I love it - the Nikon N80

Yashica · Apr 2, 2023

Huss said:
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.

FYI - i am shooting Film since 1984. I understand its purpose quite well, but it doesn't fit, to suit my personal needs. I have bought and used the F55, F60, F65, F75, F80, F90x and F100. From all of these the F55, F65 & F75 was pretty much useless to me. I wrote all about it's drawbacks before. Plus, the small handgrip is a joke. Good luck with bigger zooms mounted onto that minature body, especially say a 70-300. no offense. The F60 costed me like 579 DM into 1998 - and nowadays starting from 5-10+ EUR, it's a joke for that asking price for sure. And still, does have all the basics, for a 35mm AF SLR, which one would need, minus a second dial. But much better handling, build quality. than these toy SLR F65/F75, much better OVF also. These two SLRs are best being used with small primes, or the cheapskate 28-80G Kit Zoom, anything bigger, and it does look arkward stupid on these small bodies. Those are too much a compromise for myself. If i do need anything better in terms of features than the F60, i grab the F80 or F100 instead, but most of the time, it does get the job done, nailed it. People should cherish more what they have, instead always lusting for better, more & more, just saying in general.

ic-racer · Apr 2, 2023

I have the big 650g 24/1.4 on my N55 right now. What a great addition to a massive lens; a light weight body! In fact the combination weighs 5 grams less than the F6 body alone!

Yashica · Apr 2, 2023

ic-racer said:
I have the big 650g 24/1.4 on my N55 right now. What a great addition to a massive lens; a light weight body! In fact the combination weighs 5 grams less than the F6 body alone!

Well, whatever. It does look very silly, for my term. Anyway, glad if it works for you.

Huss · Apr 2, 2023

Yashica said:
Anyway, glad if it works for you.

I'm glad it works for him too!

Huss · Apr 2, 2023

ic-racer said:
I have the big 650g 24/1.4 on my N55 right now. What a great addition to a massive lens; a light weight body! In fact the combination weighs 5 grams less than the F6 body alone!

It's really quite fun when the actuality is what matters is the glass not the body.
I put the Sigma Art 50 and 35 on my F75 - and the F75 looked like a lens cap! While it is fully usable, the balance is a bit off, shall we say!

Those lenses feel too big on the N80 and really, also the F6. But I think that's because those lenses ARE too big! I feel they have a very specific purpose, but for the majority of the time nothing feels as good as a 50 1.8G or 1.8D on an F/N75 or F/N80.

Roger Thoms · Apr 2, 2023

Thesecondone said:
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

Cool, so now you need a 16 buck lens.

Yashica · Apr 2, 2023

Huss, you should really use the battery grip, with that Sigma ART 50/1.4 But even with, those lenses are unbalanced from weight onto this small body, it's way front heavy. I'm fine with the small Nikkor 35/F2D, that's how prime lenses should be, from size. Well, nothing for pixel poopers, err, -peepers...but with nice microcontrast, and also 3D Pop, more so than these current F-Mount lens designs, which are big & heavy, sharper at open aperture, but otherwise more "flat" rendering style, which i dislike. Nothing bad meant.

As for Flickr examples, one can see that this old lens isn't the sharpest, but i like it much for it's 3D Pop...more so than others, my fave #1 focal length is 35mm, 40mm comes in #2nd.

Nikon Nikkor 35mm F2D

Huss · Apr 2, 2023

Yashica said:
Huss, you should really use the battery grip, with that Sigma ART 50/1.4 But even with, those lenses are unbalanced from weight onto this small body, it's way front heavy. I'm fine with the small Nikkor 35/F2D, that's how prime lenses should be, from size. Well, nothing for pixel poopers, err, -peepers...but with nice microcontrast, and also 3D Pop, more so than these current F-Mount lens designs, which are big & heavy, sharper at open aperture, but otherwise more "flat" rendering style, which i dislike. Nothing bad meant.

As for Flickr examples, one can see that this old lens isn't the sharpest, but i like it much for it's 3D Pop...more so than others, my fave #1 focal length is 35mm, 40mm comes in #2nd.

Nikon Nikkor 35mm F2D

Dood, I love the 35 f2 D! I've attached samples earlier in this thread w the N80 - the ones with the seagulls. (page 8)

Mine unfortunately suffers from the common oily/sticky aperture issue, but I will get it fixed this week.

ic-racer · Apr 2, 2023

Yashica said:
Well, whatever. It does look very silly, for my term. Anyway, glad if it works for you.

Since I consider these to be mostly hand-held cameras, yes the weight being under the lens makes it very comfortable to hold. However, you may have been referring to tripod use of heavy lenses that don't a tripod mount on the lens. In that case I'd want a more robust camera body.

ic-racer · Apr 2, 2023

I think the N55 with the 24/1.4 looks pretty normal and weight distribution for hand-held is fantastic. The lens is heavy but compact.
With a name "Yashica" you must appreciate the way a compact camera can handle a large lens You should start a Yashica thread, I suspect you have some nice examples?

That Nikkor AF-D 35/2.0 was my only Nikon lens for many years.

Yashica · Apr 2, 2023

ic-racer said:
I think the N55 with the 24/1.4 looks pretty normal and weight distribution for hand-held is fantastic. The lens is heavy but compact.
With a name "Yashica" you must appreciate the way a compact camera can handle a large lens You should start a Yashica thread, I suspect you have some nice examples?

That Nikkor AF-D 35/2.0 was my only Nikon lens for many years.

View attachment 334574

View attachment 334575

Nice gear. Yes, i like the 35/F2(D) really much, sold it some years ago...because i am shooting 35mm always on my other (manual focus) bodies, but missed it on my F80, F100....even F60...so i bought it again, this time used, but like new. I do have the FX-3 Super, FX-3 Super 2000, FX-1, FX-2, Electro TL X, FX-D, FR-I, and some more i don't have at late times (must get up in less than 6h for work) also serveral Contax Bodies, RTS (I-III), RX, ST, 139Q, 159MM, 167MT....and Minolta, X-700, XD5, XD7, X-500, etc...serveral Yashica ML, Yashica Auto Yashinon DX, and Contax Zeiss MM lenses. Fine 16/2.8 of yours. I am also into the Yashica Forum, but with another name.

Huss · Apr 2, 2023

Yashica said:
I am also into the Yashica Forum, but with another name.

Let me guess… Nikon?

John Earley · Apr 2, 2023

As a photo snob I don't really have any appreciation for the N75 and barely for the N80. The F6 is really the only Nikon film camera one should aspire to and If you insist on being poor, just get the F100.

ic-racer · Apr 2, 2023

John Earley said:
As a photo snob I don't really have any appreciation for the N75 and barely for the N80. The F6 is really the only Nikon film camera one should aspire to and If you insist on being poor, just get the F100.

When I was a photo snob I wouldn't touch a Nikon or any other Jap camera. German only!

Patrick Robert James · Apr 2, 2023

ic-racer said:
When I was a photo snob I wouldn't touch a Nikon or any other Jap camera. German only!
View attachment 334582

Which one was yours? Lol.

I always thought it would be fun to give those Rolleis a whirl but I never came across one cheap.

Patrick Robert James · Apr 2, 2023

I am not sure why people argue about what other people do. Who cares?

I think I wrote before in this thread that right before i picked up the N80 (for $17, but it looks like someone snagged one for $16 so I must have overpaid. Lol) I bought a Canon Rebel T2 for the pancake lens I have. I thought it would be great, and it does make nice convenient pictures, but the body is just a touch too small to be comfortable with my big mitts. The N80 turned out to be almost perfect. Go figure. Only problem is I don't have a pancake for the N80. Always something....

Huss · Apr 2, 2023

Patrick Robert James said:
I am not sure why people argue about what other people do. Who cares?

I think I wrote before in this thread that right before i picked up the N80 (for $17, but it looks like someone snagged one for $16 so I must have overpaid. Lol) I bought a Canon Rebel T2 for the pancake lens I have. I thought it would be great, and it does make nice convenient pictures, but the body is just a touch too small to be comfortable with my big mitts. The N80 turned out to be almost perfect. Go figure. Only problem is I don't have a pancake for the N80. Always something....

The only pancakes for FX/film Nikons are manual focus ones. There is an F mount AF one by Yongnuo, but by all accounts it is terrible, so avoid.

Huss · Apr 2, 2023

John Earley said:
As a photo snob I don't really have any appreciation for the N75 and barely for the N80. The F6 is really the only Nikon film camera one should aspire to and If you insist on being poor, just get the F100.

As a photo snob, I feel I am slumming it with my F6. If you're gonna slum it, do it right and get an F80. F80s are so cheap it's not like its preventing you from getting that lovely German camera you really wanted. But an F6? The money you wasted on that could go towards something decent - of course with a little hard work, some patience, and good fortune.

Getting an F6 is like wading into ice cold water up to your chicken tenders. An N/F80? You're already wet where it matters, so you might as well dive in and have some fun.

Yashica · Apr 2, 2023

Huss said:
Let me guess… Nikon?

Nice try! Not really. No, i just thought here, fresh Start, i don't use my real name, like on DPR all the time...

ic-racer · Apr 3, 2023

Patrick Robert James said:
Which one was yours? Lol.

I always thought it would be fun to give those Rolleis a whirl but I never came across one cheap.

I have nine more since that picture.

Huss · Apr 3, 2023

Paul's Photo in Torrance has an SL35 for sale. I think it had a lens on it. Didn't bother checking it out because - N80.

They also have a decent shape F5 for $300. I picked it up and put it down several times, because I hadn't done any physical exercise in a few days.

Daniela · Apr 3, 2023

Can't think of a better thread in which to ask about this:
this button fell off somehow and I managed to lose it. How and where do I search for it to buy a replacement? Also, it seems to have little clip parts, so I think I should be able to put it back on easily. Do you agree or will it need some specific tool? Thanks!

Yashica · Apr 3, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
Some days one wakes up and sees and does everything wrong, as you have done. The F65/N75 met a consumers market that worked well for me as an experience photographer. Go back to bed and see if your disposition improves after your hangover passes.

Congrats, you've been qualified for the "Freak of the week", with good reasons, which are:
1) I never attacked anyone, and you stepped down the ladder, just posting a personal insult, instead of accepting one person's other PoV, than yours, but you must post this into the world
2) I was *never* ever being drunk all my life, and i don't drink anything, no alcohol, for real !
3) I am close to 50, how old are you, Kid? I shoot Film since 84. Depending on your keyboard warrior behaviour, best thing i can think
about is high school, non grade !
4) I don't drink, i don't smoke, i never did drugs, and i don't eat meat, so much for that.
5) I never had any hangover all my life, and i was never being drunk, ever (!)
6) Your personal attacks are really cheap , if you can't post something rational, objective it seems - i am into Forums for more than 30 years, starting with BBS'es
and FIDOnet, nice you've marked yourself as a primitive troll into here - congrats !
7) I have a 8 1/2 hours Office day, plus 5+ hours (almost 200km) train ride - really "nice" to read that kind of post here from some forum member after 14 1/2 hours today...
8) Everybody is being different - everyone does have different (gear) needs, but you proved you simply can't look over the plate - what works for >you< doesn't work for somebody else, and vice versa, it's as simple as that.
9) Seems to be the new "ordinary" into forums, if one doesn't have factual and objective arguments, or could accept someone else opinion, ppl start just personal attacks, under the belt.
10) Last, but not least - i have explained only my very own opinion, whileas the F65/F75 isn't good for my personal needs.

Huss · Apr 3, 2023

Daniela said:
Can't think of a better thread in which to ask about this:
this button fell off somehow and I managed to lose it. How and where do I search for it to buy a replacement? Also, it seems to have little clip parts, so I think I should be able to put it back on easily. Do you agree or will it need some specific tool? Thanks!
View attachment 334657

Oh noes! Does it still work in its present state? It most probably would be cheaper to find a replacement camera than a part/getting it repaired/trying to find a replacement back.

I've seen that happen to a few of the F/N series cameras, which is why I lock mine in the center spot position and leave it alone.

ic-racer · Apr 3, 2023

Buy a parts camera. Even if you did find the part, it might be upwards of $20.

I just checked and it seem that button is unique to the N80/F80. I also discovered another advantage of the N55...no electronics in the back to break; the N55 does not have this button on the back.

I love it - the Nikon N80

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