Lovely trip down memory lane - thank you. Best Nikon ? For me its either the F2AS or the classic FE - I loved them both. I had the F3T in the lovely champagne colour finish. F100 - used for weddings when we ditched using 500cm's - superb but AF in low light poor by modern standards. Reminded me of the FE as all of the controls were so direct. Most used Nikon - digital D70 - I took well over 150 weddings and they (we had three) never let us down. 'Toy town' camera that never stops ! Today I am gravely disapointed with Nikon and their on-going QC problems. D600 & D800 now D750 with issues. Shame on you Nikon. Loving my recently purchased Nikkormat FT2 - now that is almost, almost as well build as the F but is cheap as chips. Please post more vids.
Bob Brick thanks for your comment and little trip through history!!! I'm also disappointed with Nikon's recent cameras. They kind of lost their drive and reliability as your examples with the buggy camera models show. Of the film Nikons I have I do love the F2 and the F3 most, the F2 for being a tank, and the F3 for being a pro camera the size of a modern mirrorless system camera. Modern pro cameras are just too huge! Starting with the F5 they have become too large and heavy. I think I have to do a few more videos on my old toys :)
The way I manual focus and nail it every time is to figure out where wide open lands in relation to the range finder indicator. I start by setting focus from what I see in the viewfinder, then using LV zoomed in fully. Reset focus and observe the focus throw from the point I see focus to the LV actual focus. It's usually 1mm off or off by the 1st zone focus point from center. Typically you turn focus to the left. Ex. 5m set to center turned to the left Zone focus mark of F4 (or in the space between center and F4 zone focus mark)
The F6 works with two CR123A's, rechargeable or single-use, so it does not require an exotic battery one can't find anymore. Strangely enough, the rechargeables are cheaper. The battery grip works either with eight AA's or an EN-EL4A, with no difference in weight nor operation. I don't have the F5, but the F6 does more or less everything the F5 does but with or without the battery grip. In autofocus film camera category, the F5 and F6 are excellent as they support VR if that is important to you. For me, it is as I live in darkness six months every year. The F100 does also, but is slightly simpler and a lot less expensive. I think the F6 is the only one claimed to be weather-sealed, but there is no such thing as weather sealing, only varying degrees of weather resistance.
F, F2A (purchased new in 1978), Nikkormat, F5, and F6 (new, never used), D2sx, and D3 are a part of my Nikon collection, sometime ago I was thinking about selling some of them then I saw how KEH and Adorama were offering peanuts for these beautiful products, I chose not to sell them, and I am glad I did not. As a matter of fact I acquired a Mamiya 67 RB SD Pro, Hasselblad 500C, Pentax 6x7, Contax RTS III, and NX. Digital cameras are ok but I wonder if people will be using D5 in 60 years from now; Nikon F and Hasse are still working good 60 years later. Old manual cameras are addictive, loading film, setting ISO, deciding for shutter speed and aperture along with manual focusing provide a satisfaction unparalleled in digitals which are like TV dinners, tasteless.
Your F2 is a Nikon F2 Photomic and has a DP-1 CDs cell meter/finder.That model ran from 1971-76, alongside the F2 SB with the DP-2 Silicone photo diode finder. In 1977 Nikon updated all their metered SLRs to accommodate Auto Indexing (AI) lenses. The F2 Photomic was updated with the new DP-11 CDS cell Finder and called the F2A, and the F2 SB was equipped with the new DP-12 Finder with Silicone photo diode metering. Both of the new finders interfaced with the new AI and later AIS lenses with no need to line up saddles and pins.
Lovely collection, I personally only use peak design anchor links on my cameras as those metal things scratch the hell out of the bodies. Love my F3 and FE2 but remembering to leave the wind lever out or it switches off is a PITA ! I have a black and a silver FG and they get more use because of their size and ease of use.
Nice collection. I used my Nikon F5 every day backup with my Nikon D3s. Nowadays it's not the camera but the person behind the camera. The Nikon F5 have superior AF with the 85mm, 105mm and the 135mm Nikon prime lenses. I shoot portraits outdoors ISO 200 and indoors ISO 400 and shoot always wide open. I liked the bokeh and the pictures must be razor sharp.
Loved the retrospective. The FE2 " youth ambition" I can relate to. I wanted an FM at the time but it was too expensive for me and got a Pentax MX instead -- which I still have btw. Now I shoot with a F100, basically an F6 for 1/10th the cost.
Hehe, totally true about the F100. I used to have a mint one sold it, but now I want one again. Actually I'd say the F100 is a more respectable camera than the F6. The F6 feels like it was only made to be in a museum. Too posh to be fiddled with. That said I just bought an FM3 and you could argue the same about that, but I'm loving shooting that thing. After seeing this video I realised I want all the models shown here too, accept the Df. Don't get me wrong, I love digital (well mirrorless), but the Df is so gay it's ridiculous.
I enjoyed your video. It was a real trip down memory lane for me. When I was 16 I became an apprentice to a professional photographer, and he gave me my first Nikons to work with. They were a pair of old Nikon F's, one with a 50mm 1.4 and the other with a 135mm f3.5 lens mounted. He also gave me a bulk loader full of Tri-X, and some film cassettes, and showed me how to load bulk film and do my own darkroom work. He assigned me to shoot school sports, which was part of his contract with my school. I also would take the Nikons to shoot the candid reception photos at weddings he contracted for, so that he could leave after the more formal stuff was done. I then became a newspaper photographer doing mostly crime scenes and shot weddings of my own for a few years, using Mamiya TLR's for the weddings. I played around with the Olympus OM series, and loved their size, but they were not as tough as the Nikons of the day, so I went back to an F2, then ultimately the F3. I now have all of the single digit F's, except the F6, which I find still to expensive. I agree with you that the F5 is too big and rarely shoot it. While not a single digit F, my F100 gets the most use along with the F3 for my manual focus lenses. I also have the tiny little EM, which cost me $20 US, and which is a surprisingly good camera, although back then we all laughed at it. By the way, I was a working pro when the FA came out. There was widespread mistrust of "electronic cameras" at the time regarding automated exposure, and we especially did not trust the FA, which ultimately proved to be fine. None of us really knew what "Matrix Metering" was. Customers demanded that they be able to turn off unfamiliar features and revert to manual modes. That is also why many Nikons of the day had an M90 shutter speed position that would work without a battery. It is interesting that after the FA, no camera would provide that great Matrix Metering with manual focus lenses until the F4 came out years later. It really is a pretty good metering system. Thanks again for a cool video.
Tom Crawford Comments like yours are a reason for me to share my collection here! Especially episodes like the FA story... Some people now trust their electronics very much, also because they are able to check immediately what the camera actually did. In film days you had to be more careful because by the time you would see the results it would be to late to reshoot ;) Thanks again for sharing your experiences with us!
I thought the F2A/F2AS models incorporated the AI feature (auto indexing) with AI lenses, before the F3? I have an FM which I purchased new back in 1980 with a 50 mm/f1.8 AI Nikkor lens. Have taken many great photos with it and it's still going strong. Bought an FG with Nikkor 35-70 f/3.5 'two-touch' zoom lens for my wife in 1985. She didn't want to fiddle with manual exposure settings so the FG with it's 'program' and aperture-priority auto modes, in addition to it's manual exposure mode capability and through-the-lens flash metering (I bought an SB-15 Nikon flash to go with the camera); it was an ideal camera for her and she took some prize-winning photos with it. My wife passed away three years ago so I gave the FG with the 35-70 zoom lens and SB-15 flash to my granddaughter for Christmas last year: so the camera will stay in the family. My FM I will hang onto just don't have the heart to sell it or shelf it in favor of a digital SLR: love using it so much.
Shame the humble Nikon EM was skipped over in such a casual manner. Light, pocketable and ideal for travel photography (and, of course, compatible with most Nikon lenses) - I enjoyed mine very much. Come to think of it, I might even buy another. !!
My first real camera back in the 80´s was a new F3HP... sadly in those years I never got to appreciate how great camera it was (is). The black DF reminds me the F3 but is just ridiculous big, that was the reason I sold my Canon 5D after one weekend to hang it around my neck.
I really understand what you mean ;) I used to have an F3 back in the 80s, sold it, and then I bought 2 F3s (regular and Titanium) just a few years ago :)
Maybe the DF doesn't have this feature but on my D750 if I put a manual focus lens on, the viewfinder still shows the left or right arrows when it's out of focus and a circle when you're focused properly. I have an FE2 which I'm really enjoying and I've also got an FG coming soon, I like the small form factor and ability to use in manual or aperture priority mode. Thanks for showing us your cameras, I enjoyed your video.
The Nikon F3T is a camera that has a titanium shutter so the camera could shoot at higher shutter speeds. The Nikon F100 could be about as heavy as the Nikon F5 by attaching a battery grip. I do own both the F100 and the F5. They are both good cameras. I would be careful with the Nikon DF because I have heard this camera has a weak lens mount. Peace, Flood!
The Titanium of the F3T is most of the chassis. Both the standard F3 and the F3T use the same shutter. I'm not sure that titanium is a better material for the shutter since Nikon took it away with the FM2 and replaced it with an aluminium version on the FM2N. Both shoot at 1/4000th without batteries. The F3/T is limited to 1/60th if the battery failed, 1/2000th otherwise.
Hi! thank you for this great video, I love old nikon cameras! May I ask you an advice? I have a nikkormat EL with 50mm which is AI'd and other non modified pre-AI lenses. I'd like to do night photojournalism but I have some troubles shooting in the city at night because the EL's meter just works up to 1600. I can manage to get acceptable shots at 3200 with AEL and then by closing 1 f-stop, but at 6400 results are unpredictable and I waste a lot of film! I tohught an F3 could work better because it meters up to 6400 (possibly more with EC?) and the finder is light assisted. what would you suggest? i would like a camera that is at least compatible with my AI'd 50mm. thank you
Have you ever tried to put a split focusing screen in a digital camera? I managed to get a screen from an EM into a D600, but it wasn't ideal. btw, the FG has Programme mode and apparently came before the FE2.
I'm curious about the manual focusing with the DF. I use manual lenses and I'm still using a D3s & D300. I don't have issues with focusing. On either I use the left/right arrows to compose. The dot isn't focus. Each lens is different and will use the arrows for front or back focus. I also use the codes/measurements on the lens for focusing. I'm wondering if you add a 1.5x or 2x magnification eyepiece would that help you?
Nice video. However where is the Nikon F4? It's the first autofocus Nikon professional camera. It has controls that are similar to DF. Most consider it the best manual focus film Nikon if you don't mind the weight (with a P screen for manual focus and the MB-20 battery pack so you keep it smallish). F4 is bigger than DF and also much heavier. It's not fair to compare manual focus cameras with the DF in terms of size. They don't have any focus motors in them and all use very small batteries. DF also must do with all the electronics, digital sensor, LCD screen etc. Nikon couldn't have made the DF smaller. They tried but this is the smallest they can get with F-mount lenses.
Twenty years ago I collected Nikon cameras. About ten years ago, mainly due to failing eyesight, I gave up doing any photography and put my cameras into store. Recently there has been some improvement in my sight, and I have got them out again, and even bought a couple of new ones. I now have the F, FM, FE, FA, FG, EM, F301 and F501, plus Nikkormats FTn and EL. I think my favourite is the FM, but I also like the little FG, and this is the one I am using most at the moment. I don’t really have any interest in cameras later than the F501, but I might get a F90x, but I have just bought a DF. The professional cameras don’t really interest me, and tend to be beyond my price range, but I did get the F because it was the first; I think I paid about 40 pounds for it in almost mint condition at a collectors’ fair. To be honest, It’s not a camera I would often choose to use.
Buddy, the Df is a marvel beautiful camera, but 3.000 dollars?, little bit too much. The F2A that I bought new in 1979 is still with me and the second F2A, that I got used , both are super marvel, just a joy to play with them even empty, no film . High end Nikons are just fun to play and shoot with them and for sure the F2A was. The new Nikon Df??, let me wait and I will pick up one used in excellent shape, three years from now for 500 dollars...
Nikon 2, have 4, 1 black . Chrome & black plain prisms, DP1 & DP2 & DP12. Purchased whole cameras just to get prisms and the DP12. The DP12 is a gem. The others have the sluggish old Cds cells which work, but not nearly as nicely. The rest of Nikons are D200, 40, 7000, 800, 800e, 750. We won't even talk about lenses.
are you italian? me too ;) Question: i am very interested in buying a nikon FA and i was wondering if you could make a more in depth video about it thanks!
It's really please t to hear you, because you have a very clear accent !, which is helpful for frenchies !,, could you just tell me in Which state your are leaving ? cordially
Additionally to the point of split prism, there's a split prism made for the DF that takes roughly 5min to install. It cost about $100 USD. I'll link it in a reply.
Great video! Really enjoyed seeing these and info about what features they had. I now want pretty much all of these... accept the Df (really dislike that fat shape and dial design).
If you were in the situation to choose between fm2 and f3 which one will you prefer?I know fm2 is mechanical and very durable but i've heard that the viewfinder is not that great.At the other hand the f3 has an electronically controlled shutter but that doesnt mean unrealiability,cause everybody says that this thing never breaks down.And of course the f3 has 100% viewfinder coverage and very smooth handling.Which one has a better meter?Are the handling and the viewfinder of fm2 that bad as alot of people say?Thanks!
Your collections are awsome. Im planing to buy an used nikon film camera but I have some questions like should I get mechanical series like FM or electronic ones or hybrit models like F3... Can you make a video for starters about buying tips for an used film camera, what are the general issues of cameras, for long term using which ones should be prefered...?Thank you for your videos please keep making.
Çağatay KOÇ thanks for the compliment and the suggestion! I will prepare some videos like that. About your question, personally I would suggest getting the highest possible quality (F3) looking for one that has not been used professionally. The F3 is my choice for getting a great camera at a great price.
I know that original rainbow nikon strap your F3 looks cool, but I would be worried about all that metal on metal slap gradually rubbing out your body paint.
so what is the difference between the fe2 and f3, they both were targeted as pro-level camera and they both do share aperture priority mode? it confuses me
sorry for the typo for Nikonos V ... I used to use it as my fishing camera when I went out on the boat. I was so lucky when I got it I went to a Garage sale and arrived at about 10 am, hours after it started.... As I was parking my car I saw the orange body and the knobs to the side of the lens and told my son there was a Nikon there ( no good telling him it was a Nikonos he wouldnt have known what it was) and I said I might need to borrow some money..... I didnt.... they were only asking 15 dollars for it! This was about 20 years ago. Prior to the Nikonos I used to used the EM to take fishing.
Yes. Like the F5 it feels like shooting a digital camera. It can be great but these days I'm leaning towards the mechanical operation of the older cameras for shooting film. Well, technically the FM3 is newer than the D1, but you get what I mean.
I have far more Nikon cameras than is good for me, plus a few others, such as Russian rangefinders, a Speed Graphic, Graflex reflex and MPP monorail. Started collecting them about 25 years ago. About 10 years ago I gave up all photography and put my cameras into store, mainly due to failing eyesight. Recently there has been some improvement in eyesight, so I have got the cameras out of store, and am using some of them again. Some are very difficult to use, the LCD in the viewfinder of the FA is almost impossible to see for example. I don’t really like the professional Nikons. I do have an original F, as it was the first one, but I prefer the semi-Pro models. I have Nikkormats FT, FTn, FT2, FT3 and EL, with a ELW due to arrive in the next day or two. I’d like a FS but they tend to be expensive due to being rare. I’m keeping my eyes open for one at a reasonable price. I also have the Nikon EL2, which I consider to be a Nikkormat. Of the newer ones I have the FM, FE, FA, F90x andFM3a. Of the smaller amateur line I have the EM, FG, FG20, F301 and F501. I also have the FM10 and FE10, the latter mint cosmetically, but not working. I’m not sure where to put those two, by model name they ought to belong to the mid-tier range, but they look like they belong in the lower tier. I think the FG20 is actually better; at least it doesn’t have the sticky rubber covered back like many of the later cameras do. I really start to lose interest when it comes to the later models, the F4 and F5 for example look almost like inflatable rubber models. Digitally I have the Df and the Nikon 1 J1. I like the fact that once I have the Df set up as I want it I seldom need to go into the menus. I also like the fact that it will take unconverted pre-AI lenses; most of my lenses are pre-AI, most are converted but a few are not. I have the GPS unit for the Df, which I like, but why was it not built-in as standard when even much smaller and cheaper mobile ‘phones have i?
I got a nikon fe and i am selling it for 100$ i said in a good condition, then when a buyer ask for it and i checked it, i noticed that the focus is stuck! I think only the the lens that has a problem, because the body is working very well. anybody who might know the problem. the last user is my son , i lent him when he is taking photography.
Ah - Nikon F3 did had an AF model the F3AF with a bulky prism, and long Wide~Tele Zoom... Then in the Mid 1980's then came the Nikon 2020 first Nikon with true AF along the F4 model. As I DId not like the FA, All Plastic housing like the Canon AE1 Program, as I seen did not like synching with the MD-12 as they said it does work but their MD Drive that it only works with their MD15 drive as the FA only works as that the FM and FE could not work with the FA motor drive MD15 unit - piece of shit. As the FA was short live model. As it was not a nice model camera with all the bells and whistles as we took in more incoming repairs for this model. I told 4 students to either get the FM, and the MD12 drive. I did not like the Df, NO VIDEO a retro version of the D600 model. And in closing that I also have the 50mm F2.0 lens and had NO Problem in focusing in which I have the Fuji S2Pro, and S3Pro, and the S5Pro which takes Nikkor mount lenses, and along with the Nikon D2Xs, and my Mirrorless Fuji XPro1, and XE1. That lens is still tack sharp or a 50 year lens, I even use it on New Year's Eve in Tokyo 2019 - You should get you eyes check, even I wear glasses too. Their is a Test after this video....
translate.google.com/#en/ja/nikon and play the pronunciation in English. It will spell it correctly. A fun one is the Japanese pronunciation. So, there is no "NAIKON" even in English. Because you are a literate person, there won't be any effort to correct this..
Lovely trip down memory lane - thank you. Best Nikon ? For me its either the F2AS or the classic FE - I loved them both. I had the F3T in the lovely champagne colour finish. F100 - used for weddings when we ditched using 500cm's - superb but AF in low light poor by modern standards. Reminded me of the FE as all of the controls were so direct. Most used Nikon - digital D70 - I took well over 150 weddings and they (we had three) never let us down. 'Toy town' camera that never stops ! Today I am gravely disapointed with Nikon and their on-going QC problems. D600 & D800 now D750 with issues. Shame on you Nikon. Loving my recently purchased Nikkormat FT2 - now that is almost, almost as well build as the F but is cheap as chips. Please post more vids.
Bob Brick thanks for your comment and little trip through history!!! I'm also disappointed with Nikon's recent cameras. They kind of lost their drive and reliability as your examples with the buggy camera models show. Of the film Nikons I have I do love the F2 and the F3 most, the F2 for being a tank, and the F3 for being a pro camera the size of a modern mirrorless system camera. Modern pro cameras are just too huge! Starting with the F5 they have become too large and heavy. I think I have to do a few more videos on my old toys :)
The way I manual focus and nail it every time is to figure out where wide open lands in relation to the range finder indicator.
I start by setting focus from what I see in the viewfinder, then using LV zoomed in fully. Reset focus and observe the focus throw from the point I see focus to the LV actual focus. It's usually 1mm off or off by the 1st zone focus point from center.
Typically you turn focus to the left. Ex. 5m set to center turned to the left Zone focus mark of F4 (or in the space between center and F4 zone focus mark)
The F6 works with two CR123A's, rechargeable or single-use, so it does not require an exotic battery one can't find anymore. Strangely enough, the rechargeables are cheaper. The battery grip works either with eight AA's or an EN-EL4A, with no difference in weight nor operation. I don't have the F5, but the F6 does more or less everything the F5 does but with or without the battery grip. In autofocus film camera category, the F5 and F6 are excellent as they support VR if that is important to you. For me, it is as I live in darkness six months every year. The F100 does also, but is slightly simpler and a lot less expensive. I think the F6 is the only one claimed to be weather-sealed, but there is no such thing as weather sealing, only varying degrees of weather resistance.
Awesome collection, thanks for sharing it!
Old Nikon cameras are best with a beaten up look.
Like a tattered paperback, must be a good book it's been handled a lot
F, F2A (purchased new in 1978), Nikkormat, F5, and F6 (new, never used), D2sx, and D3 are a part of my Nikon collection, sometime ago I was thinking about selling some of them then I saw how KEH and Adorama were offering peanuts for these beautiful products, I chose not to sell them, and I am glad I did not. As a matter of fact I acquired a Mamiya 67 RB SD Pro, Hasselblad 500C, Pentax 6x7, Contax RTS III, and NX. Digital cameras are ok but I wonder if people will be using D5 in 60 years from now; Nikon F and Hasse are still working good 60 years later. Old manual cameras are addictive, loading film, setting ISO, deciding for shutter speed and aperture along with manual focusing provide a satisfaction unparalleled in digitals which are like TV dinners, tasteless.
Your F2 is a Nikon F2 Photomic and has a DP-1 CDs cell meter/finder.That model ran from 1971-76, alongside the F2 SB with the DP-2 Silicone photo diode finder. In 1977 Nikon updated all their metered SLRs to accommodate Auto Indexing (AI) lenses. The F2 Photomic was updated with the new DP-11 CDS cell Finder and called the F2A, and the F2 SB was equipped with the new DP-12 Finder with Silicone photo diode metering. Both of the new finders interfaced with the new AI and later AIS lenses with no need to line up saddles and pins.
And for a brief time, Nikon did make an F3-A/F.
Lovely collection, I personally only use peak design anchor links on my cameras as those metal things scratch the hell out of the bodies. Love my F3 and FE2 but remembering to leave the wind lever out or it switches off is a PITA ! I have a black and a silver FG and they get more use because of their size and ease of use.
Great video, man... and F5 forever!
Nice collection. I used my Nikon F5 every day backup with my Nikon D3s. Nowadays it's not the camera but the person behind the camera. The Nikon F5 have superior AF with the 85mm, 105mm and the 135mm Nikon prime lenses. I shoot portraits outdoors ISO 200 and indoors ISO 400 and shoot always wide open. I liked the bokeh and the pictures must be razor sharp.
Loved the retrospective. The FE2 " youth ambition" I can relate to. I wanted an FM at the time but it was too expensive for me and got a Pentax MX instead -- which I still have btw. Now I shoot with a F100, basically an F6 for 1/10th the cost.
Hehe, totally true about the F100. I used to have a mint one sold it, but now I want one again. Actually I'd say the F100 is a more respectable camera than the F6. The F6 feels like it was only made to be in a museum. Too posh to be fiddled with. That said I just bought an FM3 and you could argue the same about that, but I'm loving shooting that thing. After seeing this video I realised I want all the models shown here too, accept the Df. Don't get me wrong, I love digital (well mirrorless), but the Df is so gay it's ridiculous.
Mon chère Antoine :) Thank you for your compliment. As a matter of fact I am Italian living in Germany!
+IncredibleStuffChannel great video; I love Nikons. I take it English is not your first language? It's very very good
Nikon f3 and f4 for ever
I enjoyed your video. It was a real trip down memory lane for me. When I was 16 I became an apprentice to a professional photographer, and he gave me my first Nikons to work with. They were a pair of old Nikon F's, one with a 50mm 1.4 and the other with a 135mm f3.5 lens mounted. He also gave me a bulk loader full of Tri-X, and some film cassettes, and showed me how to load bulk film and do my own darkroom work. He assigned me to shoot school sports, which was part of his contract with my school. I also would take the Nikons to shoot the candid reception photos at weddings he contracted for, so that he could leave after the more formal stuff was done.
I then became a newspaper photographer doing mostly crime scenes and shot weddings of my own for a few years, using Mamiya TLR's for the weddings. I played around with the Olympus OM series, and loved their size, but they were not as tough as the Nikons of the day, so I went back to an F2, then ultimately the F3. I now have all of the single digit F's, except the F6, which I find still to expensive. I agree with you that the F5 is too big and rarely shoot it. While not a single digit F, my F100 gets the most use along with the F3 for my manual focus lenses. I also have the tiny little EM, which cost me $20 US, and which is a surprisingly good camera, although back then we all laughed at it.
By the way, I was a working pro when the FA came out. There was widespread mistrust of "electronic cameras" at the time regarding automated exposure, and we especially did not trust the FA, which ultimately proved to be fine. None of us really knew what "Matrix Metering" was. Customers demanded that they be able to turn off unfamiliar features and revert to manual modes. That is also why many Nikons of the day had an M90 shutter speed position that would work without a battery. It is interesting that after the FA, no camera would provide that great Matrix Metering with manual focus lenses until the F4 came out years later. It really is a pretty good metering system.
Thanks again for a cool video.
Tom Crawford Comments like yours are a reason for me to share my collection here! Especially episodes like the FA story... Some people now trust their electronics very much, also because they are able to check immediately what the camera actually did. In film days you had to be more careful because by the time you would see the results it would be to late to reshoot ;)
Thanks again for sharing your experiences with us!
Thank you so much , very good Robert from Sydney
I thought the F2A/F2AS models incorporated the AI feature (auto indexing) with AI lenses, before the F3? I have an FM which I purchased new back in 1980 with a 50 mm/f1.8 AI Nikkor lens. Have taken many great photos with it and it's still going strong. Bought an FG with Nikkor 35-70 f/3.5 'two-touch' zoom lens for my wife in 1985. She didn't want to fiddle with manual exposure settings so the FG with it's 'program' and aperture-priority auto modes, in addition to it's manual exposure mode capability and through-the-lens flash metering (I bought an SB-15 Nikon flash to go with the camera); it was an ideal camera for her and she took some prize-winning photos with it. My wife passed away three years ago so I gave the FG with the 35-70 zoom lens and SB-15 flash to my granddaughter for Christmas last year: so the camera will stay in the family. My FM I will hang onto just don't have the heart to sell it or shelf it in favor of a digital SLR: love using it so much.
I love my Nikon F 100
Same here.
Among the best cameras I've ever used frankly
Shame the humble Nikon EM was skipped over in such a casual manner. Light, pocketable and ideal for travel photography (and, of course, compatible with most Nikon lenses) - I enjoyed mine very much. Come to think of it, I might even buy another. !!
My first real camera back in the 80´s was a new F3HP... sadly in those years I never got to appreciate how great camera it was (is). The black DF reminds me the F3 but is just ridiculous big, that was the reason I sold my Canon 5D after one weekend to hang it around my neck.
I really understand what you mean ;) I used to have an F3 back in the 80s, sold it, and then I bought 2 F3s (regular and Titanium) just a few years ago :)
Maybe the DF doesn't have this feature but on my D750 if I put a manual focus lens on, the viewfinder still shows the left or right arrows when it's out of focus and a circle when you're focused properly. I have an FE2 which I'm really enjoying and I've also got an FG coming soon, I like the small form factor and ability to use in manual or aperture priority mode. Thanks for showing us your cameras, I enjoyed your video.
The Df will also do that. I too like the little FG.
I'm thinking of getting either a Nikon F or a Nikon F2.......can't decide which, yet.
I like v the fm
Nice collection of Nikons and very inspiring video - thanks for sharing your expertise on the great Nikon cameras.
You need the K split rangefinder screen
Thanks for sharing
coole Videos - great man! continuate così
I heard there was a special early autofocus version of the Nikon F3, the F3AF
I love my f75 with Nikkor 50mm 1.4 af
Light as a feather.
The only thing made from titanium on the F3/T is the shutter curtain from what I"ve been told.
The Nikon F3T is a camera that has a titanium shutter so the camera could shoot at higher shutter speeds. The Nikon F100 could be about as heavy as the Nikon F5 by attaching a battery grip. I do own both the F100 and the F5. They are both good cameras. I would be careful with the Nikon DF because I have heard this camera has a weak lens mount. Peace, Flood!
The Titanium of the F3T is most of the chassis. Both the standard F3 and the F3T use the same shutter. I'm not sure that titanium is a better material for the shutter since Nikon took it away with the FM2 and replaced it with an aluminium version on the FM2N. Both shoot at 1/4000th without batteries. The F3/T is limited to 1/60th if the battery failed, 1/2000th otherwise.
Hi! thank you for this great video, I love old nikon cameras! May I ask you an advice?
I have a nikkormat EL with 50mm which is AI'd and other non modified pre-AI lenses. I'd like to do night photojournalism but I have some troubles shooting in the city at night because the EL's meter just works up to 1600. I can manage to get acceptable shots at 3200 with AEL and then by closing 1 f-stop, but at 6400 results are unpredictable and I waste a lot of film! I tohught an F3 could work better because it meters up to 6400 (possibly more with EC?) and the finder is light assisted. what would you suggest? i would like a camera that is at least compatible with my AI'd 50mm. thank you
Have you ever tried to put a split focusing screen in a digital camera? I managed to get a screen from an EM into a D600, but it wasn't ideal. btw, the FG has Programme mode and apparently came before the FE2.
Niikon EM, I remember that as a beginner camera, ladies camera I don't know but didn't mention that in the past.
cheetahkid: "Ladies camera"......the PC / feminists won't like that :-)
I have a F3 with autofocus and the 2 AF lenses for it...
I'm curious about the manual focusing with the DF.
I use manual lenses and I'm still using a D3s & D300. I don't have issues with focusing.
On either I use the left/right arrows to compose. The dot isn't focus. Each lens is different and will use the arrows for front or back focus.
I also use the codes/measurements on the lens for focusing.
I'm wondering if you add a 1.5x or 2x magnification eyepiece would that help you?
Nice video.
However where is the Nikon F4? It's the first autofocus Nikon professional camera. It has controls that are similar to DF. Most consider it the best manual focus film Nikon if you don't mind the weight (with a P screen for manual focus and the MB-20 battery pack so you keep it smallish).
F4 is bigger than DF and also much heavier. It's not fair to compare manual focus cameras with the DF in terms of size. They don't have any focus motors in them and all use very small batteries. DF also must do with all the electronics, digital sensor, LCD screen etc.
Nikon couldn't have made the DF smaller. They tried but this is the smallest they can get with F-mount lenses.
Twenty years ago I collected Nikon cameras. About ten years ago, mainly due to failing eyesight, I gave up doing any photography and put my cameras into store. Recently there has been some improvement in my sight, and I have got them out again, and even bought a couple of new ones. I now have the F, FM, FE, FA, FG, EM, F301 and F501, plus Nikkormats FTn and EL. I think my favourite is the FM, but I also like the little FG, and this is the one I am using most at the moment. I don’t really have any interest in cameras later than the F501, but I might get a F90x, but I have just bought a DF. The professional cameras don’t really interest me, and tend to be beyond my price range, but I did get the F because it was the first; I think I paid about 40 pounds for it in almost mint condition at a collectors’ fair. To be honest, It’s not a camera I would often choose to use.
Buddy, the Df is a marvel beautiful camera, but 3.000 dollars?, little bit too much. The F2A that I bought new in 1979 is still with me and the second F2A, that I got used , both are super marvel, just a joy to play with them even empty, no film . High end Nikons are just fun to play and shoot with them and for sure the F2A was. The new Nikon Df??, let me wait and I will pick up one used in excellent shape, three years from now for 500 dollars...
Nikon 2, have 4, 1 black . Chrome & black plain prisms, DP1 & DP2 & DP12. Purchased whole cameras just to get prisms and the DP12. The DP12 is a gem. The others have the sluggish old Cds cells which work, but not nearly as nicely.
The rest of Nikons are D200, 40, 7000, 800, 800e, 750. We won't even talk about lenses.
I shoot my F3hp all the time I love it.
are you italian? me too ;)
Question: i am very interested in buying a nikon FA and i was wondering if you could make a more in depth video about it
thanks!
It's really please t to hear you, because you have a very clear accent !, which is helpful for frenchies !,, could you just tell me in Which state your are leaving ? cordially
Additionally to the point of split prism, there's a split prism made for the DF that takes roughly 5min to install. It cost about $100 USD. I'll link it in a reply.
ua-cam.com/video/eIm9fT-tnzk/v-deo.html
Link to the website that sells the split prism.
www.focusingscreen.com/index.php?cPath=22_139&osCsid=d0d9ceac33fc1a4adf24838255000c01
I've to used it (FM2n , FA , F3 ) but now sold out.
Great video! Really enjoyed seeing these and info about what features they had. I now want pretty much all of these... accept the Df (really dislike that fat shape and dial design).
If you were in the situation to choose between fm2 and f3 which one will you prefer?I know fm2 is mechanical and very durable but i've heard that the viewfinder is not that great.At the other hand the f3 has an electronically controlled shutter but that doesnt mean unrealiability,cause everybody says that this thing never breaks down.And of course the f3 has 100% viewfinder coverage and very smooth handling.Which one has a better meter?Are the handling and the viewfinder of fm2 that bad as alot of people say?Thanks!
very nice work you did there! pity you don't explain your issues with the F6! thanks anyway
Your collections are awsome. Im planing to buy an used nikon film camera but I have some questions like should I get mechanical series like FM or electronic ones or hybrit models like F3... Can you make a video for starters about buying tips for an used film camera, what are the general issues of cameras, for long term using which ones should be prefered...?Thank you for your videos please keep making.
Çağatay KOÇ thanks for the compliment and the suggestion! I will prepare some videos like that. About your question, personally I would suggest getting the highest possible quality (F3) looking for one that has not been used professionally. The F3 is my choice for getting a great camera at a great price.
Thank you for your suggestion.
Çağatay KOÇ can't go wrong with an FM.If it's in good condition.
Great video as I Nikon addict I have a few in my collection just pick up an F4 that’s a beast too
Like👍
Love the F100. You can use all your modern lenses.
I know that original rainbow nikon strap your F3 looks cool, but I would be worried about all that metal on metal slap gradually rubbing out your body paint.
so what is the difference between the fe2 and f3, they both were targeted as pro-level camera and they both do share aperture priority mode? it confuses me
+Peter Cheung The FE2 would be considered a prosumer level today. The F3 was much more solid and tougher.
@@Passion4Cameras I have an F3Press with motor drive .... am F. two F2s one black body one silver body an Em and a Nikonis V
Aren’t they just amazing tools?!? I hope you get to use them? Maybe carefully with the Nikonos V ;)
sorry for the typo for Nikonos V ... I used to use it as my fishing camera when I went out on the boat. I was so lucky when I got it I went to a Garage sale and arrived at about 10 am, hours after it started.... As I was parking my car I saw the orange body and the knobs to the side of the lens and told my son there was a Nikon there ( no good telling him it was a Nikonos he wouldnt have known what it was) and I said I might need to borrow some money..... I didnt.... they were only asking 15 dollars for it! This was about 20 years ago. Prior to the Nikonos I used to used the EM to take fishing.
so the f100 can use nikon G lenses and do autofocus?
Yes. Like the F5 it feels like shooting a digital camera. It can be great but these days I'm leaning towards the mechanical operation of the older cameras for shooting film. Well, technically the FM3 is newer than the D1, but you get what I mean.
Do you like F also?
Why is the F not mentioned?
I have far more Nikon cameras than is good for me, plus a few others, such as Russian rangefinders, a Speed Graphic, Graflex reflex and MPP monorail. Started collecting them about 25 years ago. About 10 years ago I gave up all photography and put my cameras into store, mainly due to failing eyesight. Recently there has been some improvement in eyesight, so I have got the cameras out of store, and am using some of them again. Some are very difficult to use, the LCD in the viewfinder of the FA is almost impossible to see for example.
I don’t really like the professional Nikons. I do have an original F, as it was the first one, but I prefer the semi-Pro models. I have Nikkormats FT, FTn, FT2, FT3 and EL, with a ELW due to arrive in the next day or two. I’d like a FS but they tend to be expensive due to being rare. I’m keeping my eyes open for one at a reasonable price. I also have the Nikon EL2, which I consider to be a Nikkormat. Of the newer ones I have the FM, FE, FA, F90x andFM3a. Of the smaller amateur line I have the EM, FG, FG20, F301 and F501. I also have the FM10 and FE10, the latter mint cosmetically, but not working. I’m not sure where to put those two, by model name they ought to belong to the mid-tier range, but they look like they belong in the lower tier. I think the FG20 is actually better; at least it doesn’t have the sticky rubber covered back like many of the later cameras do. I really start to lose interest when it comes to the later models, the F4 and F5 for example look almost like inflatable rubber models.
Digitally I have the Df and the Nikon 1 J1. I like the fact that once I have the Df set up as I want it I seldom need to go into the menus. I also like the fact that it will take unconverted pre-AI lenses; most of my lenses are pre-AI, most are converted but a few are not. I have the GPS unit for the Df, which I like, but why was it not built-in as standard when even much smaller and cheaper mobile ‘phones have i?
I got a nikon fe and i am selling it for 100$ i said in a good condition, then when a buyer ask for it and i checked it, i noticed that the focus is stuck! I think only the the lens that has a problem, because the body is working very well. anybody who might know the problem. the last user is my son , i lent him when he is taking photography.
Ah - Nikon F3 did had an AF model the F3AF with a bulky prism, and long Wide~Tele Zoom... Then in the Mid 1980's then came the Nikon 2020 first Nikon with true AF along the F4 model. As I DId not like the FA, All Plastic housing like the Canon AE1 Program, as I seen did not like synching with the MD-12 as they said it does work but their MD Drive that it only works with their MD15 drive as the FA only works as that the FM and FE could not work with the FA motor drive MD15 unit - piece of shit. As the FA was short live model. As it was not a nice model camera with all the bells and whistles as we took in more incoming repairs for this model. I told 4 students to either get the FM, and the MD12 drive. I did not like the Df, NO VIDEO a retro version of the D600 model. And in closing that I also have the 50mm F2.0 lens and had NO Problem in focusing in which I have the Fuji S2Pro, and S3Pro, and the S5Pro which takes Nikkor mount lenses, and along with the Nikon D2Xs, and my Mirrorless Fuji XPro1, and XE1. That lens is still tack sharp or a 50 year lens, I even use it on New Year's Eve in Tokyo 2019 - You should get you eyes check, even I wear glasses too. Their is a Test after this video....
... Body caps on those cameras... And those strap clips will scratch... Arrrghhh....
translate.google.com/#en/ja/nikon and play the pronunciation in English. It will spell it correctly. A fun one is the Japanese pronunciation. So, there is no "NAIKON" even in English. Because you are a literate person, there won't be any effort to correct this..
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon
Line 1
"UK: /ˈnɪkɒn/ or US: /ˈnaɪkɒn/"
No F4 = Dislike
All too big, too clunky and too heavy.