the first time I saw it. It used to be because I pined for classic dial & knob controls, but that was before I really learned to use the wheels on a modern DSLR. (There's a reason that pro cameras have used the dual wheel setup since the days of the Nikon F5 and Canon EOS-1 film cameras, and it's not because professional sports photographers can't figure out knobs and dials.)

My hankering for the Df, therefore, is purely nostalgic these days, but there's another reason for it.

I use Canons for work, so my old Nikons are purely for fun. Because of that, I'm not going to dump a ton of money into Nikon lenses. And because of that, there's only one lens I own that really works well on my Nikon D800: the 24-120mm f/4G VR. The D800 is a fantastic camera, but the 36MP sensor really reveals the weaknesses of cheaper lenses, especially non-stabilized ones.

The 16MP sensor in the Df would offer more resolution than my D3 or D700 while still working well with older/cheaper glass.

There was a time, not too many years ago, when prices on used Nikon Df bodies had slumped down around nine hundred bucks or so. I should have bought one then.

These days, prices on the collectible Df have crept up to the $1200-1300 mark. Meanwhile, prices on the Nikon D4 and D4s pro bodies have slipped below a grand. Heck, you can get a D4 for under $800 if you shop around.

The D4 has the same 16MP sensor as the Df.

The Df has those vintage looks and old-fashioned knobs. The D4 has everything else: Rugged pro body construction, twice the frame rate in burst mode, a monster battery, the vertical grip and shutter release, et cetera.

When I first started pricing them, it was the D4 that was way more expensive and the Df made sense. With the price tags swapped out, however, the D4 is looking like the no-brainer for me.

Plus I have a real weakness for pro bodies.

Which would you pick?

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