Nikon F5

coolbus18

Senior Member
Well after much thought and searching I found a F5 . It's about 2 weeks out for delivery. Here she is:

F5.JPG
Yeah I'm excited. I'm really diggin film. Gonna need a photo scanner next. Gonna go to school again at local community college to take Photography class. I want to get into the develop/print end for myself at least in b&w. Have a marvelous weekend !! :D:D:D:D
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Well after much thought and searching I found a F5 . It's about 2 weeks out for delivery. Here she is:

View attachment 169728
Yeah I'm excited. I'm really diggin film. Gonna need a photo scanner next. Gonna go to school again at local community college to take Photography class. I want to get into the develop/print end for myself at least in b&w. Have a marvelous weekend !! :D:D:D:D

Nice one,B/W dark room work is great fun you will enjoy it.
 

coolbus18

Senior Member
Ta dah, it's here! I am impressed. The auto focus drive feels like it can pull a car out of mud. Dang is it quick! It doesn't feel that heavy to me but then again I haul around a F4s with a 180mm lens a lot. Loaded some Fuji Neopan 400 in it and am telling my arthritis to scoot as I gotta go shoot some film. @scott---yes digital doth haveth itsth benefitsth--film processing can get expensive. Guess I'd better take that Photo w/lab course this Sept. Don't worry I won't be an enabler! lololol.
 

coolbus18

Senior Member
Just shot 1/2 a roll.Boy is this a fast camera.It's amazing how fast the film advances. Not as loud as my F4 but just as neat. I was using a Nikkor 70-210 F/4 and it was like a 50mm in terms of focus speed . Good viewfinder, fits the hand oh so well and I have small hands.It's easier to look through the viewfinder because the body narrows under it so that one doesn't need to cock one's head sideways. I can easily see how its design influenced the digital cameras to come. Heck of a neat machine. :cool:
 

coolbus18

Senior Member
So some thoughts on the F5. Firstly it's easy to use specially if you've used a Nikon dslr before.A lot more electronics. Auto focusing par excellance!Speed? yowzers--even the rewind. I don't think it's heavy and I'm multi=arthritic going on 68 yo and have had 8 major back surgeries and an artificial hip. I put a roll of b&w and Fuji Provia through it Those D lenses, well it loves them. Manual lenses, loves them. Tough. Built like a tank. I like the sound that tracking focus makes, like muffled popping corn.rewinds in less than a blink.
So if you're thinkin' about one, get it. It has a marvelous effect(shooting film) on my being.Better than digital? Well they're two different ways of imaging. Which do I prefer visually? Film. Each is a different tool. One has noise, the other graininess . I like graininess, I don't necessarily like noise. I dig vintage( it was modern when I was a kid) and I dig tech. Each has it's place in the Panvisulatheon of light gathering(btw auto correct left that word alone)Do they both bring us what we want? Yes. So as Smart phones and Iphoneography grow will people ask the same question as dslr's fade into the past.
But what film did is to bring me back to taking time, being selective, really concentrating on the basics again. Practice makes better. Now it's time to fly. Thank you all for your likes and input. Smile!
 

coolbus18

Senior Member
So now after spending time with the F5 all I can say is WOW what a hunk of a camera! I might even get another I dig it so much. Just got back some slides shot on Fuji Provia 100 f.Real nice blues and greens and the red saturation is toned down as compared to the marvelous Velvia 50.

Blue Sky.jpgChalk.jpgDahlias # 864.96.jpg

used a Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.5. Hot dang I do dig film!!!!
 

Retro

Senior Member
I want one so bad! But I want an F4 too. At least I have the F5's little brother. It is sweet also. I put an old roll in it yesterday. I found a handful of rolls that must have bought 15 years ago when I was still shooting. I know I shouldn't use them, but this is just to get to know the camera. Nothing important this time around.

My film advance is probably the same as yours, Coolbus. I was impressed with mine too. I wish I had an AF lens to try on it.

There is a lot to learn on the F100, and I have to take time to go through the manual. I only have the .pdf.

I'm tempted to buy the F5 before the F4.
 

coolbus18

Senior Member
yep, I understand the dilema.The F4-- big advantage is Matrix with Ai lenses, knobs for everything, superb ergonomics, and of course for me holding a mechanical, electronic marvel. The F100 is sure neat and the F5 is still a learning experience and one that I find user friendly. And that sensor!!!! Even in manual mode it'll do it's best to help one get the "shot" . Yeah I love the sounds. But the end result wows me. and then there's my N90s--another super camera too.Bloody fast AF ,easy to use,great results. But the area that really gets me is the 100% viewfinder view. I wish my D7100 had that. So My solution to the wants was, I need one for color, one for b&w, and one for slides! and if I keep this up perhaps the 100. Aside from the pdf's I also like the Magic Lantern series about the F4 and %. Lots of neat practical info. now I'm diggin' FX so much that I've contemplated a D3(digital F5?) to add to the herd. Gonna get my own scanner for them.

looking forwards to seeing your pictures.
Something just bit me! The medium format bug! hahahahaha. I wish Nikon made one. It never stops does it? Enjoy your shooting!----Alan
 

Retro

Senior Member
Aside from the pdf's I also like the Magic Lantern series about the F4 and %. Lots of neat practical info. now I'm diggin' FX so much that I've contemplated a D3(digital F5?) to add to the herd. Gonna get my own scanner for them.

looking forwards to seeing your pictures.
Something just bit me! The medium format bug! hahahahaha. I wish Nikon made one. It never stops does it? Enjoy your shooting!----Alan

Yes, the D3 is a digital F5, along with the D1, D2, and D4. There are plenty of F5 bodies available in excellent condition, but the new or mint ones are disappearing.

I have been looking at the Magic Lantern books on eBay. I may go to Abebooks.com to find one. I'm reading Thom Hogan's manual now.

Years ago I was in a photographer's studio in Windsor and they had comparison pictures on the counter: 35mm vs. medium format. One comparison was of a mountain side. The MF photo showed crags in the rock, while the 35mm showed that the rock was grey - no crags. The other comparison shot was of two boys sitting on a deck. One of the boys had a brand new red T-shirt on. In the MF photo, the red T-shirt was almost bright enough to blind you, while in the 35mm the T-shirt was just red. I was quite impressed, but in the real world, anything more than 35mm is not realistic. Even for weddings nobody is willing to pay for the extra quality. They just say that 35mm is good enough for everybody.

I wish I had a few hours to spend with my F100, but I have a family and a job.:apologetic:
 
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