A new level of excitement...

ChristopherCoy · Jul 12, 2012

I was excited when I bought and shot my FM.

I was ecstatic when I bought my Hasselblad 500cm.

I am absolutely SPEECHLESS today...

I bought this F100 body from a lady who had two. She needed the money and I wanted an updated 35mm camera. $125 later the body was mine. After endless eBay stalking I found the MB-15 with original box for $49, which arrived today.

I just put everything together, along with my Nikon 24-70 2.8 G, and OMG this combo is as smooth as BUTTAH!

I absolutely can't wait to burn some film in this thing. And I have the next 7 days off to do it!!

Stephen Prunier · Jul 12, 2012

If it's anything like mine you'll love it!!!

SafetyBob · Jul 12, 2012

WOW, that certainly is a great price for an f100. I assume it was in excellent or better condition?

I am waiting as we speak for the postman to deliever my f5 in a few minutes.

Bob E.

Sirius Glass · Jul 12, 2012

Enjoy!

markbarendt · Jul 12, 2012

Yes the F100 is truly a sweet camera.

Here's a cool thing to try. In the custom setting menu, #4, set to "1" and #7, set to "1".

In the default position "0" for setting #4, a half push of the shutter button activates auto focus. When disabled, the AF button on the back becomes your focus activator. This allows you to focus then recompose and the shutter button won't try to refocus for you. A high tech version of manual focus.

In the default position "0" for setting #7, a half push of the shutter button exposure become active but does not lock. When set to "1", a half push of the shutter button will activate and lock the exposure setting. When you have a subject or scene that will trick your meter simply point the camera at a better spot, give the shutter button a half push and hold, turn back and focus with the button under your thumb, reframe and shoot.

With a little practice this is really fast and easy.

ChristopherCoy · Jul 12, 2012

Mark,

Is what you are describing commonly called 'back button focusing'?

My D90 is set up that way. I focus with the AE/AF lock button instead of the shutter. I prefer it this way.

ChristopherCoy · Jul 12, 2012

SafetyBob said:
WOW, that certainly is a great price for an f100. I assume it was in excellent or better condition?

I am waiting as we speak for the postman to deliever my f5 in a few minutes.

Bob E.

Yes. The body is in excellent condition. All caps were there, and there are no scratches or blemishes whatsoever. However, it was just the body. She was a simple lady who just enjoyed photography, so she didn't keep the manuals or original boxes or anything. You really can't tell that it's ever been used.

I've heard that the F100 ran a close race with the F5, and some people even say that the F100 was actually better than the F5. What were the major differences between the two?

markbarendt · Jul 12, 2012

ChristopherCoy said:
Mark,

Is what you are describing commonly called 'back button focusing'?

My D90 is set up that way. I focus with the AE/AF lock button instead of the shutter. I prefer it this way.

Yeah I've heard it called that, don't know what to call it really, BUT don't confuse it with back focusing which is in my world heard more often, a term for describing a focussing error where the camera focuses too far away; behind the subject.

ChristopherCoy · Jul 12, 2012

I know what back focusing is... My 80-200mm did it consistently on my d90. It was an inherent problem that Nikon acknowledged but couldn't fix.

I photograph a lot of dogs, and using the "back button" helps me keep composure, and also knocks off that fraction of a second that would normally be there if I were using the shutter button to focus. Ive got to find the online manual and start reading up on the custom setting for the F100.

Newt_on_Swings · Jul 12, 2012

I too also like to have af&metering as separate buttons as well. It is my usual custom function setup on my canon digi to use the rear i think af-l button for the autofocus/focus confirmation check.

oneANT · Jul 12, 2012

I've had mine about a week after trying an F3. Really didn't like the F3 ...really love the F100, the viewfinder is stunning.

On the point of viewfinders and manual focus, the internet is full of cr@p. The F100 viewfinder is a million miles better than the F3hp. I hated the finder on the HP. They say the F4s is the best body for manual focus lenses ...cr@p, its the F100

Its layout is exactly as my D700 and is likely the best street photography body in a Nikon film body maybe excluding the F6 (gotta try one).

ColdEye · Jul 12, 2012

Sweet camera! I have recently got an AF film body too, time to try out some AF goodness for a change.

ChristopherCoy · Jul 12, 2012

ColdEye said:
Sweet camera! I have recently got an AF film body too, time to try out some AF goodness for a change.

Right!! The G lens makes it worth every cent I paid for it.

cepwin · Jul 12, 2012

Enjoy it!! I'm sure the lady you bought it from is glad that you'll be enjoying it.

SafetyBob · Jul 12, 2012

Chris, best I can tell is that the f5 is alot heavier and with a factory addition I think you can then put on non-ai lenses. I have come so close many times getting an f100, if I could have found one like you, I would have gotten it just like you did. It's amazing to think that a wonderful camera such as yours basically sat on a shelf essentially since new......an amazing, amazing find.

I think the f100 also has better ergonomics as far as switches go also.

Plus I believe I can use the f5 as an attitude adjustment tool if the wife and/or kids get out of line.

Bob E.

ChristopherCoy · Jul 12, 2012

SafetyBob said:
.

Plus I believe I can use the f5 as an attitude adjustment tool if the wife and/or kids get out of line.

Bob E.

That's no joke!!! LOL LOL

The F100 feels so much more substantial than my D90. I'm figuring the F5 probably feels alot like a D3 or something.

SafetyBob · Jul 12, 2012

Glad your happy with it....I know I would be too. I believe the D1 and the F5 are related as I recall an over simplification is that I thought I read somewhere the D1 was and F5 body with electronic guts.

I must say I do appreciate the light weight of my DSLR, but I rarely keep a camera on me all day. So I don't mind loading up one of my Nikons with all sorts of crap.....I especially feel good about life with a big Metz flash on any of my Nikons and a battery pack on my shoulder.....at least the P&S crowd know to keep quiet at gatherings unless they have a question!!

Bob E.

tkamiya · Jul 12, 2012

markbarendt said:
Yes the F100 is truly a sweet camera.

Here's a cool thing to try. In the custom setting menu, #4, set to "1" and #7, set to "1".

In the default position "0" for setting #4, a half push of the shutter button activates auto focus. When disabled, the AF button on the back becomes your focus activator. This allows you to focus then recompose and the shutter button won't try to refocus for you. A high tech version of manual focus.

This is a good idea. I have mine in default setup. Point to a subject and press the shutter half way. Re-compose.... then the camera often mistakes this to moving subject and refocuses. All 3 of my F100 does this. (my focus selector is set to S) It acts more like continuous focus than single focus. Very annoying. I'll have to try this.

ChristopherCoy · Jul 12, 2012

Figured out the CSM #4... It is "back button focusing". Nice!!

As I'm reading the Butkus manual online, I'm realizing that the F100 is far more advanced than I originally thought it was.

ChristopherCoy · Jul 13, 2012

Got out this morning and picked up a few rolls of HP5 from the Houston Camera Exchange. The first roll is in. I think I'm going to set up my beauty dish and Alien Bees and terrorize the dog for 36 exposures.

2bits · Jul 13, 2012

I'm glad you found a good one Chris! There is very little the F5 can do that the F100 can't equal. Looks like your dog took to the F100 real well! congrats!
2bits

A new level of excitement...

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