F5 with a Nikkor 58mm f1.4G

StepheKoontz · Aug 12, 2019

One of my favorite lenses is a special lens Nikon released a few years ago: the 58mm f1.4G. This was a very controversial lens because it wasn't designed to be super sharp, or excel at scientific resolution tests. It was created by one of their older master designers, simply to create beautiful images. It was created in homage to a very rare 58mm f1.2 Noct nikkor made several decades ago that has skyrocketed in price by camera collectors.

Since my rediscovery of film, I wanted to try this and a few other modern lenses I have on film but as many of you know these G lenses won't work on the older film bodies. But then I discovered: there are a few camera bodies made at the very end of film camera production that will work with these newer "digital" autofocus lenses.

One on the few is the king of film cameras, the Nikon F5. This was an insanely expensive professional camera that cost almost $4000 just for the body back in 1996, which would be $6500+ in 2019 corrected for inflation. It's a heavy beast of a camera, it had the latest technology and is the most advanced film camera ever made. It had a frame rate on high speed mode that could burn through a roll of film in 4 seconds. I was able to pick one of these up, in great condition for $200.

So last week I tested it out, taking some pictures around my house, and this combination performed just as I expected. I shot these on Ilford FP4 B&W film. This adds a whole new arsenal of optics having the ability to use modern high tech lenses on film.

mshchem · Aug 12, 2019

Yep, I bought my first F5 used while it was still in production, I've got another that I bought from KEH a couple years back. F5 is laid out just like a D5. Nikon hit a home run with the F5. I walked into my local camera shop with mine hammered off a 8 shot burst. I turned the camera around and held it up to 3 guys behind the counter, they were all looking for the LCD, everyone thought it was a D3. If you don't have one, look for a 85 1.4 AFD. I bought one years back, I saw a nice used one for 500 bucks at a local joint.

StepheKoontz · Aug 12, 2019

I got a 85mm f1.4 AFD, another epic nikkor lens. The 80-200 f2.8D 2 ring is another winner from that period. the 105mm f2 DC is too. Lots of great glass in that time period. The 24 and 35mm f1.4G are also special IMHO.

Christiaan Phleger · Aug 13, 2019

The Nikon F5 truly was and is a champion of 35mm film photography. I got one heavily used for 200 about 10 years ago and it still functions and shoots as new. I am interested to know if the Nikkor 58mm 1.4 functions correctly with all F-stops available.

StepheKoontz · Aug 13, 2019

RidingWaves said:
The Nikon F5 truly was and is a champion of 35mm film photography. I got one heavily used for 200 about 10 years ago and it still functions and shoots as new. I am interested to know if the Nikkor 58mm 1.4 functions correctly with all F-stops available.

So far all my G lenses work perfectly with it and focus as fast as they do on any camera. The only modern lens I have tried that acted weird was a sigma 150mm f2.8 OS macro (the newest version with OS and built in motor). Possibly is a contact cleanliness issues? My "newest" lens with all the bells and whistles is a 70-200 f2.8 VR2 and it works perfect, super fast focus as expected and stable VR. I would suspect it isn't going to work with the newest E lenses with electronic aperture control.

Update, I cleaned the contacts and that sigma lens still acts weird. I think their implementation of OS (stabilizer) is stuck on and the OS switch on the body doesn't actually turn it off. Sometimes it will AF other times it acts stuck. I've seen sigma OS lenses act weird on other nikon bodies so this doesn't shock me given they have to reverse engineer the interface.

MartinCrabtree · Aug 13, 2019

If I had to chose one it would be my F5. Picked mine up here in mint condition 7 years ago and it's still plugging along.

John Koehrer · Aug 13, 2019

I've run into a couple of Sigmas for Canon that needed an upgrade of some sort to be compatible

Huss · Aug 14, 2019

F5s are such a good deal. I use an F6 and my Nikon G lenses w VR (24-120g) and Sigma Art 50 and 35 work perfectly. But more current ones from Nikon and Sigma w the electronic aperture mechanism no longer work w any Nikon film kameras.

MultiFormat Shooter · Aug 14, 2019

Huss said:
But more current ones from Nikon and Sigma w the electronic aperture mechanism no longer work w any Nikon film cameras.

I really wish they'd make a firmware update so the F6 could use electromagnetic aperture lenses. The F5 is good deal (I got one really cheap, that was basically new), but I love my F6.

Ariston · Aug 15, 2019

StepheKoontz said:
One of my favorite lenses is a special lens Nikon released a few years ago: the 58mm f1.4G. This was a very controversial lens because it wasn't designed to be super sharp, or excel at scientific resolution tests. It was created by one of their older master designers, simply to create beautiful images. It was created in homage to a very rare 58mm f1.2 Noct nikkor made several decades ago that has skyrocketed in price by camera collectors.

Since my rediscovery of film, I wanted to try this and a few other modern lenses I have on film but as many of you know these G lenses won't work on the older film bodies. But then I discovered: there are a few camera bodies made at the very end of film camera production that will work with these newer "digital" autofocus lenses.

One on the few is the king of film cameras, the Nikon F5. This was an insanely expensive professional camera that cost almost $4000 just for the body back in 1996, which would be $6500+ in 2019 corrected for inflation. It's a heavy beast of a camera, it had the latest technology and is the most advanced film camera ever made. It had a frame rate on high speed mode that could burn through a roll of film in 4 seconds. I was able to pick one of these up, in great condition for $200.

So last week I tested it out, taking some pictures around my house, and this combination performed just as I expected. I shot these on Ilford FP4 B&W film. This adds a whole new arsenal of optics having the ability to use modern high tech lenses on film.

View attachment 228831 View attachment 228832 View attachment 228833

Stephe, thanks for sharing images. Those are beautiful shots, and that film complements the softness so well.

GarageBoy · Aug 17, 2019

MultiFormat Shooter said:
I really wish they'd make a firmware update so the F6 could use electromagnetic aperture lenses. The F5 is good deal (I got one really cheap, that was basically new), but I love my F6.

Sadly, even older digital bodies don't work with those lenses

Would love to see the 105 1.4 on film

NB23 · Aug 17, 2019

GarageBoy said:
Sadly, even older digital bodies don't work with those lenses

Would love to see the 105 1.4 on film

It works. Only wide open.

benjiboy · Aug 29, 2019

I tried an F5 in my local camera shop but it was just too big and heavy for me to lug around at my age, the drive isn't removable and there is no option not to use the eight AA batteries in the bottom, I also tried the F4 that's a bit lighter and only uses 4 AA batteries,, but I'm considering a Canon EOS 1V that runs on a single 2CR5 battery. I really need some time to handle them and see how intuitive the operating procedure is. I'll go back to the shop one day during the week when they are not busy and handle them again, in the meantime I've downloaded all the instruction manuals on my smartphone so I can study them in the meantime.

Chan Tran · Aug 29, 2019

I bought my F5 new in 2002. It's still like new because I didn't use it very much. I found I like the F3HP a lot more. It's not too heavy but billing as the fastest Nikon film camera it's actually slow to use due to their control layout which is the same as most DSLR. So when I bought the DSLR I went for the Df as I dislike the controls on the F5 so much.

benjiboy · Aug 29, 2019

Chan Tran said:
I bought my F5 new in 2002. It's still like new because I didn't use it very much. I found I like the F3HP a lot more. It's not too heavy but billing as the fastest Nikon film camera it's actually slow to use due to their control layout which is the same as most DSLR. So when I bought the DSLR I went for the Df as I dislike the controls on the F5 so much.

I can understand that Chan, although these modern electronic S.L.R.S are very fast to focus Etc. they are slow to operate because you have to take them away from your eye to adjust the controls because they are not intuitive in operation. I think if I was ever to buy a DSLR it would be a Df.

StepheKoontz · Aug 31, 2019

I just picked up an N80 with a "grip" (which would be an F80 elsewhere) at the local used camera store for $20. Much smaller and lighter than the F5, and while less features, frames per sec etc than the F5, is a nice alternative to have that works with G glass, uses AA batteries etc. I highly doubt I will ever use the 7-8 FPS the F5 can shoot at! As far as the modern controls, IMHO the controls, fingertip dials become intuitive with use, these cameras have a ton of info in the finder, it's just what you are used to. Like I will never get used to the shutter speed dial being on the top plate. The Olympus style with the speed being a ring on the lens mount makes so much more sense to me, but then that is what I used for decades.

Nodda Duma · Aug 31, 2019

benjiboy said:
I tried an F5 in my local camera shop but it was just too big and heavy for me to lug around at my age, the drive isn't removable and there is no option not to use the eight AA batteries in the bottom, I also tried the F4 that's a bit lighter and only uses 4 AA batteries,, but I'm considering a Canon EOS 1V that runs on a single 2CR5 battery. I really need some time to handle them and see how intuitive the operating procedure is. I'll go back to the shop one day during the week when they are not busy and handle them again, in the meantime I've downloaded all the instruction manuals on my smartphone so I can study them in the meantime.

Try the F100 if the F5 is too big. I went with the F100 because it is compatible with all the newest Nikon lenses except the new E, but is lighter than the F5.

benjiboy · Aug 31, 2019

I understand the F 100 isn't as good build quality as the F4, F5, and EOS 1V and it has one vital part that's made of plastic and is prone to fail, I read about it a post about it recently on this forum I can't remember if it's the back catch
I definitely know the F5 is out of the running it weighs as much as two of my Canon New F1s and I am only able to carry one, and the F4 with the motor drive attached is out of the question as is the Canon EOS1V with the drive attached, but I'm considering the EOS 1V without the drive (which can still consume film at 3 1/2 frames a second without it and with the cost of film and processing these days is much faster than I need or could afford ) I will probably if I buy anything finish up buying the Canon EOS 1V (which was the last film SLR that Canon ever made) with the EF 28-105 f3.5-f4.5 zoom lens.

StepheKoontz · Aug 31, 2019

benjiboy said:
I understand the F 100 isn't as good quality as the F4, F5, and EOS 1V and it has one vital part that's made of plastic and is prone to fail, I can't remember if it's the back catch I read a post about it recently on this forum.

I recalled reading the same thing, it has something to do with the rewind fork breaking. F100's with a serial number above 216xxxx supposedly don't have this problem. I have read it's a fairly easy repair.

benjiboy · Aug 31, 2019

StepheKoontz said:
I recalled reading the same thing, it has something to do with the rewind fork breaking. F100's with a serial number above 216xxxx supposedly don't have this problem. I have read it's a fairly easy repair.

That was it Stephe, thanks, I couldn't remember.

gorbas · Aug 31, 2019

I really love F100! Never heard before of "rewind fork breaking" but real issue with them is breaking of one or both plastic teeth that keeps film back closed. Of course, all original replacement backs are gone by now. Maybe somebody handy with 3D printing will come to the rescue?

Christiaan Phleger · Aug 31, 2019

yes and while we are at it can someone make a replacement MS-30 double AA cell battery tray. maybe squeeze in another cell or for Li-ion cells to make it kick to the very top frame rate.
One reason I found the F5 more of challenge to use for my purposes is that the viewfinder illumination cannot be turned off without turning off the camera. The F4 has an actual switch which allows you turn it off but still have the camera operate. You may not need this feature but during low light shooting the extra light in the finder makes viewing and focussing way more of challenge. The F5 screen is darker as well due to the addition of the LCD for the focussing points. For these reasons the F4 is a far better MF low light shooting camera, which is a conundrum since the F5's shutter speeds in 1/3 steps is particularly useful in those low light situations. Yes of course I know that in those situations the F5's much better AF would give more keepers versus the F4 but not if you can't see the focussing points nor even the moment you are photographing (think low light first dance at a wedding). What I've long thought ideal would be an either an F4 with the 1/3 shutter speed steps or an F5 with the F4 brighter screens and a custom function to turn of the viewfinder illumination and still have the camera function normally.

reddesert · Sep 1, 2019

All of the final generation of Nikon autofocus film bodies will work with a G lens. In practice this means N55, N60, N65, N75, N80, F100, F5, and maybe one or two others. Even the previous generation N90/N90s and F4 will work with a G lens, but only in P or S mode (because the camera can control the aperture, but there is no way to manually set the aperture, so A and M modes don't work). See the charts at https://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm

Many of these cameras are very usable and other than the F100/F5, they're cheap as dirt now. (The F100 is cheap as dirt relative to the price when new ...)

F5 with a Nikkor 58mm f1.4G

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