Nikon F4s

[frank]

Went out yesterday and today with my new used F4s and took a bunch of pictures, more than I have for a very long time.

I received my $50 Nikon F4s yesterday. It was offered on a FB group as non-working and I decided to gamble on it. It's lower battery tray is broken and might be the source of the problem. It was! When I fitted the battery tray from my own long-owned F4s, this one worked.

Full disclosure: This new F4s cost me $100Cdn, factoring in shipping and currency conversion.

I paid $2700Cdn for my original F4s when they first came out almost 30 years ago now. It saw me through my weekend wedding warrior phase without ever letting me down. With this second $50 F4, I'll be less fussy when using it. The F4 is my favourite Nikon camera because it retained traditional controls - no menus.

Currently, the working battery tray is in the new camera. I wouldn't likely to be using both at once, but wouldn't mind finding a replacement battery tray. Has anyone got a spare or a source? (Yes I am watching eBay.)

Yesterday I used some JB Weld on the broken battery tray. Just now this evening I tried it and my glue up job held up and the camera works with its repaired battery tray.

I think that the way the tray is inserted and held, it should be okay over the long run too.

Given an inexpensive opportunity though, I would still buy a replacement battery tray.

 

[rthollenbeck]

Congratulations on your new/used F4. What an awesome design. I dragged mine out for a little trip this week. I hope I'm able to pick up some HP5 on the road. The only camera I've ever had that feels better in the hand is a Technika with anatomical grip (lol admittedly not much to do with the camera itself).
Enjoy

 

[HiHoSilver]

'Not used a 4, but Rockwell called them a breakthrough model, rather than adding a feature.
Kudos on the JB weld. It seems to work better, in more places than anything should. 'Glad you enjoying. 'Hope to see a scan or print.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Frank, when you find another F4 gem for $50Cdn, please let me know so I can add it to my N-75 and F-100.

 

[frank]

Frank, when you find another F4 gem for $50Cdn, please let me know so I can add it to my N-75 and F-100.

Yes, you need a proper Nikon camera.

 

[shutterfinger]

I use Loctite Super Glue Pro, Lepage in you part of the world, http://www.lepage.ca/en/lepage-products/super-glue/liquid-super-glue/super-glue-liquid-pro.html on plastics.
I use JB weld on metals. If it works, it works.
Look for MB21 as the are often sold separate when a dead body is parted out and it will have the battery holder.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Yes, you need a proper Nikon camera.

But not to use for Kodachrome!

 

[Chan Tran]

Went out yesterday and today with my new used F4s and took a bunch of pictures, more than I have for a very long time.

I received my $50 Nikon F4s yesterday. It was offered on a FB group as non-working and I decided to gamble on it. It's lower battery tray is broken and might be the source of the problem. It was! When I fitted the battery tray from my own long-owned F4s, this one worked.

Full disclosure: This new F4s cost me $100Cdn, factoring in shipping and currency conversion.

I paid $2700Cdn for my original F4s when they first came out almost 30 years ago now. It saw me through my weekend wedding warrior phase without ever letting me down. With this second $50 F4, I'll be less fussy when using it. The F4 is my favourite Nikon camera because it retained traditional controls - no menus.

Currently, the working battery tray is in the new camera. I wouldn't likely to be using both at once, but wouldn't mind finding a replacement battery tray. Has anyone got a spare or a source? (Yes I am watching eBay.)

Yesterday I used some JB Weld on the broken battery tray. Just now this evening I tried it and my glue up job held up and the camera works with its repaired battery tray.

I think that the way the tray is inserted and held, it should be okay over the long run too.

Given an inexpensive opportunity though, I would still buy a replacement battery tray.

What menu???

 

[frank]

What menu???

No menu - traditional controls.

 

[Sirius Glass]

What menu???

That is part of what makes it a great camera. When one looks at the back there is no screen to look at like a chimp-chump. [just monkeying around]

 

[John_Nikon_F]

Nice grab. Reminds me of the ones I keep getting from Roberts Camera and sometimes KEH being marked as for parts or not working. Turns out that someone fired it on "T" and, after the camera shut off, moved the shutter speed dial to some other setting, closing the shutter and leaving it uncocked, but with the mirror up.

With respect to the grip, keep your eyes peeled for a MB-20 or a MB-23. Would give some variety, especially if you go with the MB-20, since you'd then have a "travel light" F4 and the "beast" F4s... With the Energizer lithium AA batteries, auto focus is useable on a regular F4.

-J

 

[awty]

I picked up a f4 with mf-23 last week, makes the f3 look puny . Also have a sb-26 flash and bracket coming. People are just about giving them away, seem to be the least expensive of the f series. Most of the cameras of the 90's seem to be at a bargain price at the moment.

Great camera, once you can get your finger pushing the right buttons and levers. Still getting use to the focus assist, having to look away from the center is a pain, might try a different screen.
Seems to be more shutter lag than earlier f's.
Cant work out how to use the mf-23 yet.

Dont drop it on your foot!

BTW is there a way of stopping the film rewind before the end of the film gets swallowed by the cartridge? Even on manual rewind I cant tell when its at the end.

 

[Chan Tran]

That is part of what makes it a great camera. When one looks at the back there is no screen to look at like a chimp-chump. [just monkeying around]

The F3 before it and the F5 after it don't have menu either. What make it stand out?

 

[frank]

Camera settings of the F5 and 6 are displayed on an LCD screen. On the F4, camera settings are displayed by the dials and knobs used to set them, just like earlier models, making the F4 the most advanced Nikon with traditional controls.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Exactly - the external controls are what make the F4 my favorite of their professional film models.

Now... to get an MF-23 back to allow focus priority tripping of the shutter along with other cool features:

http://mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf4/filmbacks/index.htm

 

[John Wiegerink]

Frank,
I said for a long time that my very favorite Nikon was my beloved Nikon F2AS that I ended up selling a few years ago. Then I stumbled onto an eBay auction where a city in Colorado had several F4S's up for auction that had been used by the city. No guarantee or even testing was done on these, but I took a chance anyway. I got it for $43.00. When it arrived I checked it over and all seemed well. There was a little paint where, but that was all. I stuck some batteries in the MB-21 and presto, one fine working camera. All I can say is that the F4S is all the Nikon I would ever need and then some. Just fantastic! I'm mainly a medium format shooter, but if I ever had to grab a camera for a rough, dangerous mission the F4S would be my very first choice. you could use it as a weapon if nothing else.

 

[frank]

if I ever had to grab a camera for a rough, dangerous mission the F4S would be my very first choice

Like weddings. It never let me down.

 

[John Wiegerink]

Like weddings. It never let me down.

And it could also protect you from an angry Brides momma!

 

[narsuitus]

Frank,

Congratulations on your second Nikon F4.

I look forward to seeing your images.



F4 by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[frank]

Here's my recent film kit, in a Domke 803 satchel. Lenses are 20f3.5, 28f3.5, 50f1.8E, 100f2.8E.
Two of the rear caps are glued together for the 28 and 100mm lenses on the right.

 

[macfred]

Great kit, Frank !!

--
Here's mine (with Nikkor 35mm f/2 AIS)

Nikon F4 - MB-20 - Nikkor 35mm f/2 by Andreas, on Flickr

 

[Theo Sulphate]

More F4s porn:

 

[fdonadio]

Makes me want an F4 to go along with my FM2 and F3... And it sure feels good to know I am not the only one who hates menus.

Cheers,
Flavio

 

[John_Nikon_F]

Mine in the various configurations it has been in...

Stock configuration, with 55/1.2 AI hanging off the front - just after being picked up last fall:



With MB-23 pack and a 35-135 AIS Zoom-Nikkor (photo taken about 6 years ago - between then and now, it belonged to another APUG member, then bounced around the Seattle area before winding up at Kenmore Camera a few months ago, this time with a working LCD illuminator):



And, as it sits now, with the MB-20 and my old 24/2 AI mounted:


Common theme seems to be that there's a motor driven F2 in all of the photos...

-J

 

[tdunn81]

The F4 is such a great camera. As a long-time owner of the F5 and F3HP, it hilarious to see the features carried over from the F3HP and the features carried forward on the F5 in a single camera.