Plastic SLRs

blockend · May 31, 2016

Just took delivery of a Nikon F55, sadly the autofocus was out so the seller gave a full refund. Looking at eBay it seems a number of F55s are accompanied by the message, "manual focus only, AF not working", so it may be an incipient issue. I shall look for another because it's tiny and the lightest SLR I've ever held, I mean compact camera light and probably nudges my Canon 3000n into second place.

Sewin · May 31, 2016

blockend said:
Just took delivery of a Nikon F55, sadly the autofocus was out so the seller gave a full refund. Looking at eBay it seems a number of F55s are accompanied by the message, "manual focus only, AF not working", so it may be an incipient issue. I shall look for another because it's tiny and the lightest SLR I've ever held, I mean compact camera light and probably nudges my Canon 3000n into second place.

Could try an F50, no pentaprism just mirrors I think

What I find with the AF lenses and Nikon bodies is you have to be careful with the lenses you fit as sometimes you loose some of the manual settings.

I use the useful compatibility tables in the following link as a reference which covers SLR's and digital.
Scroll down to see tables.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm

blockend · May 31, 2016

Sewin said:
Could try an F50, no pentaprism just mirrors I think

What I find with the AF lenses and Nikon bodies is you have to be careful with the lenses you fit as sometimes you loose some of the manual settings.

I use the useful compatibility tables in the following link as a reference which covers SLR's and digital.
Scroll down to see tables.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm

I have the F60 x2, but wanted the F55 as it was the last consumer SLR Nikon sold. It's an all plastic affair made in Thailand.

Sewin · May 31, 2016

I've an F60 too, quite like it.

blockend · May 31, 2016

Sewin said:
I've an F60 too, quite like it.

Me too, but the F60 is a much bigger and heavier camera than the F55.

GarageBoy · May 31, 2016

Man, 12 years ago - people on photo.net were discussing these and thinking "when the Rebel T2/N65 etc. falls below $200, I'll get one"
These were not cheap new

thuggins · May 31, 2016

Sewin said:
How about one of these then to trial?
Cheap enough on fleabay.

Chinon Genesis or Olympus iS. I read the Olympus iS-3000 weren't too bad.

Anyone have one?

I have an IS-2 and IS-3, as well as a couple of the consumer versions. The only real drawback is that the lenses are very slow. But they were a remarkable breakthrough in design. The pro models have great ergonomics and perfect balance; they feel like an extension of your hand. The T-CON's made for these have excellent optics (they are made by Olympus, after all) and make great add ons for any lens.

A friend gave me a Nikon N55. I will have to give it a try as it was a gift, but it would be tough to fall in love with it. It is certainly not an OM.

Ricardo Miranda · May 31, 2016

blockend said:
I have the F60 x2, but wanted the F55 as it was the last consumer SLR Nikon sold. It's an all plastic affair made in Thailand.

Why not look for a F75?
I believe that one is the last consumer AF SLR made by Nikon.
It is the body of the F55 plus a few extra things that made it slightly better like the 5-point AF (VR is available as well) and the 3D TTL system of the F80.
It is a pity I didn't see you were looking for a F55 earlier. I gave away mine plus a bunch of other Nikon AF and Minolta Dynax to make space for the OM system.
If you find the F55/75 too small, there is the MB-18 that adds a nice vertical grip and a shutter release, although the release one is only usable with the F75.
Prices on Ebay seem to have creep up a bit, although for a F55 is still quite cheap for what you get.

Sewin · Jun 1, 2016

I've never used or had an F75, did not some complain about the rear autofocus button being awkward. Or was that the F65?

Does anyone use an F75 and have any problems with the AF as I fancy trying one.

Not much difference in price though when compared to an F80.

Thanks.

blockend · Jun 1, 2016

Ricardo Miranda said:
Why not look for a F75?

I'd like to test all of them, and other makes and possibly do a blog on the findings. As I said earlier, consumer SLRs of this period were very practical tools that have been sidelined in favour of mechanical cameras. I'm not anti-classic cameras and do or have owned Leicas, pro Nikons, and various medium and large format cameras, but I think the mix of light weight, control, speed and access to great lenses makes these cheap AF SLRs something more people should consider.

Sewin · Jun 1, 2016

I agree blockend.

And.......... a big bonus I don't need to wear specs when I'm using these, just twist the knobs and dials for P,S,A,M etc I can see all I need in the viewfinder.

Sewin · Jun 1, 2016

blockend said:
Me too, but the F60 is a much bigger and heavier camera than the F55.

Just been sitting here, having a break from work so decided to check the body weights from Nikons website.

F60.......20ozs.
F50.......20ozs

F55.......12ozs
F65.......14ozs

That F55 is certainly light, now being a snob, if only they did it in black

blockend · Jun 1, 2016

Sewin said:
Just been sitting here, having a break from work so decided to check the body weights from Nikons website.

F60.......20ozs.
F50.......20ozs

F55.......12ozs
F65.......14ozs

That F55 is certainly light, now being a snob, if only they did it in black

Those weights bear out the feel of the cameras. The F55 is marginally lighter than my Canon 3000n (@ 12.34 ozs) which was previously my most minimal SLR. With the Canon 40mm 2.8 pancake it is still the most compact SLR combination I know of. The F55 is slightly more than half the weight of the F50/60, and much more compact.

Paul Howell · Jun 1, 2016

Not sure of the weight, but a Pentax ZX 30 with Pentax 43mm 1,9 MF pancake lens would be very compact and light. .

Sewin · Jun 1, 2016

Well,

I've sold a few cameras that weren't being used, perhaps I can treat myself to a nice little lightweight or two.

Sewin · Jun 3, 2016

Sewin said:
I've an F60 too, quite like it.

I shouldn't have spoke so soon, it's now "I've an F60 too, and don't like it"

Autofocus failed today, tried cleaning sensors etc, but no luck.
The autofocus was never wonderful anyway.

Ah well, it didn't cost much, time to get an F65 or F55 then.

narsuitus · Jun 3, 2016

When I shoot 35mm film, the Nikon F2 is my main camera.

When I do not want to risk damage or loss of my more expensive F2 and lens, I substitute the inexpensive plastic Nikon EM and a Series E lens.

Nikon EM & F2 by Narsuitus, on Flickr

GarageBoy · Jun 3, 2016

Em and fg are so underrated - especially compared to the Pentax me series

nolanr66 · Jun 3, 2016

I have a Nikon FG and think it's a solid camera. Lighter weight then my FM2n or F100 and a real nice shooter as they all are.

destroya · Jun 4, 2016

cooltouch said:
I own a Nikon N80 (F80), which was Nikon's last consumer grade camera -- maybe "prosumer?" -- before they moved over entirely to digital with the exception of a couple of models. Now, I gotta say that I really, really like this camera. Yes, it's very light -- but it's also very quiet -- and it has just about any feature one would ever need on a 35mm camera. My only other AF Nikon is an F4 and I find the N80 to be a great alternative to the Beast when I don't need all its capabilities.

These days, the N80 is very plentiful on the used market and can be picked up all day long for about $40. I think it is an incredible deal at that price.

I got 2 N80's just because both were almost new in box one with the AA battery pack both for $20. its a great little camera like Cool mentioned. Light fast, gets out of your way, very intuitive and the results are indistinguishable from 95% of those from my F5. love the little pop up flash, as its nice to use it when a little fill flash is needed. I gotta say it has the quietest, smoothest shutter of any nikon I have used.

In the end, i have never had someone ask what camera did you use, rather they ask what film did you use. All that matters is the results. Give me the tools and let me make em sing

cooltouch · Jun 6, 2016

Nice to read from another N80 owner. I thought I'd add a comment. That battery pack that came with one of your N80s -- The MB16, I believe it is -- it's a hard-to-find item. Once I found out about it, I started checking on eBay, and when I'd find one, usually the seller wanted way to much for it. Finally found an N80 that came with an MB16 on Goodwill's auction site. So I bid on the set and won. Sold the camera, kept the MB16. Not only is it a major convenience being able to power the N80 with AA's instead of the oddball batteries that it otherwise requires, but I like the extension it adds. To me, it's more comfortable to hold with the battery pack.

That was a good deal you fell into -- two N80s plus an MB16 for $20? Yep, a very good deal.

destroya · Jun 6, 2016

cooltouch said:
Nice to read from another N80 owner. I thought I'd add a comment. That battery pack that came with one of your N80s -- The MB16, I believe it is -- it's a hard-to-find item. Once I found out about it, I started checking on eBay, and when I'd find one, usually the seller wanted way to much for it. Finally found an N80 that came with an MB16 on Goodwill's auction site. So I bid on the set and won. Sold the camera, kept the MB16. Not only is it a major convenience being able to power the N80 with AA's instead of the oddball batteries that it otherwise requires, but I like the extension it adds. To me, it's more comfortable to hold with the battery pack.

That was a good deal you fell into -- two N80s plus an MB16 for $20? Yep, a very good deal.

thats why i bought the second one, cause it had the battery pack. funny, i have never used it though. kinda defeats the purpose of why i got the small light camera in the first place.

4season · Jun 6, 2016

cooltouch said:
oddball batteries

CR123 is still pretty common, and rechargeable CR2s and CR123s are not expensive. I've had good results with this:
http://www.pearstone.com/detail?sku=722958

cooltouch · Jun 7, 2016

Welp, prior to owning my N80, I'd never heard of the CR123. So I take a trip down to my local Walgreens to buy a couple -- and guess how much they wanted for them? Over $12 each! I went back home and googled the number and found a seller on the internet where I was able to buy a 4-pack for about 4 bucks. That's more like it! So, anyway, that's why they're oddball to me.

destroya, I find that the added weight of the mB16 is minimal. The camera is so light anyway, the slight amount of additional weight doesn't bother me at all.

4season · Jun 7, 2016

This combo would not have been possible circa 1995, as the lens only became available within the last couple of years I think. No refurbished units available from Canon at the time, but I found a clean used lens for a decent price. The combo seems infinitely smoother and quieter than the Zenit KM, not to mention smaller and lighter.

Plastic SLRs

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