Replace my CLE with a Nikon F4 or F6?

Dante_Stella

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Ok, so this may be the mother of all bad ideas, but when I was assembling a cheapo set for my 8-year-old to practice with (a $25 N2020 and 50mm), it occurred to me that 1980s AF is not really that bad compared to using a rangefinder. In fact, it's slightly faster.

Then I got to, hey, F4s are really cheap. And not so huge with the MB-20. And then action finder...

But then, I thought hey, I have this CLE and 40 that I just don't use (I like digital Ms better); should I replace the teeny Minolta with an F6? Because, you know, final 35mm camera.

But seriously, my memory is fuzzy on the F4 (it's probably been 10 years since I've owned one) and nonexistent on the F6. How bad/good are these as cameras with a basic 50 or 35-105 IF?

Dante
 
...i own the CLE, F4 and F6.

I bought the F6 new 4 month ago. Near perfect camera! The CLE and and the F4 are nice, but not to compare.

The F6 seduces me to forget my Leica Ms and Rs!

But it's not easy to find the right lenses. Just bought an Zeiss ZF 50 (classical) and i think, that's it.

Best,
Jens

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I personally think the F4 is the best autofocus SLR ever made. It is incredibly rugged and was the first level backup that many combat camera shooters in the US military took into Afghanistan when we began our long protracted field trip to SW Asia. The second backups were personally owned Nikon F2s and Canon F1s. Anyway, you're not being dropped into the high desert of Afghanistan from a C-130 so you don't have to worry about that part but having kids can be just as strenuous as combat for cameras. The F4 can chew it up and spit it right back out as perfect photos. With the ability to use every lens Nikon has ever made with some functionality, the F4 has no equal. I never had any trouble with the autofocus and it was always perfect after I dialed in the proper diopter. That AF is remarkably sensitive under low light. It could focus my 180/2.8 AF ED better than I could in very low light.
I'm not a fan of the F6 because I like real dials, not wheels. That's just me but if the UI works for you, the F6 is an amazing camera as well.

Phil Forrest
 
amazing

amazing

F6: amazing film handling, haptics and user interface. Useful data imprints between the frames. Works with Nikon's CLS or the adaptations by Profoto, for example. I recommend the 50 mm f//1.2 Nikkor with it!
 
The F4 also worked with all Niikkor manual lenses in all metering modes. Only camera to do so. However -it is a BRICK. I liked the F3 and / or F100 better.
 
Big fan of the F4 here. I'll take mine too the grave, but they'll need to reinforce the bottom of the coffin with steel to hold the extra weight.

Seriously, the F4 is fantastic, pure testosterone...but it weighs like 6 CLEs and takes just about as much space. That would be a huge consideration for me in deciding between the two platforms.
 
I have the CLE, an F6, bunch of other stuff...
#1. There is a dood selling a new in box F80 on photrio. If you are just using AF lenses, get that. $80 shipped.
#2. I bought an F4 after I already owned the F6. I found it slippery as all heck to hold due to its smooth surfaces w/ very few grippy bits. This made it kinda tiring after a while as you tend to grip it harder than with a modern camera (the F6) that is better designed.
#3. But the F4 has dials! And I love that. I wish the F6 has dials.
#4 The F4 takes AA batteries. Awesome. The F6 is Cr2 which are hard to get and do not last long. And are expensive.
#5. The F6 has the best MF screen out of any AF SLR ever made.
#6 The AF module on my mint, never dinged/dropped/abused F6 failed and it began to severely front focus. Mine had to be a one off, no? No... a couple of other members on this site chimed in that their did this too. So there's that. Cool thing is that Nikon USA fixed it ($250-ish if I remember) and now it is fine.
#7 3d Colour matrix metering in the F6 is 100% BS. It heavily underexposes in back lit situations, just like any old avg pattern. Treat it like an avg pattern then you'll be fine.
#8 Menu system in the F6 is just awful. Because it is from the dawn of that. F4 waaay better cuz it doesnt have one. It has dials!
#9 The F6 is still a very very nice camera. But if you like dials, just find an F4 that does not have bleeding LCDs.
 
I would go for an n8008s or a n90s (s is for spot metering) and hang an inexpensive 28-105 AF zoom on it. That combo is a LOT smaller and lighter than an F4, and costs peanuts. The 28-105 is a small gem of a zoom w/ a useful range. I use an n8008s w/ manual focus lenses because the viewfinder is so big and bright. Has a focus conformation light in there too, and you can change the focus screens out in about 20 seconds.

Either of these cameras will do 98% of what an f4 will do, and chances are you will never need that other 2%.
 
I would go for an n8008s or a n90s (s is for spot metering) and hang an inexpensive 28-105 AF zoom on it. That combo is a LOT smaller and lighter than an F4, and costs peanuts. The 28-105 is a small gem of a zoom w/ a useful range. I use an n8008s w/ manual focus lenses because the viewfinder is so big and bright. Has a focus conformation light in there too, and you can change the focus screens out in about 20 seconds.

Either of these cameras will do 98% of what an f4 will do, and chances are you will never need that other 2%.

I dunno. I had that 28-105 and thought it was seriously weak sauce so sold it on. The problem with the Nx and Fx series cameras are that they get sticky. Up to and including the F100. Also not sure how many of these had the pathetic plastic film door latches that often snap off. I know the F100 had that, the F80/N80, not sure if the n8008 etc had them.
Stepping up to a single #F series ensured the pro quality build where nothing was made to a lower spec.
 
FYI if you're not using the CLE, sell it on while it is still working. Mine is still waiting repairs - I put it away into my dry box after using it (batteries out), a few months later I went to use it again and the electrics had gone on the fritz.
Age does not play well with these cameras.
 
I do not own the Minolta CLE with a 40mm lens.

However, I do own and use the Contax G1 with 45mm lens.

Before I would give my 8-year old a Minolta CLE with 40mm lens or my Contax with 45mm lens or my Nikon F4, I would first sacrifice my Nikon EM or my Nikon 2000 with 50mm f/1.8 Series E lens.
 
that's what i was thinking. replace the cle with a contax g1 and a 45/2 planar.

i just got a canon eos 600 (aka 630) for $20 on the auction site, and it seems like a nice camera. i'll have more to say after i get my 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 back from steve swearingen. a 50mm macro is on its way, too. i might get a 50/1.8 STM, or maybe i'll cross my fingers and hope canon announces a 50/1.4 IS at photokina. it'll be fun shooting a brand new lens on one of the oldest AF slrs.
 
I owned an F6 for a while.
I was always thinking it could have been so much better, for instance the light meter does not react instantly to light changes but takes about half a second.
Low light capabilities of the meter are a bit soso, the F90x (N90x) has an extra stop over the F6.

As Huss said above, matrix metering is useless.

Huge as hell, I hold my FM2n the same way I hold a Leica. This cannot be done with the F6, I never knew where to put my left hand.

I can't imagine the F4 would be a lot better in those departments but at least it won't cost an arm and a leg.
 
Get an Olympus OM-2 with a 50mm lens for no more than $150. I can't imagine an 8 year old hauling around a F4!

My first thought was that this would be a good plan, I love my OM1/2. But on reflection, perhaps not. It's very likely that an 8 year old would at some point drop his/her camera and I don't think an OM body would survive a drop onto a concrete floor. But drop an F4 and I would be worried about the concrete remaining unbroken!
But having said that, how long wouls an 8 year old be willing to haul around the brick of an F4? :bang:
 
I don't think either the proposed F4, or F6, or the existing CLE is for the eight year old - he's got an N2020.

I agree about the 1980's AF cameras - better than one might expect, and just at that lovely cusp where there was AE and AF, but proper controls and no menus. I still use a Pentax SF1 (and bought a couple of spares for $25) as it just works really well ergonomically for me. The lenses are probably better than Nikon's too, but I'm not trying to start an argument.

The F6 has the advantage of not being thirty years old, and it's AF is very fast compared to 80's cameras. I have been happy with the matrix metering. It's big and heavy, but is well designed and comfortable to hold. The lenses are so big, though; I almost wonder if their designers were told that small size was undesirable as their customers might be more impressed with big lenses? I like using all my cameras, from half-frame up to 10x8, but if I'm honest the F6 is the one that gets out of the way and lets me concentrate to the best of my scant ability on the picture.
 
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