Excellent AF, reliable metering, uses AA batteries, compatible with AIS lenses

None for my needs

This camera is my first venture into the autofocus world. I purchased it to supplement my trusty old Nikon FA when I realized that I could not keep up with my rambunctuos two year old. I missed too many great shot opportunities while making adjustments to the camera.
I considered several camera models from various
manufacturers but it eventually boiled down to the Canon EOS3 and the F-100.
Both are excellent choices and you cannot go wrong with either.
Here are my personal reasons for choosing the F-100 over the EOS3.
1. Viewfinder. I wear glasses and the EOS3 viewfinder did not work well for me. I could not see the whole picture frame and all the exposure information at the same time without shifting the camera around. The flash exposure bars to the right of the viewfinder were especially hard to see without some camera juggling. With the F-100
everything is right there.
2. Batteries. I do a lot of photography in areas where lithium batteries aren't likely to be available. Of course the power/battery grip is available, but I like to travel light. Plus I was looking for a fairly discrete package,not something that gets a lot of attention.
3. Lenses. I was looking for some good quality zoom lenses that do not cost an arm and a leg.
Nikons' older f2.8 non AFS series are a bargain compared to the new stuff. I can give up a few milliseconds in focusing speed for the price. Canon unfortunately, does not have anything to match.
Now if Nikon could only come up with some decently priced VRs.

After shooting about 10 rolls of film I am more than happy with my choice. The autofocus is fantastic. Not one blurry picture! I handed the camera to my sister to take some pics of me playing with my son. Even a person who has never handled a SLR got excellent results. The exposures are all dead on. Of course the photolab is probably responsible for some of that. If you really want to know what your camera exposure metering system is made of, shoot some slides. The F-100 is very easy to use. You can control as much or as little as you choose. It all depends on how creative you feel. I would not recommend
the F-100 as a point-and-shoot though. Except for a person with money to burn. It's like buying a Ferrari to do your grocery shopping.

Finaly some advice for those out there looking to buy a new camera. Do your homework! Do not buy a camera just because Photo Joe at Blitz Camera tells you it is the best thing since sliced bread and is perfect for you. A little research can go a long way. This site is an excellent source of information.
Decide what camera features fit your style. Every camera system out there has strong and weak points.
Invest in the best glass you can afford. Your lenses have just as much, if not more, impact on how your photos will turn out. Carefully choose your film and photolab.
But no matter what camera system you decide on, have fun!

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F80, Canon EOS3, Minolta Maxxum 7

10 Segment 3D matrix Meter.
5 segment/ 3crosstype AF sensors.
Rock solid build, but still light weight.
Good positioning of controls and easy to use.

Eats batteries like the F90X.
No viewfinder curtain.

A great camera that is great. If it had the viewfinder curtain I dare say it be perfect. Expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Customer Service

Not Used.

Similar Products Used:

F90X

build quality, fast AF, accurate metering, superb handling, PC link.

doesn't come with enough accessories - need further investments to utilize its full power

a terrific camera for professional use... with many Mg alloy plates around the body it's only 5 gram heavier than eos 3 from canon. af is fast and metering is accurate. Nikon knows what you need and canon knows what to sell you :-)

Customer Service

not yet needed

Similar Products Used:

nothing come close...

Solid build(body without Mb15),very good handling,viewfinder.

poor quality back(plastic),MB15 is poor quality too(no metal used)

Gratefully I didn´t have any problems with the software as some guys said before.Overall a nice camara,but I prefere the F3 and F5.

Customer Service

Not needed.

Similar Products Used:

F2,F3,F5,F70,FE,FM

handling, features.

Had to send first one back for software check. afterward, worked well.

This is a great handling camera. Combined with the SB28, it is awsome. The shutter is showing some abrasion wear, but Nikon did not replace it. However, they must have tweaked the metering, because it has been perfect so far. I would suggest anyone with metering problems to send the camera back to Nikon. Apparently, many cameras do underexpose. I think maybe Nikon as quietly upgraded its software, or maybe they devised a fix. It's by far this best handling camera I have ever used and I've used the F, F2, F3, fM, but not the F4 or F5. It's a nice weight and just "sticks" to your hand. The AF is fast enough for me. You sometimes have to clean the contacts when the selectabe focus freezes; but this is just upkeep.

Customer Service

They took 4 weeks.

Similar Products Used:

N70,Elan,

Great feel in the hand Some amazing shots with the 28-70AFS lens. Excellent autofocusing with the AFS lens Some really crisp colorful images.

Aperture priority TTL flash is horse manure. Many shots at least a full stop under exposed when I was right on top of the subject and using the flash. Normal exposures are often under in bright sun Seems to work better in shade or indoors and at night! Mid roll rewind and error messages for no reason Battery drain is higher than N90S. Exposures are on average not as good as the N90S The non D lenses do not seem to function as well as the D's Also in contrasty situations the camera often underexposes without the D lenses. I wonder if it is the same problem as mentioned by others?

I would not buy another. I shot 110 rolls on a trip with my N90S last year and the exposures were as good or better than F100. I shot 150 rolls this year on a trip with the F100 and it didnt do as well in the same kinds of situations. My old F4 is more forgiving

Customer Service

Will be needing but not yet.

Similar Products Used:

F4 N90S Used the F5

Great handling, perfectly balanced. AF is super, meter is perfect (Even in really poor lighting) Near silent and all controls make sense.

As far as I know it doesn't slice bread, and there is no custom function to leave leader out (has to be factory modified for this), although I have learned how to use a leader retriever by default.

Controls aren't as stupid and redundant as the Canon gear I just sold off. (Who needs 10+ exposure modes!) It takes pictures as good as the photographer pushing the little button is capable of. (even in auto modes you have to know what you're doing) Still, don't put cheap lenses on this or you will be just as dissapointed as you were with the last camera you owned. Don't hesitate to buy if you know what you are doing. If you don't like your current slr because it's too difficult to set this and adjust that, don't buy this, get a Yashica T4 or Olympus Stylus Epic point and shoot camera.

Customer Service

never needed for anything

Similar Products Used:

Nikon N70 Nikon N80 Nikon N6006 Nikon N90s Canon EOS 1N Canon Elan IIe Canon A2e

Rugged construction
Fine action of controls
LCD backlighting
Fast film winding
Preview feature
Selectable focus areas

Weight can be a factor
Expensive

I took my F100 to Disneyland this Thanksgiving, where I got the chance to evaluate it for "field use", as opposed to shooting flash photos at parties.

Let me say this right away: this camera is not for the faint-hearted or casual photographer. It's substantial bulk and weight, even without a lens, is something only serious photographers are willing to accept for extended use. Coupled with the (light) Nikon 24-85mm zoom, the camera grew quite heavy around my neck as I lugged it around the Magic Kingdom. And while I do not regret choosing this body, anyone looking for a cheaper and lighter alternative would be better served by the new N80.

Weight (and price) aside, the camera was a joy to use. The added heft translates to handling balance and stability, letting you quickly snap timely shots. In dimmer situations, the backlit LCD was a godsend. All the little knobs and buttons have wonderfully positive and mechanical feedback lacking in less expensive products. And how could I have managed so long without the preview feature, which sets the aperture to the specified f-stop to preview light level and depth-of-field?

If you can spring for the cash, this is a terrific camera body for the serious amateur or professional. I'm a bit concerned about the software or metering issues I've read about it, but have not encountered any with my F100.

Similar Products Used:

None

Built like a tank, Nikon glass, AF works great in low light, Fast AF

Big, Heavy (very minor weakness) Eats batteries if you do not have the MB-15

First things first, a camers is a light tight box that holds the film, it's the photographer that takes a great picture!!! Not the camera

This is my first Autofocus camera, I have used F3's and a FE-2 for the past 16 years. Before I wrote this review I shot many roles of film at many subjects (skate boarding, snow boarding, mountain biking, rock climbing, rodeo, people, and landscapes)Here are some things that I have noticed about this camera:

1 If you don't have the MB-15 it eats batteries, When the batteries get low it will rewind in the middle of the roll. This can be annoying, but when the batteries start getting low the film advance motor will sound like it is working harder, If you hear this (it is noticable) change the batteries asap! No longer a problem for me.

2 The metering system has worked very well for me and my shooting conditions. In tricky lighting conditions, like when a climber is in the shade and 75% of the frame is in direct sun light the metering system has done a good job of give a acceptable exposure. But in those condition I find it better to shoot manually and use the spot meter for better results. In the past I have always used a hand held spot meter, now I just use the on-board meter. NICE!

3 The Autofocus has worked great, better than expected. It is very fast and accurate. When shooting fast moving sports (rodeo or skating)the focus has beed very accurate. I sometimes think wow can it get any faster (I don't own AFS lens). In low light low contrast situations it will hunt which is to be expected, I just go to manual focus and pre-focus.

4 I have read some reviews that people complain about things, I would like to voice my opinions on those subjects. First, the fact that the film back and MB-15 are plastic. SO WHAT! The last time I checked plastics are very strong, don't dent or bend, and are light. sounds like a good material to make parts out of. Second, the camera dosen't have a eye piece blind or a mirror lock up. These are very user specific functions which I have no use for personlly. Are these functions important to you, if so don't get the camera. The fact that Nikon left these off is fine with me, it might have cut off $50 from the cost.

The bottom line:

This camera is an exceptional camera, Has it improved my photography YES, it has allowed me to shoot faster so I don't miss as many shots. The fast AF and accurate light meter account for this. Is this camera perfect NO, but I have learned what this camera is good at and what it's short commings are. I do recommend this camera you will not be disappointed.

Customer Service

Nikon has always been good and fast in the past, haven't used them with this camera

Similar Products Used:

N90s, F4s, F3, FE-2

Size/weight
Advanced Capabilities
Easy to revert to default settings
Well integrated with SB-28 speedlight.
Fast focus and easy to operate.

none so far

This is more camera than I needed but I really like the flexability and capabilities the F100 has. It fits well in my hand and is very comfortable to operate. It is very compact for it's capabilities thus is easy to bring along on the road.

The camera is great with the SB-28 Speedlight. The operation is well integrated between the camera and flash.

This is a great camera to just pick up and shoot with. It makes the best of all but the most difficult lighting situations. The AF is fast and accurate.

It is also great to have the capabilities to control all or just some of the picture parameters. This has been a great camera to learn more advanced aspects of photography with.

Customer Service

One problem developed during my first week of ownership. Camera was replaced by Nikon rep the same day.

Similar Products Used:

None