I've owned a number of film Nikon bodies - first an F, then F2s and FE (still have the latter two). Half a decade ago I on a whim I picked up a F4 off ebay for $68. I'd seen them in the shop when they first came out, drooled over them but they were far beyond my means. The F4 arrived in lovely cosmetic condition but I was expecting there had to be some issue or the other. My tech checked it out and it was absolutely perfect. I might (or might not) have run a roll of film through it at the time and then it went into a camera bag where it rested peacefully for a few years.
Recently my D750 went in for service and I shot quite a bit of B&W film while it was away. Why not give the F4 a shot? I had a "K" screen installed (the better to mate with all of my manual focus Nikkors). I can say that I now have what is easily my favourite manual focus body. The F4 really does it all and does it well. Quiet, incredibly smooth and stable, terrific metering, great finder. What more can one wish for? The camera is now permanently loaded with Ilford HP5 (my old favourite) and gets out and about with me constantly. Much as I was annoyed at the D750 being in the shop it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Recently my D750 went in for service and I shot quite a bit of B&W film while it was away. Why not give the F4 a shot? I had a "K" screen installed (the better to mate with all of my manual focus Nikkors). I can say that I now have what is easily my favourite manual focus body. The F4 really does it all and does it well. Quiet, incredibly smooth and stable, terrific metering, great finder. What more can one wish for? The camera is now permanently loaded with Ilford HP5 (my old favourite) and gets out and about with me constantly. Much as I was annoyed at the D750 being in the shop it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.