Nikon F2 Photomic (DP-1 prism) Overview Type Lens Focusing Focus manual Exposure/Metering manual Flash non-ISO hot shoe plus PC socket Shutter 4,3 fps with MD-2 General 152,5×65×102 mm 840 g without lens Chronology Released 1971 to 2000 Successor The Nikon F2 is a professional level, interchangeable lens,, (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by the Japanese company Nippon Kogaku K. ( since 1988) in Japan from September 1971 to 1980.

Camera Serial No Sensor ISO Shutter Finder Screen Storage FPS Features Size Weight Battery D70 Jan 2004: 20564 - 2145064 >Japan 30973. Find great deals for Nikon F6 35mm SLR Film Camera Body Only. Item 6 Nikon F6 35mm Autofocus SLR Camera Body - USA #1799 - Nikon F6 35mm.

It used a horizontal-travel with titanium shutter curtains and a speed range of 1 to 1/2000 second (up to 10 seconds using the self-timer) plus Bulb and Time, and flash X-sync of 1/80th second. It had dimensions (with DE-1 head, see below) of 98 mm height, 152.5 mm width, 65 mm depth and 730 g weight. It was available in two colors: black with chrome trim and all black. The F2 is the second member of the long line of Nikon F-series professional level 35 mm SLRs that began with the (manufactured 1959–1974) and followed each other in a sort of dynastic succession as the top-of-the-line Nikon camera.

The other members were the (1980–2001), (1988–1996), (1996–2005) and (2004–present). The F-series do not share any major components except for the all-important bayonet lens mount ('F mount'). All Nikon professional F-series SLRs are full. This means that each camera body serves as only a modular hub. Contents • • • • • • • • • Features [ ] The Nikon F2 is an all-metal, mechanically-controlled (springs, gears, levers), manual focus SLR with manual exposure control.

The camera itself needed no batteries, though the prism did (and of course the motor drive if added). The F2 replaced the Nikon F, adding many new features (a faster 1/2000 second maximum shutter speed, a swing open back for easier film loading, a wider assortment of detachable finders and metering heads, a 250 exposure film back, a larger reflex mirror to ensure no vignetting, and a shutter release nearer the front of the camera for better ergonomics). It also offered a detachable motor drive, something the F only had as a custom modification. It was the last all-mechanical professional-level Nikon SLR.

Lenses [ ] The F2 accepts all lenses with the (introduced in 1959 on the Nikon F camera), with certain limitations or exceptions depending on the F2 version. The later F2A and F2AS Photomic variants (see below) require lenses supporting the Automatic maximum aperture Indexing (AI) feature (introduced in 1977). The manual focus Nippon Kogaku made AI lenses were the Nikkor AI-S, Nikkor AI and Nikon Series E types. The AF-S Nikkor, AF-I Nikkor, AF Nikkor D and AF Nikkor autofocus lenses are also AI types.

The original Nikkor 'non-AI' (introduced before 1977) lenses, will mount but require stop down metering. Nippon Kogaku had a service to retrofit non-AI lenses with a new aperture ring with the AI feature to produce 'AI'd' lenses, but this service ended decades ago. The older F2, F2S and F2SB Photomic variants (see below) require lenses with a 'meter coupling shoe' (or prong, informally called 'rabbit ears' by photography enthusiasts).

These lenses are the Nikkor non-AI, AI'd Nikkor, Nikkor AI and Nikkor AI-S types. Lenses without rabbit ears, such as the Nikon Series E, AF Nikkor, AF Nikkor D, AF-I Nikkor and AF-S Nikkor types, will mount but require stop down metering.

The F2 with plain/eye-level DE-1 prism (no light meter; see below) will work with either lens types. Note that the Nikkor AI-S and Nikkor AI types are AI types plus have rabbit ears and will function properly on all Nikon F2 variants. Nikon's most recent 35mm film SLR lenses, the AF Nikkor G type (2000) lacking an aperture control ring; and the AF Nikkor DX type (2003) with image circles sized for Nikon's DX digital SLRs, will mount but will not function properly. A few exotic fisheye lenses from the 1960s require mirror lock-up and therefore an auxiliary viewfinder is preferred. IX Nikkor lenses (1996), for Nikon's (APS) film SLRs, must not be mounted on any F2, as their rear elements will intrude far enough into the mirror box to cause damage even with the mirror locked up. In 1977 Nippon Kogaku made about 55 non-AI and AI lenses, ranging from a Fisheye-Nikkor 6 mm f/2.8 220° circular fisheye to a Reflex-Nikkor 2000 mm f/11 super-long mirror telephoto.

This was the largest lens selection in the world by far. The standard lens for most professionals was the Nikkor 50 mm f/1.4, but some preferred the Nikkor 35 mm f/2 with a wider field of view for grab shots. The Nikkor 105 mm f/2.5 was renowned for its superb sharpness and and was a favorite for head-and-shoulders portraits ('head shots'). Nikon F2s using the DP-2 viewfinder Manufactured from 1973 to 1977, the F2S Photomic used the DP-2 head. Although it looked very different, the DP-2 was functionally very similar to the DP-1.

It substituted an all-solid-state light-both-LEDs exposure control system using two arrow-shaped (LED) over/underexposure indicators for better visibility in low light situations and better overall reliability. This was important, because the DP-2's CdS meter had better low-light sensitivity than the DP-1 – down to Exposure Value (EV) −2, instead of EV 1, at ASA 100. A chrome Nikon F2S Photomic with Nikkor 50 mm f/1.4 lens had a US list price of $961 in 1976. Note: SLRs were usually discounted 30 to 40 percent from list. With the DP-3 head, the camera became the F2SB Photomic, available 1976 to 1977.

The DP-3 introduced three innovations: a silicon photodiode light meter (a first for Nikon SLRs) for faster and more accurate light readings, a five-stage center-the-LED exposure control system using +/o/− LEDs, and an eyepiece blind. These three early Photomic heads required Nikon F-mount lenses with a meter coupling shoe ('rabbit ears', see above). Rabbit ear lenses required a special mounting procedure. After mounting, the lens aperture ring must be turned back and forth to the smallest aperture (largest f-stop number) and then to the largest aperture (smallest f-stop number) to ensure that the lens and the head couple properly (Nippon Kogaku called it indexing the maximum aperture of the lens – users called it the Nikon Shuffle!) and meter correctly. This system seems unwieldy to today's photographers, but it was second nature to Nikon and camera using photographers of the 1960s and 1970s. An F2AS (incl DP-12 prism). The EV metering range is a remarkable -2 to 17 with 100 ASA film.

The F2A Photomic came with the DP-11 head; the F2AS Photomic used the DP-12 head. The DP-11 and DP-12 (both introduced in 1977) functioned exactly the same as the DP-1 and DP-3, respectively, except that these heads supported Nikkor lenses with the Automatic Indexing (AI) feature (introduced 1977, see above). Nikkor AI lenses had a 'meter coupling ridge' cam on the lens aperture ring that pushed on a spring-loaded 'meter coupling lever' on the Photomic head to transfer aperture setting information. AI lenses allowed carefree lens mounting and ended the double twisting that used to allow observers to spot a Nikon/Nikkormat user from a hundred paces. The F2AS Photomic (DP-12 head) was the most advanced F2 version and the chrome version with Nikkor AI 50 mm f/1.4 lens had a US list price of $1278 in 1978. (SLR selling prices were typically 30 to 40 percent below list.) This, the last version of the Nikon F2 Photomic, has become the most desired and collected F2 today. The F2S Photomic (DP-2 head) and F2SB Photomic (DP-3 head) also accepted the unusual Nikon DS-1 or DS-2 EE Aperture Control Units.

The F2AS (DP-12) required the equivalent DS-12. These were early attempts by Nippon Kogaku to provide shutter priority autoexposure by having an electric servomotor automatically turn the lens aperture ring in response to the set shutter speed and light meter reading. The DS-1, -2 and -12 were bulky, slow and unreliable, and were feeble and inelegant attempts to add autoexposure to the manual exposure F2. There were also three special purpose meterless heads available for the F2: the Nikon DW-1 waist-level finder (a non-pentaprism head; look down directly at the mirror-reversed image on the focusing screen), the DA-1 action finder (providing 60 mm of eye relief; extremely large exit pupil that can be viewed while wearing face masks, safety goggles, etc.) and the DW-2 6X magnifying finder (waist-level finder with magnifier; good for precise focusing). Focusing screens [ ] The F2 also had interchangeable viewfinder focusing screens. Nippon Kogaku's standard Type K screen had central 3 mm split image rangefinder and 1 mm microprism collar focusing aids on a matte/Fresnel background plus a 12 mm etched circle indicating the area of the meter centerweighting.

There were 18 other screens available with a variety of focusing aids or etched guidelines choices, including none at all. Note that the screens for the F2 were interchangeable with the ones for the Nikon F, but not with later F-series SLRs. The optional screens were: • Type A – central 3 mm split image rangefinder plus 12 mm etched circle.

Standard equipment with early F2s. Changeover to Type K occurred circa 1976. • Type B – central 5 mm focusing spot plus 12 mm etched circle.

Useful for close ups and long telephotos. • Type C – central 4 mm clear spot with crosshair reticle. Very bright and useful for photo-microscopy, astrophotography, and parallax focusing method. • Type D – plain matte screen. Best screen for use with long telephotos with small apertures. • Type E – Type B with a grid of 5 horizontal and 3 vertical lines.

Called 'architectural screen' and excellent for 'Rule of Thirds' pictorialist compositions. The most popular replacement screen.

• Type G – central 12 mm extra-bright microprism without matte background (cannot assess depth of field). Four versions (G1–G4) for use with specific focal length lenses.

Not popular because switching lenses might necessitate switching the screen too. • Type H – fullscreen extra-bright microprism; also cannot assess depth of field. Four versions (H1–H4) for use with specific focal length lenses.

Intended for sports photography, but not popular because switching lenses might necessitate switching the screen too. • Type J – central 4 mm microprism plus 12 mm etched circle. • Type L – Type A, but with rangefinder set at a 45° angle from lower left to upper right.

Permits focusing on horizontal or vertical subjects. • Type M – central 5 mm double cross hairs with marked horizontal and vertical scales. Excellent for photo-microscopy. • Type P – Type L, but adds 1 mm microprism collar and fullscreen crosshair. Originally marketed as the 'Apollo P screen,' it was a screen favored by NASA on the bodies they acquired for their use. • Type R – Type E, but adds a 3 mm split image rangefinder to the center of the screen. • Type S – for F2 Data (see below) only.

Type A with etched marking for data imprint area. • Type T – for F2 Type A with etched markings for taking pictures of TV screens. The combination and wide selection of heads and screens allowed photographers to customize their F2s to their heart's content. Accessories [ ] Major accessories for the F2 included the Nikon MD-1 (introduced in 1971) and MD-2 (1973), providing automatic film advance up to 5 frames per second, 6 if the mirror was locked up, plus power rewind.

They both required a Nikon MB-1 battery pack holding 10 AA or LR6 batteries in two Nikon MS-1 battery clips. Note that the 5 frame/s rate required that the F2 have its mirror locked up and the MD-1 or -2 be loaded with two Nikon MN-1 nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries.

(These batteries are long since dead.) With the mirror operating, the maximum advance rate is 4.3 frame/s; with AAs, the rate is 4 frame/s. The addition of the MD-1 or MD-2 greatly increased the overall weight of the camera. With a fully loaded MD-2/MB-1 and 50mm lens, the F2 would weigh in at just over six pounds. The F2 also accepted the lighter, cheaper and less capable Nikon MD-3 motor drive. The MD-3 did not have power rewind and had an advance rate of 2.5 frame/s with the standard MB-2 battery pack holding 8 AA or LR6 batteries.

Optionally, it could reach 3.5 frame/s with an MB-1 battery pack with 10 AA or LR6 batteries; 4 frame/s with MB-1 and MN-1 nicad battery. The F2 could also mount the Nikon MF-1 (33/10 feet/meters film = 250 frames; required two Nikon MZ-1 film cassettes) and MF-2 (100/30 feet/meters film = 750 frames; required two MZ-2 film cassettes) bulk film backs. These were very useful if a photographer had a motor drive mounted and needed to take more than seven seconds worth of photographs. Note that the MF-2 and its MZ-2 cassettes are very rare.

Starting in 1976, Nippon Kogaku introduced the Nikon Speedlight SB-2 (guide number 82/25 (feet/meters) at ASA 100), SB-5 (guide number 105/32 (feet/meters) at ASA 100), SB-6 (guide number 148/45 (feet/meters) at ASA 100) and SB-7E (guide number 82/25 (feet/meters) at ASA 100). Note that the F2 did not use a standard ISO hot shoe to mount flash units.

Instead, the SB-2, -6 and -7E mounted in a unique-to-Nikon-F-and-F2 hot shoe surrounding the film rewind crank. Manually rewinding film could not be done with a flash mounted in this shoe because the flash blocked the crank. Standard ISO foot flashes can be connected to the Nikon shoe via the Nikon AS-1 Flash Unit Coupler. The Nikon ML-1 Modulite was a wireless infrared remote controller with a 200/60 feet/meters line-of-sight range.

It was a two part device: a handheld transmitter plus a camera mounted receiver. Note that the receiver needed to be connected to a motor drive. The Nikon MW-1 was a similar device, but was larger and more powerful and used radio signals for a longer 2300/700 feet/meters obstructed view range.

The MW-1 could also control three separate F2s by broadcasting three different codes. The Nikon MT-1 intervalometer allowed completely untended time lapse photography.

It could fire the F2 for a specific number of frames at a particular shutter speed at set time intervals. Nippon Kogaku also made scores of minor accessories for the F2, such as straps, cases, bags, remote firing cords, eyecups, eyepiece correction lenses, supplementary close-up lenses, lens hoods, filters and cases. In 1978 the complete Nikon photographic system of cameras, lenses and accessories totaled nearly 450 items priced in excess of US$110,000 – the most extensive and expensive in the world.

Special F2 Versions [ ] There were several special purpose versions of the F2 manufactured in small numbers. Although they were all working cameras, today they are all rare collector's items. F2 T The F2T was a special ultra-rugged version of the F2 (DE-1 head) with bayonet mount, top and bottom plates, and camera back, plus a special DE-1T titanium covered meterless prism head, sold in parallel with the regular F2s from 1978 to 1980. Most F2Ts were given a special textured black finish but a very few came in natural titanium finish, including the first F2Ts and the very last F2s ever manufactured. Their serial numbers began with '92', e.g., 'F2 9201544.'

The F2 Titan was a black only late variant of the F2T, distinguished by the word 'Titan' engraved in Roman script on the front of the camera below the shutter release. They carry the number 79 in front of the serial number. The H in the F2H of 1978 denoted 'High Speed'. It was yet another titanium armored F2 but this time with a fixed (not reflex), semi-silvered, pellicle mirror, manual lens diaphragm control and a mechanically matched titanium-armored Nikon MD-100 high speed motor drive. The maximum shutter speed is 1/1000 (vs. 1/2000 for other F2 models). The self-timer and shutter settings 'B' and 'T' were omitted.

The depth-of-field preview button was replaced with a 'Full-Aperture Viewing Button'. The Nikon MD-100 motor drive was a modified version of the MD-2 motor drive and was powered by the Nikon MB-100.

The MB-100 consists of two MB-1 battery packs (20 AA or LR6 batteries, or four Nikon MN-1 nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries, providing 30 volts), weighing a massive 960 g empty and reaching 10 frames-per-second film advance rate. The F2H set included the Nikon MH-100 battery charger. All components (body, motor and batterypack) may be detached from each other. The bodies (7-digit serial number) and motordrives (6-digit serial number) do not have matching serial numbers, contrary to often repeated misinformation. Body serial numbers began with 7850001, e.g. 'F2 7850001'. Approximately 400 units were produced making the F2H extremely rare, the rarest of any 'production model' F2, and valuable.

As the name implies, the F2 Data had a primitive data back. It used a tiny internal flash unit to imprint the time, date or sequential number on the film. This data back recorded the time by imprinting a tiny picture of a slightly less tiny made analogue clock onto the film. It also had a special insert plate that the photographer could write on and have this note imprinted on the film. There were two versions of the F2 Data: one with the MF-10 camera back for standard 35 mm film cartridges and one with the MF-11 250 frame bulk film back. The F2 Data also came packaged with an MD-2 motor drive and your choice of DE-1, DP-11 or DP-12 head plus a special Type S focusing screen that marked the left side data imprint area. F2 Data bodies carry the numbers '77' in front of the serial number.

Approximately 5,000 units were produced. Finally there was the F2A Anniversary model. This was marketed as a collector's item of 4000 specially numbered bodies intended to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Nikon cameras in the USA. A plate was glued to the front of the camera below the shutter release noting, '25th Anniversary' (which has fallen off many bodies) and came in a special silver colored box. The F2A Anniversary was not authorized by Nippon Kogaku; it was the creation of the American importer, Ehrenreich Photo-Optical Industries (EPOI). Current status [ ] Because of the F2's durability, because there were so many manufactured (816,000 units) and because film SLRs have been largely replaced with digital equivalents in many markets, the F2 is still relatively common today and is available on the used market for low prices – US$200–400 depending on the head.

However, these may be well worn examples used by professional photographers and are generally in mediocre condition. The Nikon F2 is also collectable. If a pristine F2 body and head with date-compatible serial numbers is found, it will carry collector's items price tags. The black body version of the F2AS model, in near new condition, can exceed $1,100 at auction. References [ ] • 'Nikon MF/AF Bodies – Lens Compatibility' retrieved 3 January 2006 • Anonymous. 'Modern Photography's Annual Guide to 47 Top Cameras: Nikon F2 Photomic' p 117.

Modern Photography, Volume 36, Number 12; December 1972. 'Annual Guide: 54 Top Cameras: Nikon F2-S Photomic' p 149. Modern Photography, Volume 40, Number 12; December 1976. 'Annual Guide: 46 Top Cameras: Nikon F2AS Photomic' p 129. Free Download Kalender Jawa 2015 Pdf. Modern Photography, Volume 42, Number 12; December 1978.

'History of Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) Cameras: Debut of Nikon F2' retrieved 11 September 2007 • Anonymous. 'History of Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) Cameras: Debut of Nikon F3' retrieved 11 September 2007 • Comen, Paul.

Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon Classic Cameras; F, FE, FE2, FA and Nikkormat F series. First Edition. Magic Lantern Guides. Rochester, NY: Silver Pixel Press, 1996.

• Comen, Paul. Magic Lantern Guides: Pentax Classic Cameras; K2, KM, KX, LX, M series, Spotmatic series. Magic Lantern Guides. Rochester, NY: Silver Pixel Press, 1999. • Gandy, Stephen. 'Nikon F2 Data' retrieved 4 January 2006 • Gandy, Stephen.

'Nikon F2 High Speed 10 FPS' retrieved 4 January 2006 • Gandy, Stephen. 'Nikon F2 Titanium' retrieved 4 January 2006 •. 'Keppler's SLR Notebook: Good Grief! Three Series 1 70-210 Vivitar Zooms???' Modern Photography, Volume 48, Number 8; August 1984.

• Massey, David; Bill Hansen & Larry Hicks. KEH.com catalogue Volume 12, 2005. Atlanta, GA: KEH.com, 2005. • Matanle, Ivor.

Collecting and Using Classic SLRs. First Paperback Edition. New York, NY: Thames and Hudson, 1997. • McWhirter, Norris D. Guinness Book of World Records.

1979 edition. Bantam Books, New York, 1978.. • Peterson, B. Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon Classic Cameras, Volume II; F2, FM, EM, FG, N2000 (F-301), N2020 (F-501), EL series. First Edition.

Magic Lantern Guides. Rochester, NY: Silver Pixel Press, 1996. • Richards, Dan. 'F Is For Family Tree' p 67.

Popular Photography & Imaging, Volume 68 Number 11; November 2004. • Schneider, Jason. 'How The Japanese Camera Took Over' pp 56–57, 78, 86. Modern Photography, Volume 48, Number 7; July 1984.

• Schneider, Jason. 'The Camera Collector: Four classic Japanese SLRs they made me put under glass for Modern's 50th Anniversary Party.' Pp 74–75, 91-92. Modern Photography, Volume 51, Number 5; May 1987. • Schneider, Jason. 'A Half Century of The World's Greatest Cameras!' Pp 56–59, 76, 124.

Modern Photography, Volume 51, Number 9; September 1987. • Schneider, Jason. 'Bokeh: Splendor In The Glass' pp 60, 62-63.

Popular Photography & Imaging, Volume 69, Number 3; March 2005. • Shell, Bob translator and Harold Franke. Magic Lantern Guides: Canon Classic Cameras; A-1, AT-1, AE-1, AE-1 Program, T50, T70, T90. Sixth Printing 2001. Magic Lantern Guides. Rochester, NY: Silver Pixel Press, 1995. • Stafford, Simon and Rudi Hillebrand & Hans-Joachim Hauschild.

The New Nikon Compendium: Cameras, Lenses & Accessories since 1917. 2004 Updated North American Edition.

Asheville, NC: Lark Books, 2003. • Tateno, Yokoyuki. 'Special titanium Nikon cameras and NASA cameras' retrieved 10 January 2006.

Well, this is it. I shut the gold box for the last time and laid it into a bigger, blander box, a Priority Mail shipping label from Los Angeles to Boston its only decoration. I headed to the post office and reverently handed the package to a clerk, who unceremoniously stuffed it into a shopping cart and distractedly ordered me to have a nice day. I drove home, the familiar presence of a bulky, black camera sadly absent from my passenger’s seat. The rest of the day was spent in a silent stupor – the muted shock which occurs when someone or something truly special is taken from us. I shifted between grief and remembrance, and wandered around the house aimlessly as the memory of a truly great camera still lingered in my brain. It was just a few weeks ago that I discovered a benign looking package sitting on my front porch.

Its presence was a little strange, as I hadn’t ordered anything, but I was mostly sure it wasn’t a bomb. Complete Manual Of Suicide English Translation on this page. When I saw that its origin was CP founder James, I immediately carried it into the house, grabbed some scissors, and sliced through the packaging.

What greeted me from inside this innocuous box was another, prettier box. It was gold, and emblazoned with words I thought I’d never see in the flesh –. I carefully pried open the box, and after sifting through a few bits of paper packaging, the cardboard mold of the F6 revealed itself. I took off the top cover and, somehow, I knew immediately.

Yes, this is it. Nothing really prepares a person for the truly extraordinary moments in life, and this moment was no exception. I couldn’t believe I was getting the chance to shoot Nikon’s final professional film camera, the swan song of the analog era, and possibly the greatest film SLR ever made, the Nikon F6. But there it was, right in front of me, waiting patiently for its first roll of film. But before I get to deep into this write-up, and to quell the chorus of readers who are certainly rolling there eyes at my excessively reverential tone, let me explain the reason for my shock and awe. The Nikon F6 is the last in a long, storied line of Nikon’s professional F-series of SLRs. This range of cameras has been the standard bearer in professional-grade SLR cameras for the latter half of the twentieth century.

But what’s even more remarkable is that the F6 remains the very last professional 35mm SLR still in production in today’s age of DSLRs and mirror-less marvels (its competitors threw in the towel shortly after its introduction). So in a sense, the F6 is the final expression of 35mm camera technology, and by extension, the last holdout to make a case for as a viable medium for real photographers. But even though the F6 is among the most important cameras ever made, it’s also among the most peculiar. Think about it.

It’s a brand new, professional-grade, state-of-the-art camera made for film. This would have been normal in the past, of course, but at the time of its introduction in 2004 digital photography’s reign was firmly established. By that time, film had abdicated the throne for good. Thinking of the F6 in this light, as an anomaly in the timeline of photography, makes picking up and using one even more special. One gets the distinct feeling they’re holding something that shouldn’t logically exist, but does anyway. And against all odds, a stray F6 decided to exist in my possession – even if only for a little while. Being the camera geek I am, I immediately set out to explore any and all features of this remarkable machine.

It’s easy to assume that the F6’s functions will be hidden beneath a mountain of annoying menus, like its DSLR brethren, because let’s face it, it looks like a DSLR. But despite its looks and extremely deep feature set, the F6 manages to present every function in a way that’s immediately understandable and comfortable to use.

Every dial, button, and mode selector falls perfectly under the fingers. All essential functions (shutter speed, aperture, program mode selector, AE/AF lock, exposure compensation) revolve around one of the best feeling handgrips on any film or digital camera I’ve ever used. Additional functions, like bracketing, self-timer, multiple exposure, and mirror lockup, can easily be found on the left hand side of the camera, with ISO selection, custom settings, AF point selection, and general preferences being customizable through a simple menu on the back.

At no point while shooting the F6 did I have to search for any function; they were all there with a push of a single, easy to reach button. Another thing that typically bothers me when shooting autofocus SLRs is that they’re bulky, heavy, and unwieldy. The F6 is certainly bulky and heavy (2.15 lbs sans lens, to be exact), but the F6’s design is anything but unwieldy. The molded handgrip of the F6 does a great job of making sure that the camera never feels too heavy or uncomfortable in the hands. This heft brought to mind the hallmark of every F-series camera – reliability. It’s a wonderful thing to never worry about your camera faltering mid-shoot, and with the F6, the thought simply never crossed my mind.

The F6’s heavy, weather-sealed magnesium alloy body does a good job of housing the expensive and fragile electronics that makes it tick. And for the truly paranoid consumers among us who refuse to buy used, the F6 is still available new from Nikon, complete with a three-year factory warranty. My final gripe with most autofocus SLR’s is that they just don’t have the special feel of a really vintage camera. They’re too clinical, too precise, and feel almost digital. This is true for the F6.

But the thing about that is, it shoots better than any vintage camera I’ve ever used. It’s like cheat codes for photography. Shooting situations that would be difficult and convoluted on older cameras become non-issues with the F6. The matrix meter handled every awkwardly lit scene, I could choose AF points without having to contort my fingers to reach the selector, and the viewfinder made sure I wasn’t forgetting anything.

The F6’s AF speed may be the quickest and most silent among autofocus film SLR’s, ensuring worry-free, unobtrusive focus with every single shot. The shutter fires with close to zero shutter lag and with no vibration, ensuring that the blurred, low shutter-speed images common to many SLRs are completely nonexistent. Try that with your old.

But even with all this functionality and technical ability, the F6 has something few cameras made in the present day possess – character. Yes, underneath all the complicated engineering, we find a lovable, trustworthy camera which immediately endears itself to its shooter. While I shot with the F6, I got the distinct feeling that I could approach the art of photography without fear, that everything was indeed possible.

I got the feeling that wherever I went the F6 would never stop shooting, and that it would never stop giving me incredible images. In fact, while shooting it, I really did feel I came across the holy grail, the perfect camera. And right when I realized this, my heart sank. I knew that in a couple of days I had to return the F6 and say my final goodbyes to a machine I had come to love. And in a way, it’s almost inevitable that we all must say goodbye to the F6, and by extension, manufacturers’ support of 35mm. Let’s face it, not too many working photographers these days demand a completely new, professional-grade 35mm film camera. The F6 is a niche camera after all, no matter how beautiful and easy to shoot it is.

It will be gone one day, along with the many other cameras that have gone before it. There’s also the price to consider. The brand new, a steep price for a camera that uses a largely outmoded format. This places it out of reach for many of the hobbyists who prefer film, and presents a still significant investment for professional photographers who, in 2016, are more likely to prefer digital sensors. And after posting pictures of the F6 around on social media, many of our readers reminded us that Nikon’s advanced-amateur offers much the same shooting experience as the F6 at a much lower price point. This is true, but there is something to be said for obtaining a manufacturer’s top-of-the-line product.

While the F100 certainly can hold its own against an F6 functionally, it falls short in reliability, support, and, if we’re honest (and a little bit petty), prestige. Is that worth a $2000 price difference? That’s up to the shooter to decide.

But if you’re in the market for a truly professional film camera and already have a collection of Nikon AF-S lenses, please, please do yourself a favor and. Owning one means owning one of the last great machines of the analog era and almost certainly the greatest of the autofocus era. We will probably never see a camera quite like this again, nor will we see a new professional 35mm SLR being manufactured again.

It’s a camera that never should have been, but thankfully is. My F6 is long gone now, but as I sit here and contemplate its position in film photography history and its place among all the cameras I’ve ever used, I can only think of one phrase – Yeah, that was it.

Want your own Nikon F6? CASUAL PHOTOPHILE is on,,, and. December 13, 2016 at 11:14 am Nice review Josh.

I love my F6 but one flaw with it is that it chews through batteries. Even rechargeable ones, which I now use. And if you store the camera w/o batteries (as one should) it forgets all the menu settings you programmed in quite a short amount of time. The menu diving to reset them is frankly tedious, as it is based in early 2000’s tech. It is nice that you can program it to remember uncoded old AI and AIS lenses and I think this is the huge deal with the F6, that makes it far superior to the F100.

Forget the much better build, the much better AF, the better metering. The viewfinder and manual focussing ability in the F6 is better than any SLR I have ever used, manual or AF, film or digital.

It really is incredible. And it is such a bummer that if Nikon can make the F6 – an AF slr – work so well with manual focus lenses, than why can’t they make a D750, D810 etc work just as well with manual lenses? One thing that makes the F6 more pleasant to use is to program the AEL button to hold the setting until you press it again. In the default setting it resets after an exposure. I was bummed with the 3D colour matrix metering because it does not work as advertised. It is meant to base exposure on what is in focus, but in actuality behaves like any avg scene meter.

Anything with heavy backlighting will be underexposed. You can see this just by focusing on a back lit subject, make a note of the meter reading, then switch it to center weighted and watch the reading change, then to spot and watch it change some more. But it is super cool that you can change the weighting of the center weight metering pattern.

Also, how about that plasticky super light 50 1.8g lens? It’s performance is stupendous! Best regards Huss •. December 13, 2016 at 4:27 pm I have to agree that AF SLR’s are a really useful set of cameras and give a different experience to shooting. I have Medium Format which is slower and manual so for 35mm I appreciate an additional convenience. Coming from an OM-1 which I learned to shoot (slow and methodical) even trying Kodachrome. That one needs a CLA but on the meantime I got an F80 + 50mm 1.8D for less than $100.

If an F80 is 80% of an F100 and an F100 is 80% of an F6 I’m happy. (Amusingly the F80 can accomodate a screw cable release which neither the F100 or F6 can!) (Midrange) AF SLRs are the bargain of the time, modern, convenient and can be found cheap. Following Neilson’s comment, I saw a kit with an F90 while looking for the 50mm, and it can be cheaper to look for a body with lens and counting the body as free. I got that F80 as a “battle body” even getting it into the sea, no fear, and it helped my photography. Doesn’t have the classy feeling or same type of enjoyment as a classic manual camera, granted. Richard December 15, 2017 at 3:15 pm I own the F6 it is a wonderful camera shooting with the F6 is an experience so different from digital.

It is an inspirational piece of equipment the design concept was to build a camera with “Finesse”, a camera that was a joy to use, that would appeal to the senses of touch, sight and hearing “These three senses can distinguish this camera’s finesse.” One can feel, hear and see the quality of the F6, the human senses can discern when something is made with passion and skill. This is a camera that inspires a desire to produce great photography.