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Reviews (1)
Apr 14, 2012
It's just a camera - but it's a goodie.
2 of 2 found this helpful This isn't intended to be a technical review - there's plenty of info out there already. Rather, this is a summary of my feelings after having put several rolls through it - various color slide, black and white and color neg.
Ergonomically it's beautiful to use - you don't spend much time in menus (although there are over 40 settings there), the buttons are big, and the controls easy to find and use. The viewfinder is very nice - some folks complain about the eyepoint. I have no issues with it and it is a way better eyepoint than my FM3A. It feels and responds like you would expect a professional camera to feel and respond. I like how this camera feels in my hands and as a tactile object it really does deliver in spades. The build quality is at least equal to the D3S. Value-wise it rates well - the same money won't get even get you into the Nikon full-frame digital world (incidentally I scan my negs on a Nikon 5000 ED and each frame comes out at 20 megapixels).
What don't I like? Not much. I wish it had a self-timer with mirror lock-up. Technically it does have this, but the delay is 30 seconds. I think it should have been 10 seconds or at least have the option for 10 seconds. The only other comment - comment, not complaint this time - is that the F6 is still a bit big and heavy for my taste. But that's simply because I also use my FM3A (600g) which is a hell of a lot more fun to carry around (and produces image quality which I cannot distinguish from the F6, though the FM3A is nowhere near as flexible).
So why did I buy the F6? I shoot both film and digital SLRs. I like digital, but I love film for the type of photography I do (scenic and travel photography and portraits mostly). That's the first reason. Second, I now have a film camera compatible with almost all Nikon glass and flash units and which is able to utilize all of their features. Thirdly, as I have previously indicated, it is a beautifully crafted and refined piece of gear. Finally, it is chock-full of features - except, as you now know, for a 10-second mirror-lock up self timer function :-(. I particularly like having the different metering options if I'm shooting color slide film.
I use Nikon AI and AI-S glass in addition to auto focus lenses - moreso in fact. Thanks to the Nikon split-image focusing screen I purchased separately, these lenses are as easy to use on the F6 as they are on a manual camera. You might be aware that the F6 allows you to program up to 10 manual lenses into its database to enable you to use matrix metering (though, of course, not 3D matrix metering). Despite its 1kg weight, my F6 still feels relatively potable with a 200g 20mm f4 AI or 50mm f1.8 AIS strapped to the front. Although things get a little heavier with the 35mm f1.4 AIS or the 105mm f2.5 AIS, the balance improves (and the result is still a lot lighter and smaller than with professional G-type lenses attached).
I don't use a vertical grip because I like the smaller configuration. This means I miss out on having the electrical capacity for extended shooting (the F6 is power-hungry) and also that my burst rate is 5.5 fps whereas with the grip it is 8fps (no big deal to me). Always carry a spare set of two CR123As if you don't use the grip. One battery set will get me comfortably through 20 rolls, probably more.
Nor do I have the MV-1 reader. The F6 stores and retains shooting info for about 35 rolls. I access this through the menu and write it up.