So, just got the F5 in the mail and I turned into a 5year old with how happy I got. It is in better shape then it looked in the photos and so far works great. Time to go pick up some color film and shoot the day away.

while an F5 would be great owned a F3HP for close to twenty years and it never falterred. I think it was the bast designed of all the film nikons. I also used an F100 and when I gave up film 2 years ago I traded them w/lenses for my D90 + lenses. I miss the F3 more then the F100 though the F100 had more technology the F3 was very versitable, I have been scanning slides and negatives taken with my F3 and am getting beautiful pictures. I do not know how many megapixils a Kodachrome slide translates to but I estimate somewhere from 30 to 50 megapixils. I miss my film cameras but had to make a $ decision. I know there are a slew od used f100's out there as there are for F3hp which are mor expensive then the F100s. I have been around a long time and in my estimation the F3HP was the best Nikon ever designed. Would love to see it come back as a combo film/digital camera if that would be possible. TL

Niz said:
I got it second hand for $325, the pictures of it were really clean nothing wrong with it but one really small scratch. Lady got it because she really wanted a cool camera then had 3 kids and never got time to learn it, she said she wanted to down grade to a point and shoot so she can take photos of the kids and not have to learn to much about how to shoot the camera. She also just had it sent off to Nikon to get cleaned out. I feel like I got a steal, I hope when it gets here I'm right and it looks and works like the photos showed and she said it does.

Considering an F6 costs almost as much as a D700 or more new, that's an awesome deal.

Congrats!

adamz said:
how much did You pay for it? You got one from second hand or a brand new one?

I got it second hand for $325, the pictures of it were really clean nothing wrong with it but one really small scratch. Lady got it because she really wanted a cool camera then had 3 kids and never got time to learn it, she said she wanted to down grade to a point and shoot so she can take photos of the kids and not have to learn to much about how to shoot the camera. She also just had it sent off to Nikon to get cleaned out. I feel like I got a steal, I hope when it gets here I'm right and it looks and works like the photos showed and she said it does.

how much did You pay for it? You got one from second hand or a brand new one?

Hey guys, just wanted to update you that I ordered my F5 a couple days ago and expect it to be here tomorrow or Friday. Went down to my girlfriends today and we stopped by the camera shop so I could pick up 8 rolls of HP5. I also got some rechargeable batteries so I don't spend loads of money on shooting with it. When I get it in I plan on shooting some color film and getting it processed to make sure it works right and then going to town with it. Can't wait to get it out in the field and start shooting with it.

Hi Bill, not sure if the pdf download is free but you can browse through it online.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/14852129/Nikon-F5-User-Manual

Hi everyone,
Is there a place to get a F5 manual in pdf form? Thanks.

Cheers,
Bill.

You'd be waiting a long time... like forever.

Hmmm? How many complaints would I get if i said to wait for the F7 to be released?

I'm going for the F90X, I don't need VR that badly. I didn't even own a VR lens till December last year. I'm getting this camera because the battery for my FE died and I want a AF film camera. I expect to use my film camera for landscapes, so VR wont be much help anyway.

CR2 batteries suck but on a film camera they should last a fairly long time. Unless you plan on using VR non stop all the time.

Niz said:
Thanks for your input ChrisLange, landscape is the last thing I am going to be using the F5 for. I have a 4x5 large format for that. The features on the F5 are why I really want it. I have really been into getting out and doing some action shots with skiers/snowboarders and what I really would love to do is get some awesome shots of some whitewater rafters. I understand the whole size thing for most people, but I like the bigger cameras. They feel much better in my hands and the durability is much more important to me then the weight.

The only reason the F100 was part of the question is because I want a camera that will fit what I need best overall. I wouldn't mind having lower fps if the F100 had a better metering system or if the autofocus was faster, but it seems by what everyone else has said that the F5 beats the F100 in everything but the size factor.

Then in that case, hit up the F5!

I got my F4 specifically for street/action and matrix metering hyperfocally focused manual lenses. Also the spot meter...

Yeah it is a tough one. I was kind of set on the F90X, but then the F65 is a newer camera, and its lighter, the has 5 AF points vs 1. One thing that kind of bugs me about the F65 is that it takes CR2 batteries, vs. the F90X which takes AA batteries.

Hmm that's a tougher one. I say F65. VR is very useful.

kanuck said:
For film I shot the F90x and the F4 but I loved the F90x more because it was smaller and lighter. The F4 was an amazing camera. Like others have said very rugged and sealed with great focus and a great overall feel. I'm not sure about the F5. Why not shop around especially on ebay for the F6??

I'm interested in getting a used F90x, or F65. Now I know the F90X has better features, but the F65 supports VR and appears to have better a better grip. The F90X only supports AF-S, but it also has a tougher body, and a slightly bigger viewfinder at 92% vs 89%, not a huge difference of course. I can get either cameras for around $47 US, which would you choose?

Thanks for your input ChrisLange, landscape is the last thing I am going to be using the F5 for. I have a 4x5 large format for that. The features on the F5 are why I really want it. I have really been into getting out and doing some action shots with skiers/snowboarders and what I really would love to do is get some awesome shots of some whitewater rafters. I understand the whole size thing for most people, but I like the bigger cameras. They feel much better in my hands and the durability is much more important to me then the weight.

The only reason the F100 was part of the question is because I want a camera that will fit what I need best overall. I wouldn't mind having lower fps if the F100 had a better metering system or if the autofocus was faster, but it seems by what everyone else has said that the F5 beats the F100 in everything but the size factor.

I myself am a heavy user of medium format cameras. I use a Bronica ETRS for 645, a Rolleiflex and a Yashica-Mat 124G for 6x6, and a Pentax 67 for 6x7. The Rollei is the most compact, and least obtrusive, and is -awesome- for street work. I just had mine overhauled and it's like new. The Pentax is really pretty much the only relatively compact 6x7 SLR system, and the only 6x7 SLR system that's really affordable which is viable for the photography that I do. Mamiya RB67s are another option, I had one for a while, but sold it due to it being too bulky, and having unintuitive controls for someone who is on the move with their camera. Don't get me wrong though, if you're going into any form of photo that doesn't require you to be on the street, an RB or RZ is fantastic. They are kings in the studio, kings in nature, and kings for just about everything that the Pentax 6x7 isn't.

You really don't need an F5, their era is bygone, and it's not worth getting one these days, unless you actually really need the features it offers. If you said you were going skiing with the camera in subzero conditions and was planning on taking action shots and being rough, then, yes F5 would be the winner (any F series really, I did that with my F3 numerous times and it still works just fine, I did have it overhauled over the summer though).

My personal recommendation is either one of the older generation Mamiya 645s (ones with a focal plane shutter, not a leaf shutter), or a Bronica ETRS-i (although the ETR, and ETRS are pretty much the same camera, minus TTL flash capability and one or two other minor things). I think the ETR might have the best build quality of them all to be honest, but I haven't had any issues with my ETRS, and it's a fantastic street shooter, especially with the side mounted speed grip which gives me a thumb wind lever, instead of the crank on the side.

The only caveat is to make sure you have an enlarger capable of enlarging 645/66/67 negatives. I use an Omega D-II, which is capable of 4x5, for nearly all my printing, and just acquired a Durst L1000 4x5 enlarger with a dichro color head to pair with the Omega.

and remember, the F5 takes 8 AA batteries. . .OMG, when I first held one I was like, "WTF is this crap?!?!"

The 9fps is crazy fast, esp for film (haha blow through a roll!). . .I'd agree with Chris, medium format will carry you farther (and you could technically just get away with one nice Mamiya 35mm lens). . .

Hey Niz if its not to late maybe listen to Chris. I was hoping he would post on this topic because he really seems to know his film.

If you were going to get into landscape, I would say forget the F5 and invest in a 645 medium format system. Mamiya 645 and Bronica ETRS-i cameras can be had for very little these days, and the increased image size will do you far better than a large 35mm like the F5.

Personally, I wouldn't buy an F5 at this point, but rather an F100. Ask yourself why you would need many of the features of the F5, are you really going to be burning through 35mm film at 9fps? The weight increase isn't worth it. I went with an F4 to compliment my F3 because of the matrix capabilities with all ai or ai-s manual lenses, and the use of knobs instead of command dials, which I don't really like.

has the OP picked up a F5? It's honking HUGE!!

I wouldn't recommend for landscape photography IMO. . .

It depends on what you expect of the camera. The F100 is smaller and lighter than the F5...it has been called "the poor man's F5" on occasion. The F100's frames-per-second are slower and it does not have the 1005 segment meter of the F5 (IIRC it has a 10 segment meter). The F100 lacks the vertical grip shutter release of the F5, but the optional battery pack has one, but that winds up with a combination almost as large and heavy as the F5.

If I were carrying it a great distance for, say, landscape photography I would carefully consider how much weight I was prepared to carry. I have an F100 and an F6 (which has the same metering system as the f5) and the 1005 segment meter is about as close to "infallible" as a metering system is likely to get. That is not to say that the meter in the F100 is bad because it is very good in its own right, but it requires correction a little more often than the 1005 segment one. If you intend to shoot high frames-per-second sports or other events, the F5 is your baby. It is, however, not entirely inconspicuous for "street shooting".

Isn't it interesting what fine film cameras are now available for very reasonable prices?

Good luck I have never heard anyone say anything bad about the F5 how scary is that?! It must be one heck of camera then. Seriously, even internet surfing you can't find negative comments! Gotta love that film...

Try looking on Keh.com they are a massive used supplier down in Alanta Georgia. I got mine off of ebay roughly for 350$. there are a lot out there to choose from! Enjoy it