Of all the film AF-SLRs I have personally used, the Nikon 8008s was the worst. My first serious camera was a Nikon F, bought in 1969. Used Nikon until '78 or '79, then switched to Olympus OM. I loved that system -- used it for PJ assignments in 27 countries on five continents, plus a ton of editorial and commercial work in the U.S. (But the winders didn't last -- should have just bought motor drives up front.)
I actually held on to my OMs two years longer than I should have, in hope they would come out with a professional-grade auto-focus system. Finally, my aging eyes could wait no longer.
I began with no bias toward either Nikon or Canon. However, the photographer with whom I shared studio space had Nikon equipment, so I reasoned that I could get a Nikon AF body, list my OM stuff on e-Bay, and, as it sold, use the money to buy Nikon lenses and another body. Meanwhile, I could borrow his lenses as needed. So I bought a Nikon 8008s and later, a 6006.
My work in those days was almost entirely with slide film and required extensive bracketing. After a year of increasing frustration with Nikon's focus-hold-the-button-recompose dance, compounded by the fact that the Nikon's AF hunted for focus like a hound dog with a cold in its nose, I tried Canon.
My first EOS locked on focus like a pit bull and Custom Function 4 ended the focus-recompose nonsense. I promptly got rid of the Nikons and remain firmly in the Canon camp to this day.
Incidentally, I found the 6006, a less expensive camera than the 8008s, to be much more user-friendly. I sold it to a friend who is still using it.
