Unintended consequences: considering an F6

Ken Ford

Ken Ford

Refuses to suffer fools
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I've been making a concerted effort to re-kit myself with some of the best of the current Nikkor primes for use on my DSLRs - I have the 35/1.4G and 85/1.4G now, plus a 50/1.4G which, while not in the same category is no slouch. I fully expect to pick up a 58/1.4G, one of the 24Gs and a 20/1.8G within the year, and hopefully Nikon will make my dreams come true with a 180/2.8G AF-S VR some day. I really like how these newer fast Nikkors render and my aging eyes and reflexes appreciate the AF.

Which leads me to a desire for a film body that can take advantage of these great lenses. I was looking at a F100, then an F5 - but I think an F6 is where the sweet spot is for me since I prefer a vertical grip.

Am I nuts, or is the F6 as good as I think it is?
 
Ken Ford said:
I've been making a concerted effort to re-kit myself with some of the best of the current Nikkor primes for use on my DSLRs - I have the 35/1.4G and 85/1.4G now, plus a 50/1.4G which, while not in the same category is no slouch. I fully expect to pick up a 58/1.4G, one of the 24Gs and a 20/1.8G within the year, and hopefully Nikon will make my dreams come true with a 180/2.8G AF-S VR some day. I really like how these newer fast Nikkors render and my aging eyes and reflexes appreciate the AF.

Which leads me to a desire for a film body that can take advantage of these great lenses. I was looking at a F100, then an F5 - but I think an F6 is where the sweet spot is for me since I prefer a vertical grip.

Am I nuts, or is the F6 as good as I think it is?
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It is better!
 
I've always seen the F6 as the perfect analog companion to my D700. For a mere 12 megapixels the D700 is as good as it gets and the F6 has no peers for film when it comes to an AF SLR.
 
Back when I got my F6 they were still going for over a grand and now I see them for half that. Every ounce of Nikon's engineering skill went into these amazing cameras and everything they have learned about SLRs since the first F peaked with the F6.

There is a really interesting article kicking around the web somewhere about the development of this camera including comments by the designer himself and the lengths they went to to make the F6 as good as it is.
 
I've had an F6 and currently have an F100. If you can get a nice F6 for ~$500, sure. But, even then, i think i'd rather have two F100s (b+w and color) and another lens....
 
I owned the F4, F5, and F6---I liked them all, but I loved the F5.

I found no massive advantages in the F6, especially if you are going to mount a vertical grip anyway.
 
The F6 is the best of the AF F cameras. If there was a better one, it would be called the F7..

Just do it.
 
My main concern with the F100 and F5 is that they are getting a little long in the tooth at this point - I'd be concerned about LCD failure.
 
Another vote here for just do it. The F6 is a special camera, and the specs alone don't tell the entire story IMO. There's something special about the tactile feel and operation of the F6 that is noticeably superior to other similar cameras I've tried. Nikon put a LOT of work into getting the shape and materials just right, and that makes the camera a real pleasure to shoot.

Keith said:
There is a really interesting article kicking around the web somewhere about the development of this camera including comments by the designer himself and the lengths they went to to make the F6 as good as it is.
Click to expand...

I remember that article - it was a really interesting write up on the development of the F6. Just tried to find it now but couldn't locate the English version. Here's the Japanese version if anyone wants to put it through Google translate.
 
My name is Marty. I am a Nikonaholic. I refuse to enter a 12 step program, however, for two main reasons:
- Nikonaholism is not a problem (right?)
- there is no higher power than Nikon (right?).

If interchangeable viewfinders are useful to you, get an F5, that way you also do not need to buy a vertical grip. The F5 has a ~100% 0.75 magnification viewfinder and numerous different screens.

The F6 has the best AF in a film SLR, including the first real improvements in AF accuracy since Nikon implemented AF in their SLRs, and an optional vertical grip. The viewfinder is fixed, and the relatively small number of available screens are worse for manual focus than other cameras (but that is what the F3 is for) but it has ~100% 0.74 magnification viewfinder and the finder is incredibly bright.

The F100 is quite a bit lighter than an F6 without a grip, and a lot lighter than an F5. It has an optional vertical grip. The F100 has a very nice ~96% (by area) 0.76 magnification fixed viewfinder, few screens, slower less accurate AF than an F6, but roughly the same AF as an F5 but with a lower torque motor (doesn't matter with AF-S lenses anyway).

Don't worry about LCDs. With the older cameras just buy spare cameras, and Nikon seems to still have parts, especially for the F5.

Don't underestimate that more magnification is sometimes useful, and that coverage and magnification are linked - increasing coverage necessarily decreases magnification for a given physical size of finder. None of these cameras have a viewfinder with a lot of magnification. A lot of people who haven't used a lot of SLRs are impressed by area and sheer size of 100% viewfinders, but a lot of the time more magnification is better. Take a look down the viewfinder of an Olympus OM with a 2 series screen, or a Leicaflex SL or SL2 to see a really great (albeit manual focus) viewfinder.

Buy at least one of each. It's not a problem. Really.

Marty
 
I still have an F100 and F6. Sold my F5 as it was too big and heavy. The F5 has the fastest AF. The one thing I missed about the F5 was the af point lighting up in the finder. The F100 is the cheapest amazing camera at the moment. I picked up a near new, unmarked late copy for 75 euro!! Some complain about the plastic back but I've had 4 F100's with no issues.
The F6 feels solid and is much more quiet than the other 2.
Not worth retail but well worth the current sh pricing.
 
Buy all three, if you are spending on those lenses that can't be an issue surely, test them, keep what you like best and works for you, sell the rest, what you loose is the cost of the decision. You surely aren't going to buy on what we say and never try the rest?

For the record never had an F5 (F4 yes) love my F100, fantastic value for what you get, had it for years no need for an F6 I said. Life is short I had to try one even if I re-sold it after, the F6 I have now is the keeper. Smooth as silk in all operations, I still can't believe it has wound on the next frame yet, so quick and quiet. I didn't think I would use it but having access to the shooting data is very useful and rarely mentioned, I think the camera holds 30 odd rolls of data at a time. I have the grip, used to a D3, same battery, I actually think the F6 vertical arrangement is better than the D3 and I shoot a lot of verticals.
Am I selling the F100? What for, its a great camera?
 
jarski said:
Seconded. Or lessen the need to switch the lenses as often, pair of F100.
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Thirded, the F6 is known to chew through batteries while the F100 just goes and goes and goes on a set of easy to find AA's.

I just shot a magazine article all on black and white film in a quarry and among other formats I shot my F100 with my 20mm 1.8G, Zeiss 50mm F2 Milvus and 85mm 1.8G and the camera just kicked butt.

I'm sure the F6 is nice but I am more interested in nailing the shots I need to make with a camera I know for a fact holds up to the rigors of what I need it to do and be a bargain to have a second one of to boot.
 
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