Second film body, any recommendations?

[RaymondC]

<p>Well I think if you want to use AI or AIS lenses then stick with a manual focus like a FM2N and others. The absense of the grip handle is great for portability. </p>

<p>If you wanna use AF body, then use AF lenses only only a few consumer bodies will meter with AI AIS lenses like the N70 I think. The N75 somone mentions is great, small and light but AF lenses only at 330g or abouts. Great for travel which I like to get one down the road. FG cannot remember o the specifics but they are good too, just check they have manual modes. Aperture preview is subjective, independent on battery is also I think. Automation likewise, if you can deal with manual.</p>

<p>F100 is great maybe a bit heavy depends on you. F80 is also good but like a F100 without the build and the speed. Doesn't work with AI AIS lenses in metering.</p>

[BelaMolnar]

<p>With my 45 years of experience, I highly recommend the Nikon FE or FE2 cameras with a MD-12 motor-drive. The unit still a light, easy to handle and carry cameras and all the lenses, except those darn G lenses work on it. The beauty of the FE is, it has a needle pointer light meter in it, very easy to manipulate the amount of under/over exposures, and build like a tank. And also, has an "A" aperture priority mode. The FM body also a fantastic camera, total manual mode, and running without battery too. I myself has two FEs(FE2) and two FMs(FM2) and a FA, all of them with a motor drive. The most compact and beautiful cameras ever made, and they will work for ever. My digital bodies will die and the FMs&FEs still working. They are solid, metal build almost indestructible cameras. And you can get them for a 120-200 dollar in the used market. And if you learned photography, photography technic, you can live without matrix metering comfortably.</p>

[Albins images]

<p>F3 and F100 would be my final choices for film camera's.. (I do own a F4 as well).<br /> I <em>DID </em> take some slide images at the heather at sunset last evening.<br /> 24mm on F3 is still wonderfully intuitive and compact..<br /> Unless you add the MD4.. Which makes it even more intuitive!<br>

Good luck.</p>

 

[donaldamacmillan]

<p>Surprised a wee bit more hasn't been said specifically about the FM3a. A lovely little camera. Simple and reliable. I've got an 'ok' wide-angle, a couple of good standards, and another 'ok' short telephoto for portraites (i'd certainly like a really good portraite lens, that's for sure!). So, small lenses, with small but totally sound camera = a hard to beat portable high quality picture-making system! The FM3a is not a perfect camera i know but it isn't so far off. I'd wish Nikon would do another FM3a but with mirror-lock! <br>

Kind regards.</p>

[chris_laskey]

<p>If you want an incredibly light weight camera, the Nikon FG is hard to beat. Combined with any of the Series E lenses (particularly the 50mm f/1.8 Series E) it's a combination made in light-weight heaven. And the current prices for them are incredibly low; I recently bought a Nikon FG and the 50mm Series E for $50 off flea bay.</p>

<p> </p>

<blockquote>

<p>I was still thinking about the FG/FE/FA because of the whole feel of a manual focus camera, with the focusing and film advance lever and such.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>But if you're looking for a great manual camera, spend the extra cash on a Nikon F3 or FM2/FM3. There's simply no comparison between the a flagship Nikon F Series F3 and the bottom of the barrel consumer Nikon FG. My Nikon F3 is hands down my favorite Nikon to shoot. Compared to what they used to cost, F3's can be bought for a song.</p>

[rob_shane]

<p>I'd go with the F100. Although you don't say what your subject matter is. Also I might recommend a different method of carry for the F4s rather than a lighter camera. I use a messenger bag style camera bag F4s is in and out quick and the weight is shoulder not the neck.<br>

-Shane</p>

[Paul Lewis1664881697]

<p>My primary film camera is also an F4s and use an FM2n as my backup camera. I love the FM2n... lightweight, rock solid, great meter.</p>

[stephen_asprey2]

<p>I'm with you Paul. But I have the FE2 as well as your two. I also have to admit I love using the F4s. Mine is heavy as I have the M23 back and its programmed for bracketing and imprinting exposure and speed in between the frames. But I don't care. The viewfinder is huge and empty, and its so easy to focus with the one big sensor. No wonder it was the newspaper photog's camera of choice for ten years. Its even got a quiet mode and a dial for everything...no stupid menus and screens to peer at. Now if I could have an F4s with a sensor, how good would that be? I also don't mind the weight. The issue of G lenses to me is irrelevant when there are so many beautiful AF and AF-D lenses out there that will sing on an F4 as well as on the FM/FE in manual focus mode. Nikon has yet to produce any affordable G lenses that can come close to the older Nikkors for imaging quality.<br>

On my F4s I have an 18-35 f3.5, a 28-70 f2.8 and a 70-210 f4. They are all superb and the affordable 18-35 is almost as sharp as the legendary 17-35 f2.8. For film, I just don't need anything more.</p>

[peter]

<p>I still have my F801s. Its an relaible and well specced camera even today and is surprisingly compact compared with many of today's digital offerings whilst also being strongly built. It has the ability to shoot both MF and AF lenses and also has a quite effective matrix metering / centre weighted metering / spot metering option. Its only demonstrable disadvantage is that if used in AF mode it does tend to be quite slow by today's standards. Others recommend the F100. I would agree excpt on one criterion - price. The F801s can be found for almost nothing.</p>

[peter]

<p>I still have my F801s. Its an relaible and well specced camera even today and is surprisingly compact compared with many of today's digital offerings whilst also being strongly built. It has the ability to shoot both MF and AF lenses and also has a quite effective matrix metering / centre weighted metering / spot metering option. Its only demonstrable disadvantage is that if used in AF mode it does tend to be quite slow by today's standards. Others recommend the F100. I would agree excpt on one criterion - price. The F801s can be found for almost nothing.</p>

[Mike Gammill]

<p>Another vote for the FE-2. Nice, 1/4000 second top shutter speed with 1/250 X sync. Will work at B and X settings w/o battery.</p>

[jared_angle]

<p>The FE-2 looks nice, higher shutter speed and it's only a little bit more than the FG that I was eyeing.</p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>I loved my N80. It's relatively compact, light weight, great egonomics, and a great camera all around. The F100 is even better, but bigger and heavier. I used an N75 as a second body, but the N80 is so cheap it doesn't pay to get the N75.</p>

[joshloeser]

<p>Hooray for the N80! If you've used the D200/300, you've used the F100. It uses essentially the same body, however modified for digital it may be. If you put a 50/1.8 on an N80, you have a seemingly weightless combination that can produce great images. One small thing I like about the N80 a lot is how the dial on the left side of the camera changes the exposure mode.</p>

[papa_john]

<p>Now you just have to see how prices are going up on ebay for used equipment! Can you guys keep quiet. Let them unload those awesome cameras and lenses for a song, would you?</p>

[avri_ladani1]

<p>I have the FE2 as a backup to my F5. (The FA has lens_limitations). Any other body with<br>

no aperture-priority is OUT!!! You want my FE2? You have to kill me first...</p>

[dick_pratt]

<p>The FG is a nice little camera for street shooting....but it has it's limitations...that said I usually keep a FG with me traveling or on the boats as the backups,backup....Someone recommended the EM,a fun litttle camera...I'll never get rid of mine,but not a serious backup,to me.....I've got 12 Nikon film bodies and my favorites aren't the F4,F5 or the F6.....My favorites are the ones I enjoy using and can get the job done no matter what...for a serious backup I would recommend the F3,FE or FE-2 for daylight use or FM2n for night and daylight use,any one of these bodies is just a joy to use....The FM3a was recommended above...that would be another fine backup as well.</p>

[anthony_valvo]

<p>Well, all the suggestions here are good ones. I have an FG, F4, F3, and 2 F6s. The FG is a great little camera and capable of quality work. The F4 is a favorite of mine, but as you said, heave. The F6 is by far the most capable all around workhorse. Its more capable, lighter and smaller than an F4.<br>

If you are a dedicated film shooter, its worth getting an F6. They are about $1000 on the used market. Its a camera you can walk around all day with and never have to worry about capability, etc. <br>

Have Fun</p>

<p>Anthny</p>