Camera for School

I plan to take a photography course at college in Winter 2006 and I'm

looking for a camera to use.

 

The two cameras I am looking at are the Nikon F80(N80) and the Nikon F100.

 

I considered the F80 but using an F80 would mean that I would have to

use more expensive newer lenses in the future should I want to use the

metering.

 

I have decided on a used Nikon F100 based on the fact that it can also

meter using the older AI-S lenses. The older Nikkors have excellent

optics and are cheaper used. And when I'm able to afford fancier VR

autofocus lenses, my camera is right there with me.

 

Does my logic follow or does anyone have other advice?

You've made a good choice and, yes, your logic is sound. The F100 is a fine camera for the reasons you stated and a lot more.

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Have fun.

sounds good to me. the F100 is great. but you should consider the F90x instead of the F80. so, either the F100 of the F90x.

For college photography you will be using your camera at its most basic level for much of it I imaagen, The F100 would be overkill for that obviously but buying now to avoid replacing is never bad idea.

 

However with prices falling so quickly might be a good idea to get a cheap manual camera or older AF camera for now, spending your savings on a nice lens or two.

 

By the time you want an exotic lens you will be able to find and F100 even cheaper than they are now. (I assume. Maybe... lol)

The N90s is great, but I don't think it'll support VR lenses, should you get those in the future - so F100 seems best. OTOH, remember that getting manual lenses will also limit your digital options.

Good choice Sam! You will learn that the advantages of the F100 will come in very handy when you decide to expand your photography. Although a great bargain and very capable camera, the F90s will not offer you as many of the newer features on the F100. Have fun in your class!

Thanks for the Advice.

 

I'm getting, from a relative, an old Nikon FE with a bunch of choice 28mm, 50mm and 105mm lenses (which I assume are the AI range). He's gone digital with his D70 and AF lenses.<p>

 

I also have an inexpensive but excellent Nikkor AF 50mm/1.8D which I used in my first year photography course; I paired it up with my brother's F80 (which really is an excellent camera). Now that he took his camera back, I need another one.<p>

 

My family and relatives are big into photography and everyone seems to be using Nikon. By getting an F100 I hope to be able to tap into the large pool of MF lenses that they have abandoned while being able to take on new AF lenses as I am able to afford.<p>

 

I love doing landscape shots which the FE would be a better choice but when I am shooting street, wildlife or just doing candid portraits, I'd like something fast that can capture the moment.

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Here's a selection of my <a target="new" href="http://www.photo.net/photodb/member-photos?user_id=944169">photography</a>

nice work Sam. The F100 will definitely be able to be made useful with all your family's nikkors.

Sam, obviously you have thought through the issues involved. Go ahead with the F100 then. It also helps to own a camera that is better than your brother's F80. :-)

Damn Shun Cheung,

you realised the real reason for getting an F100...pissing rights.

trolled?

eric,

trolled? eh? nope.

I just wanted to make sure that I had the right idea and my facts straight before buying the F100. Pissing rights is an added bonus.

Check with your college's photography program. Oftentimes they are quite picky about what you can use. There are several collges/universities locally that require a totally manual focus camera and lenses.

 

But the F100 is the choice if they will let you use it.

 

Conni

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa!

a Brand new F5 off eBay costs almost the same as a Brand new F100 off eBay....NOW there's a harebrained idea somewhere in there...I know it's there!

hi Constance,

My instructor rolled his eyes but I was able to use my brother's F80 for the first semester. My buddy in the class used her Canon Elan7. Both on the condition that we had it set to manual.

 

Now the devil on my shoulder is whispering...F5..it's almost within affordability. The prices have dropped to around USD 800

If you're instructor gets annoyed, just be sure to show up with the FE in your bag as well.

 

Oh, and I vote for the F100 as well. In my opinion, the F80 currently isn't worth the cost

savings over a used F100 in good condition. If you want the ability to use VR, the F90x is

unfortunately out, which is unfortunate, since I'd normally recomend that, as you're getting a

camera that's nearly on par with the F100 for less money than a new F80.

There are so few totally manual-focus cameras still in production that it'd be very difficult for schools to require them. As long as you can turn off AF and those program modes, it should be fine.

 

As I mentioned in another thread, if you use AF for action photography, the N90s actually has a number of drawbacks such as only 1 AF point and the lack of full compatibility with G lenses. IMO 5 AF points is a must and I by far prefer 11 AF points nowadays.

 

Keep in mind that the F5 is a big and heavy camera. The price might have come way down, but if you have plan to carry it around all day, e.g. hiking, the weight may be an issue. I Happen to have both an F5 and F100. While the weight doesn't bother me much, sometimes I do prefer to bring the F100 for that reason.

Yes....but but but...for some weird reason..maybe because they're clearing stock... a brand new F5 can be had on eBay for almost the same as what a brand new F100 costs on eBay.

 

What I'm interested in for the F5 is the weather sealing, the mirror lock up and ...gosh darn how i drooled at it when it first came out in 98.

 

Yes, I agree with you. The weight...>2kg after battery and lenses is gonna be quite a little burdensome. Well the plan is to get a good used F100 but I have my itchy eyes looking at the F5...err.. maybe not. $USD 1k is still a little over my planned budget.

Shun:

 

I know of three unis here in the Chicago area of 6,000+ students that require an all manual camera. The largest recommends the FM10. I had an FE and 2 lenses on loan to one of my students this past term and I was in Helix when students came in from the U of I Chicago with their list recommending FM10. The other is a community college. They might have changed in the past 6 months (2 of them, not all 3) but I think more schools than you might think are still starting students off with the basics.

 

Conni

Of course the Ultimate in all manual camera would be the Nikon F2AS. Its a very nice camera and I like mine.

 

My manual focus lenses fit my D2hs' just fine thank you - especailly the 50 1.2 which is only available in manual focus. :)

 

You can get a nice one fro around $600

 

My opinion only; Digital ruins your abilty to learn photography! It enhances your ability to chimp and through away your mistakes - therby making mute the process of learning from the mistake.

 

This from a guy so owns many digital cameras. :)

Conni, all photography programs should start with the basics, but starting with the basics doesn't mean using a manual-focus camera. If I were to teach beginning photography, I would use all digital and show students the effects and results immediately. IMO there isn't a more efficient way to learn. Unfortunately, all of this new technology was not available when I started 30 years ago.

 

I took a one-day seminar from fame wedding photographer Monte Zuker last year. Zuker is now in his mid 70's and is shooting digital exclusively. He wasn't using any fancy camera, just a Canon 20D that was hooked up to a projecter. He demonstrated all types of lighting techniques and posing choices with several models. The students could see his results and discussed them immediately.

 

We had a similar debate in the Nature Forum recently. You can easily throw away your mistakes shot with film just like with digital. When I shot slides there were usually only a few keepers in a roll of 36. In fact most good photographers had a large waste basket. The key is whether you are willing to learn or not; it has nothing to do with the medium.

"My opinion only; Digital ruins your abilty to learn photography!"

 

i agree. there are no mistakes with digital, no consequences. experiences and mistakes should be expensive (film costs) to learn from, to think about. those who base their foundations on traditional photography, its frustrations and limitations, will only make a better digital photographer than one those that didn't.

Sam, definitely a used F100. It's a brilliant camera for what you can get it for these days.

Digital is a 2 edged sword, it both lets you learn faster and hampers your ability to learn. You are willing to take more risks in digital and get instant feed back, on the other hand, you tend to shoot a lot of crap without thinking when using digital.

 

I had digital for a long time and never really got good till I started using film.

 

My university requires us to have a 35mm camera with MANUAL capabilities. It doesn't have to be a manual camera.

There may be another reason, in addition to those already posed for some unis requiring a manual focus camera. Many , if not most, taking a course will not go on with it. The course will just be a 16 week elective and forgotten about, perhaps to rekindle years later after the camera is long gone. Those who catch fire will go on and get better equipment and can probably roll there started set to another student.

 

What with the costs of tuition, books, room and board, most parents aren't too excited about spending an additional $1,000+ for an elective course.

 

There are probably lower end manual focus cameras that spend their lives on campus moving from one student to the next. :)

 

Whichever camera you decide to get, keep it stored carefully because many cameras and lenses get stolen on campus.

 

Conni