Talk me out of an F4

[Horatio]

My Nikon GAS is going full-tilt, and I now have my eye on the F4. Seems to have everything I want, even matrix metering with old AI lenses. So, other than bleeding LCDs, what's not that great about it?

 

[Wayne]

Don't do it.

I tried.

 

[Paul Howell]

Unless you have a slew of Nikon lens, compare EOS1N with the F4.

 

[Kino]

No. Don't. Stop.
Did it work?

 

[Luckless]

Don't do it.

You want something in medium or large format anyway.

Are we helping yet?

...

But on a more serious note, is there anything about your current gear that you dislike, or that you feel is not doing the job for the kind of shots you're going for?

If so, does anything about an F4 address those issues?

 

[ts1000]

F4 is not a camera for fast action + portable rig.
It will develop a leaky viewfinder LCD issue, if does not already have one yet.

But if the model you get has 25xxx serial number and below 200$, and you are using it for still or slow motion picture taking --- it is probably a good buy, because it is a timeless masterpiece of looks (due to Italian designer Guigario), and Nikon's engineering of the shutter mechanism, brush-less motors and mechanical linkages to set electronic parameters.

 

[Kino]

As someone who has a copy of the F through F5, I am not one to ask...

The F4 is great. The bleeding LCD is the only drawback I can think of other than a lighter pocketbook.

 

[eddie]

Will it make you a better photographer? Will it make your photographs better?

 

[Pieter12]

Don't do it. It's a professional-grade camera with a body designed by some Italian guy named Giugiaro who really does Ferraris and Maseratis, not cameras. You don't want it. Somebody else does.

 

[Kino]

Will it make you a better photographer? Will it make your photographs better?

But, but, but.... its an F4!

 

[Sirius Glass]

Do not do it. The F100 is more advanced and lighter. Just do not use the F100 to play rugby. GAS is good.

 

[mshchem]

You want it go ahead. KEH has primo ones for a great price. The only thing is I just spent 45 minutes with KEH computer ordering, trying to buy something I don't need, beautiful things. Finally I came to my senses and gave up. So if you want one buy a nice one from a Japan dealer, if you want to be frustrated to the point of giving up, go KEH.

Maybe I need a new Android operating system. It hasn't slowed me down anywhere else.

 

[MattKing]

You know, don't you, that this is the last place in the world to come to to be dissuaded from buying a camera ......?

 

[Horatio]

You know, don't you, that this is the last place in the world to come to to be dissuaded from buying a camera ......?

Oh, yes. This is where I also got Leica fever. Nikons are much cheaper.

Just hoping for some horror stories, like "the electronics are worse than the F3." Something like that.

 

[Horatio]

Don't do it.

I tried.

That's the spirit. You forgot the CAPS LOCK.

No. Don't. Stop.
Did it work?

Nope.

Will it make you a better photographer? Will it make your photographs better?

Probably not, but it looks really cool, especially compared to the F5.

 

[Horatio]

You want it go ahead. KEH has primo ones for a great price. The only thing is I just spent 45 minutes with KEH computer ordering, trying to buy something I don't need, beautiful things. Finally I came to my senses and gave up. So if you want one buy a nice one from a Japan dealer, if you want to be frustrated to the point of giving up, go KEH.

Maybe I need a new Android operating system. It hasn't slowed me down anywhere else.

KEH also has the 30-day "buyer's remorse" clause.

 

[Ariston]

Seems to have everything I want, even matrix metering with old AI lenses.

I can tell you this is the same reason I picked one up, but I use that particular feature much less often than I thought I would, and it is imminently easy to do without. I am just as likely to grab my $25 N90s as I am the F4. Maybe even more likely...

 

[SchwinnParamount]

Skip the F4 and go straight to the F5. I did and never regretted it. I sold my F100 which was better than an F4 anyway.

 

[Horatio]

I can tell you this is the same reason I picked one up, but I use that particular feature much less often than I thought I would, and it is imminently easy to do without. I am just as likely to grab my $25 N90s as I am the F4. Maybe even more likely...

Good point. I really prefer the old school control knobs to the LCD screens and multi-functional dials. The N2020 is also on my radar for that reason. It’s much cheaper than the F4, but not professional grade.

 

[Ariston]

Good point. I really prefer the old school control knobs to the LCD screens and multi-functional dials. The N2020 is also on my radar for that reason. It’s much cheaper than the F4, but not professional grade.

I do, too. But the F4 is not as elegantly simple as an FM or FE, even though it has dials. It is a bit clunky.

The F4 does have the option to rewind film manually, though, which is very important to me. The N90s does not allow this.

 

[Horatio]

Skip the F4 and go straight to the F5. I did and never regretted it. I sold my F100 which was better than an F4 anyway.

What gave the F5 the edge for you?

 

[mshchem]

I've been on F5 for over 20 years. It fits my hand. F100 is lighter, it's not nearly as rugged. I skipped the F4 when I was young and poor. F4S is a beautiful camera, I have 2 F5 bodies, sold my F4S I bought used for cheap, sold 2 F100 bodies I bought cheap. The F100 is a joy to carry on vacation. Mine flummoxed me, I think it was low voltage Lithium batteries, meter said it was ok, it wasn't, fresh Lithium batteries solved the problem. All F100 s eventually get sticky, F5 and F4 no problem.

I would buy what you will use. Whatever you get find a gem, lots of life left in it.

 

[mshchem]

I've been on F5 for over 20 years. It fits my hand. F100 is lighter, it's not nearly as rugged. I skipped the F4 when I was young and poor. F4S is a beautiful camera, I have 2 F5 bodies, sold my F4S I bought used for cheap, sold 2 F100 bodies I bought cheap. The F100 is a joy to carry on vacation. Mine flummoxed me, I think it was low voltage Lithium batteries, meter said it was ok, it wasn't, fresh Lithium batteries solved the problem. All F100 s eventually get sticky, F5 and F4 no problem.

I would buy what you will use. Whatever you get find a gem, lots of life left in it.

Ignore this fool. Don't buy anything. ....Have you considered a nice Mamiya C330 F, whoa.

Just say no!

 

[Cholentpot]

I never liked the auto focus Nikon line. Canon did it better.

 

[Kino]

"Sell the house - Sell the car - Sell the kids- Buy ALL the Nikons - Forget it - I'm never over GAS!"