Nikon F-100

As of late I have found myself returning to the genre of film, more for the B/W work , but for some other reasons as well.

1. I have to think again when shooting, the comp, the exposure, all of the technical stuff I kinda threw out the window as secondary when shooting film, knowing I could fix it later and knowing I had only the limited space of memory cards I had with me.

2. I am tired of the MP hype, the wars, the wahts better, blah blah.

So i pulled out my old N80 and after using my D200 and D300 I wanted something that had a similiar feel. Went down to the local Camera Shop and found an F100 hardly used, picked it up for 2 bills threw some batteries and film in it, slapped on my 28mm F2.8 lens and when shooting. I forgot what a 28mm delivered until I put it back onn this camera, it focuses fast, itis accurate and the images,,well they are superb. If you have used camera gear fow any length of time and know the tech side of your camera then operating this was no big deal as far as settings and such. The feel of it is awesome, it is sturdy and fits ones hand like it was custom made for you.

In these days of high tech Digital cameras, DX vs full frame, image quality, ISO issues, and the Big two throwing out camera bodies left and right and we the consumer sucking them up like a beffet dinner I decided to do this to take me back to the roots of Photography.

I would say pick up a 35mm Camera and take a walk down memory lane and you may find memory lane leads right to the future.

Its a NIKON,,a real Nikon, Its a camera that relies on you, the operator to make some great images, It lacks all the menu settings of a DSLR,,which I found very nice the other day, It is built well and feels like no digital body I have held even the D300 feels cheap after holding this semi little tank of a camera. It is fast and the AF is fast,,a joy to be honest,

For 200 dollars I can not think of any weaknesses that even matter, this camera cost some coin a few years ago and if you can pick one up cheap you will know why it cost what it did back in the day.

N65,N75,N80,N90,D200,D300,D70,D80,D90

Everyone I know are raving about digital ,the fact remains that the quality of film still out performs the "pixel hype" Mega mega mega world, in every respect.
If you want quality well Nikon have been the camera behind every great Picture or Photo excluding Lieca with all respect .
Quality came at a price in the late 20th century but lucky for us amatures that still use film in the 21st century , you can pick one up for yes a few hundred dollars.
When I got mine I felt like I won the lottery.Oh am I happy ,that the dream fits perfectly in my hands and not in a Nikon Add., in a glossy mag.

Quality of materials used in it's construction, the feel of the tool in your hand when you need to do a job.ANd to know that it will perform everytime.
Professional camera,that will stand the test of time.
Not to be left in a dark draw gaining dust you realy got to pick it up and use it.
I recomand Black and white film to start then venture into slide once your confidence is up.

you are buying into a very expensive hobby so be prepaired to take your time and choose your shot carefully because you don't want to disapoint yourself. get familiar with the camera .

Minolta 700si, Nikon N70, Minolta 7000i, Nikon FM2N, Pentax LX

Subperb camera, if you (as I) find many benefits to film as opposed to digital (quicker response time, less expensive camera bodies) and want a top camera; well designed, viewfinder loaded with useful information. It takes a while to master all the details, but they are worth using.

Ken Rockwell (web site) has a thorough review of this camera, that one should read before buying

quiet mirror, fast film advance

no mirror lockup

None

Not used yet

I've been using my F100 for about two years now. It is the finest film
camera I have ever used. It has excellent build-quality and is rugged
enough for all but extremes. The camera fits in your hands like a glove,
without a doubt the best feel to it of any camera I have ever held.

AF with most lenses is extremely quick. It AFs so fast sometimes you are
left wondering if it even did anything, it just almost "jerks" into
focus it is so fast. Occasionally it will focus-hunt in very contrasty
situations. It has a great feature-set of user options, once you figure
out how to use them (see below).

Now for the negatives. It does have the 3-D Color Matrix system, but it
is not the same 1005-point Matrix system that you will find on the F5,
F6, or D70. This is usually not of great concern, although you might see
a little bit of "mushing" if you shoot flowers and such. A second
complaint is that the AF Function set is difficult to understand -- and
the manual is practically useless in this regard. I ended up talking to
a Nikon rep about the Functions when they came through and they helped
explain it. You might also find some stuff on the internet. But forget
about the manual.

Battery life is "reasonable." Carry spares. Unless you carry a heavy
zoom around with you all the time I wouldn't waste money on the battery
pack, it just adds weight and size and detracts from the overall great
feel of the camera.

If you shoot color, I would recommend the D70 or D200. But if you're
like me and like to shoot BW film or just need to use film for some
reason, this is an outstanding camera.

Great body and feel
Lightening fast AF on most lenses
Great feature-set
Seems to be holding its re-sale price well, even in a digital market

Could do with the F5s 1005-point metering system
Terribly written manual

Olympus, Nikon SLRs

Haven't had any problem with the camera so don't know

The Nikon F100 fits your hand like a glove. It really deserves the title F5 LIte. The ergonomics are excellent. The viewfinder is bright, large and contrasty. If you are familiar with any of Nikon's latest film bodies you can pick this up and start shooting inside of two minutes, everything is where you expect it to be. Made of magnesium allow, this pro body is built to take use and abuse. It accepts all of Nikon's current AF lenses (AF, AF-I, AF-S), included D and G series lenses. It is also fully compatible with VR lenses and it will meter with AI and AI-S manual focus lenses, AI-P lenses can make use of the excellent 10 segment Matrix Meter, too. The red illuminated AF area in the viewfinder is a EXCELLENT! I have the E-screen and highly recommend it for all sorts of subjects, not just architecture. The 10-pin remote is pricey, but then again, it works very well. The DK-6 effectively blocks out unwanted light from the viewfinder and is comfortable to use both with and without glasses. The 10 segment matrix meter is excellent. I've not had much occation to use CW but prefer to use Spot meter, also excellent. I'm a firm believer in Nikon's 3D Multi Sensor Balanced Fill Flash and have not been disappointed by the results from my SB-28. It handles beautifully with and without the optional MB-15. When using the MB-15, I found it much more comfortable than using the vertical release on the F5 (my friend's). The MB-15 adds an AF start button, a rear command dial, shutter release lock, and shutter release button. The DOF preview button is easy to access using the regular grip. Obviously, when using eh MB-15, the DOF preview button is not accessible. The manual, I have found, is well written and easy to navigate. Still, I purchased Thom Hogan's eBook on the F100 to supplement the manual. I recommend that as well. While the F100 has been around for some time, I find that this will be a camera that will last a long time. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

+ Metering is excellent in all modes, as long as you know what you are metering! + Nikon's 3DMSBFF produces excellent results. + Ability to meter with AF, AI and AI-S lenses + Optional MB-15 adds a vertical release and some useful controls + F5 performance and a reduced cost. + EXCELLENT CAMERA FOR THE PRICE IF PURCHASED ON THE USED MARKET!

- There is no direct viewfinder readout of Apertures selected (for AI or AI-S lenses) - no reall loss, really.

N80, N70

None needed.