Nikon F4 appreciation

[chriscrawfordphoto]

I have had my eye on an F4. Any buying tips.

The F4 is a pretty common camera, so hold out for one that isn't beaten to death. Many of them were used professionally by photojournalists and are badly worn. There are a lot of them in great condition that were owned by amateurs that will last forever, and they're not terribly expensive.

 

[abruzzi]

I have had my eye on an F4. Any buying tips.

Check the LCD in the viewfinder. They start bleeding black. Some of the LCDs are on the body and some on the viewfinder.

 

[Dennis-B]

I thought with its advanced metering... or the option of that ... the F4 was one of "The Best" manual focus cameras available. I am fine with the cameras i have but for some the F4 might be THE manual camera to own.?

I've read in the past, that the F4 was a manual focus camera with AF added on. It certainly works great in manual focus mode.

 

[Photoguy365]

Just look for one in good condition. They aren't hard to find. It's ridicules what they sell for these days. Camera wise, there's never been a better time to shoot 35mm. Too bad getting your film processed is crazy. lol!

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Check the LCD in the viewfinder. They start bleeding black. Some of the LCDs are on the body and some on the viewfinder.

There is no LCD on the F4 body unless you have something like an MF-23 back.

 

[Kawaiithulhu]

I loved my F4. Can't imagine why anyone could complain about the weight, that's a meaningless measure of a system.
Paired with the 60mm Micro, its MLU + eyepiece shutter it made for a very capable macro rig.
The matrix meter never failed me, nor the center weighted which I also used.
I used it with both on and off-camera flash, multiple pops when spelunking just to make things interesting.

 

[ronnies]

There is no LCD on the F4 body unless you have something like an MF-23 back.

I think he meant the LCD displays in the viewfinder which are actually part of the body and not the finder.

Ronnie

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

The F4 has been the first camera by Nikon that I fully disliked, I'm afraid. I didn't really liked the F3 either, but when the F3T came out I learned to like it to some degree. When the F4 was announced I was in wild anticipation, but my oh my what a disappointment when I saw that black blob of pongo! Lord oh Lord did it look awful! The professional camera that put an end to the great-looking professional cameras as they were known until then. The first film camera that looked as awful as digital cameras to come. And the lenses, oh my bad if my poor eyes could bear the sight of the barrel of those lenses!!! There was not even a single, lesser detail that I happened to like about the camera and its whole system. And to my detriment, I had yet to see the "concept" pushed even further with the F5 and F6 models. My goodness what an unforgettable, overwhelming disappointment!

Sorry for this post in a thread that was supposed to be an "appreciation" one, but these feelings resurface every time that I see the F4 mentioned anywhere, as fresh and as painful as if it was still 1988.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

... my oh my what a disappointment when I saw that black blob of pongo! Lord oh Lord did it look awful! ... My goodness what an unforgettable, overwhelming disappointment!
...

Any interest in the Canon EOS 1V, then?

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Indeed in the Canon EOS 1V I seem to especially like the suppository-looking pentaprism, just as much as I like suppositories in general that is. Another camera that will never cross the door of my house.

And now I have also to beg other people's pardon for having hijacked the thread, I'm afraid.

 

[chip j]

Right on, Marco! The best Nikon cameras for me are the N2000 & the N80.

 

[jonasfj]

The best thing with my F4 is the bright and large viewfinder. It is much easier to manual focus compared to for example my FE or FA... I prefer the weight of the llatter two so it depends which body I´ll bring...

 

[Photoguy365]

There is no single camera that is best for every use or every user. Yes, there are a lot of people who have a strong dislike or even hate for the F4. Some of us love the camera though. The world would be very boring if we all liked the same things. It's just a tool.

 

[narsuitus]

When the F4 was announced I was in wild anticipation, but my oh my what a disappointment when I saw that black blob of pongo! Lord oh Lord did it look awful!

I find it interesting that Marco Gilardetti from Torino, Italy, dislikes the looks of the Nikon F4 which was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, a famous Italian designer.

Makes me wonder if there is more to the story.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Absolutely not, unfortunately! Indeed I wish I had worked with him... But as all designers, he made great sketches and he made awful sketches, which by the way also depend on the personal taste of the viewer. I, personally, dislike the look of cameras like the F4 and similar units, to the point that I never ever purchased another new 35mm camera. I quit buying cameras altogether. I don't even have a particular hate for the F4, it's just the archetype of all cameras that look that way, the mentioned Canon EOS or Nikon N2000 and N80 all look awful at the same level if not even worse.

Other people, for how incomprehensible it may be for me, would possibly love cameras that look this way and made with those materials, and this is perfectly fine with me, we just have different tastes. He'll keep his black plastic blob and enjoy, and I'll keep my chromed steel stuff and live in peace.

 

[narsuitus]

Marco,

Thanks for your reply.

 

[chip j]

Yes, my N2000 DOES look awful, but I never notice it because my it's so easy to shoot well w/it.

 

[abruzzi]

Nope. The text I quoted says:



... which treats them separately.

There are no LCDs on the body; the only LCD is in the viewfinder.

If you look through the viewfinder, the LCDs above the frame are on the body as far as I can tell. The LCD below the frame is on the viewfinder. The point being, if the lower LCD is bleeding and unreadable, you can replace the viewfinder, but if the upper LCD is bleeding and unreadable, you need to swap out the camera.

 

[choiliefan]

The bleeding viewfinder readouts are the main gotcha when buying an F4.
Exchange the MD23 for an MD20 and you have a much more compact camera for everyday shooting.
Wonderful camera.

 

[Chan Tran]

Absolutely not, unfortunately! Indeed I wish I had worked with him... But as all designers, he made great sketches and he made awful sketches, which by the way also depend on the personal taste of the viewer. I, personally, dislike the look of cameras like the F4 and similar units, to the point that I never ever purchased another new 35mm camera. I quit buying cameras altogether. I don't even have a particular hate for the F4, it's just the archetype of all cameras that look that way, the mentioned Canon EOS or Nikon N2000 and N80 all look awful at the same level if not even worse.

Other people, for how incomprehensible it may be for me, would possibly love cameras that look this way and made with those materials, and this is perfectly fine with me, we just have different tastes. He'll keep his black plastic blob and enjoy, and I'll keep my chromed steel stuff and live in peace.

Coming from the F2AS I didn't like the look of the F3 which I believe was the first of Giugiaro design but it grew on me and now I like it very much. The F4 actually looked OK to me when it was introduced but now it doesn't look good at all. I don't particularly like the F5 but I think it's a much better looking camera than the F4.
Among the digital I like the look of the Df but owning it for more than 4 years it doesn't look very good to me. It's a Nikon own design though.

 

[Pieter12]

Sorry, but I prefer to look through my camera, not as much at it. That said, the ergonomics of the F4(s) are excellent for me.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

If you look through the viewfinder, the LCDs above the frame are on the body as far as I can tell. The LCD below the frame is on the viewfinder. The point being, if the lower LCD is bleeding and unreadable, you can replace the viewfinder, but if the upper LCD is bleeding and unreadable, you need to swap out the camera.

Good point. I stand corrected.

 

[Photoguy365]

To me the beauty of the F4 is the simple fact that there is a knob or button for everything. When I was working as a photographer, I could switch between A, S or M mode without moving my eye away from the viewfinder. There is no LCD screen to wake up to check settings. It's all right there. Now, I can pretty much do those things on my F3 as well... and I don't have any issues with using the F5. It may be because I didn't get into photography until the early 90s. So I wasn't rooted in traditional camera formats. The F4 looked and felt like a sleek racing machine to me. My hands fit the camera perfectly. I guess whether or not you like a camera's ascetics depends on when you got into photography. I can tell you that the F4 has always done exactly what I have asked it to do, and it's ability to produce outstanding images has never let me down.​

 

[abruzzi]

Good point. I stand corrected.

No problem, I realize my original post could be read as a standalone LCD like most newer cameras have.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I loved my F4. Can't imagine why anyone could complain about the weight, that's a meaningless measure of a system.
Paired with the 60mm Micro, its MLU + eyepiece shutter it made for a very capable macro rig.
The matrix meter never failed me, nor the center weighted which I also used.
I used it with both on and off-camera flash, multiple pops when spelunking just to make things interesting.

For the weight of the F4 I would rather carry my Hasselblad. 35mm cameras are meant to be light and easy to carry or wear hanging from the neck.