I bought a new F6

Ok, well I found an "open box" F6, and the shop cut me a deal, so I paid roughly what the grey market ones go for. But still, it was on roll 0. And now it has a 3 year warranty with Nikon!

My impressions? Well it's exceeding my expectations. Personally I thought the old D2H AF system would show it's rear in ways my D750s AF doesn't. I'm pleasantly surprised at how good it is. I also though the AF spread would be constricting, considering it was designed for crop. Not so, the spread is great! The rule of 3rds points are pretty much right where I want them. That old 5 point system in my F100 feels antiquated. It's faster than the F100 for sure. Faster than the F5? Idk, I don't have one on hand. Personally I think the F5 is a non starter due to it's size. I'll take the better accuracy and point spread over raw speed anyways.

Am I wrong that the screen shows nearly F2 depth of field? I'd swear that it does. It's a fabulous finder. I installed a DK-17M and I can still see out to the edges. I have 4 rolls to pick up tonight (Provia, Velvia, and 400H), and if the focus system is as good as I think, I'll probably go back to the standard finder for the slightly better eye relief.

We have all these absurdly sharp lenses now. I'm using the Sigma 24/1.4, 35/1.4, and Nikon 58mm 1.4G. These three lenses are my basic wedding kit. I can't wait to see chromes from these lenses, particularly the 58mm. AND, given the data imprint system, if the 58mm is giving me trouble at 1.4 focus-wise, I'll know from the frame instead of trying to remember.

I also put the metering system through it's paces. I was up in MA last weekend and boy did we have some snow. On Saturday we went out snowshoeing, and I brought the F6, 58 and 24mm lenses. I did some auto bracketing (auto bracketing is WONDERFUL for chromes, after coming from an M4 here) so I'll be able to see the cameras pick, and then hopefully a salvageable exposure on either end if it got it wrong.

My goal is to integrate the F6 into more of my wedding work. 645 has really been the staple film wedding format for the last few years, and for pretty good reasons. But with 220 gone, Contax 645 prices through the roof, it's a harder sell for me. I always prefered 6x6 and 6x7 for MF medium format anyways. I personally think the Nikkor 58/1.4G is a good stand in for the Contax 80/2. Both were made to prioritize wide open rendering and 3D subjects (i.e. real people). If I can get 36 exposures, fast loading, AF that works, and decent detail from Portra films in 35mm I think it will be a great replacement for 220. Just have to test-test-test.

The F6 is amazing! Do Nikon a favor and get one.

Congratulations!!
As a long time F6 user (I've also bought mine brand new, with MB-40 vertical grip and MV-1 data reader), who has also used lots of other different SLRs from several manufacturers, all I can say is:
The F6 is by far the best 35mm SLR ever produced. A perfect machine.
It's my most used camera, and I can highly recommend it.

Buying it new makes lot of sense: You get a three year warranty. And you get an extremely solid camera which can be used for the next 30-40 years (probably even more).
It is a kind of "once in a lifetime camera".
Considering that the price-performance ratio ist unique and in the end a brand new F6 is an extremely cheap camera.

Cheers, Jan
 
The biggest failing of the F5 is the NON lighting af points. In this respect the F100 is superior to the F5.
The F6 is superior to them all and the only people who say otherwise are those that haven't had the opportunity to use one.

Agreed.
I've used the F90X, F100, F5 and some high-end SLRs from other companies for years.
And then I switched to the F6. I've never regretted it. Best 35mm SLR ever.
Much much improved to all former Nikons including the F100 and F5. All of the design flaws of the F5 are gone in the F6. Nikon really listened to the critic of professional photographers concerning the F5. They solved all problems excellently with the F6.

Those who criticise (or even bash) the F6 in forums have never used it. They simply don't know what they are talking about.

I recommend the F100 and F5 for poor people with a very low income and students.
For all others with a normal income I highly recommend a new F6 with MB-40 as a "once in a lifetime" camera for the coming decades.

Cheers, Jan
 
Congrats. The F6 is an incredible camera!

Time to change your username to SaveNikon maybe? ;)

HAHA! I love that.

Just looked at my 4 rolls. This thing is amazing. The meter, in the snow, was basically never fooled. Even the AF basically never missed with the 58mm wide open. My chromes look great, it handled tough lighting situations perfectly. I'm going to be publishing a review of a the Pacific Image XA scanner in a few days and I'll include my recent scans from the F6.

I have a reasonably sharp image shot at 1/8th (thank you film imprinting) that I made while leaning on a table, but still handheld. Now my M4 really has to work hard to justify itself.
 
HAHA! I love that.

Just looked at my 4 rolls. This thing is amazing. The meter, in the snow, was basically never fooled. Even the AF basically never missed with the 58mm wide open. My chromes look great, it handled tough lighting situations perfectly. I'm going to be publishing a review of a the Pacific Image XA scanner in a few days and I'll include my recent scans from the F6.

I have a reasonably sharp image shot at 1/8th (thank you film imprinting) that I made while leaning on a table, but still handheld. Now my M4 really has to work hard to justify itself.

There's a gizmo available that attaches to the F6 data port. With it you can extract full EXIF data from the camera and embed it into the exposures after scanning. I bought it some time last year or the year before (it's not by Nikon) and tested it ... it works very nicely!

When I get back home, I'll pull it out and post the name, company contact, etc.

G

BTW: my M4-2 and F6 complement each other, they don't compete. ;-)
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AZPhotog
T

It is currently the best and the last of the high-end SLR 35mm film cameras.



Fixed that for you.
:D


"Thanks, Huss! I do like to be as accurate as possible!" :D

What has amazed me most about the F6 is that the metering is so accurate, unlike any camera I have ever used before this one. My first two rolls on the F6 made at the Phoenix Arboretum absolutely blew me away -- in particular shots of plants / trees made against the sky background. Quite impressive!
 
There's a gizmo available that attaches to the F6 data port.

I have looked at that before, Meta35, I would have taken it but due to Nikons changes the custom functions can only be displayed not changed on the F6, the F100 allows editing and saving back.
I think the time has come to invest though.
 
I really think that the F6 is Nikon's halo camera. It represents everything that has been, and is great about that company.
Only Nikon and Leica still make the best film cameras ever made in their categories - acknowledging and celebrating their heritage while also embracing their digital imaging offerings.

The only thing I'd change in the F6 is to implement a more modern/updated menu system.
The only thing I'd change in the M7 is to dump the DX coding...
 
I have looked at that before, Meta35, I would have taken it but due to Nikons changes the custom functions can only be displayed not changed on the F6, the F100 allows editing and saving back.
I think the time has come to invest though.

Yes, that's the gizmo. Here's a URL:
http://www.meta35.com/shop/m35-n-1

I don't really care about configuring the camera with it so that restriction doesn't bug me. The value for me is getting all the correct EXIF data into scanned exposures.

G
 
Yes, that's the gizmo. Here's a URL:
http://www.meta35.com/shop/m35-n-1
The value for me is getting all the correct EXIF data into scanned exposures.

G

Yes when I looked again, after your prompt, I noticed that, not sure if that was there from the start I don't recall the ability to match them up automatically when it launched, anyway order is in now, thanks for the reminder.
 
Ok, well I found an "open box" F6, and the shop cut me a deal, so I paid roughly what the grey market ones go for. But still, it was on roll 0.

Not that I think your 0 count was wrong but for others looking perhaps S/H the count can be reset by the user, page 121 of the manual, and can be set to any number. Place no reliance on that count if quoted. I understand a technician can access a "true" count at service.
 
Not that I think your 0 count was wrong but for others looking perhaps S/H the count can be reset by the user, page 121 of the manual, and can be set to any number. Place no reliance on that count if quoted. I understand a technician can access a "true" count at service.

I'm happy in my bubble, man. :)
 
My goal is to integrate the F6 into more of my wedding work. 645 has really been the staple film wedding format for the last few years, and for pretty good reasons. But with 220 gone, Contax 645 prices through the roof, it's a harder sell for me. I always prefered 6x6 and 6x7 for MF medium format anyways. I personally think the Nikkor 58/1.4G is a good stand in for the Contax 80/2. Both were made to prioritize wide open rendering and 3D subjects (i.e. real people). If I can get 36 exposures, fast loading, AF that works, and decent detail from Portra films in 35mm I think it will be a great replacement for 220. Just have to test-test-test.

I've been using the F6 professionally at weddings for years. Perfect camera for that!
Extremely precise metering, very good autofocus, excellent fill-in flash capabilities with the SB-800 flash, very fast, perfect ergonomics.
My set-up is F6, SB-800 flash, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 105mm (for portraits I can highly recommend the Nikkor 2/105 DC, outstanding lens).
Films: Fuji Pro 400H, Fuji Provia 100F, Adox Scala 160 BW, Adox CHS 100 II, Ilford Delta 100.

My business model is to deliver the wedding pictures
- in the unique, very natural and life-like film-look
- in real, tactile life-long lasting silver-halide pictures = prints and slides.
My clients love that.
I am cooperating with my local excellent professional lab: They develop the films and make contact sheets the same day I give the films to them. The clients get the contact sheets to choose the pictures they want, and the formats they want. Then I order that for them at my local lab and they get real silver-halide prints in excellent quality for their wedding album (and framed pictures on the wall if they want that).

Additionally I always shoot some colour and BW reversal films for a small wedding slide show.
My clients are always immediately hooked when they see the brillant slides on the light table the first time. They are 'blown away' by the three-dimensional and life-like look of the slides and their unsurpassed brillance.
And when they see them projected in the second step.......then there is always an even much bigger "wow, how wonderful is that"!

The F6 is amazing! Do Nikon a favor and get one.

+1.
In my experience it is indeed the best 35mm SLR designed so far.

I can also highly recommend the MB-40 vertical grip (I am using it always, perfect ergonomics and much improved versatility; I use Eneloops as power source, perfect solution).
And either the original MV-1 data reader to transfer the Exif data onto a computer, or the Meta 35 (I have both).
 
I
I can also highly recommend the MB-40 vertical grip (I am using it always, perfect ergonomics and much improved versatility; I use Eneloops as power source, perfect solution).

Great to hear of Pro use, seconded on the MB-40 but a + for the EN-EL4 door adapter, shooting with that battery means the power supply is seemingly endless and if you have an older pro Nikon digital you will no doubt have that battery, if not there are 3rd party clones that are remarkably inexpensive.
 
Great to hear of Pro use, seconded on the MB-40 but a + for the EN-EL4 door adapter, shooting with that battery means the power supply is seemingly endless and if you have an older pro Nikon digital you will no doubt have that battery, if not there are 3rd party clones that are remarkably inexpensive.

The main reasons why I am using the Panasonic Eneloop rechargeable batteries
http://main.panasonic-eneloop.eu/
are:
- absolutely solid and trustworthy
- very high capacity; I can shoot 35-40 rolls in my F6 with one charge
- they are holding their capacity for a very long time, their capabilities in that area are unique
- extremely versatile: I am using the AA Eneloops in all of my Nikon AF film cameras, in all of my flashes and several other electronic equipment
- extremely low, negligible costs
- environmentally friendly.
 
For all those members here who want more information about the F6.
Some more info about the F6 from other sources:

http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/film.../pdf/f6_4p.pdf

Detailed test from Tom Hogan:
http://www.filmbodies.com/cameras/ca...f6-review.html

Customer reports at B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...Autofocus.html

The F6 project:
http://www.nikonf6.net/

Short review by the Film Photography Podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y1Q...ature=youtu.be

Detailed test report from the German high-quality film photography magazine "PhotoKlassik":
http://www.aphog.de/wp-content/photo...sik_I.2014.pdf

http://www.nikon.de/tmp/DE/241986527...3152926346.pdf
 
Thank you for the links!

I saw a moment in the morning sun and grabbed my F6, ran out and shot four frames and back in the house in under four minutes. Absolutely confident I got the shots on Portra 400. I love this thing!
 
I've been using the F6 professionally at weddings for years. Perfect camera for that!
Extremely precise metering, very good autofocus, excellent fill-in flash capabilities with the SB-800 flash, very fast, perfect ergonomics.
My set-up is F6, SB-800 flash, 28mm, 35mm, 50mm and 105mm (for portraits I can highly recommend the Nikkor 2/105 DC, outstanding lens).
Films: Fuji Pro 400H, Fuji Provia 100F, Adox Scala 160 BW, Adox CHS 100 II, Ilford Delta 100.

My business model is to deliver the wedding pictures
- in the unique, very natural and life-like film-look
- in real, tactile life-long lasting silver-halide pictures = prints and slides.
My clients love that.
I am cooperating with my local excellent professional lab: They develop the films and make contact sheets the same day I give the films to them. The clients get the contact sheets to choose the pictures they want, and the formats they want. Then I order that for them at my local lab and they get real silver-halide prints in excellent quality for their wedding album (and framed pictures on the wall if they want that).

Additionally I always shoot some colour and BW reversal films for a small wedding slide show.
My clients are always immediately hooked when they see the brillant slides on the light table the first time. They are 'blown away' by the three-dimensional and life-like look of the slides and their unsurpassed brillance.
And when they see them projected in the second step.......then there is always an even much bigger "wow, how wonderful is that"!



+1.
In my experience it is indeed the best 35mm SLR designed so far.

I can also highly recommend the MB-40 vertical grip (I am using it always, perfect ergonomics and much improved versatility; I use Eneloops as power source, perfect solution).
And either the original MV-1 data reader to transfer the Exif data onto a computer, or the Meta 35 (I have both).

Rad, I'd love to see your work if you have a link. You can see my (non-pro) wedding work on instagram @marksperry.

I totally want one of those 105/2s. I'd get the 1.4 except that Nikon abandoned film with new E aperture system and it's sooo expensive.
 
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