Too late to buy a Nikon F6?

[Sirius Glass]

The best thing about digital, is that it has conditioned everyone that spending thousands of dollars on a camera is quite reasonable. The F6 is a quarter of the cost of the D3!

Daniel.

No! No! No! The best thing about digital is the pushing down the prices of analogue equipment. If it was not for that I would have never brought the equipment that I did this year!

Just added Nikon F-100 body from KEH - it will be shipped 3 January 2008
Certo Super Dolly Sport circa 1935 - use occasionally.
Hasselblad 503 CX, f/4 50mm B-60 lens, f/2.8 80mm B-60 lens, f/4 150 mm lens, f/6.3 250mm B-60 lens
Omega 5D-XL Super Chromega D Dichroic II enlarger with f/4 50mm Rodenstock lens and f/4 80mm Rodenstock lens
Omega Arkay Dual Dri Professional Model 150 print dryer
The den is now a part-time dry darkroom
The master bathroom is now a part-time wet darkroom
The freezer is stocked with 120 Tri-X 400, 120 TMax-400, 120 and 135 UC400 [about 100 rolls], 120 VC400 , HIE 145-36 and 120 Fuji Pro 160S.

​

Steve

 

[Chan Tran]

It's not too late for an F6. Actually, I think it's a bit too early. The time is right to buy an F5.

 

[snaggs]

Buy F6. If you don't you will regret for the rest of your life. You can get a new one for 1800 or refurb for 1300-1400.

Where can I buy it refurb for that much? I can buy new from Hong Kong (HKSupplies.com) including shipping for $1649, but they don't come with Warranty cards, and if they're new I've never understood why!

Daniel.

 

[sbelyaev]

A couple of weeks ago I saw refurbished F6 for 1300-1400 at B&H photo. I just checked the price, it was 1499. I guess the price went slightly up.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/800548638-USE/Nikon_1799_F6_35mm_SLR_Autofocus.html

 

[Craig]

I've got both the F4 and F6, I skipped the F5. The F6's AF is light years ahead of the F4, it is very fast. The metering isn't much different, but then the F4's metering was very good to begin with. My slides are correctly exposed 95% of the time, and the other 5% of the time is unusual situations that I should have known better (snow etc).

I considered the F5, but I liked that the F6 was smaller and lighter, and still had 5 fps motor drive without the extra battery pack. Removable prisims wasn't an issue for me, as when I need that I can shoot the F4.

I'd go for the F6 myself, its probably the best film camera we're ever going to see, certainly from Nikon. If it makes you feel any better, I paid about $2600 when it came out, the same as the F4 back in 1988. Considering inflation, its never been a better time to buy!

 

[copake_ham]

Look, these kinds of threads HAVE TO STOP!

You're all making me want a F6.

No fair, no fair!

 

[Craig]

The solution is simple, take the cash Santa left you and buy an F6. Then these threads won't bother you!

 

[Matt5791]

* The F100 is nice, but doesn't work with any of my MF glass.. maybe not a big deal.

Daniel.

Are you sure about that? - I'm almost 100% certain that the only thing MF (AI/AIS) glass wont do with an F100 is Auto focus! (unless the lens is a Pre-AI lens)

 

[eddym]

Are you sure about that? - I'm almost 100% certain that the only thing MF (AI/AIS) glass wont do with an F100 is Auto focus! (unless the lens is a Pre-AI lens)

I was just about to say the same thing. Page 32 of my F100 manual lists the lenses that are not compatible with the camera. Briefly, they are non-AI lenses (which can usually be AI'd), some fisheyes, the old 21mm f4 (my 20mm f3.5 works), some extension rings and bellows, some lenses for the F3AF, the PC 28 and 35, and a few super-long lenses. In other words, the vast majority of lenses that most people would own and use will work just fine. On mine, I use the 20mm, a 28mm f2.8, and a 105mm f1.8 with no problems.

 

[copake_ham]

Are you sure about that? - I'm almost 100% certain that the only thing MF (AI/AIS) glass wont do with an F100 is Auto focus! (unless the lens is a Pre-AI lens)

I was just about to say the same thing. Page 32 of my F100 manual lists the lenses that are not compatible with the camera. Briefly, they are non-AI lenses (which can usually be AI'd), some fisheyes, the old 21mm f4 (my 20mm f3.5 works), some extension rings and bellows, some lenses for the F3AF, the PC 28 and 35, and a few super-long lenses. In other words, the vast majority of lenses that most people would own and use will work just fine. On mine, I use the 20mm, a 28mm f2.8, and a 105mm f1.8 with no problems.

Thanks that you guys said this. F-mount is F-mount. At the most basic level of fitting the camera and focusing correctly to the film plane any Nikon F-mount lens will fit any Nikon SLR.

Some (many) features may not be available. And some "accomodation" (e.g. "stop down metering") may be necessary - but if it's a F-mount it will fit and shoot any Nikon SLR - even those damned Digis!

 

[snaggs]

I just bought it.

Daniel.

 

[Mick Fagan]

Fantastic, now my next question is this.

How are you travelling with the Tachihara?

I was wondering about you and your 4x5 only last week, when I saw one being used.

Mick.

 

[eddym]

Thanks that you guys said this. F-mount is F-mount. At the most basic level of fitting the camera and focusing correctly to the film plane any Nikon F-mount lens will fit any Nikon SLR.

Some (many) features may not be available. And some "accomodation" (e.g. "stop down metering") may be necessary - but if it's a F-mount it will fit and shoot any Nikon SLR - even those damned Digis!

Well... not quite. There are a few lenses that will not mount on certain bodies. My 20mm f3.5 will not mount on a D200, for example. But it mounts on my F100.

 

[sbelyaev]

Congrats!
May be one day you will share your impression on this camera.

 

[35mmDelux]

get a mint F5 while your waiting on the digital. Last yr I got one mint for $450 (US) and sold it off a few months later regretably. Now I bought into the Zeiss ZM line of lenses and I want back into Nikon. Maybe the D3 or D2x this time? Leica does my film.

ok, so I am late and you already bought!

How to travel w/ Tach? Easy, try travelling w/ Linhof Technika. Commitment my friend, commitment. Lastly, some say the F6 is the ultimate street camera. I would like to see what it can do w/ Zeiss zm glass.

 

[DanielOB]

Dear Snaggs
Photo camera Nikon F6 and Camera Nikon D3 are not for the same thinks, but rather for very very different. If you enjoy computer envoronment D3. If you enjoy and have ability to make lasting message, or work of art unique to your soul F6.
You never can say D3 or F6. It is your personality and charakter in between them.

Daniel OB

 

[JBrunner]

How many out of thousands digital pictures which will be taken with each D300 body will be enlarged to the dimensions at which digital image surpasses film? Only few.

Apples to oranges.

With skill and proper choices, a 35mm original can be enlarged quite happily. Also, the same electronic machinations can be applied to a good scan, if extrapolated information is considered as a mark of quality.

In my opinion, when persons try to equate film photography with electronic imaging are they are simply missing the mark. I have always found comparisons between the two very silly. Because of the range of systems, stocks, and hardware, even a baseline is suspect. It's kind of like comparing an airplane to a train. They are both used in transportation. Which is better depends what you are trying to do, and what you value.

That's just my opinion, I use both technologies on a regular basis. I'm not trying for an argument.

 

[snaggs]

Fantastic, now my next question is this.

How are you travelling with the Tachihara?

I was wondering about you and your 4x5 only last week, when I saw one being used.

Mick.

The Tach is going well. I have some Polaroid 55 I need to shoot, but I've been so busy at work to get all the lighting etc setup.

Daniel.

 

[snaggs]

Dear Snaggs
Photo camera Nikon F6 and Camera Nikon D3 are not for the same thinks, but rather for very very different. If you enjoy computer envoronment D3. If you enjoy and have ability to make lasting message, or work of art unique to your soul F6.
You never can say D3 or F6. It is your personality and charakter in between them.

Daniel OB

Well, to be honest, I think the day will come when Nikon make a nice FX body the size of the F6 with high enough resolution and low enough noise that I can get similar results as film. Have you seen the DX Optics Film pack?

http://www.dxo.com/intl/photo/filmpack/overview

I just think that time is not yet, and that $6k for a body is too expensive. However, I do have faith that Nikon will one day build a body. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the F6 as an enabler to a FX system. I don't own any AF glass for Nikon, and theres no point buying a D3 and running around with a 50mm f/1.8 since you spent all your money on the body

I'll be very curious to see what kind of files I'll get out of a F6 w/200 f/2 VR and scanned by the lab with Imacon.

I just ordered some;

Fuji Natura 1600
Provia 400X

but I'm not sure what to get for 100 ISO.. contendors are;

Kodak Ultracolour 100
Fuji Astia
Kodak E100GX

Any suggestions on which has the finest grain?

Daniel.

 

[BobbyR]

Well, to be honest, I think the day will come when Nikon make a nice FX body the size of the F6 with high enough resolution and low enough noise that I can get similar results as film.
Daniel.

Not unless the laws of physics change or Nikon makes a dual purpose film/sensor camera.

The only way digital will outdo film is if film development ceases.

I had no love for Nikon as a yout, but as a old fart I appreciate them very much.

 

[Evgeny]

but I'm not sure what to get for 100 ISO.. contendors are

My favorite film is Fuji Astia 100F.

 

[snaggs]

Wow.. the F6 arrived today.. it is truly sumptuous. Some really clever features;

1. High-speed flash sync with my SB-600 (up to 8000)
2. Automatically detects the ambient light conditions and activates the LCD backlighting automatically
3. Full matrix metering on my old AIS lenses, you just enter the data in for them and they become CPU lenses
4. Rear LCD is fantastic for setting all the custom functions.

Shutter black-out is amazingly short. I didn't really understand how this could be so much better than the FM3a.

Daniel.

 

[eddym]

OK Daniel, hush now. I'm perfectly happy with my F100 and do... not... really... need... an F6... (must keep repeating that!)

 

[Mick Fagan]

Welcome to Nikon "F" world!

Mick.

 

[Nige]

I was just exercising the shutters on my Nikons (FE and FM2n) tonight and was thinking they felt so nice to handle.