The best AF film SLRs

[ChrisLivsey]

For those interested in buying the F6, you may find these articles helpful, too:
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Snipped from above.
Thanks for the links, found ByThom interesting
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Get out the checkbook. You can get three F100's for the price of an F6. Of course, they won't do all the things an F6 will, but you'll still have three instead of one. More is better, right?
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That ratio is now around 7 or 8 to one 😱

 

[Skiff]

With the F6, at last, the Dynax/Maxxum 9 got some competition 😉 :angel:

Hihi, keep dreaming......😉 :angel:

The in 1998 introduced Dynax Maxxum 9 got some competition with the Canon EOS 1 V in 2000.
But the 2004 introduced Nikon F6 is a class of it's own 😀 .

(Honestly, I've used all of them, therefore I am not only joking 🙂)

 

[Skiff]

Snipped from above.
Thanks for the links, found ByThom interesting
Quote
Get out the checkbook. You can get three F100's for the price of an F6. Of course, they won't do all the things an F6 will, but you'll still have three instead of one. More is better, right?
Quote

That ratio is now around 7 or 8 to one 😱

Well, used prices: It depends on whether you buy a mint one or not.
Here in my country Nikon F100 price range is in the 200 - 300€ range (with or without the vertival grip).
Used F6s are mostly in the 800 - 1200€ price range.

Nevertheless:
I've bought my Nikon F6 brand new, with the MB-40 grip and the MV-1 data reader (both highly recommended).
Price 2300€ in total.
That has been by far the cheapest camera with the best price-performance ratio I've ever bought in my lifetime!

Why that?
It is simple:
The Nikon F6 is a "once in a lifetime camera". You buy one and use it for the rest of your life.
2300€ for a whole lifespan is next to nothing!!
As soon as you have the F6 your GAS is over. You just don't need more in a 35mm film camera.
The F6 offers all you need.

I've quit the digital ratrace: Paying 2000€ - 3000€ every three or four years for a DSLR (or even much more for a digital Leica) add to a real fortune.
I can't afford this anymore.
My lifetime companion Nikon F6 is ridiculous cheap compared to that.

 

[Keith]

Well, used prices: It depends on whether you buy a mint one or not.
Here in my country Nikon F100 price range is in the 200 - 300€ range (with or without the vertival grip).
Used F6s are mostly in the 800 - 1200€ price range.

Nevertheless:
I've bought my Nikon F6 brand new, with the MB-40 grip and the MV-1 data reader (both highly recommended).
Price 2300€ in total.
That has been by far the cheapest camera with the best price-performance ratio I've ever bought in my lifetime!

Why that?
It is simple:
The Nikon F6 is a "once in a lifetime camera". You buy one and use it for the rest of your life.
2300€ for a whole lifespan is next to nothing!!
As soon as you have the F6 your GAS is over. You just don't need more in a 35mm film camera.
The F6 offers all you need.

I've quit the digital ratrace: Paying 2000€ - 3000€ every three or four years for a DSLR (or even much more for a digital Leica) add to a real fortune.
I can't afford this anymore.
My lifetime companion Nikon F6 is ridiculous cheap compared to that.

This is very true because the F6 isn't and never will be a victim of the rampant digital sensor development curve the keeps the digicams turning over!

 

[wakarimasen]

Here in the UK, once in a lifetime cameras cost £850

 

[Addy101]

Hihi, keep dreaming......😉 :angel:

The in 1998 introduced Dynax Maxxum 9 got some competition with the Canon EOS 1 V in 2000.
But the 2004 introduced Nikon F6 is a class of it's own 😀 .

(Honestly, I've used all of them, therefore I am not only joking 🙂)

Have the 1v and the 9 and it is no competition, the 9 is much better 😱 :angel:

To be honest, I think it is very personal and I guess all these last generation AF film cameras are great. As are the second tier cameras: Dynax/Maxxum 7, EOS 3 and F100.

 

[barnwulf]

I never had an F6 but, I loved my F100. - jim

 

[wakarimasen]

To put things in perspective, a used Canon 1DS Mark II can be had for the same price as an F6 😱

 

[Pioneer]

I will never understand why rangefinder fans seem to love Nikons so much. Even the little ones are monsters! And they are certainly not smooth, quiet and unobtrusive. I always felt that newspaper photographers grabbed onto the Nikon because they missed the Speed Graphic and the Nikon was the closest thing in 35mm to that old classic.

My personal favorite is the Pentax PZ1p. Probably not the best camera in anyone else's book but spot metering, a high flash synch and a 1/8000 shutter speed make it a fine choice for me.

 

[Skiff]

I will never understand why rangefinder fans seem to love Nikons so much. Even the little ones are monsters! And they are certainly not smooth, quiet and unobtrusive.

Looks like you have never used an F6: It is absolutely smooth and quiet.
If you press the release, you only hear the very silent and extremely well dampened mirror (no other 35mm SLR is so quiet). But you don't hear the motor at all! Absolutely no noise from the film winding motor. It is unbelievable, but true.
When I got my F6 some years ago, I first thought the camera was defect. But it is the perfect construction of the camera.

 

[Kirbot]

I wouldn't call it the best, BUT the Nikon N90s is a great, solid camera.
It does everything you need, reliably, and cheaply.

I think I paid about $25 for mine.

 

[thirtyfivefifty]

Canon EOS-1v

 

[Keith]

Looks like you have never used an F6: It is absolutely smooth and quiet.
If you press the release, you only hear the very silent and extremely well dampened mirror (no other 35mm SLR is so quiet). But you don't hear the motor at all! Absolutely no noise from the film winding motor. It is unbelievable, but true.
When I got my F6 some years ago, I first thought the camera was defect. But it is the perfect construction of the camera.

I agree totally. The F6 is near ergonomically perfect and when you combine that with the build quality and the muted shuffle of the shutter and mirror mechanism you appreciate how much work went into the design of this camera. A lot of other cameras can feel very agricultural in comparison.

I seem to remember reading that they went to a lot of trouble to mount the shutter mechanism isolastically in the F6.

 

[one90guy]

For me the Nikon F4s first and the N90S 2nd.

David

 

[robert blu]

For me the best SLR I had is the Nikon F100 which I still have and (too) rarely use. In fact when shooting film with a slr I use more the old Nikon FM2 (small. lightweight, simple manual controls) most of times with the 50mm 1,4 AIS.
robert

 

[HHPhoto]

Well, used prices: It depends on whether you buy a mint one or not.
Here in my country Nikon F100 price range is in the 200 - 300€ range (with or without the vertival grip).
Used F6s are mostly in the 800 - 1200€ price range.

Nevertheless:
I've bought my Nikon F6 brand new, with the MB-40 grip and the MV-1 data reader (both highly recommended).
Price 2300€ in total.
That has been by far the cheapest camera with the best price-performance ratio I've ever bought in my lifetime!

Why that?
It is simple:
The Nikon F6 is a "once in a lifetime camera". You buy one and use it for the rest of your life.
2300€ for a whole lifespan is next to nothing!!
As soon as you have the F6 your GAS is over. You just don't need more in a 35mm film camera.
The F6 offers all you need.

I've quit the digital ratrace: Paying 2000€ - 3000€ every three or four years for a DSLR (or even much more for a digital Leica) add to a real fortune.
I can't afford this anymore.
My lifetime companion Nikon F6 is ridiculous cheap compared to that.

I completely agree.
The Nikon F6 has indeed an unsurpassed price-performance ratio and is an excellent "once in a lifetime camera".
And therefore actually extremely cheap compared to the ongoing 'digital updating race', which makes you a poor guy in the middle and long term.

I bought the F6 brand new, complete with the MB-40 vertical grip and the MV-1 datareader.
It has been my best camera purchase in my photographic life.

Cheers, Jan

 

[wakarimasen]

Having just acquired an EOS 1V, my EOS 3 is about to go...

 

[Harry Lime]

F100 - The worst thing I can say about it is that it eats through batteries like there is no tomorrow, but luckily it will take AA and you just bring lots spares.

F6 - Only played with one of these briefly. Nice. Really, really nice, but far more expensive than a F100.

 

[Coopersounds]

I am a huge fan of my canon eos50e. Cost me $40 and does everything I need in an autofocus camera.
There is better, but at that price..... It's hard to beat

 

[Frank Petronio]

As much as I liked playing with the F6 I just don't see the justification... The electronics are just going corrode, short out, and become as unrepairable as a F100. It's not a "forever" camera unless your life expectancy is 5-7 years.

Frankly I'd expect a cheap consumer N80 to last as long and for the same money you could buy 23 more replacements if your first one fails.

So my vote is for the nikon N80, lighter, more compact, responsive, built-in flash, next to peak late film AF technology... And only $50. The cockroach of cameras....