Nikon N80... do you have one?

I have an F80, F90x, and F100 as well as some manual focus Nikons. The F80 is terrific. Very light, good viewfinder, good autofocus, very smooth shutter and film advance. Really it has everything you need in an AF camera. I bought mine for $20. I use it when I want a light camera to sling over my shoulder or if I need the built in flash. My F100 gets the most use as it is a better camera in almost every way, but if I had to use only an F80 I would be quite pleased to do so. My F90 does not see a lot of use these days. It is heavy and very loud. Firing that shutter is like racking a shotgun, and very crude compared to the refined shutters on both the F80 and F100.
 
I've had moderate interest in the F80-based digital bodies (Kodak SLR/N, Fuji S3) but the lack of metering with AI lenses is a travesty. Which is a doubly shame because the F80 sounds like quite a nice platform other than that!
 
crsantin said:
My F90 does not see a lot of use these days. It is heavy and very loud. Firing that shutter is like racking a shotgun, and very crude compared to the refined shutters on both the F80 and F100.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's the F90.. But.. did you also notice that the F90 shows the least camera shake of the three? Despite the ruckus, the mirror/shutter assembly is superbly balanced.
 
Back on the saddle...

I have finally gotten a huge load of stress reduced to a tolerable level. My photo life has been languishing.

So, I finally got the last 8 months of film to my buddy's lab for developing and I have been through my various Nikon kits. The F6 had been my daily workhorse on my current documentary. As is my usual preference, I have been using either the D3100 or the X1 in the same bag for those times I prefer to shoot digital images. It is time now to bring the F80 back into the kit with a decent zoom. So I just spent some time with it and wonder why it took so long...

Now my return to enjoying photography will see me using two kits, the F6 and D3100/the F80 and the D3100. I have matched the X1 with the M6. Hmmm...

I need a new bag!!!!😱
 
Yep, that's photography. There's always something new you can buy. OT- A forum question was asked about using the on board flash of a digicam to fire an off camera flash. The quick preflash triggered the slave prematurely resulting in a dark exposure. Unfortunately there was no way turn off the preflash.

I bought a cheap radio flash trigger that included a transmitter and receiver for about $15. It worked perfectly. So, the problem solved, cheaply.

I've never had a bag problem solved cheaply. I've bought cheap bags before, but that just leads to buying more bags alá Back Alley.

Oh well, how much film is 8 months worth for you?
 
Thardy said:
Yep, that's photography. There's always something new you can buy. OT- A forum question was asked about using the on board flash of a digicam to fire an off camera flash. The quick preflash triggered the slave prematurely resulting in a dark exposure. Unfortunately there was no way turn off the preflash.

I bought a cheap radio flash trigger that included a transmitter and receiver for about $15. It worked perfectly. So, the problem solved, cheaply.

I've never had a bag problem solved cheaply. I've bought cheap bags before, but that just leads to buying more bags alá Back Alley.

Oh well, how much film is 8 months worth for you?
Click to expand...

That is interesting, Tom...

Can you say what exactly you bought to use? I am thinking of some low key portraits.
 
colyn said:
I've got the N80 also but with the 35mm-105mm f/3.5-4.5 AF-D lens..
Click to expand...

That's cool, one is just a bit wider but basically the same.🙂

These little cameras are plastic fantastics. Very light and shoot the same lens as the D3100 and F6. Just for grins I placed the equally plastic 18-55 from the D3100 on the F89 and it works perfectly. Again even lighter, faster and quick! Keh has this lens for $79. I wonder how a DX lens will work on the F80/N80?

What a neat inexpensive kit ...should be a hoot with the 70-200 2.8 I used to shoot everyday.😀
 
I suspect the DX lens won't cover the film as it is designed for a smaller sensor. There is a cheap plastic fantastic 28-80 that will work great with the F80.. I've often been tempted to pick up an F80 but haven't bothered due to having an F100 and an F801 that don't get much use, still I maybe get one at some point.
 
They are tempting machines. I don't shoot 35mm much nowadays but the idea of a standard black SLR that looks akin to a contemporary attracted me.

Classifields have bodies for $20. With a kit lens it's also quite affordable but it makes me lean to put that $ into film & processing instead. I'd like a 50mm however and should buy that... so it gets slippery slope.
 
For everyone even thinking about an N80/F80, just go ahead and do it! In a few years you will wonder why you didn't just spend that $25 for a terrific body. Uses the same lens as the full frame Nikons and you may find that film is still fun! This is the golden age of photography that we most likely will not see again.

I know that film is about 90% of all I shoot these days. Developing my own b/w film gives me a lot of satisfaction. The F80 is my companion for the F6 and gives me a lot of flexibility.
 
I spied this F80 in an Oxfam branch in Oxford, price was £9.99 and I couldn't leave it there! As I was handing over the note the guy on the till produced the original box and all of the cameras original paperwork. I got it home and it works perfectly and its unmarked and looks unused. Astonishing!

Nikon F80 by Flat Twin, on Flickr

So I've popped on the AF-D 35/2.0, set some custom functions and put in some HP-5 and we're good to go!

Nikon F80 by Flat Twin, on Flickr

I've never given the F80 a second glance but its basically a light weight F100 and its so quiet! It should make a great street shot camera...

Regards

Simon
 
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