So I have decided that I really want a new film camera and since I will never have the money to get a F6 I'm looking at the F5. Does anyone have one and still shoot with it? Is the F6 that much better then the F5? I have three 35mm cameras now, I think I might sell two of them to get some funds to put into this F5, what would be a good price for one of these used? Thanks for the help.
Nikon F5
(41 posts) (14 voices)-
Posted 3 years ago #
-
excellant camera choice. i have never used the nikon f6 but i am an proud owner of a ebay f5. they run about 300 for a decent condition. 500 almost brand new. the autofocus is supurb, better then my d90 though as fast as the d3. i feel i can shoot wide open on primes and still get a wonderful sharp image.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Also, is the F5 that much better then a F4? I saw on B and H that they have a used F4 in mint condition for around 320? Is it worth it to get the F5 or will the F4 be just as good?
Posted 3 years ago # -
Ok, I hit another road block. What about the F100. I found them used on ebay for 125ish. Are they any good?
Posted 3 years ago # -
Although the F4 is a very rugged and a great camera, I like the ergonomics of the F5 and F100. If I had to choose between the F5 and F100 I'd go with the smaller and lighter F100. Though the F5 is now cheaper than the F100. So it really depends on how much you want to spend and how often you plan to use this camera. Remember film processing isn't cheap and at 24/36 exposures a roll your cost go up quickly. Unless you're doing your own developing.
The F6 has faster AF and better/amazing metering. But I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't going to live off of the pictures you take with it. In other words if it'll be your only camera.
Posted 3 years ago # -
NikoDoby said:
Although the F4 is a very rugged and a great camera, I like the ergonomics of the F5 and F100. If I had to choose between the F5 and F100 I'd go with the smaller and lighter F100. Though the F5 is now cheaper than the F100. So it really depends on how much you want to spend and how often you plan to use this camera. Remember film processing isn't cheap and at 24/36 exposures a roll your cost go up quickly. Unless you're doing your own developing.The F6 has faster AF and better/amazing metering. But I wouldn't recommend it if you aren't going to live off of the pictures you take with it. In other words if it'll be your only camera.
Ya, I'm pretty sure that I'm between the F5 and the F100. The lighter and smaller doesn't really matter to me, if I get the F100 I'll soon be getting a battery grip for it. I'm going to develop all my own film and plan on shooting with this camera for all my personal work. I'll only be using digital for paid work. I think I'm going more towards the F5, but seeing as this will be the last 35mm film camera I will ever buy I want to get it right.
Posted 3 years ago # -
The F5 is a great camera but I personally prefer the smaller F100. On a film camera you really don't need a battery grip like you do for a power hungry digital camera. Though the F100 does tend to use up batteries like a D100.
If you want a larger camera then go with the F5 since it's still a bit larger than the F100 with grip.Why would this be your last film camera?
Posted 3 years ago # -
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??
Posted 3 years ago # -
The f100 is basically a mini F5. I had the same choice and i had a chance to hold the f100 with the battery grip and the f5 at the same time. The f100 feels weird shooting with vertically since the motar drive isnt fixed into the body like the f5. Imo i would choose the f5. The weight is quite hefty but its a professional body at the time and is the same weight of the professional bodies now. though i have the f5, i still have the urge to shoot on my f3 since its smaller and lighter.
Posted 3 years ago # -
F5 is certainly worth having, it is a part of history, probably the best film camera of all times, mechanical marble and even if you don't use it it will look fantastic on a bookshelf or else.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Well I guess I shouldn't say my last film camera, but I plan on having the F5/F100 for a long time and when I say a long time I mean a long long time. This is really a camera that I want to get for myself before I get out of college and all my money is being put into digital stuff so I can shoot for a living. Plus I don't feel bad spending 300ish on a pro film camera that was work over 2,000 when it came out new.
I would love to get a F6, but I can't see myself spending that much. The big drawl to the F5 for me is that it is an awesome camera and one of the best made for cheap. The F6, even used is out of my price range. I am trying to save as much as I can so I can get a good digital set when I come out of college. My D60 wont cut it for long.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Well F100 is almost just as good, it was pro built and it was used by pros as second or even first camera.
It has almost all the features F5 has except it is a bit slower (5 to 8 fps), lacks support for oldest Nikon lenses and does not have mirror lock up. On the other hand it will not break AF mechanism on your Sigma lenses as F5 could.Posted 3 years ago # -
I believe the F5 was the first Nikon camera to use a more advanced matrix metering system was it not? Specifically the 3D system and they also improved spot metering to. You also get more frames per second at 8 which is a heck of a lot faster than the F4 or F100. The F100 also received advances in matrix metering I believe as well. Mirror lockup in the F5 and not in the F100 would be a major thing for me. However, weight has to be considered as well...
Posted 3 years ago # -
I have the f100 and it's a marvelous camera IMHO. Very robust and fast enough for most situations. However if You need attery grip I'll go for F5.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Thanks for everyone for you help, I decided that I'm going with the F5, now all I have to do is stock pile some money.
Posted 3 years ago # -
You won't be disappointed with the F5 Niz. It's a great camera! Be sure to stockpile some film too :^) And show us some pictures when you finally do get it.
Posted 3 years ago # -
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
Posted 3 years ago # -
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...
Posted 3 years ago # -
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?
Posted 3 years ago # -
has the OP picked up a F5? It's honking HUGE!!
I wouldn't recommend for landscape photography IMO. . .
Posted 3 years ago # -
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.
Posted 3 years ago # -
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.
Posted 3 years ago # -
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). . .
Posted 3 years ago # -
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.
Posted 3 years ago # -
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.
Posted 3 years ago #
Reply »
You must log in to post.
