F4 or N90?

[Pumal]

I prefer my Nikon F with a good Hand Held Meter

 

[Colin Corneau]

Keeping to your actual question:

I've been a working newspaper shooter for some 20 years. We put our cameras through a lot.

The F/N 90(x) is a solid camera. It's not an exaggeration to say I've put tens of thousands of rolls through mine...never had a problem, not once, with it. It's small and light (without the vertical grip) and the metering is great. Ditto the assisting rangefinder for manual focusing.

From what you describe, it's quite cheap to buy, too.

So -- my 2 cents are: save money, and concentrate on making pictures.

 

[Tonglen]

N90s
Menus. Small, less heavy, durable. New vertical grips still available for $50.
F4s
Knobs. Large, heavy, higher frame rate, interchangeable finders.

Also a PJ for over 20 years. I used an N90 as a second body and it was dependable despite heavy use.
I would suggest to use the money you save on more lenses. If you do macro work, F4 plus waist level.

 

[narsuitus]

First choice: Get another F5
Second choice: Get an F100 (for the reasons others have said)
Third Choice: Get an F4 (I use it and love it. I have never used an N90 and cannot comment on it)

 

[RJS]

I had an F4 for years, and it weighed a ton. I fooled with F5, but also very heavy. How much do you use and how much use for all the stuff the F4 and/or F5 do? Realistically, for me an N80 does everything I need - can't tell the negs from the F5. One does not look like a "pro" with N 80, but then what? I have an F100 that is an excellent compromise. Look like a "pro" but doesn'tt hurt your back as much.

 

[dougjgreen]

Nowadays, with careful shopping, an N90s can generally be gotten for $50-60. I actually paid $31 for one, INCLUDING shipping, in very nice shape on the 'bay a couple of months ago. And the N90s doesn't have a plastic take-up sprocket that's prone to break like the F-100. IMHO, the ONLY significant advantages of the F100 are the ability to work with G-lenses, and the faster motor speeds. I think that the N90s is 85~90% of the camera of an F100 for 25% of the cost.

If you seriously shoot film, you will find the advantages of multiple bodies which can have different stuff in each - fast or slow, color or B&W, etc. For that reason, and given the silly low cost nowadays of these cameras, I would suggest that TWO N90s bodies, or one N90s and one N80 (which can use the G lenses), offers better functionality than just one F100 body.

 

[removed-user-1]

Have to agree with the F100 lobby. I have one and it's a superb piece of kit. Solid, excellent meter and (although I haven't tried) it feels like the sort of camera you could use wearing mittens - i.e. everything laid ppit to perfection. F90 (N90) is probably an excellent camera but I wouldn't want to part with my F100.

Over the past ten years, I went from a Nikon FM to an N90s, then last year I got an F4 and finally this year I moved to the F100. It's simply awesome. Elsewhere on this forum I have said that I've never really regretted selling any 35mm cameras, well, the F100 is the ONE 35mm camera I won't be selling. In fact I want another one!

 

[shakyhandsJames]

according to my handy n90s manual, you can change finder screens...
I have 2 of them, and total amount spent is less than 100 dollars with shipping on both.