Nikon N80/F80 Experience?

[tom williams]

Is it possible to disable the N80 IR sensor (for film frame position), or to block it without unwanted repercussions?

 

[Helge]

Is it possible to disable the N80 IR sensor (for film frame position), or to block it without unwanted repercussions?

If you are worried about IR film then don’t.
The sensor merely leaves thin lines on the edge of the film on current IR film.
No problem at all for the image area.

 

[tom williams]

If you are worried about IR film then don’t.
The sensor merely leaves thin lines on the edge of the film on current IR film.
No problem at all for the image area.

Excellent. Thank you!

 

[Sirius Glass]

If you are worried about IR film then don’t.
The sensor merely leaves thin lines on the edge of the film on current IR film.
No problem at all for the image area.

Thank you. I was worried about that.

 

[Helge]

Excellent. Thank you!

Thank you. I was worried about that.

It even exposes and focuses through an IR filter. Well enough at least. My incident metering, compensated to EL 10, was way off from the camera meter. But the exposures looked good.
The AF struggled a bit, but found the correct distance in a second or five.
I used a 20mm 2.8 AF-D to compensate for not having a finder.

 

[ic-racer]

Good to know, thanks.

 

[Sirius Glass]

It even exposes and focuses through an IR filter. Well enough at least. My incident metering, compensated to EL 10, was way off from the camera meter. But the exposures looked good.
The AF struggled a bit, but found the correct distance in a second or five.
I used a 20mm 2.8 AF-D to compensate for not having a finder.

I use the IR film box speed in the meter and then adjust for the filter.

 

[ic-racer]

I have not been to the Photorama since COVID started, but wound up going there looking for f80 or f90. I also brought a box of old lenses to sell or trade. For whatever reason the people with the autofocus Nikon gear did not have any f80 or f90. There were some nice n75, n65 new in box and like new n8008s too. One dealer indicated he had a like five f90, but did not bring any. Another dealer brought a number of f100, some like new.

So, I wound up getting a second f100 using my box of old lenses in trade.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I have not been to the Photorama since COVID started, but wound up going there looking for f80 or f90. I also brought a box of old lenses to sell or trade. For whatever reason the people with the autofocus Nikon gear did not have any f80 or f90. There were some nice n75, n65 new in box and like new n8008s too. One dealer indicated he had a like five f90, but did not bring any. Another dealer brought a number of f100, some like new.

So, I wound up getting a second f100 using my box of old lenses in trade.
View attachment 300388

Nice trade. Close the door carefully and enjoy the camera. You have good tastes.

 

[ic-racer]

Another thing I noticed is the dealer with all the f90 said they ALL were sticky. He also had on display two n8008 for $35 each that essentially looked like new without any stickyness, so maybe n8008 are not prone to that issue.

 

[ic-racer]

This is a stock photo (n8008/f801), but the ones I saw today looked just like this with no evidence of sticky residue on front or back.
Another realization is just about everything I recently purchased or inspected closely on ebay has issues. So, after not going to the photo show for a few years, I have a new appreciation of the face-to-face purchasing format. Seeing the camera and getting to try it out in person is the way to go.
I have posted an image from their web site, in case readers here don't know what the Photorama show is. 15 years ago our local large format group would meet at the Photorama, but sad to say, I did not see any of the old group (except vendors I knew).

Some things I saw that caught my eye:
Nice Steky 16mm and some other 16mm cameras (Edit: Meopta Mikroma)
Mint Hasselblad body 500c/m
Like new 8x10 lenses, 2 or three in late model black-rimmed Copal shutters
New 8x10 Intrepid camera
The usual assortment of Barnack Leicas
4 20x24 steel/white ceramic coat trays like new (should have gone back to get them!)

 

[cooltouch]

I bought my N80 with a 28-105 D lens for next to nothing -- like $40 or something -- a few years ago. I like it a lot. It's light, fast and very quiet. The stickiness was really annoying though, but I managed to get rid of the stickiness with talcum powder. I just put a little talcum powder in my hands, rubbed them together until there was an even coating of it on my hands, then just "handled" the camera all over. Killed the stickiness instantly. Good thing about talcum powder is it becomes translucent, so you don't see it. Best of all, here it is a few years passed now, and the stickiness is still gone.

 

[dourbalistar]

Hey I agree, I'd buy a $35 F80 any day over a $300 F100. They work the same, and both share a plastic back door latch that may now break anytime due to age and use. At least the F80 is a lot cheaper.

With apologies to the OP as this is slightly off-topic, but recently I saw that someone has designed a steel replacement repair kit for the F100 door latch:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/ishootfilm/discuss/72157721916222777/

 

[Craig75]

Another thing I noticed is the dealer with all the f90 said they ALL were sticky. He also had on display two n8008 for $35 each that essentially looked like new without any stickyness, so maybe n8008 are not prone to that issue.

Yeah f90s all seem to go that way. Mine is stripped of its grip too. I just put it in a half case.

Congrats on Yr new camera - looks a beast.

 

[Sirius Glass]

With apologies to the OP as this is slightly off-topic, but recently I saw that someone has designed a steel replacement repair kit for the F100 door latch:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/ishootfilm/discuss/72157721916222777/

Now you have done it! @Huss and the other F100 haters will have to find something else to gripe about. You have ruined their day!

 

[Huss]

Now you have done it! @Huss and the other F100 haters will have to find something else to gripe about. You have ruined their day!

Akshully the opposite! That is exactly what is needed. That was the major beef I had with the camera.
p.s. if I owned an F100 I'd pick up one of these repair kits while they are still available. And keep it as insurance.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Akshully the opposite! That is exactly what is needed. That was the major beef I had with the camera.
p.s. if I owned an F100 I'd pick up one of these repair kits while they are still available. And keep it as insurance.

One of these days we should get together for a beer.

 

[dourbalistar]

Seems the creator's ears were burning. @Plutonius just joined the forum and posted about the repair kit today:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/nikon-f100-metal-latch-replacement.190574/

 

[George Mann]

Seems the creator's ears were burning. @Plutonius just joined the forum and posted about the repair kit today:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/nikon-f100-metal-latch-replacement.190574/

Does the N75/80 share the same latch design?

 

[Helge]

Does the N75/80 share the same latch design?

It’s kind of the reverse (door and lock).
But damn, using plastic on something mechanical that is supposed to keep light out, something so thin and on a camera that was so relatively high end..?
But Nikon in their wisdom probably had a good reason.

You can make it a tad better/last longer by applying a spare amount of silicon grease to strategic points of the latch.
And of course as SG says, help the latch by activating the release when you close the door (goes for all cameras really).

 

[Sirius Glass]

Does the N75/80 share the same latch design?

It looks like it from the outside, but no.

N75

N80

 

[ic-racer]

Hadn't used spot/zone metering for a while on the Nikon so I had to refresh my memory.

1) Meter dial to SPOT
2) AE mode to PROGRAM
3) AE-L button to HOLD AFTER RELEASE (Custom #21 - 3)
4) Meter stays on longest time available; 16 seconds (Custom #15 -16)
5) Exposure step to 1/2 (Custom #2 - 2)
6) Exposure compensation to (five minus the zone to spot). So if placing the metering spot on a Zone 2 target, set exposure compensation to five minus two = negative 3. I'll frequently keep it at negative 3 or negative 2.5 most of the time. Nice thing about Zone 2.5 is that the indicator in the view finder will show -2.5 = Zone 2.5.
Another mnemonic to keep it straight is "three is two and two is three" Zone III = -2 and Zone II = -3

Setup that way the camera acts just like my Sekonic spot meter.

1) Aim at the object to spot.
2) Press the button (AE-L)
3) Adjust exposure compensation to the zone you want.
4) Compose and take picture within 16 seconds.