Buying a used AF camera (F100) - what to check?

[agenkin]

Greetings:

I'm buying a used F100 locally, the deal is good and it sounds like the camera saw not too much use (the seller claims around 50 rolls and mint condition). The serial number is 2211XXX. Is there any way to check the actual shutter actuations?

I'm going to meet with the seller soon, and would appreciate any tips: what to check for, any known quirks?

I guess that I'll need to bring with me a set of batteries, a roll of film, a couple of AF and an AI lenses, to check that the meter works. Any other ideas?

I hope some of you can chime in. I've never had a sophisticated film SLR before, the one that I had years ago was fully manual and had no meter.

 

[PhotoJim]

What you suggested sounds fine. A Nikon service centre can tell you how many shutter actuations have been made. It's not something that you can easily figure out at home, at least that I know about.

Make sure the motor drive and autofocus motor sound good. Sometimes motors can sound a bit squeaky when they've had major wear. I've honestly never seen a really beat-up F100 but I've seen this on other AF Nikon bodies.

Trust your instincts. Based on what you're hearing it sounds like a good purchase, though.

 

[copake_ham]

I think you've pretty much covered the bases on what to look for and check. The F-100 is a great camera and very well-built, so unless it was abused (and that would be fairly evident by visual inspection), it should be okay.

BTW, while it's kind of the "baby brother" to the F5 - you are correct that it is quite a sophisticated piece of gear. I was using mine yesterday doing some shooting at ski jump competition. A couple of settings were different from what I wanted and I had a "brain fart" and couldn't quite remember how to change certain things. Sure wished I'd had one of those "cheat sheets" with me!

It's a great camera, but to really appreciate all its features you really do have to read the manual!

 

[agenkin]

Thanks. The F100 data back?

Thanks for the answers, Jim and George. I feel a bit more confident now.

BTW, is the data back useful at all with the F100? From what I can see from the specs, it can only imprint date *in* the frame, which is something I really don't want. I read that, IIRC, the data back for the F4 can imprint the exposure parameters in between the frames, which can be really useful; I suppose the F100's databack cannot do anything like that?

The seller has the data back, but I don't feel like paying anything extra for it.

 

[copake_ham]

Thanks for the answers, Jim and George. I feel a bit more confident now.

BTW, is the data back useful at all with the F100? From what I can see from the specs, it can only imprint date *in* the frame, which is something I really don't want. I read that, IIRC, the data back for the F4 can imprint the exposure parameters in between the frames, which can be really useful; I suppose the F100's databack cannot do anything like that?

The seller has the data back, but I don't feel like paying anything extra for it.

I looked into acquiring a data back for my F-100 but didn't think it added much. And if it uses the same battery pack it is another drain on the batteries....

 

[agenkin]

Alright, I got the F100, it's in a fantastic condition (I can't see any sings of use, for the life of me). Paid CAD300, which is around US$250, and got an MC-20 remote cable for another CAD$30, from the same guy. Next step - shoot and develop some B&W film.

Thanks for all the replies!