Nikon F6 serial numbers - post yours!

[AZPhotog]

Hello. Purchased NEW in October 2014 from ADORAMA, F6 number 0034748, along with an MB-40. Not that I am losing any sleep over it, but the MV-1 Reader seems to not be stocked anymore, anywhere. Sellers seem to have been out since long before I got the camera, which I speculated over for quite a while before purchase. I wonder if sales on the MV-1 were so low that they discontinued it? ALTHOUGH, no mention of it being discontinued has surfaced. What I REALLY find amusing is the F6 copied Canon's "Imprint" feature. Imprinting between film exposures where the info gets cut in half when negatives are cut? (Unless you specify NO CUT at your developer.) Plus the info would be covered in a slide mount, too. DUH! PERHAPS the imprint feature is useful to a forensics lab, but who today would use a film camera for that. Anyway, I just want to put in my two cents that personally I find the relatively useless imprint feature a rather amusing selling point on a fantastic camera. Anyone out there using this feature?

 

[nobbylon]

I use the imprint feature. Not for anything other than letting me know that the negs i'm looking at came from the F6 and not one of my other film cameras.

 

[Flat Twin]

STOP tempting me to buy an(other) F6 everybody...!

Simon

 

[Keith]

STOP tempting me to buy an(other) F6 everybody...!

Simon

A few years ago the F6 was going for quite a lot of money used ... I happily paid the going price for mine because they are a fabulous camera and I really needed to own one. (GAS) 😀

Now I see them for well under a grand in near mint condition.

 

[dave lackey]

STOP tempting me to buy an(other) F6 everybody...!

Simon

Resistance is futile!!!🙂🙂🙂

 

[hausen]

Mine is 0019726

 

[john_s]

........... personally I find the relatively useless imprint feature a rather amusing selling point on a fantastic camera. Anyone out there using this feature?

Absolutely. I need mostly the date on my negative strips. The other possible data could be interesting/useful sometimes, I suppose.

I used the imprinting data back on my F4 too.

 

[dave lackey]

The imprint feature is very helpful. I had it on my F5 using the MF 28 data back. The F6 is so much more elegant but the F5... Wishing I had never sold it. The F6 is just the best!

 

[jonmanjiro]

I'm a fan of the imprint feature too. If you scan your film in one strip, the shooting data is right there.


Umbrella by jonmanjiro, on Flickr


Vespa by jonmanjiro, on Flickr

 

[Skiff]

Interesting! That would be this camera (photo found here).

A bit of googling also dug up this photo of prototype camera no. P930045 (photo found here).

Yes, Jon, exactly!

 

[Skiff]

The imprint feature is very helpful. I had it on my F5 using the MF 28 data back. The F6 is so much more elegant but the F5... Wishing I had never sold it. The F6 is just the best!

+1.
Especially as the F6 offers different imprint options. You can just choose the one that fits your needs best.
I am using the imprint feature which imprints a continuous number before picture 1.
So it is very easy for me to archive my films. Each film has its own, unique number.

I am also using the MV-1 data reader, which gives me all shooting data (just like EXIFs) for every picture.
I transfer the data to the computer in an excel sheet, print that and archive it together with the film or contact sheet.
It's perfect.

 

[Skiff]

STOP tempting me to buy an(other) F6 everybody...!

Simon

No.
Because our duty is to give you (and all other forum members) the best information 🙂.
So as we have the long year experience with the F6, we have to share it :angel:.

Do you need more information 😉?
Here you go:
Some more info about the F6 from other sources:

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

http://www.nikon.de/tmp/DE/241986527...3152926346.pdf

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

 

[Skiff]

Hi,

I just had a telephone call with a friend in Germany, who was totally excited because his absolutely brand factory new F6 arrived today.
I've asked him what serial number it has, and he said it is 003501x.
So definitely more than 35,000 F6 has been sold so far.

 

[HHPhoto]

Thanks for the update, very interesting!

Any news from our members in Japan, which serial numbers have been sold recently in Japan?

Cheers, Jan

 

[Godfrey]

My F6 has serial number 0016319.

firmware:

Is there a way to determine what version of the firmware is installed?​

lenses:

I've mostly got everything I want, but a fast-ish 100mm AF lens would be a good addition to the kit (I've got 35/2AF-D, 50/1.8G AF-S, 180/2.8AF-D now). Because of its special capabilities, I'm thinking of the DC 105/2 AF-D. Anyone else using this lens?​

metadata:

This thread inspired me to look up the imprint feature. That's cool; I knew it was there but hadn't really looked into it yet. I'll probably turn it on.

The MV-1 is discontinued AFAIK, based on a conversation with Nikon USA recently.

A third party is making a device and software that replaces it, and provides more functionality as well. It's called meta135 — see http://www.meta35.com for details. I've ordered one of these.​

The F6 inspired me to expand my Nikon kit again, and acquire a D750 so that I have a digital Nikon body to use with my Nikon lenses and accessories. Quite an expensive little lark into Nikon gear ..!

G

 

[chrism]

00034395, bought from B&H nearly two years ago.

 

[jonmanjiro]

firmware:

Is there a way to determine what version of the firmware is installed?​

I've gotten the firmware upgraded on several Nikon F6s. Pre upgrade, they all showed the F6 Nikon logo (see 3rd image here) on the LCD panel. Post upgrade, the F6 Nikon logo was gone. Just my observation though, and I'm not sure if its a definitive way to tell if the firmware has been upgraded.

 

[Noserider]

is there a firmware number? I'll check my friends tomorrow.
I wonder what the updates do?

 

[jonmanjiro]

is there a firmware number? I'll check my friends tomorrow.
I wonder what the updates do?

IIRC there's nowhere to check the firmware version in the F6 menu. Also, I think there's officially only been one firmware update (but it wouldn't surprise me if Nikon has made other unannounced firmware tweaks over the years that they apply to cameras that come in for servicing). The original announcement in Japanese is here. The announcement was also on the Nikon USA website in English but was deleted long ago.

The announcement says the firmware update fixes some problems that sometimes occur when the data back exposes shooting data onto the film and, more importantly, corrects the battery level check display which previously indicated that the batteries were being consumed faster than they actually where. I also suspect that the firmware update addresses the problem experienced early on by some users where the F6 locked up when the voltage from the 2 x CR123A batteries dropped below a certain level.

 

[HHPhoto]

My F6 has serial number 0016319.

firmware:

Is there a way to determine what version of the firmware is installed?​

If you don't have any problems (especially not the battery indication problem), then you have the recent firmware.
For about 8 eight years now I have not heard anymore from anyone reporting that problem. So most probably those former cameras with that firmware problem have all been updated by the Nikon Service in the meanwhile.

​

lenses:

I've mostly got everything I want, but a fast-ish 100mm AF lens would be a good addition to the kit (I've got 35/2AF-D, 50/1.8G AF-S, 180/2.8AF-D now). Because of its special capabilities, I'm thinking of the DC 105/2 AF-D. Anyone else using this lens?​

A friend of mine. It's stunning. One of the best lenses Nikon have ever made.

Cheers, Jan
​