EOS shooter curious about the F100 and the F6

[philipus]

I've used EOS since the dawn of (my own photographic) time and really like the system. Over the years I've shot many of the models and currently have a 1N which I have used all over the world the last 15 years. It has never failed me once. Unfortunately it has recently developed a major battery-drain problem so I am now looking to replace it.

The obvious choice is the 1V which I have decided to buy to replace the 1N, but my thinking about SLRs has made my mind stray off in the direction of Nikons too.

I have never owned film Nikons but used to "play" with them in the 90s when I worked on holidays and weekends in a camera shop. I know they are very highly regarded I like them a lot. And, as a Leica photographer, I like the backwards compatibility (depends on the model, I know) with old lenses.

The F5, though fantastic from what I understand, is a beast and the F4 is a bit older and larger so I've become curious about the F100 and the F6. The price difference and age are rather significant, of course, but there seem to be similarities. I say this based on a reading of Thom Hogan's reviews, but I might be wrong.

One thing that attracts me to the F6 (apart from it, like the 1V, being the pinnacle of film cameras) is the colour metering system. I'd be interested in knowing how much better this system is than 'ordinary' matrix/evaluative systems are?

Anyway, I'd very much welcome all views and ideas and look forward to your thoughts.

Thanks in advance
Philip

 

[benji77]

I have the F100, where prior to that I had the FM2, F3HP. Both (FM2 & F3HP) have given way to an M2 & M3, but the F100 has stood its ground.

The viewfinder of the F100 is bright. The focusing is fast.. It always seems excited to focus the moment you press the shutter. Metering is good, battery life is long (4AA batteries, 6 with the Grip). The camera though not as light as the FM2, it makes up for a very nice grip. Button layout is great.

I don't shoot enough with my F100, and I should give it a spin soon!

 

[John Bragg]

Hi Philip. I have an F100 and also an F5 and they are great cameras. I would love an F6 but finances will not allow at present. The F100 is a mini F5 in effect but less tank like although it is still robust. F100 can suffer from sticky back syndrome and I cured mine with isopropyl alcohol and elbow grease to remove the sticky layer. Matrix metering is fantastic on both although the F5 has colour matrix and I believe the F100 does not. I disabled the shutter button focussing on both in custom settings and prefer to use back button focussing especially for available light portraits where critical focus is vital. If I had to choose one it would be the F5 but I use the F100 frequently as it is a lot lighter. Mirror damping is great in both so shoot hand held at slow speeds with confidence. Hope this helps your choice.

 

[mfogiel]

I'm not sure while you are so concerned with the light metering system - do you intend to shoot slides?
The Nikon matrix system on the F100 is already top notch, I'd imagine F6 to have something superlative.
My take on the Nikon SLR's is, that unless you really want autofocus, it is much more interesting to get a MF body, as you can for example use Zeiss ZF or adapted Leica R lenses on it. I do not mean to be too critical about Nikon glass - there are some great lenses there, particularly 85mm and longer, but frankly in the wide to normal range both Leica and Zeiss are just in another league. As to the best body - if you don't mind electronics then an F3HP+DK17M will give you a very powerful tool with extremely good VF coverage and focusing precision, and you will be able to adapt a proper screen for any lens you wish. If you prefer mechanical, then a plain prism F2 is great, although the VF is more squinty. Another interesting and somewhat lightweight options are FM2 or better still FM3A.

 

[philipus]

Thank you very much for the quick replies. I really appreciate it.

I shoot a lot of transparency film with my several Leicas, my 203FE and my EOS too and rarely experience trouble. That said, I am curious about the colour metering in the F6. I have no doubt that the F100 would be very competent but it would be interesting to hear the experiences of those who have used the F6.

I have thought about the non-autofocus Nikons but I'm currently interested in the autofocus models.

 

[John Bragg]

If you do go for an F100 then make sure you keep spare batteries. Mine lasted a year but then failed suddenly. Perhaps the power profile of the eneloop rechargables that I use ? Save the planet etc ! I now have a spare set in spare battery holder and it takes seconds to swap. I also use an FM2n and an F90x. FM2n is a joy as it is 100% mechanical. F90X is best bang for the buck in cheap Nikons and has very reliable shutter and metering. It also had to be de-stickyfied but again, worth the effort.

 

[leicapixie]

I have used all, not owned.
Matrix metering "may" be superior.
Yet my Leica M6TTL has a most primitive meter,
that works well.
One does not after all theses years only own a few bodies.
You have lenses. Probably lots!
Get another Canon 1 series.
A Nikon F100 ought to be found real cheap these days.
Changing systems is for folks like Kirk Tuck. :-0

 

[Bille]

One thing that attracts me to the F6 (apart from it, like the 1V, being the pinnacle of film cameras) is the colour metering system. I'd be interested in knowing how much better this system is than 'ordinary' matrix/evaluative systems are?

When shooting film, this would be the least of my problems.

Comparing 1V vs F5, I´d chose the 1V. The F5 is a "battery hog". My most favorite film EOS of all time would be the 1NRS.

 

[farlymac]

I'd stick with what you know. If your Canons have given great service, then no real reason to switch now. I've gotten into several systems to be able to experience the special lenses, but I wind up returning back to my Nikons. All the other outfits operate in reverse to what a Nikon lens does, and it always grated on me. It would probably bother you too coming from Canon to use a Nikkor.

PF

 

[maitani]

I'd say try the F100 first, it's superb beyond words imo, and bargain priced nowdays.

it's the camera i call 'printer' it's so reliable and accurate and fast, it just never fails,
if you feel after this, the itch for more, and want the that extra 5% get the F6 after that.

i went through most of the nikons and in the modern camp, the F100 hits the absolute sweet spot in price/performance imo. or go straight to the F6 if you find at a very low price.

 

[pvdhaar]

One thing that attracts me to the F6 (apart from it, like the 1V, being the pinnacle of film cameras) is the colour metering system. I'd be interested in knowing how much better this system is than 'ordinary' matrix/evaluative systems are?

From a marketing point of view, it sure makes a difference.. you're tempted by it, aren't you?

But from a practical standpoint, it probably doesn't do anything that an experienced photographer (think 1N, 203FE, Leica) hasn't already figured out and does instinctively..

Stick with the Canons (same advice as farlymac from me as another Nikon user), unless you really need a particular lens/flash/accessory that's completely not available in the Canon system.. or if you really, really want to get a taste of the Nikon system.

 

[JP Owens]

I'm an EOS shooter. I've owned most of the Nikon cameras up through the F5. The F100 is my favorite Nikon. Not nearly as heavy as the F5 or F6, but very capable and reliable. I don't see any reason to prefer any other autofocus Nikon.

 

[philipus]

Thanks very much for the further replies and the honest opinions which I appreciate a lot. I'm wondering if the F6 mightn't be an overkill and the F100 wouldn't give a good enough taste of the Nikon system for now.

But is the colour metering really a marketing gimmic (if so, it certainly caught me)? I seem to remember an online comparison between the F6 and the one of the Canons, possibly the 1V, where it seemed to me that the F6 performed better in very tricky situations. I accept that these are usually rare situations but still, I'm curious about it.

Br
Philip

 

[dave lackey]

Thanks very much for the further replies and the honest opinions which I appreciate a lot. I'm wondering if the F6 mightn't be an overkill and the F100 wouldn't give a good enough taste of the Nikon system for now.

But is the colour metering really a marketing gimmic (if so, it certainly caught me)? I seem to remember an online comparison between the F6 and the one of the Canons, possibly the 1V, where it seemed to me that the F6 performed better in very tricky situations. I accept that these are usually rare situations but still, I'm curious about it.

Br
Philip

Hi, Philip,

I bought my F6 for less than the price of a user M3 LAST Spring! From Japan with no rolls through it except for the one Nikon used to check out the camera before shipping to me. I haven't looked but I am sure you can get a mint F6 for $600 USD.

Overkill? Hardly! The pinnacle camera in Nikon film history? Of course!

Do yourself a favor and just get the F6.

 

[Huss]

But is the colour metering really a marketing gimmic (if so, it certainly caught me)? I seem to remember an online comparison between the F6 and the one of the Canons, possibly the 1V, where it seemed to me that the F6 performed better in very tricky situations. I accept that these are usually rare situations but still, I'm curious about it.

Br
Philip

Yes, it is 100% a gimmick. I have railed on it before. I have an F6 (you can see posts I have with it on this site) and the 3D colour matrix system is marketing spin. Here is how it is meant to work. With a chipped lens (so the camera knows what the focus point is) the meter is meant to take a reading of what is in focus, ignoring the background etc. Sounds fantastic! But it does not work. It fails completely in back lit situations, where it will underexpose your subject matter. I have tested it with Nikon chipped lenses as well as Voigtlander and Zeiss chipped lenses.
And it is really simple to test too, just point it at a back lit subject, and flip the switch from matrix to center weighted to spot metering. You will see the exposure change, getting more accurate as you go to center weight, then better as it goes to spot.
Just think of '3D Colour Matrix Metering' as an avg pattern, and you'll be fine. The upside is you can select center weighted (and can vary the size of the center weighting in the menu selection which is really cool), or spot.

Annnd, spot metering can be selected to read from any of the AF sensor points, even if you have a manual focus lens on the camera, so that is really cool too. The focus confirmation points work perfectly with any MF lens but even better the focus screen itself is maybe the best I have used in any MF SLR, so you don't need those confirmation readings.

I have my F6 set up so the AEL button holds the exposure value through unlimited exposures until I press it again, or turn the camera off. It makes it much more useful to use IMO. It has an incredibly well damped shutter/mirror mechanism and is a joy to handle. My only beef with it is thinking that the Avg pattern meter mode is something special..

p.s my Leica M7 is just as accurate as the F6 in center weighted metering mode.

Image below shot w/ F6, Nikkor AF 60 2.8D in center weighted mode, w/ locked reading taken from the grass. The 3D Matrix Metering wanted to give it 2 stops less light..

 

[splitimageview]

I doubt you'll see any practical difference whatsoever between the metering systems.

F100 is a modern classic, perhaps the 'best buy' of any AF SLR. It's really cool to shoot film with VR lenses; very handy due to the lower ISOs of film.

 

[KM-25]

I would not touch an F6 with a ten foot pole because of how fast it goes through expensive and not always easy to find batteries. I bought my F100 new in 2000 for $1,100 and it is still going strong, excellent on super easy to find AA batteries and can now be had for pocket change.

F100 all the way.

 

[splitimageview]

I made a data cable for my F100 for downloading exposure data. It's a digi-log camera.

 

[SaveKodak]

The F100 basically cannot handle my 58/1.4G at 1.4 in AF. That lens notoriously needs good AF, and more specifically, calibrated AF. I'm not sure the F6 would do better, but it does have a markedly better AF system. For fast lenses wide open, the F6 is the better buy. Keep in mind you can get them as low as $600 bucks or so on fleabay now. Though for normal use, yes the F100 is a practical and capable choice. Just be sure the one you're buying doesn't have sticky rubber. I'm more than comfortable shooting AF-D or 1.8G lenses wide open on the F100.

 

[Fraser]

owned them all at one time except for f6, my fave nikon has always been f4 had an f100 for a while just as a second body for an f5 sold them both. 1v on the other hand still have a couple of them feel more solid than the 1n almost the same as a 1d.
Its nice to try new things! all these cameras are easy to find and cheap (compared to leicas). I would try to buy off the big auction site as dealers tend to overprice.