Nikon F Series advancements

Sal Santamaura said:

Wink or no wink, you've got that exactly backwards.

The F6 is an efficient, integrated photographic tool. The F was tough enough to hammer nails and didn't need a battery. However, anyone using an F to make pictures rather than as a carpentry implement would be thrilled to have an F6 instead.

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Well, to each their own but efficient and analog don't go together in my opinion. If I wanted a camera with all the bells and whistles of an F6, I'd shoot digital. Besides that, my #1 criterion for cameras is some kind of manual fallback mode when the batteries go flat - the F6 doesn't have that.

unityofsaints said:

...If I wanted a camera with all the bells and whistles of an F6, I'd shoot digital...

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I already do that with a D810. The Sigma Art 35mm and 50mm lenses I use with it were significant motivations for getting the F6.

unityofsaints said:

...my #1 criterion for cameras is some kind of manual fallback mode when the batteries go flat - the F6 doesn't have that.

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Mine does. It's called a pocket full of these, fully charged:

CMoore said:

I think it was mostly the Meter/Display that i liked better in the F2 so i sold the F3. I am sure i could have lived with either.

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I feel the same and i'm about to sell my F3 in favor of my F2... for the second time in my life.

CMoore said:

Anyway...................if you had to choose just one iteration that represented the biggest change or most advancement from one model to the next, which two models would that be.?
I suppose the F3 offering AE was a big change from the F2 to the F3. Maybe that was it.?

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Certainly from F2 to F3: this means:

- reliance on electronics for everything
- somehow, Nikon thought leaving the camera design to a car design studio was a good idea
- we don't care about the viewfinder quality and info, we'll give you an inferior metering display and inferior viewfinder because OOOH AUTOMATION and WOW LOOK AT OUR TTL SYSTEM.
- corollary: the AUTO mode was going to be more important than the manual modes from now on.

It was all downhill after the F2.

When a working PJ I started with an F, upgraded to F2 then F3P, I used the F3P for almost 20 years, other than a yearly service (CLA) it worked in all weather, from the Artic to the Tropics. My preference was the F2, liked the somewhat larger body better, in terms of function the F3 was much improved.

Pretty sure I've run out of film more times than I have run out of batteries.

Paul Howell said:

When a working PJ I started with an F, upgraded to F2 then F3P, I used the F3P for almost 20 years, other than a yearly service (CLA) it worked in all weather, from the Artic to the Tropics. My preference was the F2, liked the somewhat larger body better, in terms of function the F3 was much improved.

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Thanks for retelling your experience.
I would love to Own/Try the F3P.