When I open the rename dialog on a file in DO12, the field that has focus first is the "old filename" - it would make more sense for it to be the new filename IMO?
As it stands, I have to tab and type rather than just type?
I may be in the minority though, in that I've disabled inline rename so F2 on even just one file brings up the rename dialog.
Opus 11 used to work that way, but several people explicitly asked for the change to what we now have in Opus 12. 
You usually have to change the old name, even if just to *, when doing batch renaming, so I think what Opus 12 does now makes sense.
For simple renaming where you only type the new name for each file, inline rename usually makes more sense (although I see you've disabled that).
Hehe, figures that I'd be in the minority 
Don't suppose it's too much to ask to have it as a setting? Even an advanced one? 
I completely agree with Rename dialog tweak - focus on new filename
I find much more along with the new method Opus 12, and I hate the way