This is the best F4 review I've seen, and I think I've seen them all. You hit on some important specs, but didn't get distracted by them. Then, you hit the important things that are NOT specs: ergonomics, for example.
I don’t use AF very often, on account of having few AF lenses, but I took mine out last weekend and shot with an AF-D type lens and found the F4’s performance to be quite good in that regard.
I absolutely love this camera! The ergonomics are wonderful compared to any of the other Nikon film cameras. Just feels great in the hand, and the fact that you can get it so cheap absolutely makes no sense. It's a work of art, so go for it if you're on the fence!
I have this camera and absolutely love the way it fits in my large hands perfectly. Incredible ergonomics with all controls knobs and buttons in the right places for ease of use.
Totally agree ! I have a number of Nikons and this is by far my most favorite ! And the weight of this beast has left me with an impressive forearm. Thanks for the great video!
It's funny: you ended up with an F4 while searching for an F3. I was searching for an F4 and I ended up with an F90X (I believe it's called N90S in the States). It's another great Nikon film camera, but every now and then I still find myself wanting an F4. Finding one in decent condition has been difficult as of late, and now with the film photography renaissance I'm seeing prices rise everywhere in the used market. Great video, by the way. You deserve way more subscribers! Cheers!
I honestly never expected one to pop up. I agree on prices - cameras that you couldn’t even give away a few years ago are now fetching a fair amount... it’s even worse when it comes to lenses.
Great video and review of this 80s gem! I got a camera and lens combo deal on OfferUp for $350 just few months ago. It was a Nikon F4s SLR with Nikkor 50mm f1.8 af-d and the 300mm f4 af-d along with some original accessories and books. Everything works fine and I am very happy about it.
Nice Nikon F4 video. It makes me happy to see newly created content about Nikon F4. I've been using my Nikon F4s at least 4 years. And it's solid, reliable 35mm film camera.It's still my main film camera to shoot film.
It seems in Japan everyone must be issued an F4 at birth because there are a ton for sale and in amazing condition. I bought one from a guy in japan shipped for 175.00 and its like brand new. great camera.
I can confirm this! Just bought two for me and my girlfriend. Two F4s and two Lenses for $480 at the thrift shop! They have so much well-preserved old electronics there, Japanese people really take pride in their belongings.
That’s a great deal. I think I might have to plan a trip to Japan to go hunting for classic camera gear and electronics... once things are back to normal that is.
If there is any such thing as a stylish beautiful looking camera the F4 is it. I have 2 of them and I love using them. I am now subscribed to your great channel. Cheers!
Hi! Is it possible to mount old vintage manual glass on the F4? (I have a bunch of contax zeiss, zuiko... converted to EF) will there be huge limitations other than the lack of AF? thank you!
@@gearheadchannel hmmm, so I will have to use the few Nikon vintage lenses I have in hand with an F4. Bummer... I really love the C/Y Zeiss lenses that I use. On Panasonic and Canon. Thanks for the reply!
Yeah, you can convert a majority of SLR lenses to EF, but not much goes the other way. There are some adapters out there, but they either don’t have infinity focus, or the elements that correct for infinity focus have a major impact on image quality.
@@gearheadchannel thanks for elaborating on the topic, much appreciated. On the one hand the F4 is too cheap/attractive to pass up on... On the other hand, I will be limited in the lenses I can use (from what I read AI, AI-S and AF among others are supported by the F4. That will be 4 lenses in my stable... :) )
This camera is just damn fun to own. I stopped in to my local camera shop with it on me and the guy at the counter got knocked back into nostalgia land when he saw it. He couldn't believe how minty mine was.
I just got a used F4 from ebay and it's in amazing shape. I loaded up some batteries and everything seems fine. Can't wait to try it out. What is your favorite lens?
Favourite lens in my collection? Probably my Nikon 105mm f/2.5 Ai-S. It works pretty nice on the F4, but I’m kind of on the hunt for something that’s more general purpose for it. Maybe the 35-70 f/2.8 AF-D.
Personally, I love my F4. As soon as I heard about it and saw a picture of it on the internet, I thought it was beautiful! I never understood why people hated him. It fits very well in the hand and the shutter is very soft, allowing low-speed shooting. A beast this F4!
The F4 does not have tracking AF as we think of it today, it has continuous auto-focus and can be set to refocus between each shot in burst mode (edit: but you have to keep the subject in/on the AF point yourself). How it works... when you set the AF to continuous it will focus constantly when you half-press the shutter but if the frame advance mode is set to continuous high, or silent (Ch, Cs) (burst mode) once you press the shutter and hold it pressed it will continue to fire *without* refocusing between each shot. If you set the frame advance mode to continuous low (Cl) and the AF to continuous it will operate as before, but with the difference that it WILL refocus between each shot but only on the subject that is in the focus brackets. SOURCE: the F4 manual, pg. 37-38 (cdn-10.nikon-cdn.com/pdf/manuals/archive/F4-F4S.pdf)
(For ME), the Nikon F4s is the best feeling camera (of any format) in terms of holding it. I LOVE the size, weight, ergonomics, and straightforward layout. The epitome of 'analog'. All switches and buttons. Everything feels solid and precise. The Nikon F4s feels like it was machined out of a solid piece of steel and covered in rubber. Problem is...............they're 30+ years old and A LOT of them have LCD bleed issues, which as far as I am aware, cannot be fixed. On the flip, NOTHING you buy new today will last half as long, nor will you want it to.
I concur! The interface is possible the best representation of how a camera works... it’s funny, because at first it’s almost intimidating - then you realize how obvious it is.
LCD is not really needed as settings are chosen manually. Nice to look at though. Sellers on eBay try not to mention LCD, plenty are leaking. Love my F4 too, feels more solid than F5.
I got mine for about a little less than than the f3 usually goes for on eBay and I have been loving it. I use the ai lenses on it and really enjoy the experience of this camera.
Although brought up on film I could never afford the switch from Minolta 9 (still have use and adore) to the Nikon film bodies, as soon as pay improved and digital kicked off I went for the Nikon D1h loved it and killed it, replaced with and still using and loving the D3s. Anyway Im hooked on film cameras again and just dropped on an f4 on a local auction site it's been tested and all looks good. Cannot wait to get this beast in my mitts. Great review mate liked and subbed. Regards and all the best for 2022. Paul
@@gearheadchannel 2022 will be a cracker fingers crossed we just have to avoid bugs lock downs and conflicts but above all else just keep enjoying photography 😂❤️
@@gearheadchannel hey mate my Pleasure to sub you have some seriously good videos to watch cheers and thanks for the return in support much appreciated mate 📷❤️
I bought one many years ago at a super low price, when everyone was switching to digital. The US model comes with the vertical grip/extended batter pack + date back, which makes it super heavy and bulky. So I recently got the smaller battery holder and plane film back from Japan and presto-chango, it is now comfortable to carry around. Sadly, it is now putting scratches in the film, curved scratches from the upper left corner of each frame. Bummer.
Great video man, love my F4 and still use it regularly beside a Nikon DSLR, yep, that lens compatibility f**king rocks! Only suggestion I have is the F4 shutter sound is a bit sexier than the one you used at the end. Liked & subscribed
I have been agonizing over this camera for weeks now. I am in love with the design. I've got one in pristine condition that I can get. Guess I just need to pull the trigger.
Good video, however I would disagree with your saying that the Nikon F4 (and F4s I suppose) was hated. In fact it was a very welcome upgrade in many areas from the F3. Prior to my F
I had one from 1989 - 2001 & loved it. It got stolen from the media room @ the Mtl. Jazz Fest. I had it replaced with 2 F100s. They were OK & then I switched to digital D1x & on D800. I recently saw a # of videos on the F4 by Art of Photography & the Camera Store & I fell in love with it again. So I looked into getting one. I got one from Japan for $180 delivered + $27 Duty. It arrived in 10 days & I don’t think it ever had batteries or film in it. I was so pleasantly surprised. I absolutely love it !!!!!!!!
@@gearheadchannel just found your channel as I looking for a Nikon film camera to go along side my digital cameras looking forward to the journey and seeing what you do next I have some catching up to do 👍🏻🇬🇧
I just pulled the trigger on one and will hopefully receive it in the following days.... The offer was just the body and a Polaroid back for the now defunct FP-100c film... no lens. I do have a 50mm F1.8 from my Nikon EM to put on though, so I can't wait until it gets here... :-)
Hi! Yes, there is one but old stock is getting crazy expensive. There are some efforts to make an alternative but it is not going to be like fp 100c unless Fuji decides to recirculate it and Polaroid today ( after the acquisition by the guys in the Netherlands) doesn’t have the equipment any more to fill the gap even though the will is there. So I feel that if I am to get anything out of it in the future I may have to look into modifying it for 120mm... that would be HOT!! For the time being there are a lot of such modifications for the old Polaroid cameras but not as far as I know for the film pack backs which are also a thing for Mamiya, Hasselblad etc... I would even go as far as to think of fitting a digital sensor in there covering the surface of “the exposed to be” film in a style similar to the “I’m back project “ :-)
I just stumbled upon something and felt I had to post it... It looks like I am not the only one that had this crazy idea of modifying the F4... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_NASA_F4 hahaha...
I had an F4 sometime back when I was about 20 so maybe 2006. DSLRs sucked major dick at the time (i mean there were good ones but they were like $5k+) so I bought an F4 on the advice of one of my lecturers and that thing was amazing. Solid as the rock of Gibraltar. It got dropped and stepped on and had beer spilt on it and it never skipped a beat. I miss that thing a lot.
Great video. I am an Canon fan boy but for a film SLR the Nikon F4 is the best. Like you said it has the best of two worlds. Great electronics and full manual controls. Unless you need better autofocus. Then I would go with the Canon 1-n series cameras.
I haven’t used the autofocus on it much, as most of my glass is manual… but from what I’ve seen, it generally works pretty well. I think people like to talk about it like it’s completely useless, when it’s not.
I shot an F4s professionally for a newspaper from the late 90s into the early 2000s. It was a beast of a camera that never missed a shot. The only reason that I stopped using it for work is because we transitioned to the Nikon D1- which I hated. With prices so cheap I own an F3HP and an F5 now as well. I still prefer to use the F4 when shooting film.
@@gearheadchannel At this point- with the cost of film cameras being so affordable, I just decided to collect all of the F series. Kind of my own little photojournalism museum. lol!
picked up an late f4 mb20 body, lightly used, for $188. it might’ve been hated in its day, but i don’t think there are many cameras that have aged as well as the f4 has.
The f4 and f100 are ridiculously overlooked film cameras, the latter being a baby version of the F5 with some features removed but it has full aperture and shutter priority with modern lenses, but loses a lot of compatibility with pre-AF lenses.
I have the F, F2 and F4 all are fun but I find myself grabbing the 4 most often. Everything is relative the F4 is smaller that my RB67 and lighter than the Speed Graphic. The are not many places left in the world where you can't find batteries. Well done video.
The F4 ist one of the best analog cameras which Nikon produced and a total bargain. I got mine for about 200 Euros. For non-studio work I can only recommend the smallest version with the MB-20 battery pack. 4 fps is more than enough for most people, but it's much lighter than the F4S or F4E (I had both of them and sold them), who offer 5.7 fps.
Great video on a great camera. It is now 2021 and I have been researching prices between the Nikon F4 and the famous Nikon F5 and have to say they are pretty much the same price that is dependent on condition. I am very much leaning towards the F4 as it has more of a presence about it. It does look like a more solid camera than the F5. I was looking at buying either a Nikon D700, a Nikon F5, or a Nikon F4 but in the end I will be getting myself a mint Nikon F4 as it will suit my needs.
Hmmm... It might finally be getting the recognition it deserves. The build quality is really something else - one thing (among many) I forgot to bring up in the video is the dampening - there is basically no mirror slap when you fire the shutter.
@@gearheadchannel Happy New Year mate from down under. I have to agree with you on that front. I have thought about the F4S just for the MB-22 Battery grip for taking vertical shots and then pick up a MB-20 Battery grip and attaching that grip when one wants to travel a little bit lighter....lol It is worth remembering that you cannot do that with a F5. Last month I purchased a brand new Nikon AF-S 85mm F1.8G lens so I now have a decent prime lens.
I’ve had both a f4 and a f5 at the same time a few years back and while the f4 is a great camera you can definitely tell the f5 is an improved camera on almost all aspects. The build quality of the f5 is like holding a solid block of metal that you can attach a lens to and the auto focus on the f5 is insanely fast with af-d lenses. That’s not to say the f4 isn’t a rugged camera because it is still a beast of a camera but I would still choose the f5 if I needed to use one as a weapon. The auto focus on the f4 is another story though. Don’t expect the auto focus to be anywhere near the speed or accuracy of modern cameras, it is after all nikons first integrated af system in a professional body. But on its own the af will still get the job done, it might just struggle with low light and focusing on a area that is smaller then the af point on the camera.
The F4 needs to be viewed in the context of the period. The first significant AF 35mm for Nikon (ignoring the F3AF) that as you point out was backwards compatible with all F mount glass. Cannon made the mistake with their EOS by turning their back on the legacy FD lenses and forced owners into investing in new glass. The only real issue that the F4 had with pro shooters was its complete reliance on batteries. So you had to carry additional batteries and a charger in an already cramp gear bag back in the day. That was not Nikons fault but was down to battery technology of the day. F3 had an epic following and was the go to camera for years after the F4 was released as you point out. F5 finally bought doubters off the fence and swapped F3's for F5's as I did. F4 also became obsolete very quickly in comparison to the F5, selectable AF point being the biggest feature that springs to mind.
Stupid question but how do you guess when to use exposure compensation when using a film camera?? With a digital camera it is easy : snap a shot, check on display, apply EC when necessary... With film, any guidelines?
Not a stupid question at all… although the answer is a little more complicated than I can probably explain here. The workflow with film is a little bit different, as over/underexposing your film and pushing/pulling your development is a way to control contrast in the resulting negative. When using an enlarger to make prints you can take this principle a step further. In short; generally you overexpose/underdevelop for increased dynamic range, and underexpose/overdevelop for decreased dynamic range… it’s like using levels sliders in photoshop.
In summary: EC with film serves kind of the same purpose, but in a different workflow… and you don’t really know what you get until you get it… so, it’s film. Lol
The F4 will not auto focus G series lenses. I've had two F4s and neither one auto focused my G lenses. But they do auto focus the D series lenses just fine.
Really? Damn, I was actually under the impression they did. I’ve tried it with the 28-70 f/2.8 which is both a D and AF-S lens, so it has the ability to drive a lens with a discrete AF motor. Interesting 🧐 thanks for the comment.
Dual shutter curtains with alternating blades made from carbon fiber? No one should be under any illusions about how epic this camera truly was back in the day. Most of the criticisms stem from the AF system, which was adequate at the time, but quickly eclipsed by cameras like the N90/F90 series.
It’s was a badass camera… and still is. Now, I rarely use AF (on account of not having many AF lenses) but I’ve found it to be generally quite accurate, although maybe a little slow. To be fair, it was basically an AF system without any lenses, so you gotta cut it a little slack.
I’ve been thinking the same thing. With all the retro design that Fuji has been bringing to their cameras, maybe Nikon should follow the trend and make an F4 styled z-mount body.
@@gearheadchannel They sort of tried the retro thing with the Df and (apparently) botched it. I still like the look of it though and the people that bought it and used it liked the Df.
When I picked it up, the camera shop just got in an F5 as well - I ultimately passed on it because I thought the interface was lacking... also, it doesn’t look as cool.
I loved my Nikon F4. (can't say the same for the compromised F3) The real black sheep of the Nikon family was the D2h (and D2hs) a horrible camera! Actually, the camera body wasn't bad for the time, it was that #*&@%* LBCAST sensor that was built into it.
That’s a lot of camera centred around sensor not up for the challenge.I guess digital just wasn’t quite ready for prime time yet... How far we’ve come!
IMO the F4 is stupid cheap at the moment. A FM2/FE2 sells for more despite the F4 being much more at the time. I get the F4 is more clunky than the other 2 but still is a hell of a deal. I got a bargain grade one off KEH for under $200 last year and it's pretty clean. While I like the old F/F2 more (I have both plus a F3) I was pretty happy with the F4, more so than I thought I would be, Grab one now before the prices go up.
Black Sheep? The F4 is the pinnacle of camera design, and the blue print for all cameras that followed, analogue or digital. By the way the Italian design house only designed the cosmetics of this camera, and not the working parts.
I’ve heard it isn’t that great... but, I don’t even own an AF lens, so it’s a feature I generally don’t care about. That said, a complaint I have is the lack of a split prism focus screen (I believe they made one but it’s insanely rare)
This is the best F4 review I've seen, and I think I've seen them all. You hit on some important specs, but didn't get distracted by them. Then, you hit the important things that are NOT specs: ergonomics, for example.
Thanks. Specs are just specs and they don’t tell the whole story. What I like most about the F4 is the experience of using it.
The autofocus is snappy and quick , the lens motor sound and the shutter click is a bliss to use - the F4 is awesome thing of beauty
I don’t use AF very often, on account of having few AF lenses, but I took mine out last weekend and shot with an AF-D type lens and found the F4’s performance to be quite good in that regard.
I absolutely love this camera! The ergonomics are wonderful compared to any of the other Nikon film cameras. Just feels great in the hand, and the fact that you can get it so cheap absolutely makes no sense. It's a work of art, so go for it if you're on the fence!
Seriously... sometimes I'll pick it up just to hold it.
@@gearheadchannel I know what you mean! :-)
@@gearheadchannel I do that with so many cameras the one I hold the most so far is the Minolta 9 just love that thing
I have this camera and absolutely love the way it fits in my large hands perfectly. Incredible ergonomics with all controls knobs and buttons in the right places for ease of use.
Absolutely! The interface is amazing.
Totally agree ! I have a number of Nikons and this is by far my most favorite ! And the weight of this beast has left me with an impressive forearm. Thanks for the great video!
Thanks. :) it’s like carrying around a brick.
It's funny: you ended up with an F4 while searching for an F3. I was searching for an F4 and I ended up with an F90X (I believe it's called N90S in the States). It's another great Nikon film camera, but every now and then I still find myself wanting an F4. Finding one in decent condition has been difficult as of late, and now with the film photography renaissance I'm seeing prices rise everywhere in the used market.
Great video, by the way. You deserve way more subscribers! Cheers!
I honestly never expected one to pop up. I agree on prices - cameras that you couldn’t even give away a few years ago are now fetching a fair amount... it’s even worse when it comes to lenses.
Great video and review of this 80s gem! I got a camera and lens combo deal on OfferUp for $350 just few months ago. It was a Nikon F4s SLR with Nikkor 50mm f1.8 af-d and the 300mm f4 af-d along with some original accessories and books. Everything works fine and I am very happy about it.
I’d say that’s a pretty good deal. Now all you need is a wide to round out the set... and then even more lenses after that!
Nice Nikon F4 video. It makes me happy to see newly created content about Nikon F4. I've been using my Nikon F4s at least 4 years. And it's solid, reliable 35mm film camera.It's still my main film camera to shoot film.
It’s a total joy to use... you can’t look at it without wanting to pick it up.
It seems in Japan everyone must be issued an F4 at birth because there are a ton for sale and in amazing condition. I bought one from a guy in japan shipped for 175.00 and its like brand new. great camera.
Maybe I should order a second one.
I can confirm this! Just bought two for me and my girlfriend. Two F4s and two Lenses for $480 at the thrift shop! They have so much well-preserved old electronics there, Japanese people really take pride in their belongings.
That’s a great deal. I think I might have to plan a trip to Japan to go hunting for classic camera gear and electronics... once things are back to normal that is.
What website did you find your F4?
I picked mine up in a local camera store.
If there is any such thing as a stylish beautiful looking camera the F4 is it. I have 2 of them and I love using them. I am now subscribed to your great channel. Cheers!
Long live Nikon
Hi! Is it possible to mount old vintage manual glass on the F4? (I have a bunch of contax zeiss, zuiko... converted to EF) will there be huge limitations other than the lack of AF? thank you!
Unfortunately the F mount has a longer flange distance than most other mounts… so nothing really adapts to Nikon bodies.
… it’s kinda like blood types.
@@gearheadchannel hmmm, so I will have to use the few Nikon vintage lenses I have in hand with an F4. Bummer... I really love the C/Y Zeiss lenses that I use. On Panasonic and Canon. Thanks for the reply!
Yeah, you can convert a majority of SLR lenses to EF, but not much goes the other way. There are some adapters out there, but they either don’t have infinity focus, or the elements that correct for infinity focus have a major impact on image quality.
@@gearheadchannel thanks for elaborating on the topic, much appreciated. On the one hand the F4 is too cheap/attractive to pass up on... On the other hand, I will be limited in the lenses I can use (from what I read AI, AI-S and AF among others are supported by the F4. That will be 4 lenses in my stable... :) )
This camera is just damn fun to own. I stopped in to my local camera shop with it on me and the guy at the counter got knocked back into nostalgia land when he saw it. He couldn't believe how minty mine was.
It’s a blast to use. I wish mine was a little less beat up though.
F4 also supports lenses for F3AF. Nikon dropped support for it a bit later. So it makes F4 most compatible camera across whole F mount.
The ultimate hipster camera. It’s supports lenses you’ve never even heard of.
That's interesting, didn't know that.
I just got a used F4 from ebay and it's in amazing shape. I loaded up some batteries and everything seems fine. Can't wait to try it out. What is your favorite lens?
Favourite lens in my collection? Probably my Nikon 105mm f/2.5 Ai-S. It works pretty nice on the F4, but I’m kind of on the hunt for something that’s more general purpose for it. Maybe the 35-70 f/2.8 AF-D.
@@gearheadchannel Cool, I have the 60mm AF macro on my F4 for now, will test that out, but would like a wider AF lens.
I was eyeing one of those up as well.
Great video review of a great camera. Short and sweet.
Thanks. I’ve been kicking around the idea of a more in-depth guide as well.
Personally, I love my F4.
As soon as I heard about it and saw a picture of it on the internet, I thought it was beautiful! I never understood why people hated him. It fits very well in the hand and the shutter is very soft, allowing low-speed shooting.
A beast this F4!
The F4 does not have tracking AF as we think of it today, it has continuous auto-focus and can be set to refocus between each shot in burst mode (edit: but you have to keep the subject in/on the AF point yourself). How it works... when you set the AF to continuous it will focus constantly when you half-press the shutter but if the frame advance mode is set to continuous high, or silent (Ch, Cs) (burst mode) once you press the shutter and hold it pressed it will continue to fire *without* refocusing between each shot. If you set the frame advance mode to continuous low (Cl) and the AF to continuous it will operate as before, but with the difference that it WILL refocus between each shot but only on the subject that is in the focus brackets. SOURCE: the F4 manual, pg. 37-38 (cdn-10.nikon-cdn.com/pdf/manuals/archive/F4-F4S.pdf)
Correct.
wicked awesome camera is all i need to hear haha, my f4e is enroute from Japan...cannot wait
Exciting! You’re gonna love it.
(For ME), the Nikon F4s is the best feeling camera (of any format) in terms of holding it. I LOVE the size, weight, ergonomics, and straightforward layout. The epitome of 'analog'. All switches and buttons. Everything feels solid and precise. The Nikon F4s feels like it was machined out of a solid piece of steel and covered in rubber. Problem is...............they're 30+ years old and A LOT of them have LCD bleed issues, which as far as I am aware, cannot be fixed.
On the flip, NOTHING you buy new today will last half as long, nor will you want it to.
I concur! The interface is possible the best representation of how a camera works... it’s funny, because at first it’s almost intimidating - then you realize how obvious it is.
LCD is not really needed as settings are chosen manually. Nice to look at though. Sellers on eBay try not to mention LCD, plenty are leaking. Love my F4 too, feels more solid than F5.
Thank for a very informative program
I got mine for about a little less than than the f3 usually goes for on eBay and I have been loving it. I use the ai lenses on it and really enjoy the experience of this camera.
Nice. I’ve been using mine with ais lenses, and it’s great. I’m thinking of picking up some AF-D lenses to try out on it.
Although brought up on film I could never afford the switch from Minolta 9 (still have use and adore) to the Nikon film bodies, as soon as pay improved and digital kicked off I went for the Nikon D1h loved it and killed it, replaced with and still using and loving the D3s. Anyway Im hooked on film cameras again and just dropped on an f4 on a local auction site it's been tested and all looks good. Cannot wait to get this beast in my mitts. Great review mate liked and subbed. Regards and all the best for 2022. Paul
You’re gonna love it!
Also… thanks for the sub, and here’s to a great new year.
@@gearheadchannel already do mate not even got it yet but I know it will be treasured ❤️📷
@@gearheadchannel 2022 will be a cracker fingers crossed we just have to avoid bugs lock downs and conflicts but above all else just keep enjoying photography 😂❤️
@@gearheadchannel hey mate my
Pleasure to sub you have some seriously good videos to watch cheers and thanks for the return in support much appreciated mate 📷❤️
I bought one many years ago at a super low price, when everyone was switching to digital. The US model comes with the vertical grip/extended batter pack + date back, which makes it super heavy and bulky. So I recently got the smaller battery holder and plane film back from Japan and presto-chango, it is now comfortable to carry around. Sadly, it is now putting scratches in the film, curved scratches from the upper left corner of each frame. Bummer.
The fully decked-out model looks massive! Sucks that you're having issues with the new back, I'd guess that the pressure plate isn't sitting right.
Great video man, love my F4 and still use it regularly beside a Nikon DSLR, yep, that lens compatibility f**king rocks! Only suggestion I have is the F4 shutter sound is a bit sexier than the one you used at the end. Liked & subscribed
Thanks! Yeah, the sound is from my Pentax that I recorded for a short film I made... good ear :)
I like both of mine because of the way they fit my hand so well.
I have been agonizing over this camera for weeks now. I am in love with the design. I've got one in pristine condition that I can get. Guess I just need to pull the trigger.
DO IT!!! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
@@gearheadchannel I did order it yesterday. Coming from Japan.
YES!!!
@@leandroking1514 Got mine and love it. The only issue is it won't fire the SB flash.
The camera appears to have a really nice design to it.
It’s really unique.
Good video, however I would disagree with your saying that the Nikon F4 (and F4s I suppose) was hated. In fact it was a very welcome upgrade in many areas from the F3. Prior to my F
That’s a little bit of hyperbole on my part. But, it definitely wasn’t the home run they’d been hoping for either.
I had one from 1989 - 2001 & loved it. It got stolen from the media room @ the Mtl. Jazz Fest. I had it replaced with 2 F100s. They were OK & then I switched to digital D1x & on D800. I recently saw a # of videos on the F4 by Art of Photography & the Camera Store & I fell in love with it again. So I looked into getting one. I got one from Japan for $180 delivered + $27 Duty. It arrived in 10 days & I don’t think it ever had batteries or film in it. I was so pleasantly surprised. I absolutely love it !!!!!!!!
Damn, That’s a pretty good deal… and after a couple decades - it’s yours again. :)
@@gearheadchannel It’s nicer than mine was. It was pretty well used by the time it was stolen. This one is brand new!
Great video for a great camera 📷
Thanks!
@@gearheadchannel just found your channel as I looking for a Nikon film camera to go along side my digital cameras looking forward to the journey and seeing what you do next I have some catching up to do 👍🏻🇬🇧
Well, I hope you enjoy what I’m doing. Got a bunch more videos in the works :)
I just pulled the trigger on one and will hopefully receive it in the following days.... The offer was just the body and a Polaroid back for the now defunct FP-100c film... no lens. I do have a 50mm F1.8 from my Nikon EM to put on though, so I can't wait until it gets here... :-)
I wasn’t aware of that Polaroid back - sounds interesting (maybe you can hunt some old stock somewhere out there)
Hi! Yes, there is one but old stock is getting crazy expensive. There are some efforts to make an alternative but it is not going to be like fp 100c unless Fuji decides to recirculate it and Polaroid today ( after the acquisition by the guys in the Netherlands) doesn’t have the equipment any more to fill the gap even though the will is there. So I feel that if I am to get anything out of it in the future I may have to look into modifying it for 120mm... that would be HOT!! For the time being there are a lot of such modifications for the old Polaroid cameras but not as far as I know for the film pack backs which are also a thing for Mamiya, Hasselblad etc... I would even go as far as to think of fitting a digital sensor in there covering the surface of “the exposed to be” film in a style similar to the “I’m back project “ :-)
I like the way you think.
@@gearheadchannel :-)
I just stumbled upon something and felt I had to post it... It looks like I am not the only one that had this crazy idea of modifying the F4... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_NASA_F4 hahaha...
Great video! And enjoyed it! Thank you! I subscribed! )))
Thanks! :)
I had an F4 sometime back when I was about 20 so maybe 2006. DSLRs sucked major dick at the time (i mean there were good ones but they were like $5k+) so I bought an F4 on the advice of one of my lecturers and that thing was amazing. Solid as the rock of Gibraltar. It got dropped and stepped on and had beer spilt on it and it never skipped a beat. I miss that thing a lot.
Well, since you’re checking out UA-cam videos on the F4… something tells me you’re fighting the urge to get another one 😉
Great video. I am an Canon fan boy but for a film SLR the Nikon F4 is the best. Like you said it has the best of two worlds. Great electronics and full manual controls. Unless you need better autofocus. Then I would go with the Canon 1-n series cameras.
I haven’t used the autofocus on it much, as most of my glass is manual… but from what I’ve seen, it generally works pretty well. I think people like to talk about it like it’s completely useless, when it’s not.
I shot an F4s professionally for a newspaper from the late 90s into the early 2000s. It was a beast of a camera that never missed a shot. The only reason that I stopped using it for work is because we transitioned to the Nikon D1- which I hated. With prices so cheap I own an F3HP and an F5 now as well. I still prefer to use the F4 when shooting film.
It's definitely a beast! When I picked up my F4, they also had an F5... but I didn't really like the modern style interface. Give me dials!!!
@@gearheadchannel At this point- with the cost of film cameras being so affordable, I just decided to collect all of the F series. Kind of my own little photojournalism museum. lol!
I don't see a problem with that.
picked up an late f4 mb20 body, lightly used, for $188. it might’ve been hated in its day, but i don’t think there are many cameras that have aged as well as the f4 has.
Absolutely. It’s a cult classic.
It has aged like a fine wine. I do not think my D610 Digital camera will make 30 yrs. No battery will be available for the D610 then either!
The f4 and f100 are ridiculously overlooked film cameras, the latter being a baby version of the F5 with some features removed but it has full aperture and shutter priority with modern lenses, but loses a lot of compatibility with pre-AF lenses.
I have the F, F2 and F4 all are fun but I find myself grabbing the 4 most often. Everything is relative the F4 is smaller that my RB67 and lighter than the Speed Graphic. The are not many places left in the world where you can't find batteries. Well done video.
Thanks. :) The F4 has serious girth, but getting into larger formats is a whole different ballgame. I have a Mamiya 23… and it’s a beast!
The F4 ist one of the best analog cameras which Nikon produced and a total bargain. I got mine for about 200 Euros.
For non-studio work I can only recommend the smallest version with the MB-20 battery pack. 4 fps is more than enough for most people, but it's much lighter than the F4S or F4E (I had both of them and sold them), who offer 5.7 fps.
Mine is working good , but it developed the infamous lcd bleed 🩸 , still awesome camera 😅
Dang! Seems like a relatively common issue - at least it ultimately doesn't affect the performance of the camera... and yes, it is still awesome; 😁
Great video on a great camera.
It is now 2021 and I have been researching prices between the Nikon F4 and the famous Nikon F5 and have to say they are pretty much the same price that is dependent on condition. I am very much leaning towards the F4 as it has more of a presence about it.
It does look like a more solid camera than the F5. I was looking at buying either a Nikon D700, a Nikon F5, or a Nikon F4 but in the end I will be getting myself a mint Nikon F4 as it will suit my needs.
Hmmm... It might finally be getting the recognition it deserves. The build quality is really something else - one thing (among many) I forgot to bring up in the video is the dampening - there is basically no mirror slap when you fire the shutter.
@@gearheadchannel Happy New Year mate from down under.
I have to agree with you on that front. I have thought about the F4S just for the MB-22 Battery grip for taking vertical shots and then pick up a MB-20 Battery grip and attaching that grip when one wants to travel a little bit lighter....lol
It is worth remembering that you cannot do that with a F5.
Last month I purchased a brand new Nikon AF-S 85mm F1.8G lens so I now have a decent prime lens.
“Lighter”
That lens would be a better match with the F5 though.
Actually... between the shutter priority and program modes - it’ll work great.
I’ve had both a f4 and a f5 at the same time a few years back and while the f4 is a great camera you can definitely tell the f5 is an improved camera on almost all aspects. The build quality of the f5 is like holding a solid block of metal that you can attach a lens to and the auto focus on the f5 is insanely fast with af-d lenses. That’s not to say the f4 isn’t a rugged camera because it is still a beast of a camera but I would still choose the f5 if I needed to use one as a weapon. The auto focus on the f4 is another story though. Don’t expect the auto focus to be anywhere near the speed or accuracy of modern cameras, it is after all nikons first integrated af system in a professional body. But on its own the af will still get the job done, it might just struggle with low light and focusing on a area that is smaller then the af point on the camera.
The F4 needs to be viewed in the context of the period. The first significant AF 35mm for Nikon (ignoring the F3AF) that as you point out was backwards compatible with all F mount glass. Cannon made the mistake with their EOS by turning their back on the legacy FD lenses and forced owners into investing in new glass. The only real issue that the F4 had with pro shooters was its complete reliance on batteries. So you had to carry additional batteries and a charger in an already cramp gear bag back in the day. That was not Nikons fault but was down to battery technology of the day. F3 had an epic following and was the go to camera for years after the F4 was released as you point out. F5 finally bought doubters off the fence and swapped F3's for F5's as I did. F4 also became obsolete very quickly in comparison to the F5, selectable AF point being the biggest feature that springs to mind.
I absolutely agree. It’s a stepping stone piece of tech. A middle child.
I love my F4S. Its sits in the bag with my D810.
So many great features with such an elegant interface.
Good vid - change the shutter/ advance sound to the genuine F4 and ...
Then watch eBay go mental !!
Stupid question but how do you guess when to use exposure compensation when using a film camera?? With a digital camera it is easy : snap a shot, check on display, apply EC when necessary... With film, any guidelines?
Not a stupid question at all… although the answer is a little more complicated than I can probably explain here. The workflow with film is a little bit different, as over/underexposing your film and pushing/pulling your development is a way to control contrast in the resulting negative. When using an enlarger to make prints you can take this principle a step further. In short; generally you overexpose/underdevelop for increased dynamic range, and underexpose/overdevelop for decreased dynamic range… it’s like using levels sliders in photoshop.
In summary: EC with film serves kind of the same purpose, but in a different workflow… and you don’t really know what you get until you get it… so, it’s film. Lol
To me it has been the most beloved AF camera Nikon has ever made.
Black sheep ?
😏🧐
The F4 will not auto focus G series lenses. I've had two F4s and neither one auto focused my G lenses. But they do auto focus the D series lenses just fine.
Really? Damn, I was actually under the impression they did. I’ve tried it with the 28-70 f/2.8 which is both a D and AF-S lens, so it has the ability to drive a lens with a discrete AF motor. Interesting 🧐 thanks for the comment.
i have this camera, and i can say it's awesome.
Agreed!
Dual shutter curtains with alternating blades made from carbon fiber? No one should be under any illusions about how epic this camera truly was back in the day. Most of the criticisms stem from the AF system, which was adequate at the time, but quickly eclipsed by cameras like the N90/F90 series.
It’s was a badass camera… and still is. Now, I rarely use AF (on account of not having many AF lenses) but I’ve found it to be generally quite accurate, although maybe a little slow. To be fair, it was basically an AF system without any lenses, so you gotta cut it a little slack.
I fucking LOVE mine
There needs to be a digital version of the F4.
I’ve been thinking the same thing. With all the retro design that Fuji has been bringing to their cameras, maybe Nikon should follow the trend and make an F4 styled z-mount body.
@@gearheadchannel They sort of tried the retro thing with the Df and (apparently) botched it. I still like the look of it though and the people that bought it and used it liked the Df.
Galen Rowell loved this camera. He thought the F5 was a step backwards.
When I picked it up, the camera shop just got in an F5 as well - I ultimately passed on it because I thought the interface was lacking... also, it doesn’t look as cool.
how the hell is this The Black Sheep!
Just too ahead of its time... while being completely of its time.
I loved my Nikon F4. (can't say the same for the compromised F3)
The real black sheep of the Nikon family was the D2h (and D2hs) a horrible camera!
Actually, the camera body wasn't bad for the time, it was that #*&@%* LBCAST sensor that was built into it.
That’s a lot of camera centred around sensor not up for the challenge.I guess digital just wasn’t quite ready for prime time yet... How far we’ve come!
IMO the F4 is stupid cheap at the moment. A FM2/FE2 sells for more despite the F4 being much more at the time. I get the F4 is more clunky than the other 2 but still is a hell of a deal. I got a bargain grade one off KEH for under $200 last year and it's pretty clean. While I like the old F/F2 more (I have both plus a F3) I was pretty happy with the F4, more so than I thought I would be, Grab one now before the prices go up.
Agreed. People are figuring out it’s a bit of a gem - and now is the cheapest you’ll ever find one.
Every video I've seen on this camera has the UA-camr trying to pronounce the guys name
The F4 is better than the F3 in every way
Watch out... that might get you in a fight.
Black Sheep? The F4 is the pinnacle of camera design, and the blue print for all cameras that followed, analogue or digital. By the way the Italian design house only designed the cosmetics of this camera, and not the working parts.
I agree.
It's auto focus is slower than manual focus. It hunts all over the place. A F5, or an F100 is better. Maybe even an N90s.
I’ve heard it isn’t that great... but, I don’t even own an AF lens, so it’s a feature I generally don’t care about. That said, a complaint I have is the lack of a split prism focus screen (I believe they made one but it’s insanely rare)
Dude made one ugly car but I love my f4s
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.