Official Nikon statement: F6 remains in production

Cholentpot · Sep 18, 2018

Rudeofus said:
+1

You really do have kids

Oh, not my kids. My kids get their own camera and know not to touch Papa's lenses and cameras. It's snotnosed clients kids who are already old enough to know better that get my goat.

Angarian · Sep 30, 2018

Chan Tran said:
And I wish to have a Nikon F2AS and not the F6. I really don't care for the F6.

If you like the F2AS that's fine. Work, save the money and buy one.

You say you don't care for the F6. Therefore I recommend you stop wasting your valuable time by posting comments on a F6 thread.
As the OP I posted this F6 information for those members here interested in that information. Members not interested in the F6 can just ignore this thread .

Angarian · Sep 30, 2018

Agulliver said:
I sometimes wonder how it was possible for photographers to capture images of small children, animals and sports events before the advent of automatic cameras. I suspect magic.

Of course it was possible, but it was much more difficult. You often needed much more good luck. You had much less keepers than with modern cameras. You missed lots of moments because reaction with your camera was too slow, or not precise enough.
I know that time quite well. And often I had the wish at that time having a camera with better technology to capture more memorable moments.

Angarian · Sep 30, 2018

guangong said:
I agree with you with regard to your specific applications with F6. Birds especially.
I also want to extend my admiration to you photographic capabilities. I have been friends with many well known and some truly great photographers but I never met any with an 80-95% keeper rate. Fantastic!

Well, I maybe should have been more precise: With keeper rate I mean technically good shots with precise focus, correct exposure and framing.
Of course that is not identical to an aesthetically high keeper rate: From the shots which are technically good or perfect I choose about 10-20% for my final portfolio.

Angarian · Sep 30, 2018

Billy Axeman said:
Official Nikon web site where you can see which cameras, lenses, and other items are out of production:
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/discontinue/

Thanks. As the F6 is not listed there, this is another evidence that the F6 remains in production.
And here is another evidence: A further factory visit confirming the F6 production there in Nikons Sendai factory:
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/0991985115/from-f-to-z-we-tour-nikons-sendai-factory?slide=2

AgX · Sep 30, 2018

Interesting update. The last report on a Sendai Factory tour, including a hint at F6 production, was from 2012.

cmacd123 · Oct 1, 2018

of course, they may have more than one model made on that line, so the fact that they have the capability to make more may not indicate that they are actually doing so.

Agulliver · Oct 5, 2018

Angarian said:
Of course it was possible, but it was much more difficult. You often needed much more good luck. You had much less keepers than with modern cameras. You missed lots of moments because reaction with your camera was too slow, or not precise enough.
I know that time quite well. And often I had the wish at that time having a camera with better technology to capture more memorable moments.

I had something called patience

Henning Serger · Oct 7, 2018

cmacd123 said:
of course, they may have more than one model made on that line, so the fact that they have the capability to make more may not indicate that they are actually doing so.

No, that is not true.
The F6 has its own, special production line. It must have its own line because the production process of the F6 is quite different compared to the current digital models. The F6 production has much more handcraft involved. Whereas the production of the current digital models, especially of the new Z6 and Z7, is much more automated including usage of robots. Therefore the production lines and used methods differ significantly.

Back to the original topic:
As a F6 user for almost 10 years now (with another brand new F6 - MB-40 combination added three years ago) I am very glad to see the F6 in continued production. Excellent news indeed. It is by far my main used camera model. Because it is the best 35mm SLR ever made in my experience. An almost perfect camera. Nikon analysed very intensively the F5 and listened to professional photographers what their complaints have been with the F5, and what they wanted to have improved.
And Nikon has improved the F6 a lot compared to the F5 (I have the F4 and F5, too, know all the differences from my own experience). All the design flaws of the F4 and F5 are gone with the F6.
I can higly recommend the F6.

Best regards,
Henning

ChipMcD · Oct 20, 2018

Agulliver said:
I sometimes wonder how it was possible for photographers to capture images of small children, animals and sports events before the advent of automatic cameras. I suspect magic.

46 years ago, when I was in high school, I covered wrestling and basketball games for our school paper with a Yashicamat 6x6 TLR through the "sport finder" frame, Tri-X and flashbulbs (M5's and M3's) because that's all I had. I am astonished, looking back today, that I was able to do this. But with planning and patience, you can. Those bulbs gave a 1940's Speed Graphic-style look with the basketball player taking a shot against a black background. Flashbulbs put out a lot of light in comparison to the ambient level in high school gyms of the 70's, so backgrounds faded to black. Good fun, but my now-old eyes are glad for autofocus and matrix metering these days. I just bought an F6 and am delighted.

Ai Print · Oct 22, 2018

Angarian said:
Professional photographers and experienced amateurs aren't idiots . There are lots of reasons whay they have updated from the F to F2, than F3, F4, than moved to the F5 and finally F6.

And there is a reason this pro has not updated to the F6 and that is A. It needs odd / expensive / hard to find while traveling batteries when in my much preferred non-vertical grip mode and B. Why bother if I can not use E lenses on it?

If they came out with an F6E that used EN-EL15 type rechargeable Lithium Ion battery packs and could use E type lenses like my 105mm 1.4, 70-200mmFL or 200-500mm 5.6 I would get it, otherwise I am betting I can still get 99% of the images that the F6 makes with my other Nikon film bodies.

Having said that, I am glad they still make it for those who want it.

Eric Rose · Oct 22, 2018

I tried the F6 and it wasn't for me. Went back to my F5 and N90s's.

CMoore · Oct 22, 2018

Really.....Nikon still makes the F6.?
I can't see how they make any money on it, or why they would...still make it that is. I suppose there must be a niche market of wealthy hobbyists.?
Regards digital technology, it came out at such an odd time. Did many professional photographers buy the F6.?

MattKing · Oct 22, 2018

CMoore said:
Did many professional photographers buy the F6.?

Probably more professional dentists .
But then, the same applies to the top of line digital bodies.

trendland · Nov 11, 2018

Billy Axeman said:
The only thing you could conclude from this article that the F6 is still in production, not that it remains in production, and it is not an official statement.
If this is true I'm quite surprised because many accessories are difficult or impossible to get new. However, there might be a chance that the F6 is just hanging on because of a resurgence of analog photography.

Think about what a statement : "still in production" actually would mean ?
On the first hand you are right because it is not mentioned if F6 is still avaible in two years.

For me it is an indication that F6 may be avaible for a longer while..... - for what reason ???

Because I would not wonder if the statement of Nikon : "F6 is stopped from production " we have to wait for a longer while.
Realy ? Yes because to me Nikon has actually stopped production !

That is no "ad absurdum" but then Nikon lies? Not realy because production in a today's world also means "final essambling" and when you then ask what that should be :"packaging" !
Preparing for shipping is also a last step of production.... - think about!

with regards

PS : The demand on "New" film cameras is very low today! The demand on F6 Nikons is very little.
We should not belive that Nikon found an economic way for production of some 100 Nikons per quarter. But on the other hand they should not state : Production has stopped - because Nikon would destroy the remaining demand on F6 cameras (wich is still there and wich will stay hold for a while in minimalst scale)
Remember the roll out of F6 at the time all manufacturer stopped production. Nikon wasn't able to cancel F6 (from cost of developing a New system) I realy guess Nikon started mass production for a while to produce some in bigger economic scale and then stopped it.
The fact that F6 is still avaible showes quite clear that F6 is produced in a big scale.
But production was finished since some years. So we will see F6 for a further while with increased pricing at the end. If you will notice in the future that Nikon increase pricing (due to higher cost of manufacturing because of low demand you will now tha the stock of F6 will soon come to an end.
Then Nikon will state :"we are stopping F6 production but you can buy it for further monts because there are still some at the dealers.

Billy Axeman · Nov 11, 2018

The only thing we can know for sure is if the F6 is discontinued or not (instead of trying to find out if it is still in production) because Nikon has a 'Discontinued' list (Post #41). And when we see it is discontinued it is also out of production.

Notice though that Amazon and B&H and the like are also using the word 'discontinued', but it means that the item isn't sold anymore, which is something different. So don't pay attention to that, just check Nikon's web site if you want to be sure.

trendland · Nov 11, 2018

Angarian said:
I think this is very good news not only for Nikon photographers, but for the whole film photography scene in general:
With all the buzz about the new Nikon Z6 and Z7 DSLMs, there is also a report about the production of these cameras in the Nikon factory in Sendai. Sendai is the factory where most of the Nikon professional stuff is made (prof. cameras, lenses, flashes). There have been several reports from factory visits in this factory in the past. It is a very modern and flexible factory.
Sometimes very important information concerning a product are hidden in a completely different topic. Therefore in this current report about Z camera production it is also said that the F6 is still in production (that the F6 has always been produced in Sendai is well known from former factory visit reports):
https://nikonrumors.com/2018/08/24/...rorless-cameras-per-month.aspx/#ixzz5PYKRi8bR

I am a F6 user for many years. I bought mine new from the factory, complete set with the MB-40 vertical grip. It is the best 35mm SLR I have ever used. It is a "dream-machine" of a camera for me.
Therefore I am of course very happy to read this news. Hopefully more photographers are able to enjoy the outstanding capabilities of the F6 by buying it new .
So by that demand it could be kept in production for some further years to come. This camera is so excellent, it definitely deserves it!

Hi Angarian - have you noticed the pricing of F6 over the last years ? If I am correct (from remind) it is nearly the same right? That showes quite clear that Nikon had produced many F6! And for me Nikon is "sitting" on a bigger scale of manufactured F6 cameras. And pls. don't worry that are good news.

If there would just few F6 remaining (a smal scale) in Nikon storage they would definitive compensate demand on F6 and stored F6 cash via price increasement.
At last it is a very good business for Nikon (production was in the past in higher scales with normal calculation (per camera) / the storage isn't realy expensive / demand is still there / and the oportunity to higher pricing is allways given (without background of higher cost in production because production is long time finished).
But (I am not up to date) if F6 is still priced like some 2010 - 2014 Nikon might have a Problem to sell their cash of stored F6 (that means they have still a big amound of it) - then a press release like :
"We proudly presents : The F6 is still in production" is just marketing to remember :
" Hey folks if you don't know - here is a brand New Film camera you can still buy".
Perhaps you remember the end of NikonF3 it didn't come over night : The F3 was avaible for some years after roll out of the autofocussing F4. In regard of that past I could imagine F3 production was parallel for a long time to F4 (demand on F3 was also in numbers after roll out of F4)!
But today???? It is of course a speculation - but I would say "a good speculation of a scale in economic concern" How many F6 would you produce per week in a scale what make production afordable ?
Is F6 HandMade by the way ? I would not belive - but it should be no "full automatisch robot production" (the scale for that is a minimum of some thousand per week) but it shoud be a "hybrid production" that means most parts come from automatic processing the last steps of assembling are with the help of human hands".

So how many F6 would you produce in the minimalst scales (per week)? It should be 800 !
But do you belive there is a worldwide demand of 10.000 F6 year by year ?

Let's get familiar with thoughts in direction of some 1000 F6 in Nikon storage and that will mean you may buy a New Nikon F6 also in the year 2022 to the same price like today!

with regards

CMoore · Nov 11, 2018

I can see (NIB) F6 Cameras still being unsold and so a certain number still available.
But "Still In Production".?
I find that hard to believe. Who would be producing the parts and with what machines.?

Sirius Glass · Nov 11, 2018

Angarian said:
I think this is very good news not only for Nikon photographers, but for the whole film photography scene in general:

Ditto

trendland · Nov 11, 2018

Billy Axeman said:
The only thing we can know for sure is if the F6 is discontinued or not (instead of trying to find out if it is still in production) because Nikon has a 'Discontinued' list (Post #41). And when we see it is discontinued it is also out of production.

Notice though that Amazon and B&H and the like are also using the word 'discontinued', but it means that the item isn't sold anymore, which is something different. So don't pay attention to that, just check Nikon's web site if you want to be sure.

Yeah - that is the other logic Billy .....if Nikon set their F6 on a list of discontinuation you will soon have problems to get one at the normal pricing because EBay gangsters will tell you : " one of the last rare F6 (out of production)...."

with regards

trendland · Nov 11, 2018

CMoore said:
I can see (NIB) F6 Cameras still being unsold and so a certain number still available.
But "Still In Production".?
I find that impossible to believe. Who would be producing the parts and with what machines.?

I remember " RUMORS " in 1991 about Pentax LX - it was stated that Pentax stopped production.

But short after that the "denial" of Pentax came out : " No we are actually producing the LX " .
In 1997 a press notice was sceduled : End of Pentax LX ! To that period between 1991 - 1997 Pentax increased pricing to LX with factor x 2,5 !!!!
What a business because I am sure they stopped production 1991.

I would say that is Normal business.

with regards

trendland · Nov 11, 2018

O

Angarian said:
Sorry, I have to disagree:
1. That the F6 line is operating in the Sendai factory even in this time when there is a lot of pressure there to keep up with production of the new Z series (and other cameras) - demand is higher than the current production capacity - is clear evidence that the F6 line is there to stay for the foreseeable future. Otherwise it would not make any economic sense. Keeping such a line create opportunity costs (= you could produce Z cams instead). So that it is still operating despite that fact showas it has a future. Otherwise it would have stopped and converted to Z 6 / 7 camera production.
2. Of course it is official: If the Nikon staff at a factory visit for the press is showing the F6 line it cannot be more official. If I were a journalist, I would have much more trust in that than in any "paper only" press release of a company.
3. The only accessoire which is not available new anymore is the MV-1 data reader (I have one, too, excellent tool). But instead you also can use the new Meta35 data reader.
The most valuable accessoire is the MB-40 vertical grip (I highly recommend it for every F6 user, perfect addition to the F6). And this one is also in production and can be bought new.

Ok that a group of visitors was shown a today's F6 production is a Kind of evidence that there is a production line for F6. But that was last in 2012 right?

with regards

PS : I remember a dealer who sold Pentax67II for nearly the half price. They sold Brand New cameras AS "show cameras" I got a short look behind the scene and noticed masses of silver P67package !
I can not say for sure because it might be 67lenses in simular packaging but I would swear he had more than 10 67 bodys in his store.
A Kind of comission business (he got it directly via Pentax).
with regards

trendland · Nov 11, 2018

Chan Tran said:
I care because it seems that the OP wouldn't be happy if Nikon discontinue the F6. I am trying to tell the OP that in his case whether Nikon is still making the F6 or not is irrelevant.

Not realy Chan Tran because it is a good "feeling" to operate a camera what you may buy actualy today and it is still avaible to some time in the future. And the Nikon is of course the last of that "species".

with regards

PS : Many people like used equipment - they are not able to understand.
I personally would give 5000,- bucks for a New produced F3 - you may tell me for that price I can have
10 F3 in best condition - but I don't want to hear.
PPS : A brand New F3 in unopened original case would cost 5000,- bucks I guess...

But folks pls. don't offer me next many F3 (Trendland is willing to pay 5000 bucks imediately)

.....because I have to check my Bank ballance!

Theo Sulphate · Nov 11, 2018

Henning Serger said:
...
All the design flaws of the F4 and F5 are gone with the F6....

Regarding the F4: Actual flaws? Or perceived lack of features? Or personal preferences?

For Nikon, my long experience is with the F through F4 and the Nikkormat through FM series. My only reservation with the F4 is its total reliance on proprietary integrated circuits, its electronics, and motors. Given that, I think it is one of the best film cameras Nikon ever designed for professionals. Also, as I've quoted here numerous times, I agree with K. Rockwell that the F4 is the Rosetta Stone of Nikon compatibility.

I'm sure the F6 performs excellently with its exposure metering, focusing, drive modes, etc. If that is what you need and you like the style and manner in which the F6 gives it to you, then great.

For some, for the type of work they do, the F4, F2, or whatever, is more than good enough.

trendland · Nov 11, 2018

Sorry Theo - but the F4 is a " monster from plastic " or a so called " Autofocussing Venom " just looking on your "Avatar" - well THATS a camera - isn't it ?

with regards

PS : I remember many profs who had a hate of NikonsF4 at the very beginning. 6 month later all of them had this F4 - I can not imagine.
Perhaps they noticed profs with F4 were faster ?

Official Nikon statement: F6 remains in production

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