Comments on: Nikon F6 R.I.P.

By: Arthur Harold Cooper

Arthur Harold Cooper — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 07:55:18 +0000

I want an F6 because I want it. It’s the best there is for 35mm. I shoot a D80 and will keep shooting DSLR and advance to the D3. I want to shoot film but Digital has spoiled me. I shoot all day long, sometimes 500 plus images, all for the price of a battery charge. I still want an F6 but the money is better spent on a D3. I will shoot the D3 till the cows come home. I am afraid an F6 would just keep my N90s company in the closet.

By: RG

RG — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:32:35 +0000

It is in production, in this site someone asked Nikon Germany, they say it’s not dicontinued:
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum172/58220-nikon-f6-not-discontinued.html

here you have discontinued film products:

http://www.nikon-image.com/jpn/products/discontinue/others/index.htm

By: David

David — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:55:59 +0000

WHERE CAN I GET A NEW F-6?

By: cool-chef

cool-chef — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:48:21 +0000

Film is not dead… i see shots from old Contax, and the results was better than from D3…

By: Jess

Jess — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 02:40:55 +0000

Hey there,
Just remember guys and gals, that film and digital have each a different application. It would be more reasonable to go digital if one depended on fast reproduction of there product. Film is not in this same arena…. It just depends on your approach and what your going to use it for …. plus there is PLENTY of film out on the market and PLENTY of users…..

By: Robert M.

Robert M. — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 07:48:28 +0000

Nikon has a history of making goofy niche products and boutique items that did not sell particularly well, though it seems more and more in the competitive digital realm that that Nikon is either hibernating or dead.

By: Marshal

Marshal — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:43:24 +0000

Where there’s no significant demand or need for a product, there’s no incentive to make it.

By: Zoetmb

Zoetmb — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:09:56 +0000

Well…if a decent number of people bought the F6, they wouldn’t have stopped making them (assuming that it’s accurate that it’s discontinued.) But I suspect they’ll still be new units in the pipeline for at least another year or two. Just because they stop manufacturing them doesn’t mean they don’t have any in their warehouses. And many dealers still have stock and I’m sure these things don’t exactly fly out the doors these days.

And they’ll be a used market for years after that.

But it does seem a bit of a shame that Nikon won’t have one film body out there any more (although still available and still on the Nikon sites in most countries, the FM10 is also rumored to be discontinued and Nikon doesn’t make them anyway – Cosina does.) But film camera sales are so small, CIPA stopped reporting them last year.

How hard would it be for Nikon to take a D3, remove the memory card slots, remove the sensor, put a transport motor in there and room for the film and spool and update the software to make it relevant to a film camera? I know given a choice between that and new primes, the vast majority of Nikon users would want the primes, but the lens design teams aren’t the same as the camera design teams and this could probably be contracted out.

Of course if they ever do come out with a modular camera, maybe that can also be a film camera or have a film back available.

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:09:01 +0000

nice try but not a fair comparison I believe…

Current prices for used camera bodies on KEH:

Nikon F-601 (close enough) = $35
Nikon F-6 = $1,079

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:50:57 +0000

I just bought a mint FE2 for $120 and I have to say there is something about the pure simplicity and the feel of a compact metal body. It’s just fun as hell to shoot. The FM2 is of course a favorite – and I’d jump at an FM3a if they weren’t so expensive.

By: Marshal

Marshal — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:43:57 +0000

I have somewhat nostalgic memories of the old film days so i can’t really in all fairness diss the old film cameras. But I don’t miss them either. The cameras & film that is. I miss the days of my youth, much more than whatever equipment I was using at the time.

My last film camera was an N90s. Never owned an official Nikon pro F body unless you count the old FTN, my dad’s camera which I inherited. Then came an N8008, then the N90s bodies. Then the D1X, then the D2X bodies which I still have. Not sure how much longer, but they’ve served me well as the best cams I’ve ever owned. Will the D3 by my next or perhaps a D400 or 800 or whatever? I don’t know.

I went through countless rolls of film, color and B&W both, from both Kodak & Fuji and even a little from Agfa and Ilford. I shot all the 35mm Kodachromes, particularly loved PKM 25. But then went to Velvia with some Provia on the side & never looked back.

I shot my last roll of film in early ’03 I think. Or was it Fall ’02? I simply haven’t missed film and as good of a camera as the F6 might have been in the twilight of the film era, don’t regret sticking with digital at all. For me to go back to film would be a major step or jump backwards. I need to move forward. My clients haven’t missed me shooting film either. lol

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:40:11 +0000

every true lover of photography should try the FM2, just amazing.

Btw: film is not dead, it just smells funny!

By: Erik Ehrling

Erik Ehrling — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:33:13 +0000

I just bought a Nikon F75 and a 24-85mm AF-S cheaply off ebay. Loaded with Fuji Provia 400X that will be my main shooting kit this X-mas. Full-frame and light to carry around…

Erik Ehrling (Sweden)

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:11:44 +0000

“Have you purchased a Nikon flim SLR in the past 12 months?”

Surely there are only two meaningful answers to that question: yes or no. Why are there three? “No but I plan to” is a “no”, and “No, film is history” is just childishly silly. What about people who haven’t bought a film camera because they already have one? I would click “no” but I can’t without giving the impression that I think film is history (I use large format occasionally).

Sorry, it’s a meaningless ‘survey’.

By: DNHJR

DNHJR — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:08:46 +0000

Sad day.

It’s a shame because film is still better the Digital IMO. But if Nikon is not selling them, then I guess it’s time for it to RIP.

By: DNHJR

DNHJR — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:05:29 +0000

I’m sorry, but vinyl is not dead. I buy brand new vinyl all the time. Just got the new Metallica on vinyl.

Also film is not dead, it’s still made and I buy it also.

When they stop making something then it’s dead.

By: rthomas

rthomas — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:36:44 +0000

Vinyl lives, and so does film. It just depends on what you need/want. I personally loves the sound I get from those old Led Zeppelin LPs. I also have them on my iPod, of course, as it is a bit more portable.

By: Nikkorian

Nikkorian — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:07:07 +0000

oh, i still have a cool f-501. still makes brilliant photos, just like an f-80 or f-6. on ebay i’d get maybe 10 dollars for it. if the price goes up to 200 i’ll sell it. will it?

By: Pablov

Pablov — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:15:49 +0000

I agree with Tom
There should be an additional option like “No, I already have film SLR and won’t buy another unless necessary” or so

I also have Nikon a film SLR and won’t sell it because I may need it someday, and selling it can just give me few bucks, so it is better to keep it.

(BTW: I can’t include the URL of my blog in the “website” field when writing this, nor in the main text, because the system takes it as spam and doesn’t post my comment )

By: ka

ka — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:35:16 +0000

“no, I’ve got what I need.” could be an answer to the poll, also
if I don’t buy another camera, it doesn’t necessary mean that I think film’s dead…