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The Nikon F6 is also officially announced.


peter_lawrence

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<em>"I don't agree at all. I think the weight reduction

is significant..." --Ilkka Nissila<br>

</em><br>

Ilkka, I really hate disagreeing with you again, please believe

me but the F6 weighs 1028g with a set of lame CR123A lithium

batteries and 1" nylon strap. Only 15 rolls at 20 degrees C

(68 degrees F). I would not use the camera that way. Id

only use it with eight AA lithium or Li-ion packs (NiMH AA(s) in

a pinch).<br>

<br>

My F5 weighs in at 1,344g and my F3 with MD-4 at 1,340g. The F6 v.

F5 is only a 316g advantage to the F6 and the battery pack grip

option will kill most or all of that.<br>

<br>

Please, Please, Please forgive me! Im not disagreeing to be

a pain Im just an SOB with strong opinions.<br>

<br>

Best,<br>

<br>

Dave Hartman.

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<em>"I don't understand the whining and sobbing, David.

Nikon just released an extraordinarily capable film body(matrix

metering with non-CPU lenses!?)and all you can seize upon is the

lack of interchangeable finders." --Gary Watson<br>

</em><br>

Yes and Ive seized (OK, I bought them) two DW-2(s) a DW-4,

DW-21 and DW-31. This may make me a freak but its true. I

have always bought interchangeable finders. The interchangeable

focus screens with their condensers and the beautiful 6x, high

magnification finders are a major reason why Ive always

owned True F-Series Nikons. Without these the FTn had little over

the Nikkormat FTn and the F2As had little over the FT3.<br>

<br>

The electronic rangefinder in the F5 would allow me to use the DA-30

finder quite nicely even with AI and AIS Nikkors but for the $830.00

price. Im not complaining about the price from a cost of

manufacture and low production in units point of view, just my

poverty. There are times when it would be nice not to plant ones

face against the camera.<br>

<br>

Since I bought my first black F2 Photomic Ive not felt

special for buying a top model Nikon. The irritation of people

saying "Ooh Nikon!" supercedes this and any status self

back patting associated with the cameras is gone buy the time you

walk out the door. Its the performance and durability that

led me to buy five F2 cameras, the last being two F2As and one F2

(DE-1). A major part of the performance is the 6x finder for me.

Im also very fond of the easy to see and use with

peripheral vision, red/green/red LED electronic rangefinder found

in the F4s/F4 and F5. Im sure thats gone also.<br>

<br>

The F6 has many improvements but at the expense of some of my

favorite F-Series features. Chances are slim that Ill ever

own an F6.<br>

<br>

Regards,<br>

<br>

Dave Hartman.<br>

<br>

BTW is this "whining and sobbing," Crapola necessary? Im

dont recall trying to discredit you with this kind of

sludge. If I have please accept my apology. I dont always

adhere to my own desired standards thought I truly intend to.<br>

<br>

Before posting here I frequented a professional forum where the

moderating was rather tight. I didnt mind that at all. I

got tagged twice for quoting too much of the post I was

answering, nothing else. I got wise and asked for specific

instructions. Long ago Uncle Art told me to develop a thick skin.

Im working on it, really I am.

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David,

 

Sorry about the sludging here. Do not take it personally. We are here

celebrating the new announcements in this thread. No more. I am sure there will be occasions to voice all the drawbacks.

 

I own a DW2 and an F2. That is my main camera set up. I will get the F6 though (after the D2X purchase).

 

What are doing with TWO DW2s by the way? How many DE1s do you have?

 

May be you have enough in such rarities to get your first DSLR!

 

Vivek.

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David, 300 grams is like 1-2 small lenses in my bag!!! With two camera bodies in the bag it's 600 grams!!!

 

My most significant issue with the F5 is that since it has a built-in vertical grip, tripod shooting in vertical orientation requires a bigger / more sturdy head than on lower-profile cameras. Also it looks like the F6 will be less noticeable in public (the F5 is irritating in this respect and this is one of the reasons I use my F100 more than the F5, because the latter is just screaming "pro, watch out".)

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Can you guys explain to me why you have such a problem with people in public noticing your F5's? Will that actually change the way you take your photos? Perfomance issues under pressure prehaps I don't know? But I actually like that fact that people notice that I have a solid chunck of metal and damn you better know that I'm going to be shooting something. I guess that can have it adventages and disadvantages, but for people who will use the battery pack with the F6, that will also scream "pro, watch out" right?
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I just prefer not to draw attention to my camera. It's also a question of trying not to appear overly rich etc. One of the reasons I don't use zooms any more.

 

I would never buy a vertical grip for a camera but in the case of the F6, it seems a necessary accessory for winter work as the CR123 batteries can get really expensive in those situations.

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Well, I am sure that in the US they have a different reason for not liking big cameras than me here in China, but when I go to vllages where people had only heard of cameras, but never seen one before, for some strange reason they all become camera shy and run away when I pull out a heavy brick with a huge telephoto lens attached to it. If I do 35mm, I always use small cameras (OK, the other reason is that I can't afford an F5, so what!?). Medium format cameras with waist level finders, on the other hand, are quite useful. Although they are huge, but most of those people just don't think of it as a camera, since you don't hold it to your eyes.
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<em>"What are doing with TWO DW2s by the way? How many DE1s

do you have?" --Vivek Iyer<br>

</em><br>

Only one DW-2, I had one then I dropped completely out of 35mm

and built a Hassie system. This was just as Pentax started

advertising SMC Takumar lenses. Nikon and Canon were double

coating their normal lenses and had stated multi-coating some

lenses on the sly but were selling down their inventory. Pentax

broke the new.<br>

<br>

Anyway in late 1978 as planed I started my second Nikon system

with all multi-coated lenses. I bought my second DW-2 finder

about six months later.<br>

<br>

DE-1(s)? Given the price they are selling for I wish I had a

closet full but I traded (at a great price) my DE-1 towards a 15/5.6

AI that a friend was dumping. It was a reps demo and in mint

condition. I paid I think less than half the retail price.

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<em>"David, 300 grams is like 1-2 small lenses in my bag!!!

With two camera bodies in the bag it's 600 grams!!!" --Ilkka

Nissila</em><br>

<br>

I dont know which thread I said what in anymore but Id

be using the F6 with the MB-40 so Id reap no advantage. Id

also backup an F6 with a FM3a if I had one but since I dont

it would be an FE2, FM2n or F100 depending.<br>

<br>

On the F100 v. F6 or 861g v. 1028g I wouldnt kick about the

167g. I want my rewind knob back, damn it! If the F6 is really

furgal I might use CR123A batteries.<br>

<br>

300g to me is a little less than one lens in my bag.<br>

<br>

Regards,<br>

<br>

Dave.<br>

<br>

Postscript: my table of weights for Nikon cameras started as a

matter of refuting Phil Greenspuns and others assertion

that the F4s weighed as much as a brick. Im not obsessed

with camera weights. I prefer a camera of about 1kg. Sometimes

600g is nice, 1,350g isnt bad. When shooting with non-photographers

on a hike and such 600g is good. The camera that was a bit too

heavy for me was the F2As with MD-2 and MB-1. I dont know

why I bought the MD-2 as I already owned an MD-3 with an MB-1.

This was all I needed. I guess it was pure lust for equipment. I

knew it provided nothing I needed but I bought it anyway.

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