I love it - the Nikon N80

ic-racer · Mar 31, 2023

Yes, the N80 new was almost DOUBLE the price of N75. $340 vs $180

I spent last Wed. on a photography trip to Pittsburg with a N75 and the compact 24/2.8. I can say the metering on the N75 is very point-and-shoot friendly (with the 25 segment metering) that I don't miss the other metering modes of the more advanced cameras.

I have been doing film curve testing and looking for 0.1log d on films since the early 1970s (and rating film accordingly) but the N75 squeezes every ounce out of "BOX SPEED" by paying attention to shadows and ignoring highlights. It really is incredible.

I also liked not having to constantly remember the six AF modes of the F100/N80; this is very simplified for the better in the N75.

N80/F100 focus modes. I have had an F100 since 2010 and only ever used (I). I did, however, with the N80, try to learn these in practical situations. Though still pretty confusing.

ic-racer · Mar 31, 2023

The more I use the N80 the more it feels like a compact F100 than a brother or sister to the N75.

Huss · Mar 31, 2023

ic-racer said:
Yes, the N80 new was almost DOUBLE the price of N75. $340 vs $180

I spent last Wed. on a photography trip to Pittsburg with a N75 and the compact 24/2.8. I can say the metering on the N75 is very point-and-shoot friendly (with the 25 segment metering) that I don't miss the other metering modes of the more advanced cameras.

I have been doing film curve testing and looking for 0.1log d on films since the early 1970s (and rating film accordingly) but the N75 squeezes every ounce out of "BOX SPEED" by paying attention to shadows and ignoring highlights. It really is incredible.

I also liked not having to constantly remember the six AF modes of the F100/N80; this is very simplified for the better in the N75.

N80/F100 focus modes. I have had an F100 since 2010 and only ever used (I). I did, however, with the N80, try to learn these in practical situations. Though still pretty confusing.
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The only focus mode I ever use on any of my AF cameras is single spot, single servo!

Huss · Mar 31, 2023

ic-racer said:
The more I use the N80 the more it feels like a compact F100 than a brother or sister to the N75.
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with the bonus of the built in flash. Aaaand low light focus assist illuminator. I have that on off in the custom mode, but I have that custom mode set to the first one to appear when I switch to custom, so I can turn it on super quick if I ever need it.

Moose22 · Mar 31, 2023

I pretty much use the AF single servo and pick a spot. The dynamic stuff is cool for some places and some things, I'm sure. But for MY style of photography, just putting the spot on target, touch, and if I need to recompose hold the AF/AE lock, then go.

I have all the modes on the F6, I almost never use continuous for anything, and all the rest of the modes... basically just more spots to choose from so I might not have to recompose after setting focus.

N80 works fine just single servo single area.

And, for the comment on the n75 metering, remember that was the end of era camera. It had the very best matrix metering Nikon could muster for a film camera. I think the only later design from Nikon was the F6 itself.

Huss · Mar 31, 2023

I'm not that big on the matrix metering in my F6, let alone N80. I select the center weight pattern on both 90% of the time, and use AE lock as needed.

Sirius Glass · Mar 31, 2023

The flashes on the N75 and N80 are bonuses.

ic-racer · Mar 31, 2023

Huss said:
I'm not that big on the matrix metering in my F6, let alone N80. I select the center weight pattern on both 90% of the time, and use AE lock as needed.

With Matrix, it almost always give more exposure when needed, which is great for B&W negative film. Reducing the need to point a camera's center weighted zone away from strong light and hit AE lock. Matrix does that for you (or at least it works for my subject matter).

Anyway, I know you know how to meter, just wanted to point out the features of Matrix to those not that familiar with Nikon, or those for which the N80/N75 is their first Matrix metering Nikon.

Huss · Mar 31, 2023

ic-racer said:
With Matrix, it almost always give more exposure when needed, which is great for B&W negative film. Reducing the need to point a camera's center weighted zone away from strong light and hit AE lock. Matrix does that for you (or at least it works for my subject matter).

Anyway, I know you know how to meter, just wanted to point out the features of Matrix to those not that familiar with Nikon, or those for which the N80/N75 is their first Matrix metering Nikon.

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The problem I found w my N80 and F6 is the matrix meter was highlight biased ie it will always try to save highlights leaving any scene that is backlit underexposed. It seems that the meter was biased for slide film.
I don’t remember much about my N75 apart from it made really nice pics!

Thesecondone · Apr 1, 2023

Well i almost had one today for 15 dollars but someone swooped in for 45 bucks at the buzzer. Im a little salty. I had a chance to buy a nikon F5 today for 225 and i was more excited about this camera than that f5

Yashica · Apr 1, 2023

IC Racer - Point II is exactly what i do use, and it's a stupidity from Nikon, since the F80/N80 doesn't show up anything, no illuminated AF Points into that mode, different than other Fxx Film bodies.
It gets me crazy all the time, still nowadays.

Don't push, hype the N80/F80 so much, it's nothing special, especially vs the F100. Just saying.

ic-racer · Apr 1, 2023

Nikon Matrix is supposed to NOT favor the highlights. For example in their literature this example shows hypothetical EV values sensed by the various zones. In all these cases, the exposure calculated is MORE than what one would get with an averaging meter camera. It eliminates the very high brightness zones from the exposure calculation.

Even if ALL the zones are high (example 5), it still gives more exposure; about two stops more...that is how it gets by being a "Box Speed" camera in my hands.

I'm interested if others find this works as described.

Huss · Apr 1, 2023

Yashica said:
Don't push, hype the N80/F80 so much, it's nothing special, especially vs the F100. Just saying.

It is everything special. It has exactly what you need, perfect size, super intuitive controls, looks great, built in flash and a ridiculously good price.
I prefer it to the F100 that I had because the size is handier, I found the grip much more comfortable, it has a built in focus lamp, and the best bit? The grid lines in the VF that you can turn on or off.

But really the hype? $20. Insane.

Huss · Apr 1, 2023

ic-racer said:
Nikon Matrix is supposed to NOT favor the highlights. For example in their literature this example shows hypothetical EV values sensed by the various zones. In all these cases, the exposure calculated is MORE than what one would get with an averaging meter camera. It eliminates the very high brightness zones from the exposure calculation.

Even if ALL the zones are high (example 5), it still gives more exposure; about two stops more...that is how it gets by being a "Box Speed" camera in my hands.

I'm interested if others find this works as described.

View attachment 334397

Ok this is a rant against the F6, but I guess it would apply to the N80 - but I hadn’t tested it as I did the F6. Nikon claims ‘3D color matrix metering’, where the camera using D and more recent lenses is meant to base the exposure on what is in focus. Sounds great! Except it doesn’t work. And the easiest way to tell is to focus on a backlit subject and flip through the meter modes watching the exposure change.
matrix in this scenario acts like an avg pattern underexposing, center weight gives more exposure, spot the most.

Alan Edward Klein · Apr 1, 2023

ic-racer said:
Nikon Matrix is supposed to NOT favor the highlights. For example in their literature this example shows hypothetical EV values sensed by the various zones. In all these cases, the exposure calculated is MORE than what one would get with an averaging meter camera. It eliminates the very high brightness zones from the exposure calculation.

Even if ALL the zones are high (example 5), it still gives more exposure; about two stops more...that is how it gets by being a "Box Speed" camera in my hands.

I'm interested if others find this works as described.

View attachment 334397

So using this camera on matrix exposure mode is risky if you're shooting chrome film? It could easily raise the exposure and burn out the highlights.

For what it's worth, here's an explanation from my N6006 manual.

ic-racer · Apr 1, 2023

Alan Edward Klein said:
So using this camera on matrix exposure mode is risky if you're shooting chrome film? It could easily raise the exposure and burn out the highlights.

For what it's worth, here's an explanation from my N6006 manual.

Matrix, does seem to be based on rules for negative exposure but I have not seen that written in the Nikon literature.

I think the inclusion of the spot metering on the Nikon cameras was not for B&W Zone System users, but for 'chrome users to spot the highlights. That is a reliable method of chrome exposure. That and bracketing, both done well by Nikon.

Huss · Apr 1, 2023

You don’t have to take a pic, with any of these cameras w matrix metering just flip through the meter modes and see how the exposure changes.

ic-racer · Apr 1, 2023

Huss said:
You don’t have to take a pic, with any of these cameras w matrix metering just flip through the meter modes and see how the exposure changes.

Yes good way to check the Matrix performance!** On the N75 one can use "Manual" to get it into spot or center. Just make sure on N75 one is not setting ISO with the exposure comp, because the exposure comp goes back to ISO 100 in Manual.

And I'm not so up to speed on the '3D' Matrix. Those screen shots I posted above were older, but I did find a simplified diagram below for the 1,005- pixel RGB sensor on the F5 and F6.

I suspect, one could compare '3D Matrix' to the non-3D by fitting a Non-G or Non-D lens (which shifts it back to normal Matrix mode).

I don't have any non-G or non-D Nikkors.

**When I did this with a scene exactly split 1/2 inside and 1/2 outside a window, the exposure was always MORE in 3D matrix compared to center weight (F6, N75 and N80)

Moose22 · Apr 1, 2023

Huss said:
Ok this is a rant against the F6, but I guess it would apply to the N80 - but I hadn’t tested it as I did the F6. Nikon claims ‘3D color matrix metering’, where the camera using D and more recent lenses is meant to base the exposure on what is in focus. Sounds great! Except it doesn’t work. And the easiest way to tell is to focus on a backlit subject and flip through the meter modes watching the exposure change.
matrix in this scenario acts like an avg pattern underexposing, center weight gives more exposure, spot the most.

I think it's supposed to know the distance for exposure WITH FLASH. Not just general exposure, the matrix in those cases is supposed to do the best for the whole scene.

I find it works perfectly when you use it for the right scene. If you have scenes that are high contrast, switch to spot or centerweight. I use spot a lot, and the heavy centerweight of my F3 is one of it's best features over other manual Nikons with the 60/40 centerweight. But for contrasty scenes, spot and centerweight are safer, and that's why they exist.

Thesecondone · Apr 2, 2023

I take back my previous comment. Just realized this morning i got an email saying i won the auction for an N80 @ 16 bucks.

Now i need a lens that matches the camera

Yashica · Apr 2, 2023

Sadly, the F65 and F75 are some kind of joke, in terms of a) build quality b) looking both like a toy camera c) no hard off switch d) one dial only e) small, cheapskate and dim-lit pentamirror OVF, instead of a bright all glass pentaprism OVF, f) the way small handgrip is a bad joke, anyway. I am using the F100, F80 & F60 all day, when it comes to 35mm AF SLRs here, but the F65/F75 are not being used for that, the F60 does feel much more a real camera than these two, F4 AF system is good enough (i always shoot static objects, statues, architecture, landscape, nature only), and way basic, no frills, just gets the job done, and it does work with the old AF-G and all AF-D lenses anyway, which is quite sufficent. I don't like the small view through my F65/F75 OVF. AF points aren't everything, a camera is so much more, than the sum of it's parts. Horses for courses.
YMMV.

Besk · Apr 2, 2023

"Horses for courses." Agreed, the F65 and F75's are compromises. For my purposes (travel and family photos) they are fine.

Huss · Apr 2, 2023

Yashica said:
Sadly, the F65 and F75 are some kind of joke, …Horses for courses.
YMMV.

Completely disagree. You fail to understand the purpose of the F75. It is not designed to be a professional camera, but a really nice small camera for hobbyists. And it does the job there very well indeed.

For its intents it is a lovely camera and it needs to be lined up against the F80 and F100 to see how small it is. The F80 towers over the 75, and the 100 is huge in comparison.

Not liking it is fine, we all like and dislike different things. But for the rest of the criticism? At the time of its introduction it was a fraction of the price of the 80 and 100.

Expecting the build quality and feature set of the 80 at half the price, and that of the 100 at four times the price, is a joke.

ic-racer · Apr 2, 2023

I found the N75/N55 very durable. I think the light weight makes them less susceptible to damage. I had my N75 rolling around in the footwell of my car for a while without any damage.

Bronson Dugnutt · Apr 2, 2023

Is it just my imagination or is the N/F80 exceedingly quiet for an SLR?

The shutter and the film advance always strike me as surprisingly subdued when coming back to it from other cameras.

Edit: Here comes those DPReview vibes

I love it - the Nikon N80

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