Which Nikon AF body is "best" for using MF lenses?

[scott_gardner1]

Hi all;

 

I'm looking for a *FILM* (remember that?) SLR to use with a couple of my

favorite Tamron Adaptall based lenses.

 

I'd like to get an AF capable body just in case I decide to add a an AF lens or

two. If that's silly and I'd be better off with an MF body, feel free to let

me know.

 

Ideally, I'd like something that's relatively light/small with a bright VF,

maybe even interchangeable screens.

 

TIA for your input!/Scott

[eric friedemann]

If you want the "best" Nikon body that gracefully uses MF lenses, that would be the flagship F6:

 

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/352116-USA/Nikon_1799_F6_35mm_SLR_Autofocus.html

[SCL]

I really like using the F100, which is available quite cheap these days.

[Ed_Ingold]

"I'm looking for a *FILM* (remember that?)"

 

SA! Sure, some of us old-timers remember film. I give a second vote for the F100 for the best buy, followed by an F5. Both meter and focus well with a manual lens. The F6 will display the actual f/stop, if that's important, and memory for the settings of a lens or two. It adds nothing else of any significance. In any case, you use shutter-priority and set the aperture using the aperture ring, not the front command dial.

[joseph_wisniewski]

Stephen nailed it right. Get yourself one of those nice $200 F100 bodies. You might also consider fitting it with a Beattie split image screen or a modified K3 screen...

[arnold_schmidt]

The F100 will not provide matrix metering with AI and AIS lenses, only the F4 and F6 will give you matrix. The remaining high end bodies will give you just cw metering.

[Michael R Freeman]

The F100 fits the bill if you want an autofocus body that is fully compatible with your Tamron Adaptall lenses AND current/future autofocus Nikkors. At $250 or less, it's a steal of a deal. Reasonably small, and reasonably light, with a very good viewfinder and interchangeable screens (albeit only the stock B screen and an E grid screen is available from Nikon). The lack of matrix metering is no big deal - photographers made billions of perfectly exposed photographs for decades using nothing more sophisticated than 60/40 center-weighted metering and the "matrix" meter in their brain.

 

My personal bias leads me to tell you that the F4 is the best autofocus Nikon film body for manual focus lenses, but it is neither light nor small. :-)

 

The F5 is an even bigger brick that you can't downsize by swapping battery packs, and the F6 is an expensive luxury camera for a couple of Tamron lenses. Both are great cameras, and the F6 is undoubtedly the most advanced and capable film body Nikon ever made, but I wouldn't suggest either for your requirements.

[tri-x1]

F4 can be used with virtually ANY Nikon lens--a claim the F5 can't make. But it is heavy. I've had an F4S and an F100 and if I was going to get one of the two again it would be the F4. But I always liked Big Iron.

[photo5]

F100 hands down. Don't listen to those who will tell you you Have To have an F6. You don't need Matrix Metering for good photography. The F100 is a bargain right now, a steal. A mint body can be found for $350 vs. $1200 or more for an F6. The F100 is a true gem of the film world.

[robert_moser1]

I vote for the F4. Certainly bigger and heavier than the F100, but a wonderful, reliable beast. But since you don't have any autofocus lenses and can live without it, get an F3. Wonderful camera.

 

Rob

[ilkka_nissila]

I think the F100, F4, and F6 all have excellent viewfinders and support spot metering which is a feature I wouldn't want to be without. At least for the F6 you can get a split-image focusing screen, and if you're lucky, maybe you can find one for the F4. I don't for some reason like the F5 viewfinder as much as the others.

 

My choice of all Nikon bodies for manual focusing, given that you still want modern features, would be the F6. But I happily use the F100 in the absence of the F6 in my closet.

 

I don't find the D3 as easy to manual focus with as the film bodies. I am not sure what is causing this, but I frequently need to adjust the diopter on the D3 and I didn't seem to need this on my other bodies to get optimal sharpness in the image I see in the VF.

[joel_blacher]

F4...completely inert...no vibration at any shutter speed except for supertele's...and for those there is MLU for slow shutter speeds.

[bradfarlow]

F4s....definitely. Mine is listed on eBay right now and I'm already starting to regret it. Maybe I'll raise the price before anyone bids so it doesn't sell. ;)

[joseph_wisniewski]

Ilkka, I have one theory relating to your problem and my own observations. The D3 seems to have the focus brackets "floating" far enough from the focusing screen surface that if you adjust the diopter for sharp focusing marks, you end up with a slightly blurry focusing screen surface. I think this is because the D3 has two GH LCD (the transparent LCD that provides the focus brackets and DX and 8x10 crop frames) layers, so the focusing brackets actually do float higher above the focusing screen than any other Nikon DLSR.

[dj_soroka]

I like the F6,

 

and then the N90s.

 

I always felt that manual focus lenses "snapped" into focus using the built-in rangefinder much quicker on the N90s than on the F100 or F5, which I felt hunted more.

 

Especially on the F100 against the N90s.

 

And I base that on comparing 3 separate N90s's against 3 F100's.

[mawz]

Depends on your lenses. The F4 is the only one to support non-AI lenses. F6 offers matrix metering with AI-converted lenses (the F4 only does it with AI and AI-S lenses, not converted lenses). The F100's the best bang for the buck if you intend to use AF glass as well.

 

Both the F6 and F100 are MUCH smaller and lighter than a F4. The F100's marginally lighter than the F6. If small & light is an actual issue, go for an FE2 FM3a, which is much smaller than any comparable AF body, but still offers Aperture priority and TTL flash. Or the similar-sized FA for matrix metering as well (at the cost of a poor LCD display).

 

You have lots of options.

[johnw63]

If people didn't bid up the price of the MD-20 battery pack for the F4, mine would be a bit lighter.

 

I think the F4 can use the widest age of range of Nikon lenses of ANY of their camera bodies. But it is not small or light. But, I like the big iron too !

 

If any muggers come near, I can yell, " Stand back! I have an F4s and I'm not afraid to use it ! " and swing that thing around by it's strap .

[scott_gardner1]

Wow! Thanks for all the helpful responses.

 

The F6 sounds like a marvelous machine but it's definitely beyond my budget. I should have said "best value" body -- mea culpa.

 

The F4s is certainly formidable but at ~1100 gr/2.5 lb it's more than I'd care to lug around.

 

Lots of votes for the F100 but DJ's direct comparison with the N90s is intriguing. More than one source mentions that later model AF cameras are more difficult to focus manually.

 

I'll be going to a 'camera show' this weekend and hope to be able to compare some of these bodies side-by-side.

 

BTW, has anyone used a Maxwell screen? I used them with my 'blads and loved 'em.

 

Thanks!/Scott

[alex_lofquist]

While I'd think that the F4S is the best for your application (it's not really that heavy), you might look for a straight F4. (Four AA cells instead of six) and use it with lithiums. I use the focus confirmation arrows in the viewfinder to achieve accurate focusing. The F,F2, F3, F4, F5, and F6 all have 100% viewing, good eye relief and bright prisms, that the others do not have. The F4, and later, also come with Brite-screens.

[rob_sato]

How much are you willing to spend? I use Tamrons too, great feature the Adaptall mount. Love the 35-210mm f/3.5-4.2. I'd suggest the N90s because it has a good deal of the F100's capabilities and is DIRT cheap right now on the used market. A fraction of the cost of an F100, F5 or F6. The only things that it lacks are vibration reduction lens capability (a vr lens can be used, and everything will work focusing/exposure except for the vr function) and G lenses have limited compatibility (can't use lenses in manual or shutter priority exposure mode because of lack of aperture ring on G lenses. I avoid them.)

 

Ebay, they're under a hundred .

[jose_angel]

IMO the "best" MF body is the F3 with HP viewfinder. It is not the smallest or the lightest, but is smaller than AF bodies and has the better VF. In a second row, the smaller FM3A and FE-2. All with aperture priority and interchangeable screens. Without AE, the FM2 could be the "best".

 

I dislike to use manual focus lenses on AF bodies because I find difficult to achieve a perfect focus, especially with wide angle lenses; but if you are planning to use AF lenses, probably you will use sporadically your Tamrons: Then, I would go for the practical choice that is a F100.

[cd_k]

I agreed with the above post - F3HP will be your best choice for MF lens. I do not like to use

MF lenses on AF bodies, either. It is too much of a compromise to get accurate focus. But it

you must get an AF body, then F100 is a better choice. I still use F3 and F5 for slide films.

 

Cheers.

[joseph_wisniewski]

What's the compromise?

 

I've been using Beattie split image screens in my Nikon AF cameras from 8008 to F100 for 15 or 20 years (when did 8008 come out?)

[scott_gardner1]

Joseph Wisniewski asked:

 

>(when did 8008 come out?)

 

Almost 20 years ago -- 1989 A.D.

[scott_gardner1]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. In addition to the weekend photo show, I'm fortunate enough to live in an area that still has a couple brick & mortar stores that sell used cameras. I'm hoping to test drive as many of the candidates as possible. Of course I'll bring my Tamron lenses with me as a control. :D