What's your favorite film Nikon F Series ?

dtcls100 said:
F6 because it is the most advanced, most ergonomic and most capable of all of the F-series cameras. Also has perhaps the best viewfinder (except for maybe the F2 with H-series full frame microprism focusing screen). Works with full matrix metering on all Nikon Ai and Ai-S lenses and can even be modified by Nikon to work with non-Ai lenses. Capable 11 pt AF (similar to that in D2x) and wonderful MF capability. Surprisingly quiet and refined, but rugged and very comfortable in the hand with its rubberized cover (that never gets sticky like the F100). Fully compatible with Nikon film and digital flashes. Black finish one of the most durable I have seen on any camera.
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Exactly.
I agree with all you said. From all the Nikons I have used (which are almost all models) the F6 is by far the best.
And therefore it is the most used camera in my camera arsenal.
 
I would love to have well used and brassed F in top mechanical condition, while waiting for that, I enjoy my F2 and the 24mm f/2.8 as my favorite combo.

DSCF8067.jpg
 
I currently own the F, F2, F3, F4s, F4e and F5...the F4e is the one I've used the most, the F3 mounted on the MD-4 is the prettiest but my favorite would be the F5...
 
narsuitus said:
Back in 1972, when I purchased my first Nikon F2, the meterless head was all that was available for the F2. At that time, metered heads were available for the F but not yet available for the F2.


Nikon F2 by Narsuitus, on Flickr
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You have a titanium F2 prism on a standard body?

I love aperture priority - so I use the F3 and FE2 (yes, the LCD on the F3 sucks, and not even sure why they went that route - I would have preferred light up numbers to indicate shutter speed) - still, a beat up F2AS (love the DP12 on F2s) is quite the joy to use
 
Huss said:
Definitely! As long as it is a sweet short lever throw (unlike my Minolta SR1s which has a really long throw) and definitely not a thumb wheel or knob.
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I don't know which I prefer: a short sweet throw or a long sweet throw.

I get used to the light, constant load of a long throw, then when I switch to a camera with a shorter throw, it feels like it's interrupting it in the middle.

I've never tried a camera with a knob and a good lens.

Thumb wheel, I don't mind, as long as it doesn't feel cheap. For example: the one on the XA was good, the one on the Trip 35 was not so good.
 
GarageBoy said:
You have a titanium F2 prism on a standard body?
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Yes, I found someone who was selling the titanium F2 prism for a significant discount because it did not have a name plate. I had an F2 standard black body with waist-level finder that I had been using on a copy stand but I did not have a prism finder for it until I purchased the titanium finder.
 
Smaug said:
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I've never tried a camera with a knob and a good lens.
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The Barnack Leicas and Contax II/III series have good knob operation - not a lot of winding. In fact, it's possible to wind a Barnack Leica just sliding your index finger along the side of the knob (though I myself don't do that). That's faster than using a wind lever!
 
I shot the Nikon F3 for a month or two, and for a longer period, 6 months or so, shot Nikon F's in plain, eye level prisms. The lenses are fantastic values on the used market, especially the non-ai for B&W. Even though I wear glasses, actually preferred the eye level F3 over the HP model, for the slightly greater viewfinder magnification. When I first used a metered F, I thought it was clunky garbage, but years later I got to use several F's with eye level prisms and it handled like a totally different camera. I can see why they still have a following. In fact, one of the few cameras I regret selling was a well used, brassed, black 64 F with an eye level prism. Smooth, smooth, smooth; must've been owned by a journalist. So I view both the F and F3 as worthy cameras.

Don't have any of the Nikon stuff anymore. When it came SLR's, I had such a long history with the Leicaflex SL model, couldn't justify having another line. Despite all the good things about the Nikons, the Leicaflex SL viewfinder, with its' crispness and high magnification, was just so much better. But I don't shoot SLR's much anymore. If I did, I would still have the Nikons. Reliable and affordable; nice mix.
 
My dream setup would be a chrome eyelevel F (the first one) with the 9 bladed 105mm sonnar, 58, 35. All the early tick mark versions.
 
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