Which Nikon Film Camera

CyBeRkId2002

CyBeRkId2002

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Having only took up photography in the past few years I completely missed out having a play around with film. I now quite fancy picking up a (very) cheapie to have a muck around with, get a few rolls of high ISO film developed and see what I think (as well as give me an idea of the FoV I would get on, say, a D700 ).

Knowing nothing about them what should I go for? The F50/F80 look like obvious choices to start with, aren't they?
 
Hello, you could have clicked on the report this thread button and asked the nice mods to move it. That would have saved typing it again !

There are loads of nikon film cameras to chose from I was in a same position and I chose an F80
 
When I was looking a few weeks ago someone sent me a brilliant link which showed ever nikon film camera and which groups of lenses works plus which features. I will send it when I get home but but F80 was ideal working with all the af afs lenses Inc g lenses with auto focus, vr etc in each mode too. I picked a boxed one up that had only ever seen two films from new for £60. They come much cheaper too. I saw one go with a nifty fifty for £50! You could keep the camera and get that for the lens :)
 
How about an 801s, beats the hell out of the 501.
Built like a brick built outhouse and does almost everything well. Second camera for lots of pros and first choice for many at that time.
Cheap as chips now and plenty around. I have one if you need one.
 
thanks to all for the suggestions... going to have a nosy around again now.

Dunks: - That model actually looks like an option and if your serious about selling if you could drop me a PM with how much your looking for that would be great. Im also in Leicester so collection from Notts would not be a problem.
 
Dunks you need to create an add in the for sale section and do it that way as trading outside of that sections is very naughty :rules:
 
Sorry. Hand smacked, I was only being kind.:puke:
 
Hello
Iv'e just bought a Nikon F65, seems to do most things you need, auto focus's with lenses with or without focus motors, only £15 of ebay for body only.
 
DUNKS said:
How about an 801s, beats the hell out of the 501.
Built like a brick built outhouse and does almost everything well.
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I agree. The F801 and the F601 (which I have) are an improvement on the F401 and F501 but can be picked up for next to nothing.

Avoid the F301 as this is manual focus only.


Steve.
 
You might find this useful: http://www.bythom.com/Bodies.htm

My preference for a lightweight AF body would be an F80 or, if you really need better support for older lenses, perhaps an F70. An F80 will seem similar to your digital body and work well with most modern lenses.

...if you want to step up to a more pro type body, an F100.​

If you're willing to wait for a good deal you should be able to get an F80 without paying too much.
 
I've got a F100 and it's great, feels right in the hand and is a major step up from the F80. :clap:
 
Steve Smith said:
Avoid the F301 as this is manual focus only.
Steve.
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It can be a good thing to use a 'manual focus' now and again, I've had a F301 for many years and it's a great camera. Admittedly I tend to use my F100 most of the time, but using a manual camera does bring the value of composition back to the fore (something often overlooked when using 'auto' most of the time).

Nigel.
 
spaniel said:
It can be a good thing to use a 'manual focus' now and again, I've had a F301 for many years and it's a great camera.
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Ah, but if you're going manual focus you've got to do it properly and go for something like an FE2 or FM2n ;)

Though I agree, a manual focus camera with two or three Ai(s) primes makes a really nice change and is a joy to use.
 
I'd definitely go with manual focus if I was going to mess around with film again - it encourages you to take real care over each shot, and the rewards are that much more satisfying - with a more modern automatic like the F801 etc I don't really see the point, they're the nearest thing you can possibly get to a modern DSLR without the D bit, so why not just use a digital?

Pick up something like and F3 or an FM2 with a few manual lenses though, and that's an altogether different story - a completely different picture-taking experience that's well worth sampling.
 
spaniel said:
It can be a good thing to use a 'manual focus' now and again
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I do agree. In fact, out of my 30+ cameras, only one of them is auto-focus.

I suppose my point should have been that for manual focus, the F301 isn't a great choice when there are cameras like the FM, FE, FA, etc. to choose from. However, going up the same range to the F601 and F801 was not a bad idea for auto focus.

Petri said:
they're the nearest thing you can possibly get to a modern DSLR without the D bit, so why not just use a digital?
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Because they are 'D' free!



Steve.
 
cowasaki said:
And the F100 & F80 are the only ones in the range that will use the VR
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Not sure about others but VR definitely works on the F65 as well.
 
Petri said:
with a more modern automatic like the F801 etc I don't really see the point, they're the nearest thing you can possibly get to a modern DSLR without the D bit, so why not just use a digital?
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Here's a clue. D700 (cheapest FF Nikon DSLR) £1700 or more and few available 2nd hand (and the ones I've seen have still been around £1500); 35mm bodies (Nikon) start at about £50 (second hand - only the F6 is still available new) and even a pro spec F5 is only £300 or so (dealer prices, with warranty). That leaves well over a grand to pay for D&P.
 
Hi NOD I could not agree more. I have just aquired a mint F4 which is prob only worth £200 or so and apart from it's picture taking ability is a thing of beauty. One reviewer in an american forum said, "If it was a car it would be a Ferrari".
 
DUNKS said:
Hi NOD I could not agree more. I have just aquired a mint F4 which is prob only worth £200 or so and apart from it's picture taking ability is a thing of beauty. One reviewer in an american forum said, "If it was a car it would be a Ferrari".
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Apart from not being tempremental, expensive to maintain / run and needing a service every 1500 miles presumably? :LOL:
 
The trouble with Dslr's, quite apart from whether they meter/af/bells & whistles or not is.........you can't put film in them, which is like....a fundamental problem, isn't it..:shrug:

Ere, Yinny, have you seen that f90x & mdb10 for £70 in town, I didn't think anything of it till I just checked the prices on filthbay...:eek:
 
joxby said:
Ere, Yinny, have you seen that f90x & mdb10 for £70 in town, I didn't think anything of it till I just checked the prices on filthbay...:eek:
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I haven't - and i'm going to pretend I didn't read about it either :LOL:- I assume it's the surplus store that's got something that they don't know quite what it is? I never think to bother looking in there, at least since I stopped messing about with guitars etc.

I'm just really glad you didn't say there was a EOS-3 and PB-E2 for 70 beer tokens or i'd have been sitting outside there in the morning waiting for them to open.:LOL:
 
:LOL:
Yes its that shop, I dunno, it has a foot of dust on it, maybe its miss-priced or buggered..
They have all sorts of expensive crap you don't need, but sometimes they do have a few ancient manual focus obscurities (with a similar level of dust on them).
You'd think with a shop front window full of cameras and optics, they'd wizz round with a tickling stick once in a while....:shake:
 
:LOL: if it's that shop - it could grow a foot of dust in the time it would take for the owner to get to the front of the display. I've never actually seen a shop that's so rammed with kit. Even the surplus places in Leeds back in the early 80's looked like exercise in minimalism in comparison!
 
DUNKS said:
Hi NOD I could not agree more. I have just aquired a mint F4 which is prob only worth £200 or so and apart from it's picture taking ability is a thing of beauty. One reviewer in an american forum said, "If it was a car it would be a Ferrari".
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More like a Land rover if you ask me.... heavy built to last and does the job
 
Venomator said:



That's an excellent stack of information in there... (y) ... I have been after something like if for ages and that linky superbly fits the bill so consider it hijacked... :naughty:


:p
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You're just green with envy 'cos I found that page and you didn't :coat:
 
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