Nikon F100 Almost as Good as The F6

[Henricvs]

Before I bought my F6, I owned the F100. The latch for the back on my F100 broke, as they are prone to do and I was frantic to fix it. Ultimately, I bought a used F100 for fifty odd bucks and stripped it of parts, back included. I felt sure I could keep my old F100 running forever on these extra parts. That is how much I love this camera. When I retired, I finally could afford an F6, so I bought one and all my affections were instantly transferred. Well, maybe not all my affections, but at least I felt I had a newer updated fancier F100. And that is my point. The F6 is a great film camera, but IMHO, it is a younger, finer, shapelier, and faster F100. If you can't afford an F6, get ahold of the ole' F100 until you can afford an F6.

 

[ben_hutcherson]

I've lusted after an F6 for a while, and have even thought about buying a new one(as foolish as that would be).

 

Still, though, I look at the F100 and think about how difficult it would be to improve on it. Matrix metering with manual focus would be nice, but that's about the only thing I can think of(and I can get that with the F4).

 

I still would like to own an F6, but it nice to hear an opinion that an F100 is almost as good.

[BeBu Lamar]

I think the Nikkormat FT3 is almost as good as the F6.

[Henricvs]

I think the Nikkormat FT3 is almost as good as the F6.

No it is not.

[BeBu Lamar]

No it is not.

 

If so then the F100 is far from the F6.

[Henricvs]

If so then the F100 is far from the F6.

Sure BeBu. Whatever you say.

[ben_hutcherson]

Why is the FT3 even being discussed in relation to the F100 and F6?

 

Aside from taking 35mm film, using the F mount, and metering with AI lenses they don't have a lot in common.

 

Putting all of that aside, the FT3 has the annoying shutter speed dial concentric with the lens mount that makes me dislike using all Nikkormats aside from the EL. Actually, come to think of it, I even dislike the EL since I use Fs and F2s most of the time with my non-AI lenses, which allow you to have the aperture set to any setting before mounting as opposed to f/5.6 on the Nikkormats. The only Nikkormat-type body I like using is the EL2.

[ben_hutcherson]

As a follow-up to my last post:

 

I know I'm not the only one who wants a film camera to co-exist with my digital kit. As much as I like my older lenses, often times I find myself carrying AF-S and G lenses these days, especially as the optics of older lenses reveal their shortcomings on even my D600(24mp).

 

There are also superb lenses-like the 14-24 f/2.8 or the 24-120mm f/4 VR I use as a walk-around-that really don't have an AF-D equivalent.

 

The F4 has some level of compatibility with these lenses, and I have a pair of F4s that I use a fair bit. I lose VR on those, though, and also can't use my preferred aperture priority with G lenses. The N90 and N70 have much the same feature set, although they can't matrix meter with manual focus lenses.

 

We basically have four film bodies that give us all AE modes and VR with newer lenses(although E and AF-P are still out). Those bodies are the N80, F100, F5, and F6.

 

The N80 is nice and lightweight and I actually rather like it, but the back catches will break if you look at them wrong. It also can't meter with non-CPU lenses, something that's also important to me.

 

The F5 is arguably one of the best 35mm SLRs ever made and can make screwdriver-focusing lenses feel like they're going to fall apart, but it weighs a ton and to be honest if you need 8 fps these days you should probably be shooting digital.

 

The F6(which I've never used), aside from the overall refined and improved feel that most users report, also gives matrix metering with non-CPU lens-the only other film SLRs that can do that are the F4 and FA(and then only with "real" AI lenses). It's also expensive.

 

Then there's the nice, quiet, refined, and inexpensive F100. Unless you need the other features of the F5 or F6, or want to save weight with the N80, I'd argue that it's the overall best choice for a person who wants a film SLR to go in their bag next to a digital kit.

 

Like I said, though, that doesn't stop me from wanting an F6-aside from being Nikon's most refined film SLR, it's also one of the few that I don't have an example of(I also don't have an FM3a).

[BeBu Lamar]

Why is the FT3 even being discussed in relation to the F100 and F6?

 

Aside from taking 35mm film, using the F mount, and metering with AI lenses they don't have a lot in common.

 

Putting all of that aside, the FT3 has the annoying shutter speed dial concentric with the lens mount that makes me dislike using all Nikkormats aside from the EL. Actually, come to think of it, I even dislike the EL since I use Fs and F2s most of the time with my non-AI lenses, which allow you to have the aperture set to any setting before mounting as opposed to f/5.6 on the Nikkormats. The only Nikkormat-type body I like using is the EL2.

 

It would take pictures as good as the F6.

[Henricvs]

It would take pictures as good as the F6.

So would my Pentax Spotmatic, but that wasn't the point of the original post.

[BeBu Lamar]

So would my Pentax Spotmatic, but that wasn't the point of the original post.

That was my point because besides from having the same film size and lenses the F100 is no where near the F6.

[Henricvs]

That was my point because besides from having the same film size and lenses the F100 is no where near the F6.

Good grief.

[Dieter Schaefer]

F100 is no where near the F6

Is there any obvious path to arrive at that conclusion from original "the Nikkormat FT3 is almost as good as the F6" that I am missing?

 

Still have an F100 on the shelf (my wife's actually) - nowadays definitely preferable over the heavy F5. Can't comment on the F6 - never even seen one in real life.

[ben_hutcherson]

To me, the evolution from the F100 to the F6 is pretty clear. The D1 is kind of a weird amalgamation of a digital F5 body with some of the changes/improvements made to the F100 incorporated in it. The D2 series is a pretty far step forward from the D1, but none the less an evolution of it. If I'm not mistaken, the F6 incorporates a lot of D2 features-like the AF module-but in a package that's significantly smaller than either a D2 or F5 and only a bit larger/heavier than an F100.

 

Also, if my bag is full of G lenses, which it often is these days, an FT3(or my preferred compact manual body, the FM2n) could not take the same photos as an F6 or F100 since I'd be stuck at minimum aperture and wouldn't be able to use the meter.

[Henricvs]

Is there any obvious path to arrive at that conclusion from original "the Nikkormat FT3 is almost as good as the F6" that I am missing?

 

Still have an F100 on the shelf (my wife's actually) - nowadays definitely preferable over the heavy F5. Can't comment on the F6 - never even seen one in real life.

 

I have both and used the F100 for years. The F100 lineage is clear once you use it. If the F6 had not appeared, the F100 would have been the pinnacle Nikon film camera.

Edited December 27, 2018 by Henricvs

[Henricvs]

Oh, I did forget the Nikon F5, but that is a different thread altogether.

[Jean-Claude]

I owned a new F100 a few years ago. On my 1st day in BENIN (Africa), I made a shot against the sun. The viewfinder indicated 1/8000 of a second I remember and all of a sudden, nothing worked on the camera any more. I couldn't rewind the negative, nor press the shutter, the camera was totally dead.

 

I kept pressing the shutter, again and again, and all of a sudden it worked ! The next day, same problem. First totally dead, then after pressing and pressing the shutter again and again, it came back to life. I came home with about 30 films I shot (+/- 1000 photos) and developped them my self in my darkroom. All, yes ALL the frames were cut off very sharply by 25%. It took a while before I discovered that it was 1 part of the curtain that was missing!

 

Today with the screen at the back of digital cameras, one can see if a picture is properly taken or not. Unfortunatelly, the film cameras do not inform you that something is wrong, there is no alarm signal and that's why I kept shooting for a total of 30 films! I cried my eyes out.

 

I bought a like new F100 and a few month later, same problem. I threw it away and bought a F6.

 

Nothing to compare, absolutely nothing. The difference between a Ferrari and an Alfa Romeo....Once you drive a Ferrari or shoot wit a F6, you don't even think of looking at a F100. That is at least my opinion.

[leo_papandreou1]

I have both. One I'm paranoid of damaging ('cuz it's so expensive), the other gets the σhit used out of it.

[Jean-Claude]

 

F6 image

[Jean-Claude]

more info here: https://kenrockwell.com/nikon/f6.htm#comp

[leo_papandreou1]

Ackshually the F6 (and F5) has a self-diagnostic shutter. It wouldn't have let you take a picture with a broken curtain.

[Jean-Claude]

if you want one, very cheap + MB40, here is one I just discover on Ebay:

Nikon F6 + MB40 | eBay

[Henricvs]

I owned a new F100 a few years ago. On my 1st day in BENIN (Africa), I made a shot against the sun. The viewfinder indicated 1/8000 of a second I remember and all of a sudden, nothing worked on the camera any more. I couldn't rewind the negative, nor press the shutter, the camera was totally dead.

 

I kept pressing the shutter, again and again, and all of a sudden it worked ! The next day, same problem. First totally dead, then after pressing and pressing the shutter again and again, it came back to life. I came home with about 30 films I shot (+/- 1000 photos) and developped them my self in my darkroom. All, yes ALL the frames were cut off very sharply by 25%. It took a while before I discovered that it was 1 part of the curtain that was missing!

 

Today with the screen at the back of digital cameras, one can see if a picture is properly taken or not. Unfortunatelly, the film cameras do not inform you that something is wrong, there is no alarm signal and that's why I kept shooting for a total of 30 films! I cried my eyes out.

 

I bought a like new F100 and a few month later, same problem. I threw it away and bought a F6.

 

Nothing to compare, absolutely nothing. The difference between a Ferrari and an Alfa Romeo....Once you drive a Ferrari or shoot wit a F6, you don't even think of looking at a F100. That is at least my opinion.

 

Wow, what are the odds that both F100 cameras had the same type of broken shutter? I've had mine for years without one hiccup, except the broken back. I have to disagree with your comparison. Both are pro Nikons and one is simply an older model. I know the F6 is a great camera, I love mine. Not everyone can afford the price tag of an F6. The F100 is good choice if you can't afford the F6. This isn't a case of equal comparison between the F100 and F6. Read the original post carefully.

[ben_hutcherson]

The F100 came to the market in what I'd call the teenage years of the internet, and there is still a LOT of discussion out there if you poke around on the web about the camera when it was new.

 

For one thing, it certainly seems that Nikon sold a whole lot of them. I know plenty of photographers IRL who haven't shot theirs in years but don't want to get rid of them, yet there is no shortage of them on the used market. I'd consider it analagous to the D700, D8x0, and Canon 5D series today-cameras that are equally suited to both advanced amateurs and to pros who either don't need the features of the D3/D4/D5 or 1D series bodies(or F5 or EOS-1V in the film days) or alternatively just don't want to deal with the size and weight of them.

 

Back in the day, there seemed to be a lot of chatter about the rewind fork. It's certainly not metal like it is on my F5(and I'd guess also the F6) but the redesigned one seems to have been favorably received. I recall an anecdote about Galen Rowell having it break after he was convinced to try one out, and went back to his trusty F4 for a while as a result. I seem to recall that he HAD switched to the F100 as his primary camera at the time of his death(and chances are would be toting something like a D610 or D7200 if he was still alive today) but only after the fork redesign.

 

I've heard a smattering of reports about focus issues, but that seems to be true of every new Nikon SLR these days...granted we can see issue on a 36mp+ DSLR in a way that we probably couldn't previously short of looking at Tech Pan under a microscope. Most problem reports with the F100 seem to come down to sample variation rather than actual design issues from what I've seen(there again, rewind fork excepted).

[ben_hutcherson]

One other thought:

 

The F5 has an eyepoint of ~21mm, which is down from 22mm on the F4 and 25mm on the F3HP. Generous eyepoints are appreciated if you wear glasses(I do) although IMO the F3HP might go a bit too far since Nikon actually reduced the magnification vs. the standard F3 finder. With that said, even with shorter eyepoints the F4 and F5 actually have less magnification than the F3HP-I'm GUESSING this is because the only "extra" information you need to see on the F3 is the little LCD and the ADR pipe at the top of the viewfinder, while the F4 has the full LCD at the bottom plus the ADR, and the F5 has to show you the orange focus point triangles. The F100 gives you 21mm also and .76x, the latter of which is higher than the F3HP(.75x) but is also 96% vs. 100% on the single digit Fs.

 

In any case, the F6 drops the eyepoint down to 19mm. That's a bit disappointing to me, but there again I assume it's okay. The D800 is even shorter at 17mm, though, and I don't have any trouble with it(the D3s is 18mm, and I'm also fine with it). The F6 DOES use the same DK-17 "locking" ring as other D2-series and later round eyepiece cameras, and that IS generously sized. I seem to recall the FM2n being specced at 19mm, and I have to move my eye around a lot to see everything in the finder, but at the same time the eyepiece on it(along with other FM and FE series cameras, Nikkormats, the EL2, the F2, and round-eyepiece Fs) is a fair bit smaller than the high eyepoint style used on the F3HP, F4, N8008, N90, F5, F100, and D series.