I love the F5 and F100, but there’s just something about an F6.. I’ll need to sell a few of the six or seven Nikon F5s I have and *maybe* I’ll be able to get an F6.
The fact that Nikon will still perform maintenance and repairs on the F6 is another great reason to get one. I hope they'll continue to support it for years to come.
@@tchouros If your camera was sold/purchased in Europe then that's pretty weird. You could try contacting Bellamy at Japan Camera Hunter with the camera serial number and see if he can arrange a service through Nikon Japan. I have heard that the service center may not work on the camera if it was sold/purchased in a different market than where the service center is located. So if you try to get a Japan market F6 serviced at a USA Nikon Service Center, they may reject it. Best thing to do is to call Nikon support, give them the camera's serial number and verify that they will work on it first before sending it in.
@@tchouros Can ask Bellamy at Japan Camera Hunter to see if your camera can get serviced at Nikon Japan if you give him the serial number. Sometimes a service center won't work on a camera if it was sold/purchased in a different market than where the service center is. Like Nikon USA might refuse to work on a Japanese market camera for example. If you give them the serial number they can check and verify that they'll work on it.
I loved this feature when I got one of the data backs for the F3. I wish more cameras printed data in between frames instead of right on top of the frame.
Optical viewfinders are so extremely underrated today. Shooting an SLR or DSLR with a good, large viewfinder is such a relaxing experience compared to the EVF's of mirrorless.
I agree, having used EVFs for 7 years, I recently went back to my F100 and remembered how beautiful shooting with an optical viewfinder is in comparison. Now I’m finding it hard to move back to an EVF.
2:34 Silent shutters or the "Q" mode on Nikons works if you hold the shutter down! The mirror comes down when you release the button, which can be anytime. With this only the curtain and mirror up are noises you can hear
Just picked up an F6 2 weeks ago. After 9 years of shooting full manual cameras with an external light meter shooting the F6 is a dream! What a camera.
The F6 looks like a beast of a camera, but with the F100 and the F4 in arsenal, I think I'm content for the time being. The F100 has been my go to Nikon film camera and it's a fantastic camera. Plus it can save EXIF data internally as long as you have a 10-pin to serial cable but I was able to easily make one after a bit of research. This was tedious and difficult in the early 2000's but today, its insanely easy. Very much enjoy your perspective as always Kai!
Never could justify the price of one of these, much as I want it, so I settled for the Nikon F100. About 85% of an F6 at 25% of the price, and I love mine to bits. ..Joe
I had 2 F100s. Amazing cameras and I regret selling them. But I bought an F6 in 2006. Its a level above I must say. Super snappy focus and so clean as it winds.You have to try it and decide personally I think.
I decided the F100 was a little rich for my blood and went with the n80 and wow, I could not be happier. Nice and light weight but still durable. I had never shot film before, but I threw it straight in aperture priority and matrix metering figured out the rest. I was very surprised how quick and accurate the autofocus was on the old D lenses. I highly recommend the N80 for anyone looking for a more modern SLR that doesn't break the bank.
I'd guess there would be a huge cost involved in rebuilding the entire production line with SLR mechanisms such as film advance etc. They would probably make a net loss from that.
@@fotografalexandernikolis depends on how they do it. They could probably rework the late DSLR line to accommodate it, and it serves them right! They should’ve never stopped making them 😂
@@gavenevans But really, what's the point of making even more new film cameras when old ones are everywhere for cheap? It's not like a new one would bring anything significant over the F6.
@@fotografalexandernikolis I don’t know about that, I think you could make a significantly better camera than you could with 2004 manufacturing. Film is going through a revival and people will appreciate (and pay for) NEW film cameras. If Leica can revive the M6 just for fun, I’m sure Nikon could cook up something incredible. A D6 style body with that level of autofocus and exposure latitude would be great
I agree completely with your title of this video. I own every analogue model of Nikon made, except for an F6. There are three cameras I could never afford: an F6, a Leica of any kind and a Rolleiflex. One day.. someday.
What a mark of the time, what a tons of memories, the state of the art camera once out of reach is 20 years old and affordable to me, yet I will never buy one and develop films in my DIY kitchen lab as I was young. As I can tell I used to owned a F2AS in bad shape, F3HP which is alright just the LCD number is not too well. Then for some part time job reason I put a rental F4E on my neck for the whole day and remember that pain and sorrow til this day. But I never seriously use a F5 and F6.
Sold one month ago all my digital cameras as I didn't wanted to make the switch to hybrid and bought a brand new F6 (no scratches, out-of-the-box condition) for $900 on eBay (Japanese seller obiously). This was my best decision ever. Can't wait to put a 58mm 1.4 on it!
I bought one a couple of years ago, but didn’t like it at all. Probably not because of the camera, but my lack of good Nikon lenses. And I hated that there were so many lenses that only worked partially, when it came to autofocus, programs and so on. My Canon cameras doesn’t have any of those problem. If it’s an EF lens, it works on every EF-mount camera. And my 1VHS and 1NRS both are a lot faster than the F6, even with the grip mounted. It was just to different from how I use my Canons. Sold for more than I payed a couple of months later, so no regrets, and the man who bought it is still happy with it.
If it’s like the F4 then the “silent” mode is actually for the winder. On the F4 the “Cs” mode slows the winder down so it’s quieter when it winds the film after each shot
Love that Pro Image 100. Those reds. ❤ I love my F100. I've thought once or twice about getting the F5/F6 but it felt like overkill. Super fun retro review!
The AF-D and G lenses in combination with the F6 metering and focus system absolutely squeezed every last drop of quality that you could possibly get out of 35mm film. Every time I see good scans from shots out of the F6 I'm blown away by the detail and resolution.
Glad to see you finally reviewed the F6 Kai, and beautiful pictures from Tokio no less. Many people ask what is the point of this camera when "X" film camera exist. For me the answer is simple: every time you press the shutter button, you are confident you are getting the picture. No other film camera does that for me and thus this is why it's my camera for events and sports. Regarding the internal battery problem, I had my camera repaired by Nikon, but I highly suggest getting a later serial number camera or one that has been serviced. I recommend ALWAYS keeping batteries in your F6 to avoid the internal battery from going bad. And for the shooting data, Meta35 was the way to go. That utility was able to embed the data into the scans. Very helpful for when importing to Lightroom afterwards. Shooting data can be imprinted between the frames, but that will slow the FPS on continuous shooting.
One of the greatest cameras ever, can’t wait for the F7. I love using the 24/1.4G lens on this camera with some Kodak XX B&W or Fujichrome Provia 100, gorgeous every time.
As a bit of a heads up from long term nikon F6 user, pick up some RECHARGEABLE CR123a batteries as it will save you some ££ in the long term and far better for the environment! they also last a lot longer for shooting. The F6 is the GOAT. Long a 35mm 1.4 AF-s G on an enjoy!
Well done Kai! The F6 has become my favourite street workhorse over the last 5 years. The metering is infallible! Focus is fastest I have seen on a film camera, except zone focusing of course. The AF-S G lenses (50/1.4 and 85/1.4) are sublime. I couldn't say a bad thing about the F6, except that it's on the heavy side if you are used to mirrorless or rangefinder. I can easily skip a gym session after going out with a pair of F6s for a few hours. Brilliant overall.
@@aaronmoore3050 No but have read several comparison reviews. It would be worth shooting them side by side. F6 focusing is quite good but Canon’s might be better. F6 will be better at metering for sure.
I’m glad you mentioned the AF speed. I have the F5 and it drives the 50 1.4D and the 80-200 2.8DED with amazing speed. It drives the 80-200 faster than my D850! I wish the F5 had the shutter and aperture speed imprinted on the negatives like the F6. And I like using eneloops instead of those expensive F6 batteries. But the trade off is size of course. Both great cameras
Thanks for this. I had an F4s and lusted after the F5 when it came out but couldn’t justify the upgrade cost. Then by the time the F6 arrived I had moved on to digital. Sometimes I get nostalgic about film but so far not enough to actually go back. Maybe I’ll try medium format someday.
The F6 is the only film camera with digital time technology F6 Flash TTL system is Nikon i-TTL, compatible with to dates TTL flashes for digital Nikon cameras, no other Nikon film camera has i-TTL. The F6 battery grip can work directly with D2 batteries, compatible also with D3, D4, D5 D6 batteries. The exposure system with or without i-TTL flash is the best I've ever seen on film cameras, slide films are simply all ways exposed at perfection in automatic mode, it's magical
Good review abd I'm tempted to get one... The F6 was an evolution, the F4 was a revelation! I have been using my F4 pretty much since its day it was released 😀
Love my F100, maybe one day I’ll pick up an F6 if I find the right deal. I also really love film SLRs with the ergonomics and look of the DSLR era. F6>Df any day.
I have so many nostalgia feelings with this video. I have the feelings like this for the D200. I just absolutely loved that camera, even though it was a cropped sensor it just put out some really great photos. I love the color from it. I still have mine but sadly the top left dial got broken during a move a couple years ago. So now you have to dive into the menu to change the iso, white balance and quality settings, as well as shooting mode. It's a shame because I would love to get it fixed but it'd cost more than what they are worth these days I imagine.
Can’t disagree and we are in n good company. When Nikon invited me to take part in the press junket to Tokyo and Sendai for the D3 introduction in 2007, I had a chance to ask Nikon’s most senior camera engineer which was his favorite of all the cameras he had worked on, he reached into his desk and pulled out his personal D6.
For all Nikon nerds out there: how does the F6 compare to the F100? I'm especially interested in the viewfinder size/clarity. Some manuals report the f100 as having a 0.7x magnification, while others state 0.76x :/
Nikon should bring back the D700's censor type into a new camera body. even if they can make it a 24mp sensor instead of 12mp. I have that camera and i love it
Part of me thinks that yes this is true... it's the best where ever was (although that is maybe subjective as many seemed to have liked the earlier F cameras a little more like the F2 or FM2). But from a technical standpoint, the F6 is the best there ever will be as it put a lot of their then-current tech into the camera. And being the last film camera Nikon produced, it encompassed most of the latest tech at its time. That being said ,I'm more interested in the older film cameras, from say the 60's to 80's -- the ones that were mostly / fully manual, although auto focus even on a film camera is nice at times.
Awesome camera - the best of the best. I've had one a year or so as a present from my grandad - the thud of the shutter really is amazing and the data imprinting is very nice. Glad you got one. Go get some crazy expensive slide film from Aperture and fire away
You know the best thing about screwdrive linkage lenses? In my experience I have yet to have a AF motor burn out in the camera body. I have an F5 that I purchased new way back in 1998 and it has yet to need to have the AF motor serviced/. I have had the silent wave motor burn out of numerous lenses. Too numerous to count actually and its a very expensive repair. I try to buy screwdrive lenses as a consequence whenever possible.
Totally agree. Sick of buying clunky and aged manual cameras that have issues. Buy once and cry once. Sold my wonderful F5 to buy the great F6... Canon 1V is equally awesome as well. Have owned them both. Go with whatever system you already own is my advice. Though being a Nikon guy, the 1V is easily the equal.
My F6's AF failed - and I babied it. Started to extreme front focus. Nikon Los Angeles service center fixed it and said it was common w the F6. I still use it, and it is nice. But that was very disappointing. Also... once the internal battery that saves the memory settings and clock fails, you need to take it to a service center to have that fixed as the camera needs to come apart to get to it. Nikon didn't really think that through, did they?
Honestly as a canon user for ever I've always dribbled for a mint Nikon f2 photomic. Love that camera that has to be the most iconic best ever Nikon, just can't be arsed with developing
The F6 was a reevaluation of the F5 rather than an evolution like each F camera had been. It was for the (notably) smaller pool of professional photographers who weren’t press, sports, forensic or scientific shooters - they’d already gone digital by then - and needed/preferred quality over speed. Hence less focus on sheer speed. But even then Nikon knew that the F6 would be their F swansong. Kinda amazing it was sold for so long, though perhaps that’s just cause it took so long to sell the production run ;-) Still, I want one, even though I have no need for one. 😂
I "only" had the F4. While I have no nostalgia for film - coughing fixer fumes and paying $30 for 36 exposures of color - the F4 had the best hand feel by far of any camera I've used since 1967. It was uncanny - I could wander into a conversation and take photos with a 20mm and nobody noticed the big hippo F4 - it was very inconspicuous. I'm guessing the "fllllt" shutter sound was soothing. Lovely stable wide-angle pix because of the chunky weight. Wish they made a body like it for mirrorless.
Looks like you had great weather during your stay! Have watched your videos since 2012 on DRTV, if you’re ever in Kyoto would love to bring along my black F with a 2.1cm Nikkor ! Got that lens after seeing it on your silver F many times.
Will the newest lenses work on it? I got Nikon F60 and the aperture and auto focus didn't work on most lenses, some claimed that only on F100 and F6 they will work, but I think it is a big risk to buy one and get disappointed. Has anyone tried some of the newer lenses on the body?
I own and use a variety of Nikon film cameras….my favourite is still the FM3a, but I do wonder, despite owning the fabulous F5 and F100, whether I need an F6? …..my wife’s view is that I do not!
I think about the F6 from time to time, but it's hard to justify when I already own an F100 I got in near-perfect condition (a little stickiness). It's at least 90% of the performance for 1/5th the price...
As others mentioning in the comments, would be great if you could test Minolta Dynax 9, it would be even better if you can find one with updated firmware that can take modern A mount lenses.
F6 the ultimate analog 135-film camera? Now perhaps owners of Canon EOS-1N, Minolta Dynax 9 or, for example, a brand new Leica M6 should join the discussion?
As each camera function (winding, rewinding, shutter, focus) has an own motor, film advance takes place just after shutter closes during the mirror return. You cannot hear film advance that allready took place as the shutter noise ends
Man it used to be 899$ in 2014-15 . Don't believe Kai, the production of the F6 continued for so many years. It was in first & second party retailers for so long.
Fingers crossed the attention Kai brings to Nikon will drop the price of some of the other really nice cameras.... even Medium Format has been rising in price again and i need a new VF for my Bronica
The Nikon F6 was released 8 years after the F5. The D2X out at the time, and no one ever expected it. It was one last love letter to the F series and to film. PLEASE Nikon, pull another F6! Release one last D series camera. I'd love nothing more than a D900 to keep using until all my F mount lenses finally die.
Great camera and I own an F5 in my collection... But I still think the two best film cameras were the canon EOS 3 (I have owned mine from new, the AF is phenomenal) and the Minolta Dynax 7. Both were revolutionary, to a certain extent the F6 is the response to the Minolta with it's back screen and shoots more FPS than the EOS 3... But this EOS 3 être autofocus works insanely well with my eye and has only been beaten by mirrorless AF or the EOS R3 eye controlled AF... And as the owner of an R5, I really miss the eye controlled AF.
I love my F4 because of how ridicolous this crossover of past and future looks. Motorized rewind, still has manual knob. A S P M modes but still has shutter speed dial. DXcodes but still has ISO dial. Detachable prism. It's insane.
well i been looking for one of this for sometime now, will love to try some birds photography with film, this and the F5 seems like the best option lets hope i can still find one under 1500 after this video lol
The F5 is going to have to remain my favorite, as the F6 is still demanding a huge entry level price, starting in the low $800 USD range. And as others here were quick to point out, this video will probably cause prices to increase.
The F6 might have the best specs and be the newest, but the F5 was an always will be the Grand Daddy of film cameras for me. I remember holding one in Jessops, The Strand (London) when I was 17 and drooling over it, knowing I'd probably never own one. I'm tempted to get one now because they're only £300 ish on eBay. Not because I'd shoot with it much, but just to look at it on my shelf, play with it occasionally and smile. haha.
I bought my F5 back in 2014 for 200 dollars and still using it, dont actully understand F6 camera, F5 is cheaper and has a prism that you could get off to shoot with action finder, plus you get 8 batteries AA what makes easier to replace and find.
Nikon F6's 11 autofocus points are way more reliable than EOS1V's 45 autofocus points, especially in low light. The autofocus point selection is also way easier than EOS1V. Its metering is impressive, even when you use it with TTL flashes from 3rd parties like Godox. There's a lot positive I could say about it but Kai already mentioned it, so I will just focus on the negatives: It plays very poorly with bulk loaded film like the Kodak Vision 3 250D, 500t, Ektachrome, etc. The camera has a tendency to rewind for no reason at all. I do not observe similar problems with EOS1V or Minolta a7. I thought my F6 was broken but it never had this problem with non-bulk loaded film like Portra, Velvia, Color 200, HP5, etc. Its CSM is poorly implemented compared to Minolta a7, and you often have to look at both the top and rear screens simultaneously when adjusting to the settings. It was released in 2004, in the age of Windows XP and USB ports but there is no easy way to extract EXIF using USB port.
Thanks Kai, the $1200 F6 I’ve been saving up for will now be $2000 in a few hours 😂
Haha true eh.
Go for an F5 or F100 they're nearly the same just going for $300
Now I gotta panic buy one 😭
I love the F5 and F100, but there’s just something about an F6.. I’ll need to sell a few of the six or seven Nikon F5s I have and *maybe* I’ll be able to get an F6.
FE, F2 or F3.. all you ever need
Thanks Kai for helping me sell my f6 for thrice the price I paid for it a couple of year back! Really helped me paying my bills!
The fact that Nikon will still perform maintenance and repairs on the F6 is another great reason to get one. I hope they'll continue to support it for years to come.
I don’t know where you live, but Nikon UK, Switzerland and France all refused to service mine two months ago!
Nikon Japan @@tchouros
I've had mine serviced in Taiwan around 6 months ago
@@tchouros If your camera was sold/purchased in Europe then that's pretty weird. You could try contacting Bellamy at Japan Camera Hunter with the camera serial number and see if he can arrange a service through Nikon Japan.
I have heard that the service center may not work on the camera if it was sold/purchased in a different market than where the service center is located. So if you try to get a Japan market F6 serviced at a USA Nikon Service Center, they may reject it. Best thing to do is to call Nikon support, give them the camera's serial number and verify that they will work on it first before sending it in.
@@tchouros Can ask Bellamy at Japan Camera Hunter to see if your camera can get serviced at Nikon Japan if you give him the serial number. Sometimes a service center won't work on a camera if it was sold/purchased in a different market than where the service center is. Like Nikon USA might refuse to work on a Japanese market camera for example. If you give them the serial number they can check and verify that they'll work on it.
The F6 can also print capture data on the film strip between the frames. Such an amazing camera.
I loved this feature when I got one of the data backs for the F3. I wish more cameras printed data in between frames instead of right on top of the frame.
Optical viewfinders are so extremely underrated today. Shooting an SLR or DSLR with a good, large viewfinder is such a relaxing experience compared to the EVF's of mirrorless.
I agree, having used EVFs for 7 years, I recently went back to my F100 and remembered how beautiful shooting with an optical viewfinder is in comparison. Now I’m finding it hard to move back to an EVF.
2:34 Silent shutters or the "Q" mode on Nikons works if you hold the shutter down!
The mirror comes down when you release the button, which can be anytime. With this only the curtain and mirror up are noises you can hear
Just picked up an F6 2 weeks ago. After 9 years of shooting full manual cameras with an external light meter shooting the F6 is a dream! What a camera.
If you`re used to nothing everything is an upgrade
@@brugj03 Can't argue with that logic! 🤣
I got one 2 years ago, its amazing. I brought it a Z8 and 400mm f2.8 G to Kenya last year. The ektachrome came out amazing.
The F6 looks like a beast of a camera, but with the F100 and the F4 in arsenal, I think I'm content for the time being. The F100 has been my go to Nikon film camera and it's a fantastic camera. Plus it can save EXIF data internally as long as you have a 10-pin to serial cable but I was able to easily make one after a bit of research. This was tedious and difficult in the early 2000's but today, its insanely easy. Very much enjoy your perspective as always Kai!
A face to face between this and the F100 should be following soon!
Never could justify the price of one of these, much as I want it, so I settled for the Nikon F100. About 85% of an F6 at 25% of the price, and I love mine to bits.
..Joe
The money you saved buys a lot of film and developer!
I love my F100. Really haven't found anything about it that I miss elsewhere.
F-100 is my favorite film camera!!! ❤❤❤❤😊
I had 2 F100s. Amazing cameras and I regret selling them. But I bought an F6 in 2006. Its a level above I must say. Super snappy focus and so clean as it winds.You have to try it and decide personally I think.
I decided the F100 was a little rich for my blood and went with the n80 and wow, I could not be happier. Nice and light weight but still durable. I had never shot film before, but I threw it straight in aperture priority and matrix metering figured out the rest. I was very surprised how quick and accurate the autofocus was on the old D lenses. I highly recommend the N80 for anyone looking for a more modern SLR that doesn't break the bank.
PRESSURE CAMPAIGN TO MAKE NIKON TO MAKE ANOTHER ONE F SERIES
I'd guess there would be a huge cost involved in rebuilding the entire production line with SLR mechanisms such as film advance etc. They would probably make a net loss from that.
@@fotografalexandernikolis depends on how they do it. They could probably rework the late DSLR line to accommodate it, and it serves them right! They should’ve never stopped making them 😂
I want an F7 with D6 autofocus
@@gavenevans But really, what's the point of making even more new film cameras when old ones are everywhere for cheap? It's not like a new one would bring anything significant over the F6.
@@fotografalexandernikolis I don’t know about that, I think you could make a significantly better camera than you could with 2004 manufacturing. Film is going through a revival and people will appreciate (and pay for) NEW film cameras. If Leica can revive the M6 just for fun, I’m sure Nikon could cook up something incredible. A D6 style body with that level of autofocus and exposure latitude would be great
I love my F5.
Same here; definitely wouldn't trade it for anything else.
Same! got one for $250 and laugh every time I see someone recommend an overpriced F6
F5:professional camera.
F6:serious enthusiast camera.
I bought one brand new in Japan for 800 usd.
Haven’t regretted a single thing.
I agree completely with your title of this video. I own every analogue model of Nikon made, except for an F6. There are three cameras I could never afford: an F6, a Leica of any kind and a Rolleiflex. One day.. someday.
What a mark of the time, what a tons of memories, the state of the art camera once out of reach is 20 years old and affordable to me, yet I will never buy one and develop films in my DIY kitchen lab as I was young.
As I can tell I used to owned a F2AS in bad shape, F3HP which is alright just the LCD number is not too well. Then for some part time job reason I put a rental F4E on my neck for the whole day and remember that pain and sorrow til this day. But I never seriously use a F5 and F6.
I have gone back into film and the F6 is a dream along with my Fm3a and FM2Ns
Sold one month ago all my digital cameras as I didn't wanted to make the switch to hybrid and bought a brand new F6 (no scratches, out-of-the-box condition) for $900 on eBay (Japanese seller obiously). This was my best decision ever. Can't wait to put a 58mm 1.4 on it!
Following kai since 2014 from digital rev tv. Always my favorite
The best there was? What about Canon EOS 1V ? :)
I bought one a couple of years ago, but didn’t like it at all. Probably not because of the camera, but my lack of good Nikon lenses. And I hated that there were so many lenses that only worked partially, when it came to autofocus, programs and so on. My Canon cameras doesn’t have any of those problem. If it’s an EF lens, it works on every EF-mount camera. And my 1VHS and 1NRS both are a lot faster than the F6, even with the grip mounted. It was just to different from how I use my Canons. Sold for more than I payed a couple of months later, so no regrets, and the man who bought it is still happy with it.
I have F6 and EOS1V, and EOS1RS. I guess I disagree because my F6 is super smooth and crisp.
If it’s like the F4 then the “silent” mode is actually for the winder. On the F4 the “Cs” mode slows the winder down so it’s quieter when it winds the film after each shot
Love that Pro Image 100. Those reds. ❤
I love my F100. I've thought once or twice about getting the F5/F6 but it felt like overkill. Super fun retro review!
Agree. F100 has everything really.
The AF-D and G lenses in combination with the F6 metering and focus system absolutely squeezed every last drop of quality that you could possibly get out of 35mm film. Every time I see good scans from shots out of the F6 I'm blown away by the detail and resolution.
Glad to see you finally reviewed the F6 Kai, and beautiful pictures from Tokio no less. Many people ask what is the point of this camera when "X" film camera exist. For me the answer is simple: every time you press the shutter button, you are confident you are getting the picture. No other film camera does that for me and thus this is why it's my camera for events and sports.
Regarding the internal battery problem, I had my camera repaired by Nikon, but I highly suggest getting a later serial number camera or one that has been serviced. I recommend ALWAYS keeping batteries in your F6 to avoid the internal battery from going bad.
And for the shooting data, Meta35 was the way to go. That utility was able to embed the data into the scans. Very helpful for when importing to Lightroom afterwards. Shooting data can be imprinted between the frames, but that will slow the FPS on continuous shooting.
A truly great camera. It's quieter than some DSLRs, which is impressive considering it has to wind the film too.
Cheers Kai. come back soon.
Ektachrome 100 exists. Thanks for doing this. I just may try film photography again.
One of the greatest cameras ever, can’t wait for the F7. I love using the 24/1.4G lens on this camera with some Kodak XX B&W or Fujichrome Provia 100, gorgeous every time.
As a bit of a heads up from long term nikon F6 user, pick up some RECHARGEABLE CR123a batteries as it will save you some ££ in the long term and far better for the environment! they also last a lot longer for shooting. The F6 is the GOAT. Long a 35mm 1.4 AF-s G on an enjoy!
ah thanks - i've wondered a few times if you can put rechargable ones in
Well done Kai! The F6 has become my favourite street workhorse over the last 5 years. The metering is infallible! Focus is fastest I have seen on a film camera, except zone focusing of course. The AF-S G lenses (50/1.4 and 85/1.4) are sublime. I couldn't say a bad thing about the F6, except that it's on the heavy side if you are used to mirrorless or rangefinder. I can easily skip a gym session after going out with a pair of F6s for a few hours. Brilliant overall.
@@aaronmoore3050 No but have read several comparison reviews. It would be worth shooting them side by side. F6 focusing is quite good but Canon’s might be better. F6 will be better at metering for sure.
Indeed, a beautiful camera.
I’m glad you mentioned the AF speed. I have the F5 and it drives the 50 1.4D and the 80-200 2.8DED with amazing speed. It drives the 80-200 faster than my D850! I wish the F5 had the shutter and aperture speed imprinted on the negatives like the F6. And I like using eneloops instead of those expensive F6 batteries. But the trade off is size of course. Both great cameras
Thanks for this. I had an F4s and lusted after the F5 when it came out but couldn’t justify the upgrade cost. Then by the time the F6 arrived I had moved on to digital. Sometimes I get nostalgic about film but so far not enough to actually go back. Maybe I’ll try medium format someday.
I can attest to its greatness - I have one since 2009. Lovely piece of machine
The F6 is the only film camera with digital time technology
F6 Flash TTL system is Nikon i-TTL, compatible with to dates TTL flashes for digital Nikon cameras, no other Nikon film camera has i-TTL.
The F6 battery grip can work directly with D2 batteries, compatible also with D3, D4, D5 D6 batteries.
The exposure system with or without i-TTL flash is the best I've ever seen on film cameras, slide films are simply all ways exposed at perfection in automatic mode, it's magical
So now we have a video of F4 and F6. I think the F5 is needed now to complete the collection?
Good review abd I'm tempted to get one... The F6 was an evolution, the F4 was a revelation! I have been using my F4 pretty much since its day it was released 😀
Love my F100, maybe one day I’ll pick up an F6 if I find the right deal.
I also really love film SLRs with the ergonomics and look of the DSLR era. F6>Df any day.
I have both the F100 and F6; the F100 is the one I reach for more often for reasons I can't entirely explain.
I have so many nostalgia feelings with this video. I have the feelings like this for the D200. I just absolutely loved that camera, even though it was a cropped sensor it just put out some really great photos. I love the color from it. I still have mine but sadly the top left dial got broken during a move a couple years ago. So now you have to dive into the menu to change the iso, white balance and quality settings, as well as shooting mode. It's a shame because I would love to get it fixed but it'd cost more than what they are worth these days I imagine.
Can’t disagree and we are in n good company. When Nikon invited me to take part in the press junket to Tokyo and Sendai for the D3 introduction in 2007, I had a chance to ask Nikon’s most senior camera engineer which was his favorite of all the cameras he had worked on, he reached into his desk and pulled out his personal D6.
For all Nikon nerds out there: how does the F6 compare to the F100? I'm especially interested in the viewfinder size/clarity.
Some manuals report the f100 as having a 0.7x magnification, while others state 0.76x :/
Nikon should bring back the D700's censor type into a new camera body. even if they can make it a 24mp sensor instead of 12mp. I have that camera and i love it
Part of me thinks that yes this is true... it's the best where ever was (although that is maybe subjective as many seemed to have liked the earlier F cameras a little more like the F2 or FM2). But from a technical standpoint, the F6 is the best there ever will be as it put a lot of their then-current tech into the camera. And being the last film camera Nikon produced, it encompassed most of the latest tech at its time. That being said ,I'm more interested in the older film cameras, from say the 60's to 80's -- the ones that were mostly / fully manual, although auto focus even on a film camera is nice at times.
Awesome camera - the best of the best. I've had one a year or so as a present from my grandad - the thud of the shutter really is amazing and the data imprinting is very nice. Glad you got one.
Go get some crazy expensive slide film from Aperture and fire away
This makes me want to repurchase the 50mm 1.4 afd again. Along with the rest of my afd lenses.
You know the best thing about screwdrive linkage lenses? In my experience I have yet to have a AF motor burn out in the camera body. I have an F5 that I purchased new way back in 1998 and it has yet to need to have the AF motor serviced/. I have had the silent wave motor burn out of numerous lenses. Too numerous to count actually and its a very expensive repair. I try to buy screwdrive lenses as a consequence whenever possible.
Totally agree. Sick of buying clunky and aged manual cameras that have issues. Buy once and cry once. Sold my wonderful F5 to buy the great F6... Canon 1V is equally awesome as well. Have owned them both. Go with whatever system you already own is my advice. Though being a Nikon guy, the 1V is easily the equal.
My F6's AF failed - and I babied it. Started to extreme front focus. Nikon Los Angeles service center fixed it and said it was common w the F6. I still use it, and it is nice. But that was very disappointing. Also... once the internal battery that saves the memory settings and clock fails, you need to take it to a service center to have that fixed as the camera needs to come apart to get to it. Nikon didn't really think that through, did they?
How does it compare with the (under rated?) Minolta Dynax/Alpha 9?
The silent mode refers to the winder will be quieter, but not the shutter
Honestly as a canon user for ever I've always dribbled for a mint Nikon f2 photomic. Love that camera that has to be the most iconic best ever Nikon, just can't be arsed with developing
What happened to your studio at Aperture Kai? Have you still got it?
Need some more analogue vids, Takumars 👍
A lot say the F6 was just not what it should’ve been for professional photographers compared to the F5
Pros either stuck with the F5 or went digital. The F6 was designed for hobbyists.
The F6 was a reevaluation of the F5 rather than an evolution like each F camera had been. It was for the (notably) smaller pool of professional photographers who weren’t press, sports, forensic or scientific shooters - they’d already gone digital by then - and needed/preferred quality over speed. Hence less focus on sheer speed. But even then Nikon knew that the F6 would be their F swansong. Kinda amazing it was sold for so long, though perhaps that’s just cause it took so long to sell the production run ;-)
Still, I want one, even though I have no need for one. 😂
@@headwerkn I have had mine for 18 years. Shot a ton of weddings and its a dream to shoot.
Canon 1v is the best. However I have recently sold it at a decent price for an F5 that was half the price. And I am very impressed with it.
I’ve got a Nikon F80, I love it, although the latch on the back broke off mid shoot!
Amazing photos
I "only" had the F4. While I have no nostalgia for film - coughing fixer fumes and paying $30 for 36 exposures of color - the F4 had the best hand feel by far of any camera I've used since 1967. It was uncanny - I could wander into a conversation and take photos with a 20mm and nobody noticed the big hippo F4 - it was very inconspicuous. I'm guessing the "fllllt" shutter sound was soothing. Lovely stable wide-angle pix because of the chunky weight. Wish they made a body like it for mirrorless.
I agree, Sir. After F2a and F3hp, the F4s was my last Nikon film camera. A wonderful device.
Looks like you had great weather during your stay! Have watched your videos since 2012 on DRTV, if you’re ever in Kyoto would love to bring along my black F with a 2.1cm Nikkor
! Got that lens after seeing it on your silver F many times.
the review of this old camera takes me back to the old digitalrev videos 😄
Yasss, more film reviews! Keep on going with more of the F series
yes. but pricewise, i prefer get d780 or d750 secondhand lol. for advanced film cam. i can just get f5 or f100 or f90
Not always about price though. My F6 is a great camera
@@robdixon5016 f6 :D
@@robdixon5016 thats f6
Will the newest lenses work on it? I got Nikon F60 and the aperture and auto focus didn't work on most lenses, some claimed that only on F100 and F6 they will work, but I think it is a big risk to buy one and get disappointed. Has anyone tried some of the newer lenses on the body?
I seem the F5 had a similar silent mode.
I own and use a variety of Nikon film cameras….my favourite is still the FM3a, but I do wonder, despite owning the fabulous F5 and F100, whether I need an F6? …..my wife’s view is that I do not!
I think about the F6 from time to time, but it's hard to justify when I already own an F100 I got in near-perfect condition (a little stickiness). It's at least 90% of the performance for 1/5th the price...
Cool camera! What is your preferred way of scanning film?
Long live the F3
THE BEST.
As others mentioning in the comments, would be great if you could test Minolta Dynax 9, it would be even better if you can find one with updated firmware that can take modern A mount lenses.
F6 the ultimate analog 135-film camera? Now perhaps owners of Canon EOS-1N, Minolta Dynax 9 or, for example, a brand new Leica M6 should join the discussion?
I'm always amazed at how fast it winds the film. Love mine.
As each camera function (winding, rewinding, shutter, focus) has an own motor, film advance takes place just after shutter closes during the mirror return. You cannot hear film advance that allready took place as the shutter noise ends
lovely photos! it's one of my favourite cameras too
Man it used to be 899$ in 2014-15 . Don't believe Kai, the production of the F6 continued for so many years. It was in first & second party retailers for so long.
I love the form factor of the F6 but for me the Minolta Alpha 9 is the king.
Fingers crossed the attention Kai brings to Nikon will drop the price of some of the other really nice cameras.... even Medium Format has been rising in price again and i need a new VF for my Bronica
Surprised you wouldn’t also consider the Canon 1dv.
I even considered getting one of those, because EF lenses are so plentiful.
How can I change the viewfinder or easily change the screen? A very fine camera but the F5 was their last Pro SLR.
A classic video with a classic camera. I am not sure it's a better option than the f100 by the way.
Will there be an F5 video?
The Nikon F6 was released 8 years after the F5. The D2X out at the time, and no one ever expected it. It was one last love letter to the F series and to film. PLEASE Nikon, pull another F6! Release one last D series camera. I'd love nothing more than a D900 to keep using until all my F mount lenses finally die.
My theory is Nikon will do an Apple and keep selling the existing DSLRs for a while as a more affordable option.
Great camera and I own an F5 in my collection... But I still think the two best film cameras were the canon EOS 3 (I have owned mine from new, the AF is phenomenal) and the Minolta Dynax 7. Both were revolutionary, to a certain extent the F6 is the response to the Minolta with it's back screen and shoots more FPS than the EOS 3... But this EOS 3 être autofocus works insanely well with my eye and has only been beaten by mirrorless AF or the EOS R3 eye controlled AF... And as the owner of an R5, I really miss the eye controlled AF.
I love my F4 because of how ridicolous this crossover of past and future looks. Motorized rewind, still has manual knob. A S P M modes but still has shutter speed dial. DXcodes but still has ISO dial. Detachable prism. It's insane.
Great camera. Still happy with my F100, which cost $125 in mint condition.
Been using my F100 (which is a semi-professional copy of f5) for three years, never been as delighted by a film camera before
well i been looking for one of this for sometime now, will love to try some birds photography with film, this and the F5 seems like the best option
lets hope i can still find one under 1500 after this video lol
The F5 is going to have to remain my favorite, as the F6 is still demanding a huge entry level price, starting in the low $800 USD range. And as others here were quick to point out, this video will probably cause prices to increase.
You're in Tokyo now Kai, but for what purpose I wonder.
The F6 might have the best specs and be the newest, but the F5 was an always will be the Grand Daddy of film cameras for me. I remember holding one in Jessops, The Strand (London) when I was 17 and drooling over it, knowing I'd probably never own one. I'm tempted to get one now because they're only £300 ish on eBay. Not because I'd shoot with it much, but just to look at it on my shelf, play with it occasionally and smile. haha.
Ahh. never waste a camera like that on a shelf.
finally, Nikon F6 - The F Word
Outro “saved by the tell”…very cool.
For next topics: nikon FE, nikon FA, nikon D700
Kai- how would you compare this to the F100?
Just get the best non AF film SLR which is the FA. No need to worry much about battery. And it costs less than usd200.
We all want to see the next video shot on the Nikon F6.
what is the bestest pre-autofocus?
Still own f2
I bought my F5 back in 2014 for 200 dollars and still using it, dont actully understand F6 camera, F5 is cheaper and has a prism that you could get off to shoot with action finder, plus you get 8 batteries AA what makes easier to replace and find.
Fancied one of these for a while but it's never quite affordable enough to impulse purchase 😅
Very beautiful machinery
Nikon F6's 11 autofocus points are way more reliable than EOS1V's 45 autofocus points, especially in low light.
The autofocus point selection is also way easier than EOS1V.
Its metering is impressive, even when you use it with TTL flashes from 3rd parties like Godox.
There's a lot positive I could say about it but Kai already mentioned it, so I will just focus on the negatives:
It plays very poorly with bulk loaded film like the Kodak Vision 3 250D, 500t, Ektachrome, etc. The camera has a tendency to rewind for no reason at all. I do not observe similar problems with EOS1V or Minolta a7. I thought my F6 was broken but it never had this problem with non-bulk loaded film like Portra, Velvia, Color 200, HP5, etc.
Its CSM is poorly implemented compared to Minolta a7, and you often have to look at both the top and rear screens simultaneously when adjusting to the settings.
It was released in 2004, in the age of Windows XP and USB ports but there is no easy way to extract EXIF using USB port.