Nikon F6 vs F5

[steve_kirby1]

<p>The film bug has bitten me hard, I wonder why it took me so long to do it. I have a Nikon FM2 in addition to my D90, but am really looking to upgrade my film camera.</p>

<p>Apart from the obvious difference in price and perhaps age, what advantages does an F6 (used, not new) have over an F5 to make it worth spending the extra $400? I do like the flexibility of the F5 to have interchangeable finders, which is definitely a plus.</p>

<p>Thanks in Advance,</p>

<p>Steve</p>

[ilkka_nissila]

<p>The F6 has an accessory vertical grip whereas that of the F5 is fixed to the body. I like integral grips for people work, but the F5 has no exposure control wheels on the vertical grip ... so it's basically useless or if I'm kind, awkward to use. The F6's autofocus is more advanced than that of the F5's. Liking the concept of the F5's interchangeable finders is fine, but you also have to be able find and afford them! </p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>I wonder how you came up with that $400 difference. I haven't checked lately, but as far as I know, used F5 are dirt cheap nowadays, like merely a few hundred dollars. New F6 bodies are around $2500 each, and the vertical grip is extra.</p>

<p>I used to like the F5 a lot between 1997 to 2005 when it was my primary camera, but a lot of features have been improved since 1997. In fact, even the F6's AF system is no longer current.</p>

<p>Between the two, the F6 has a newer AF system and is the only Nikon film SLR that is iTTL compatible.</p>

[jose_angel]

<p>... and IMHO the most important: The F6 has 3D metering with Ai-AiS lenses.</p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<p>It appears that used F6 bodies go for about $1500 on ebay - and I recently sold a slightly used excellent condition F5 for $575 (including two MN-30 batteries and the charger), for which I paid more than double that amount about 5 years ago. <br>

What always bothered me with the F5 was that I lost matrix metering with non-CPU lenses. With the F3/F4/F5 I owned three cameras with interchangeable viewfinders - but never bothered to acquire an additional one (except the exchange of the DE-2 for a DE-3 on the F3).</p>

[jose_angel]

<p>Grrrr, I wanted to mean MATRIX metering (actually <em>color matrix</em> metering, non <em>3D</em> matrix metering!).</p>

[steve_kirby1]

<p>Thanks all, you have been very helpful! Since I only own one autofocus lens and it is a DX lens for my D90, having been plunking down money for used AIS lenses for my FM2 and upon suggestion by a fellow PN member, purchased both a spotmeter and incident meter, I honestly do not see an F6 providing any real tangible advantage for me for the additional money it will cost over an F5.</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

[lilly_w]

<p >You’ll find the F6 to cost far more than $400 compared to an F5. The fact that the vertical grip is removable on the 6 would seal the deal for me as the 5 is a brick, both in size and weight, though the 6 is larger once the grip is attached. I’d need a convincing reason to opt for an interchangeable finder on the 5.</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Considering that you’re coming from an FM2 I would also suggest consideration of an F100 and putting a few bucks into glass.</p>

[cd_k]

<p>I sold my F5 shortly after I got an F6. While F5 is really a very reliable workhorse, F6 is just a better machine in every way. It's lighter, quieter, smoother, faster, and more refined. If cost is not an issue, go for the best, F6, as this be may the 'last' film body that you would ever buy. As for the cost, the F6 is about $1200 - $1500, and F5 goes for $400 to $600. </p>

[christoph_sensen]

<p>This weekend I just wrote up a little blurb on the F6 on camerapedia, have a look here:<br>

<a href="http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Nikon_F6">http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Nikon_F6</a><br>

Christoph</p>

[RaymondC]

<p>I know what you mean. For those that shoot film, these days you can get them cheaper than a comparable dSLR, while it may not be rational benefits, it does feel good to have a F5 or F6 or both (!). </p>

<p>Call me a softie but photog now is just not the same as how I grew up despite being a 31yr old. Until about I graduated from uni, all my life was shot in film. As a younger kid going overseas, we knew what was Coca Cola and the K word. No transalation required.</p>

[james_symington1]

<p>I have an F5 and an F6 (and lots of others too having fully developed NAS) and I use them for different things. For walking around and taking travel-type shots the F6 is simply more usable and lightweight, the AF is much more friendly and you get matrix metering with any lens (very important for me as most of my shooting is with Zeiss ZFs now). Working off a tripod and using MLU the F5 is actually more handy as you can dispense with a cable release and for that kind of work matrix metering is not particularly useful. The F5 is not a "walking around" kind of camera unless you don't mind scaring small children and the elderly.<br />Although interchangeable finders are a great idea in practise I have never done it - and I even own different finders for different cameras.<br />If I had to choose a 'Desert Island' camera - i.e. only have one camera out of all the ones I own - it would be the F6 easily. <br />Or maybe the F2AS. Or...damn. Not digital anyway.</p>

[jared_angle]

<p>I am not experienced at all with the F5 or F6, I'd like to second Lilly's opinion of the F100. It's a very solid camera performance-wise, I got mine new for $300 a few months ago. Then you can put the other $2200 from an F6 into some great glass :)</p>

[constance_cook]

<p>I have all three - the F6, the F5 and the F100. Sentimentally, because I used it for so many years with more success than I deserved, I love my F5, I never saw an advantage to the F100 but the F6 is the best camera for being up-to-date.</p>

<p>I use them all but it depends on what I'm using them for to drive my choice although I know that any of the three will deliver.</p>

<p>Conni</p>

[nick_davis]

<p>Since you say you have purchased a few AI-S lenses, have you considered the F4s? It's AF is ancient compared to the F6, but if you are going to be focusing manually anyways, you may want to consider it.</p>

[photo5]

<p>I don't know why you haven't looked at the F100. Sure it doesn't have 3D RGB metering like the F5, but in a lot of ways it is an improvement over the F5. If you're really sure you need to change out the standard finder, F5 is the only way, but I've been shooting for nearly 30 years with SLRs and haven't needed to use anything other than the standard finder in my work. I bought a mint late serial number F100 on ebay for $150. They are very common at this price, though mint late serial number examples go for $200-225 or so. I can remember buying a used one in excellent (not mint) condition, early serial number, in 2002 for $750 cash, and I was pretty excited about that at the time as I was upgrading from an N70.</p>

[RaymondC]

<p>Just a question. Some of you say the 3D matrix with manual lenses re: the F6. Assuming you are shooting slides, how accurate is 3D Matrix? Could you rely it on doing snow scenes for example - white snow - blue sky and some vegetation. Could you use it for portraits say normal casual, wedding whites blacks and a oriental portrait where you have bright festival colors. </p>

<p><br /> Cheers.</p>

[conwaygroup]

<p>I am heading to Arizona for a weeks vacation and chance to do some landscape photography. I am taking my D3 and my F5. The F5 is as solid as they come and despite all the brick comments, I appreciate the dependability built into the F5. I'm in my late 50's and I find the rewards that a professional body brings far outweigh (pun intended) anything prosumer bodies have to offer.</p>

[g-man1]

I have an F6.

It's smaller.

Better dust/moisture resistance.

[jose_angel]

<p>Ray, I said 3D metering with manual lenses... but I wanted to mean MATRIX (color) metering (correction two post below).<br>

Actually 3D color matrix metering is impressive; my highest rate of well exposed chromes came from the F6.</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>I for one don't think matrix metering is all that big a deal.</p>

<p>When I bought the Contax 645 back in 2001, it only has center weighted metering and spot. I quickly found out that good old center weighted metering works just fine. In difficult lighting situations, such as snow, sandy beach, heavy backlit, sunset ... type situations, for film, I still rely on spot metering.</p>

<p>With digital, histograms and blinking highlights make things even easier.</p>

[john_caradimas]

<p>I returned to photography about a year ago, after a 10-year absence. I got myself a mint F2A (I had to, it was my first camera, which I stupidly exchanged for an F3 about 20 years ago, something I regretted for years), a couple of F4s, an FE, an FM2N and an F5. Eventually, I got rid of all others and kept the F2A and the F5. The F5 is a very nice camera and the additional advantages of the F6 do not justify the increased price, especially if you own several AI and AI-S lenses. </p>

[photo5]

<p>Shun, agreed. The metering on the F3HP is as accurate as I've ever experienced. It was the first camera I ever used that could make excellent exposures in nearly every condition by leaving the shutter speed dial on 'A' all the time.</p>