NIKON F4 vs NIKON D4 vs NIKON D800 vs Nikon D7000 w. AF-S lenses :D

crycocyon

Senior Member
So I got my Nikon F4 today. Imagine. I purchased it from a guy in Japan on the 28th. It arrived today. Wow. That was fast.

Well, when I got my D4 recently, the excitement factor was around 8/10. Funny enough, the excitement factor of getting this F4 was 9/10. Why? Firstly, it is darn beautiful. Second, it is fun to play with buttons and dials rather than going through menus. Third, this thing autofocuses much better than I expected it would. I mean, I was expecting a sloth but instead this thing is on par with the D7000 and, although it gets into this momentary hunting mode for no reason (maybe 15% of the time), I was also surprised how well it focused in low light.....it even seemed better in low light than my D800 (!). The screen is amazingly clear and larger than even the D4. The sound of this thing clicking and advancing film is just like listening to a flat 12 Porsche engine....just something so unique and nostalgic about that kind of sound...so analog. Mirrorless cameras? No thanks. ;)

The film I ordered hasn't arrived yet so I was not able to do some test shooting with the F4, but that will come, along with tests of digital vs film on these cameras. However, I was able to throw the 50mm 1.4G and 85mm 1.4G on it and I was so pleased with how it focused the lenses. The F4 works with AF-S lenses in P mode or S mode, not A mode or M mode. I learned quickly how to make the aperture change, however, just by adjusting the shutter speed (faster shutter speeds open up the aperture more). The feel, heft, and ease of use of the F4 was just a joy. I also threw my SB-800 flash on the F4 and it just worked, no problem. The flash even matched the focal length of the AF-S lens.

The genius of Nikon is that they can engineer something like the F4 in the late 1980s, and here we are in 2014 and the camera can still operate with the latest AF-S lenses. Plus, it even take pre-AI lenses. No other Nikon camera can accept ANY Nikon lens. It still boggles my mind.

I love how the AF-L and AE-L buttons are right where they should be on the front of the grip and the AF-L button can double as both AE-L and AF-L just but rotating a small lever on the AE-L button. Such simplicity.

I love how the "F4" lettering is huge compared to the "D4" lettering. Almost as if the F4 back in the day was so confident of itself, hehe, and justifiably so.

I can't wait to take this baby out into the field. It is just a joy to own a camera like this. When I was studying in the 80s, that time just flew by and cameras like this were not even on my radar, let alone in my interest, just because I had no time. Now I can rediscover that period with these amazing Nikon film cameras (I hope to get an F3 as well, maybe an F5 someday).

So I couldn't resist comparing my "new" F4 along with the "new" D4 and my D800. THIS to me is real Nikon porn. :kiwi-fruit:

So first a three-way comparison of the Nikon F4 vs the D4 and D800. The F4 is just a beast and makes the D4 look tame, at least aesthetically.

NikonF4D800D4.jpg

F4 vs D4 at different angles

F4vsD4tjdfr1.jpg

F4vsD4L1.jpg

F4vsD4tjdfrL1.jpg

F4vsD4rear1.jpg

Nikon D800 vs Nikon F4

F4vsD800fr1.jpg

F4vsD800L1.jpg


F4vsD4R1.jpg

F4vsD800R1.jpg

The Nikon F4 vs the Nikon D7000, with and without the grip.

F4vsD7000TDf1.jpg

F4vsD7000TDf2.jpg

The Nikon F4 with 50 mm f1.4G AF-S lens.

F4w50mm14G.jpg

These next shots I call "hero" shots. :D

NikonD4TDhshot2.jpg

F4TDFL1.jpg

And the Nikon F4 with the 85 mm f1.4G AF-S lens.

D4fr8514TD2.jpg

D4tviewTD85141.jpg

And finally hero shots of the F4 vs D4 in the same lighting. :)

F4vsD4hshotTD1.jpg

Whew!
 

crycocyon

Senior Member
Couple of things I forgot to mention. This is an F4s as it has the MB-21 battery grip as opposed to an F4 or F4e.

Also, it was funny on occasion as I was testing the F4 as I would take a photo, then look right away at the back of the camera, just as I would look at the back of a digital Nikon, but there's nothing to see back there, hehe. Strange how one develops habits that one is not even aware of.
 

gqtuazon

Gear Head
The F4 works with AF-S lenses in P mode or S mode, not A mode or M mode. I learned quickly how to make the aperture change, however, just by adjusting the shutter speed (faster shutter speeds open up the aperture more). THIS to me is real Nikon porn. :kiwi-fruit:
Good to know about film and G lenses. I love camera porn. You speak my language. :triumphant::triumphant:
 
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rocketman122

Senior Member
nice to see the evolution of the camera shapes. that F4 is a blocky design, then you have the rounded off curvy D4. the D7000 looks so square..
enjoy your F4.
 

DraganDL

Senior Member
Now, you've got to obtain one of these pieces of equipment (maybe both): a good scanner (don't buy any Canons, please!:p) and/or a film-to-digital duplicator (which you will mount on that D4):glee:

But of course the F4 works with "G" lenses (and all AF-S, for that matter). The only difference being lack of manual aperture ring, you cannot use modes that require the value of aperture to be set manually...
 
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rodcunha

New member
The F4 was my first professional grade body and perhaps the best Nikon ever built. It was built to survive a Nuclear attack and I love it even more today than ever.

Give me a F4 a 14-24mm and lots of Velvia Film please. :)
 

STM

Senior Member
I have had an F4S for 20 years and I still use it a lot. It is just my opinion, but I think the F4S is the most attractive camera Nikon ever made. With my 50mm f/1.4 AI:



I have been looking for a while for an MB-23 but they are hard to find in a condition equal to my F4. The F4E was not marketed in the US so they are hard to find.
 

crycocyon

Senior Member
I completely agree.....about it being the most beautiful Nikon SLR. Thanks for showing a photo of your F4! Yes I know what you mean about the MB-23.... I had searched for that as well.
 

Bill16

Senior Member
I'd love to have one, but I just haven't been able to justify getting one, since knowing me I might not use it much, since wouldn't likely shoot film much. :(
But it sure seems awesome for sure! :D
 

dslater

Senior Member
Now, you've got to obtain one of these pieces of equipment (maybe both): a good scanner (don't buy any Canons, please!:p) and/or a film-to-digital duplicator (which you will mount on that D4):glee:

But of course the F4 works with "G" lenses (and all AF-S, for that matter). The only difference being lack of manual aperture ring, you cannot use modes that require the value of aperture to be set manually...

If you can find one, the Nikon scanners are quite good. Or, you could build a darkroom and make wet prints. :) That's the route I went for film.
 

Thumper_6119

Senior Member
Contributor
I was taking a few photography classes in college back in'89, and I had a Nikon N4004s (that I still have, and it still works great). A guy in my B&W I class had an F4s with a databack, and he let me mess around with it a bit on a couple of occassions. Apples and oranges comparison to my N4004s. Focus was fast and very quiet. Mirror and shutter action was so cool. Frame advance was fast and smooth. Amazing camera. I had always wanted one, but couldn't justify the cost at that time vs my ability and income (part-time job, beginning hobbyist, and my N4004s was just fine, actually more than I needed). But it was always a treat when that guy would let me put a roll or two through his F4s. It was just fun to use.

I still have a romantic attachment to darkroom/wetlab processing. I used to have a blast processing film and prints. I used to get off of work and head up to the college photo labs, and I would stay up there all night, along with a few other students, processing film and prints. I never turned out anything fantastic (because I never shot anything fantastic), but it was fun pursuing it and going through the whole process, especially with others who were doing the same thing. Good times, good times....
 

STM

Senior Member
If you can find one, the Nikon scanners are quite good. Or, you could build a darkroom and make wet prints. :) That's the route I went for film.

I have a Super CoolScan LS-8000 and love it. It works perfectly with the Hasselblad too (which is the real reason I got it) and with the right carrier will even do 6x9 if you can find a camera that even shoots that any more!

Of course, you would need to scan (digitize) any film image to present them on the web or nowadays for publication, but outside of that, scanning them to print them to a final image seems to be defeating the whole purpose of shooting film, for me at least. For black and white especially, printing film on photographic paper presents an image with charm that no digital image can provide. Especially if you use high end paper like Oriental Seagull (which I love but have to special order because no one around here carries it and it is $$$). Printing a Hasselblad Kodak T-MAX 100 image on just the right grade of Seagull produces a magical image!
 

Bill16

Senior Member
So much for this older post! Lol Since I now have a F4s coming that my beloved wife bought for me for Christmas! Lol :D

I'd love to have one, but I just haven't been able to justify getting one, since knowing me I might not use it much, since wouldn't likely shoot film much. :(
But it sure seems awesome for sure! :D
 

timgasper

New member
To STM - You can find an F4E sometimes at keh.com. I've seen them there in the past, but they are a bit rare. I love the F4s. I have way too many cameras for my wife's approval and so must be very careful if I want to buy anything new. Of the Nikons I have the; F2a, FE, FG, F4, F5 and D7000. The fuji S5 Pro I also include in the lot as it uses Nikon lenses. I won't mention my other equipment, my wife might see this and then it's over for me.
 

xjogass

New member
Hello ! I don’t know if you still using this forum but I have few questions regarding 85mm 1.4G on Nikon F4. Why A and M modes will not work? I think it should work at 1.4 aperture only and camera will still metering. My M42 Pentacon 135mm 2.8 is working flawlessly on F4 and my F4 I don’t know how but he knows that it’s 2.8 lens, same for Helios 58mm 2.0 , F4 knows it’s 2.0 ... i don’t know how. So I think A and M modes will work with 85mm 1.4G.
Please if someone can help me to explain 85mm 1.4G on Nikon F4 . I am hesitating between 1.4G and 1.4D, but I would love to get 1.4G. I am ok to shoot at 1.4 only. The reason I want 1.4G is because It’s probably better as investment for my next purchase of mirrorless camera, because 1.4G is sharper
 
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