Nikon F4 appreciation

[Arthurwg]

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.

Yikes! Giugiaro! That must be why I bought mine. A beautiful beast, but really too heavy. Changed that for an F100 that I still have but rarely use. I think it still works as it should but perhaps I should have it cleaned and adjusted. Only one lens: 28mm AF.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

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.
...

Giugiaro was also involved in the design of the F3.

He is also the designer of the Beretta 92, the De Tomaso Mangusta, the early Lotus Esprit, the DeLorean, and many other cars. Perhaps the Miura, though credit goes to Gandini.

 

[Scott Micciche]

The feel and weight of the controls on the F4 are outstanding, in my opinion. Everything positively locks into position. I do not find myself accidentally depressing any button at any time. I find its heft balances nicely with AI/AI-S lenses due to their forward weight. It is very overbuilt. It is my #2 body accompanying my F2 when traveling.

 

[apoglass]

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

Since weight is an issue for me, I much prefer the small MB-20 4 AA battery pack vertical hand grip (aka "Nikon F4") to the two other much larger combined vertical and horizontal battery grips (MB-21 large 6 AA battery pack, aka "Nikon F4s"; or the even bigger MB-23 grip, aka "Nikon F4E"). While the camera body is the same, the MB-20 grip makes for a "Nikon F4" camera sized closer to a Nikon F3, while the MB-21 makes for a "Nikon F4s" or the MB-23 makes for a "Nikon F4E" that are both sized closer to a huge Nikon F5 (with the F5's double grip built in and not removable). Some photographers love the large body design with extra horizontal grip, but my strong preference is for the smaller, more light weight camera/grip.

But be aware that there are two subtly different versions of the small MB-20 battery grip. Nikon's better version has a tiny lip at the top that stops your hand from slipping. Nikon's other MB-20 version, however, lacks the tiny lip, forcing you to hold the grip more tightly, which is less comfortable and makes your hand hurt sooner. For me, that seemingly minor ergonomic difference is very significant.

 

[ronnies]

Having small hands I find the MB21 more comfortable to hold than the small MB20 since the MB20 is fatter than the MB21.

Ronnie

 

[narsuitus]

The Nikon F4 with the auto focus 85mm f/1.4D is a particular favorite of mine.

For portrait work, I prefer the F4 with the larger MB-21 battery pack because it has an extra shutter release that is very useful when shooting in portrait orientation.


F4 SLR by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[CMoore]

I never made it past the F3, and i sold the two i had, but.......if i am reading this correctly...if Nikon could have conflated the F4 Body and Functions/Layout with the Auto focus ability of the F5, they would have had "The Ultimate" SLR

 

[vlasta]

Well, in one moment F4 was ultimate SLR.
As we live in age of electronics "ultimate" is of very short life.

 

[Ai Print]

I used a pair of F4’s from 1990 to 2003 for pro work, fantastic cameras. My only regret is selling the one I had the longest...at times I almost got killed using that camera, LA Riots, Malibu Fire, Northridge quake Balboa gas main leak, etc.

So thanks to this thread I just bought one in mint condition as a reminder of what a great career I still have.

 

[CMoore]

I used a pair of F4’s from 1990 to 2003 for pro work, fantastic cameras. My only regret is selling the one I had the longest...at times I almost got killed using that camera, LA Riots, Malibu Fire, Northridge quake Balboa gas main leak, etc.

So thanks to this thread I just bought one in mint condition as a reminder of what a great career I still have.

Well Done
I would not be offended if you wanted to Toot Your Own Horn, and post some of those frames.

 

[Ai Print]

Well Done
I would not be offended if you wanted to Toot Your Own Horn, and post some of those frames.

Thanks, I suppose I could but at the moment I am pulling photos of a dear friend who passed away Thursday, so it might be awhile.

 

[CMoore]

Thanks, I suppose I could but at the moment I am pulling photos of a dear friend who passed away Thursday, so it might be awhile.

No Worries.....if you get to it some day, give me a shout.

 

[johnha]

I'm a Pentax shooter, but if I was looking at buying a Nikon, it would be an F4, it was the iconic pro-SLR during my formative photo years. If I didn't already have an LX I might be looking for one (or perhaps a Minolta Dynax 9).

 

[Mike Myers]

I guess I'm late to this party. I started with a Nikon SP, then went to the F, and now still have one of my two F2's (I gave the other away to a friend). When a co-worker offered to sell me his F4 kit, I bought it, and used it "forever" until I got caught the "digital bug". I went through several D2 cameras until I got one that worked, and then got a D3 for way too much $$. Since then, I've moved on to a D750, and also a Df which I love.

I got the bug to shoot some more film, and stared with my 60 year old Leica M3, and M2. A few weeks ago, I dug out my F4, and love it as much as the day I bought it.

As to "looks", two thoughts - first, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", and more importantly, "form follows function".

People hated the looks of the F4, but all the professional digital cameras look that way. The F4 had that look "before its time". The camera itself though is wonderful. Overall, I prefer my Leica M3, but the F4 is lighter, smaller, quieter, and Leica lenses (in my opinion) can't be beat. But to just go somewhere and take photos, the F4 is probably "better" for me. As to the weight, coming from a D2 and a D3, I'm used to the weight.

 

[Horatio]

My only complaint regarding the F4 design is the goofy light panel atop the pentaprism. The ergonomics are terrific, plus I can use all my Nikkor glass with it.

 

[Mike Myers]

I should add that since getting the F4 going again, I bought a better "carry" lens (see photo) and a "data back" which hasn't arrived yet.

 

[Mike Myers]

Can you please elaborate on why you feel that way? I started using it again, and so far I have no complaints. It is nothing like my digital cameras, but it offers more controls than my M2 and M3. Maybe I haven’t used it enough yet to notice any issues. Long ago, before I got into digital, I thought it was the ultimate film camera. I didn’t pay much attention to the shape and design, as to me it was a tool - a very powerful tool.

 

[Mike Myers]

I'm wondering what lens you guys keep on the M4 when you're just walking around? I wanted a small and light zoom, covering 35mm wide angle up to a mild telephoto. There is also a consideration that if I mount one of the newer AF lenses from Nikon, they no longer have an external ring for aperture adjustment. An issue for me though, is I have three "current" Nikons, my F4, my D750, and my Df.

I read what Ken Rockwell and others had to say about lenses, and then went hunting through the KEH website, KEH.com, looking over a few zillion lenses. I settled on Nikon's "AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm 1:3.5-4.5G ED VR". Long name. I haven't yet gone walking around with it, but I did some testing on the F4 and everything is working as expected. I need to shoot in (M)anual or (P)rogram mode, as I can't set the aperture manually. A bigger reason for selecting this lens is that I can use it for the same purpose when I'm using my D750 or Df - all I normally use with them is prime lenses.

This new lens is "heavy" compared to a prime, but very light for what it is, a zoom. It's bigger than what I wanted, but smaller than having extra lenses in my pocket or bag. If I want to go shoot birds, it's totally inadequate, but I've got my other lens..... but for that kind of photography I'll probably be shooting digital. I think "film" will be most useful for me for landscapes, and scenic shots, when I will take forever to decide what to shoot Right now, I'm only shooting B&W film, but I expect to start shooting color if I'm pleased with the B&W.

Bottom line, I will be happy or not depending on how my new images compare to what I did in the 1960's, with one lens, and only B&W film in my Leica M3. The film will be professional developed, scanned with a Plustek scanner set to either 3600 or 7200dpi, then edited in DxO PhotoLab4. As long as the Nikon lens is up to it, I'm 99% sure the camera body is.

 

[narsuitus]

Overall, I prefer my Leica M3, but the F4 is lighter, smaller, quieter, and Leica lenses (in my opinion) can't be beat.

I use the Nikon F4, the Nikon F2, and the Leica M6. The Nikkor and Leica lenses can't be beat.

I have 21mm f/1.4, 35mm f/1.4, and 90mm f/2 lenses for the M6.

I have 24mm f/2, 35mm f/1.4, and 85mm f/1.4 lenses for the F2 and F4.

When I need wider lenses, I have 14mm and 18mm Nikkor lenses for the F2. When I need longer lenses, I have 105, 135, 180, 400, 500, and 1000mm Nikkor lenses for the F2 and F4.

The M6 and the F2 bodies are about the same size and weight. My M6 is quieter than the F2 and F4.


Leica & Nikon by Narsuitus, on FTlickr

 

[focus_on_infinity]

If I'm looking for a big handful of fast, automated 35mm, it's my F4. For something more deliberate and lighter, it's usually a Pentax or my Minolta. But if I might miss the shot, and I want convenience that's closer to a DSLR, I go for the F4.

I love it. It's heavy, but it is a Nikon, so I can use my Nikon glass - not that I have a whole lot.

 

[mohmad khatab]

+0

 

[Mike Myers]

After getting back to where the F4S felt good in my hands, I loved the controls, accepted the "more modern" looks, and was getting used to the weight. I ten bought a second F4, and swapped the battery holder, so my camera became a (much lighter) F4. If I need lot of battery, I'll switch back, but for walking around on a short walk, I enjoy the camera more without the "excess baggage".

 

[Mike Myers]

One more thought - I enjoy the F4, my SP is in storage, along with my F2, and I'm also starting to use my Leica M3 and M2 again. I enjoy the camera, but I'm being told that I can get better B&W photos if I use a digital camera than my film camera. I'm not sure what "better" means to me - I enjoy shooting like I did when I was growing up in the 1950's and 60's....

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I remember way back in the 90's, drooling over the F3 and the F4. I ended up with neither. Instead I got the EOS 5. Sorry. but if I see an F4 come up at a reasonable price...

 

[Huss]

.. I enjoy the camera, but I'm being told that I can get better B&W photos if I use a digital camera than my film camera. I'm not sure what "better" means to me - I enjoy shooting like I did when I was growing up in the 1950's and 60's....

Let me guess - that person shoots digital..
;P

You can get v nice digi B&W pics. But that isn't the point now, is it? We're film shooters.