Nikon F65?

[eli griggs]

I found a Nikon 65 that I forgot I had and wonder if you would care to share any thoughts on this camera and line?

Cheers

 

[Don_ih]

I have one (N65 - I think it's identical). It is identical to any number of slrs from the same time period (like Canon and Minolta ones). I actually have a 60 and a 65 - but the 60 sometimes thinks the roll of film is done halfway through. The photo quality is as good as the lens (which can be great). It's a reliable, if boring, camera, easy to use and almost as quick as a point-and-shoot. Mine has a sensitive button that will shoot off a second picture if your finger lingers.
All of those bulbous slrs are dirt-cheap and really very capable. No one ever hypes them - maybe because they look so similar to dslrs and have similar controls.

 

[Down Under]

A little gem in the long ago (early 2000s, I believe) Nikon film line... the late Galen Rowell (Google him for a lot of good info!) used them in his mountaineering expeditions and managed to produce some truly remarkable images in his time.

Light and remarkably useful, surprisingly sturdy for plastic cameras. Very capable for almost all your film photography if you put a little effort and apply some basic intelligence to it.

The only drawback for me is the in-built film ISO speed reader which reads the bar code on film cassettes, which means I can't use bulk load cassettes unless I'm good to go with an automatic ISO 100 - meaning you can't manually adjust the ISO speeds, though there is an over- and under- adjustment which lets you work through -1.0 to +2.0, so two-stop flexibility.

I have color negative film in one and black-and-white in the other. My two F65s (aka N65s) have 28/2.8 D series lenses on them, as these are my favorites and I own several (too many) of these. I also have the optional battery grips, so I can use regular household batteries, a big money saver. These grips are easily found on Ebay or in secondhand shops - mine cost A$30 each, so a bargain.

Nikon produced these for the home shooter market, but many pros bought one as a backup.

In all, a wonderful little camera to take out on walkabouts and play with. Give yours a chance and you may find you'll greatly enjoy it.

You can download the manual which is surprisingly informative.

 

[Paul Howell]

I found one at a garage sale with a Sigma 35 to 70, shot a roll of film, nice little camera, light easy to carry, would have made a good travel camera. I have a few Pentax entry level SLRs and liked the Nikon a bit better, gave it away as I did want to add Nikon to my collection of bodies.

 

[KinoGrafx]

I got one just for the 28-80 lens that was attached to it (which is a great lens) The viewfinder is crummy and tiny, but it’s really a fun, weighs-nothing, don’t-worry-about-it point and shoot! Mine had a sticky back and grip, but it seems to be lessening

 

[film_man]

Mine had a sticky back and grip, but it seems to be lessening

Had a Canon 30 and a Nikon F100 like that. The more you use them the less sticky they become, the natural oils from your hands restore them. It's just their way of complaining that you're not using them enough...

 

[Sirius Glass]

I have the N75 which is similar. Both are easy to use and the photographs are as good as the lens used and the photographer.

 

[ic-racer]

Some related threads:

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/more-nikon-n75s.185837/

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/nikon-n75-review.76105/

 

[eli griggs]

Thank you all for the feedback, it's really nice to hear positive reviews with the details all of you included.

I have a number of small AF point and shoots, and was thinking of loading a roll of Fuji Velvia, 50, in one of them for a test but I'll put it in the N65 instead.

It came with a Tamron 28 - 80 lens do it's a fairly small package, and as noted here, a lightweight carry.

Any other input is welcomed, do do no hold back, share please, we can always afford to learn something new.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I use the N75 for Kodak Portra 400 and the F100 for Kodak Tri-X 400, although the F100 likes the Rollei IR 400. I think that the N65 and N75 are not compatible with any IR film as I remember.

 

[eli griggs]

Cheers.

 

[perkeleellinen]

One step lower down the lineage, the F55, also offers light-weight and cheap fun:

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/i-bought-a-nikon-f55.182667/

 

[RDW]

Nice little camera. Lack of manual ISO is a bit of a weakness and manual mode is more fiddly than cameras with two dials, but (unlike earlier or cheaper entry-level bodies) it's compatible with pretty much all of Nikon's AF lens technology of the time, including VR, G and AF-S, and of course it also has a motor in the body to drive 'screwdriver' AF lenses. Later AF-P and electronic aperture 'E' lenses aren't compatible, but they won't work with the F6 or any other film camera either. Manual focus AI/AI-S lenses will work but won't meter (you need at least an F100 for that, or an older body). Higher end bodies will give you bigger and brighter viewfinders (I think the F65 has a pentamirror rather than a prism), but won't be as small and light as this one.

 

[wjlapier]

I have a U2 which is the Japanese version of the N75. Pretty nice camera with great metering. I need to find me a really nice lens to use with it though. Something similar to the Canon 40mm f/2.8. That's one sharp lens with really fast AF.

 

[Henning Serger]

I use the N75 for Kodak Portra 400 and the F100 for Kodak Tri-X 400, although the F100 likes the Rollei IR 400. I think that the N65 and N75 are not compatible with any IR film as I remember.

As all the current IR-films are more superpanchromtic films than former "real IR films" - real in the sense of former Infrared films with sensitization well above 800nm - using the current films in these cameras should be no problem. At least I never heard of any problems in that regard.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Henning Serger]

I have a U2 which is the Japanese version of the N75. Pretty nice camera with great metering. I need to find me a really nice lens to use with it though. Something similar to the Canon 40mm f/2.8. That's one sharp lens with really fast AF.

Use the Nikkor AF-D 1.8/50:
- very small
- light
- very sharp stopped down (from f2.8 onwards with peak performance in the f4 to f8 range)
- cheap
- very fast AF
- fully compatible with F65, F75 etc.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[Sirius Glass]

As all the current IR-films are more superpanchromtic films than former "real IR films" - real in the sense of former Infrared films with sensitization well above 800nm - using the current films in these cameras should be no problem. At least I never heard of any problems in that regard.

Best regards,
Henning

I vaguely remember that some 35mm cameras use an infrared light to sense the end of the film roll, but I cannot remember which ones since I avoided them.

 

[Henning Serger]

I vaguely remember that some 35mm cameras use an infrared light to sense the end of the film roll, but I cannot remember which ones since I avoided them.

Yes, but in a wavelength range above the current superpanchromatic films, therefore with no significant / visible effects on the current films which are used for IR.

Best regards,
Henning

 

[gone]

Now you're hooked, and can try all the other cheapo Nikons. The N70 will take more lenses and offers more metering options, the N8008s (usually to be had for $30) is essentially a pro camera that takes AA batteries, and the F100 and F4 are true pro cameras....but my days of carrying those beasts are over. I just keep a Leica R 90 Elmarit screwed to my N8008s. That's a sorta weighty combo, but the IQ is great, and the camera handles so smoothly you don't even have to think, just frame it and shoot.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Now you're hooked, and can try all the other cheapo Nikons. The N70 will take more lenses and offers more metering options, the N8008s (usually to be had for $30) is essentially a pro camera that takes AA batteries, and the F100 and F4 are true pro cameras....but my days of carrying those beasts are over. I just keep a Leica R 90 Elmarit screwed to my N8008s. That's a sorta weighty combo, but the IQ is great, and the camera handles so smoothly you don't even have to think, just frame it and shoot.

If you want a lighter camera try the Tessina.

 

[AndroclesC]

Another very nice lightweight Nikon film body is the F80/N80 that is very much a 'lite' version of the F100. It's a pretty full-featured camera that can be had for anywhere from $35-$65US. As for the N65, I never had one or used one, but my dad had two and really enjoyed using them. Enjoy yours!
Andy

 

[RDW]

Now you're hooked, and can try all the other cheapo Nikons. The N70 will take more lenses and offers more metering options, the N8008s (usually to be had for $30) is essentially a pro camera that takes AA batteries, and the F100 and F4 are true pro cameras.

Nikon Lens compatibility is something of a minefield - e.g., while the F70/N70, F801(s)/N8008(s) and F4 will meter with manual focus AI/AI-S lenses (only the F4 does matrix mode with these), unlike the F65 they don't support manual aperture control of G lenses without aperture rings, so M and A modes aren't available. The F801(s)/N8008(s) cameras have the additional limitation of not autofocusing with AF-S lenses. None of these cameras are compatible with VR. The F80 and F75 have the same lens compatibility as the F65, including G, AF-S and VR, but not AI/AI-S metering. The F100, F5 and F6 add AI/AI-S metering. Some F5 bodies were modified by Nikon service centres to add compatibility with pre-AI lenses in stop-down metering mode; the standard F5 and the other AF (and various MF) cameras can be damaged by attempting to mount these.

 

[eli griggs]

Thanks for the additional info, it all helps.