Nikon F100, N80 and B/W film

[Pfreddee]

I am wondering how well the F100 and N80 do with B/W film. I did run a roll of Tri-X through my N80 sometime back in the Jurassic Period, but I can't find the prints now. (Or the negatives, for that matter.) Are there any particular points to be aware of when using the two cameras? I usually meter in Matrix, since it works very well with film like Kodak's Ektar 100.

Any pointers are greatly appreciated.

With best regards and thanks to all who reply,

Pfreddee(Stephen)

 

[Ljós]

Stephen,

both Nikons you mentioned (and actually all other Nikon bodies, or, to go out on a limb, all other manufacturer's cameras) are more than fine for BW. You say you are happy with how the N80 metered when you used Ektar - BW film is more forgiving than Ektar, so you would have an even greater margin with BW.

Pricewise, these models are incredible bargains at this moment. The very capable F-801(s) (N8000 in the US-market, I think) could also be mentioned.

So, go ahead, and knock yourself (and us with your pictures) out! 🙂

All the best,
Ljós

 

[semilog]

Should be fine, just like nearly any other 35mm camera. The lens will make a difference, sometimes. The camera body, no.

Matrix metering should be fine at least 90% of the time for a reasonably forgiving film like Tri-X. Among color print films, Ektar is not forgiving so if you're getting good results with it, you should be good to go.

 

[Frank Petronio]

Both the N80 and F100 are great, the N80 is lighter but not as rugged, a trade-off between the pro-build of the F100 and what you really want to carry around.

Usually they work fine even after sitting for years. Sometimes you need to wipe the contacts between the back door and the camera with alcohol so they make contact, as they can haze over with time.

 

[nikon_sam]

I don't have either but do have the F4 & F5 and I love the way the F5 does B&W...
I use it mostly for color but when I get the chance to run a roll of B&W through it I do like what I get...I'll sometimes use it to meter a scene when shooting with the 4x5...

 

[PKR]

Both are good cameras. Frank is correct on the weight/rugged; worth considering, depending on your use. The N80 uses a CR123 Battery pair, while the F100 uses 4 AA cells. The AA cells are usually cheaper (may no longer be true) but the CR123 pair is a light weight source of power. The N80 has a pop-up flash, that's handy. I've seen prices on both of these cameras drop in the past year. A good N80 is around $75-100 while the F100 is usually around $175-250. Both of these cameras were much more expensive when they were current. If you decide on the F100, be sure to get a camera that has the up-dated plastic rewind fork. You might also look at an N90s - F90s, another good camera that is inexpensive today.

 

[bgb]

So you have the N80 and are considering the F100 or you have both?
I have the N80 called F80 in some parts of the world and it's a great little camera but not very tough or well sealed if that sort of thing is an issue for you.

I would love an F5 and at the prices they are going for now i just might.😀 even if she does need 8 AA cells !

Any of these cameras and their lenses will handle any film you care to throw at them, sometimes labs will mess the C41 colour prints but if you are doing B&W yourself you will be very pleased with the results.

We would love to see the results too

 

[Frank Petronio]

The CR123 batteries are expensive in most stores but on eBay you can find them for a very reasonable cost. I think they are great, very powerful and longer lasting than the AAs, pretty amazing how well they do in a Olympus Stylus or Nikon N80 even using flash a lot. I also have a few LED flashlights that use them and they make a great small, powerful light.

I agree the N80 build is a lot lighter than the F100 but you can buy 2-3 of them for the price of a good F100. You can usually find them on eBay with a crappy zoom lens that you can pretty much toss, stick a 50/1.8 AFD on it and have a great camera. It feels so much better after using a DSLR ;-)

When you think about it design- and engineering-wise, the lowly N80 is the height of film camera design... the metering and other control systems are nearly flawless, the film transport is bullet-proof, the flash and everything else simply work well and the viewfinder is pretty much on par with the pro cameras (a world ahead of a APS DSLR)... and they are very reasonably priced.

 

[Pablito]

When you think about it design- and engineering-wise, the lowly N80 is the height of film camera design... the metering and other control systems are nearly flawless, the film transport is bullet-proof, the flash and everything else simply work well and the viewfinder is pretty much on par with the pro cameras \

Totally agree with this. The N80 is totally awesome. I favored it over heavier "pro" Nikons when doing my last book, which was all film b&w. None of the bodies ever gave out even under very harsh conditions.

 

[PKR]

The CR123 batteries are expensive in most stores but on eBay you can find them for a very reasonable cost. I think they are great, very powerful and longer lasting than the AAs, pretty amazing how well they do in a Olympus Stylus or Nikon N80 even using flash a lot. I also have a few LED flashlights that use them and they make a great small, powerful light.

I agree the N80 build is a lot lighter than the F100 but you can buy 2-3 of them for the price of a good F100. You can usually find them on eBay with a crappy zoom lens that you can pretty much toss, stick a 50/1.8 AFD on it and have a great camera. It feels so much better after using a DSLR ;-)

When you think about it design- and engineering-wise, the lowly N80 is the height of film camera design... the metering and other control systems are nearly flawless, the film transport is bullet-proof, the flash and everything else simply work well and the viewfinder is pretty much on par with the pro cameras (a world ahead of a APS DSLR)... and they are very reasonably priced.

I agree. It's likely the N80 is the best Nikon film SLR/price around. I may be wrong, but I recall the N80 actually being a bit more advanced (electronics for AF AE) than the F100. I still have a Kodak 14NX that is built on an N80 frame. I don't own N80. I may grab one as I have nothing motorized for film, and would like a camera to remote and pack that's light. Is there much trouble with AIS lenses? I know I won't get all the AF/AE features. I sold my, like new F100 a couple of years ago. The weight advantage of the N80 is very appealing after dealing with heavy weight AF DSLR gear. I won't put motors on my F3s.. had that kind of a rig for years and my back has recovered from packing heavy cameras..

 

[PKR]

Totally agree with this. The N80 is totally awesome. I favored it over heavier "pro" Nikons when doing my last book, which was all film b&w. None of the bodies ever gave out even under very harsh conditions.

It's interesting, how many of us put a serious amount of consideration as to camera weight when looking for a camera. I think that we who use cameras a lot realize that much of the current gear is just over kill and has features and other weight/hardware, we will never use or care about. I have a bunch of digital gear I use for work and just the pack of spare batteries i carry makes me want to look for lighter gear. The Nikon D7000 is a light weight digital option. Also, I use a grid screen in my F3 and have the grid turned on in the digitals. I think the N80 has a electronic grid? Another advantage.

 

[kxl]

I used to have an N80 and now shoot with an F100 (I wanted a built-in meter with AI/AIS lenses). The F100 is great, but note that using AFS G VR lenses will eat up your battery pretty fast -- probably 6-8 rolls of 36 exp film from full-charge to empty, at least in my experience. With AIS lenses, the batteries last a good long time. Here's a sample image from an F100 and 17-35mm, Arista Premium 100.

 

[PKR]

I used to have an N80 and now shoot with an F100 (I wanted a built-in meter with AI/AIS lenses). The F100 is great, but note that using AFS G VR lenses will eat up your battery pretty fast -- probably 6-8 rolls of 36 exp film from full-charge to empty, at least in my experience. With AIS lenses, the batteries last a good long time. Here's a sample image from an F100 and 17-35mm, Arista Premium 100.

I guess the loss of metering would be troublesome when using color transparency stock. All my AF lenses are zooms. I would consider buying a few AF primes. I generally use just 2 or 3 lenses for 90% of my b+w work. I could add a zoom to the N80, but then the weight issue is back. I had a 17-35 and almost never packed it because of it's weight. It's a (my opinion) a heavy lens.

 

[Pfreddee]

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. I own both, an F100 and an N80. The more I use them, the more I find I LIKE autofocus (I know, I know, heard all of the arguments pro and con. My eyes at age 69 aren't what they used to be), and I also LIKE the Program and Aperture and Shutter settings on both of them. I never run Manual exposure with either one. I paid for the programs, so I use them shamelessly. I was curious if there was anything I needed to be aware of out of the ordinary with B/W film.

Thank you to all who replied, again.

With best regards,

Pfreddee(Stephen)

 

[PKR]

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. I own both, an F100 and an N80. The more I use them, the more I find I LIKE autofocus (I know, I know, heard all of the arguments pro and con. My eyes at age 69 aren't what they used to be), and I also LIKE the Program and Aperture and Shutter settings on both of them. I never run Manual exposure with either one. I paid for the programs, so I use them shamelessly. I was curious if there was anything I needed to be aware of out of the ordinary with B/W film.

Thank you to all who replied, again.

With best regards,

Pfreddee(Stephen)

I'm a little younger than you - not much, and I find the AF is an advantage with digital, as I think the plain of focus is more critical with a sensor than with film. I don't use AF with my film cameras. If i have an AF lens on the F3 it's of course in MF. I also will MF an AF lens in a studio situation as I'm usually better at critical focus once the focus is close. I've had the AF go nuts with striped shirts etc in portrait situations and just turn the AF off. I'm close enough for a 16 x 20.

 

[Pablito]

It's interesting, how many of us put a serious amount of consideration as to camera weight when looking for a camera. I think that we who use cameras a lot realize that much of the current gear is just over kill and has features and other weight/hardware, we will never use or care about. I have a bunch of digital gear I use for work and just the pack of spare batteries i carry makes me want to look for lighter gear. The Nikon D7000 is a light weight digital option. Also, I use a grid screen in my F3 and have the grid turned on in the digitals. I think the N80 has a electronic grid? Another advantage.

Depends on the project or assignment. I used the N80 bodies because I had to carry around 2-3 bodies all day, plus serious lenses, plus medium format for what I was doing. But if I were working on something where I could just arrive by car, I'd favor a body that showed the full frame in the finder.

 

[bgb]

I the F80 could handle manual focus lenses it would be perfect but it's not really much of a handicap using auto focus only.
I focus with my left eye, it's not great but it's the only one I have so there are times when auto focus is essential.
I use a 50mm f1.8 and for most of what i do it's perfect, would like a 20mm or 24mm 🙂
The F80 has an on demand grid and i love it.

 

[Todd Frederick]

Pfreddee...I'm your age and have been around the block with b/w using many cameras. Almost all will do a good job if you know what your doing (you sound like you do)....but....for me the key issue is the processing and printing. Exposing the film isn't the real problem. If you do it all yourself and you have had the experience in the darkroom you can create the results you want. If you use a lab, then find a good one where B/W film is processed and printed properly and the way you want it. There are many variables in the processing results, so don't condemn either the camera or your shooting skills if the results are not what you want. Look at the negatives and if the look good (not to light or too dark) and the results are bad, find another lab.

Right now I just use older Minoltas and some vintage cameras for B/W, but will be receiving an F5 soon. I did not know it takes 8 batteries and will probably use manual focus with it to save power. I'm not a fast shooter so the MF is fine with me, and will use a couple of prime lenses. I do mostly digital for color but prefer film for B/W. See my blog for a few examples of film photos as well as some converted from digital color images.

http://toddfrederickphoto.blogspot.com/

Have fun.

 

[PKR]

I the F80 could handle manual focus lenses it would be perfect but it's not really much of a handicap using auto focus only.
I focus with my left eye, it's not great but it's the only one I have so there are times when auto focus is essential.
I use a 50mm f1.8 and for most of what i do it's perfect, would like a 20mm or 24mm 🙂
The F80 has an on demand grid and i love it.

You know Bob, this may sound a bit crazy to you, but think about it. If I had to buy a prime AF 20 (or a 24) for an AF camera. The camera would want all the electronic connections for AF and AE operation. If it were me, using an AF 20 on a N/F80. I would turn the AF off, as at F8 or smaller, most things are in focus. I tape the focus in place, so it doesn't get bumped off, and it's a point and shoot, with faster operation than AF will give you. If you need selective focus, turn the AF back on and open the aperture.

 

[Latecomer]

I use XP2 exclusively in my F100 and have the lab scan to a CD. I use LR3 to prepare for printing or the web. I a even older than you and really value AF.

Regards