Nikon F6

Japanese companies, for all their huge size and consensus decision making, sometimes display more soul than their US corporate counterparts. In creating the F6 masterpiece, Nikon knew they would probably… not recover their development cost; film is over. But profit was not the point. The F6 is a love letter and an expression of gratitude for Nikon's rise to success through 35 mm SLR photography. The F6, almost certainly the end of the F line, is a parting gift from Nikon; the emphasis is on mechanical beauty and ergonomic perfection. Get one while you can; there will never ever be a more superb 35 mm single lens reflex film camera.

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Nikon has introduced a new F-series film camera about once every eight years, and a lot of people wondered if the F5 from 1996 would be the last film-based pro SLR Nikon would manufacture. To the surprise… and delight of many, Nikon unveiled the F6 with relatively quiet fanfare last autumn. Film photographers in the know should prepare their credit cards for this one. Having owned the F4s, F5 and now the F6, I can say from experience that the previous F-series cameras are all great, but the best just got better. The F6 still has the same robust build you would expect from an F-series Nikon, and yet it is lighter than the F5 by almost 8 ounces, and it is only about 7 ounces heavier than the F100. (Without optional grip/battery pack). Ergonomics are excellent - the F6 fits nicely in my hands. Improvements include enhanced RGB color matrix metering and 11-sensor autofocus. Unlike the F5, you are no longer required to lug 8 AA batteries around at all times (although you can if you want to) - the optional MB-40 battery pack accepts AA batteries or, better yet, a long lasting Nikon EN-EL4 rechargeable lithium ion battery, which will pay for itself rather quickly. And what can you say about a camera that comes "loaded" with a fully functioning databack? This used to be a $500 accessory in previous F models. The F6 has an LCD screen on the back (grayscale) which allows you to quickly scroll through custom functions and settings, and you also get autobracketing, intervalometer, and the option to print basic information on the first frame of the roll, in between film frames, or inside the frame itself. Is this the last of the film based F-series cameras from Nikon? Difficult to say. It will be interesting to see if film survives in another eight years. Many labs today are beginning to scale back on film processing operations, and digital cameras are matching (in some cases, surpassing) the quality of 35mm film. The F6 could be the last of its kind. Then again, some folks said the same thing about the F5. PS - as a side note, I would highly recommend the optional MB-40 battery pack. It gives you the option of using AA batteries or the EN-EL4 rechargeable in addition to a vertical firing button and a wheel pad for selecting the different AF zones. Very nice indeed.

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I was able to take a look at Nikon's latest professional camera at last year's Photo Plus East; I was surprised that Nikon would devote so much effort in creating the finest professional-grade 35mm SLR… camera that is available to those who use only film. It is as well built as the Nikon F6, but in a major departure from its Nikon F series predecessors, no longer has interchangeable viewfinders (Focusing screens can be changed via the reflex mirror, like those for the Nikon FE and FM series cameras.). it is also substantially lighter, without losing any of its ruggedness, only slightly larger than the Nikon F100 camera. Without question, this is the finest professional quality 35mm film SLR camera currently available. If I was still using Nikons, I wouldn't hesitate adding this camera to my kit.

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Nikon has brought out the new world standard 35mm SLR camera and it is truly great. It has the sturdy feel of the F5 - you get the feeling of a camera body you could drop in a mud puddle and run over with… your car and it would still work fine after you cleaned it up. It isn't a lot bigger than the F100 and is very handy - I love the feel of it. But it's metering system is simply the best. It may be possible to fool it - the snow scenes this winter will be the acid test - but it hasn't happened to me yet. It is very hard to find anything to criticize but I wish the batteries were easier to find and lasted longer but I am resisting buying the accessory battery pack for reasons of lightness and handiness (but I may cave eventually). The autofocus is swift and sure, as you would expect. The data back is a great feature too. I will never part with this camera. It truly takes grat pictures when I do my part and it just gets out of the way and lets me do it. This is a camera and system you will not outgrow.

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