This is great. I love the F3, but honestly, never considered the F4... until I watched your pt1 and pt2. And now I know I'd love to use one. I see the F4 very differently now after your review. Your reviews are so refreshing - real knowledge, long term experience, skill as a photographer, genuinely practical advice, no BS. I'm delighted to have found your channel. Thank you.
I bought a standard F4 this year (My Preference) I don't need more fps.. I bought my first Nikon F camera in 2019; an absolutely mint N2020.. after only a few rolls I was hooked on the Nikon AF system. Slow quirky and noisy but I didn't miss many shots; it always seemed to focus exactly on what I wanted it to focus on (Unlike my much newer Olympus OM-D EM1 mk2).. So the Olympus went and I said hello to a Nikon D2X for much, much less money... My F4 is a beauty too and is in virtually mint condition so now I'm concentrating on buying some Nikon lenses to use on all three cameras... I really liked the relaxed tone of these videos; subscribed.
Steven, I think you have produced the most comprehensive pair of videos on the F4 that I have seen. Since I own several F series bodies I am always looking for good video content related to the F's, and yours are some of the best. Well done! I say this because even though I have owned F4's for several years and feel pretty comfortable with them, I learned some things from your videos that I not seen anywhere else. One, I did not know about the viewfinder illuminator button! I suppose I should have but maybe not enough use in low light conditions. Two, the Pre-AI tab position allowing the use of Pre-AI lenses. I have only recently come into possession of a 58mm f1.4 for my F2 that I now can use on my F4. Three, the available socket for a manual cable release! I always suspected from the look of it that it was a cable release socket but now you have confirmed this for me. Thanks! I also own a very nice F3 with standard prism and will say that step taken to the F4 was when cameras became much more complex and capable in so many ways never seen before. The shutter is one of my favorite things about the F4. Cheers.
This video HAS to be the best, most comprehensive walk through video on utube. Every question I had about the F4 has been answered. Thank you sir, you have been most helpful 😊.
Thank you Steven, for making this in-depth video. It's always a pleasure to watch your introduction. I'm a beginner of film photograhy and I started with an Nikon FM2 (from my dad), and your poetic narrative as well as your breath-taking photos inspired me a lot. Wish you produce more fantastic works!
Hi Steve. Great video as always. I am waiting for my F4s to arrive from Japan. I managed to find an unused boxed one at a premium price. But worth it I hope. I don’t shoot digital any more totally film now . No menus to worry about and every setting is mechanical. Heaven
Hi Steven, what an amazing presentation of the Nikon F4, this camera is historical as it was the bridge to our modern day DSLRs. Just to add a few things about the cons. First off the weight, yes the 4 F is quit heavy but that weight is very important for another important reason, stability especially when photographing at low shutter speeds hand held. It also helps with dampening of vibration from the mirror at slow speeds. The added small grip (thin strip on the left of the body) helps with stability when you use both hands to hold the body. super useful when using large fast telephotos like the 300mm f2,8 ED IF AFi or AFS. Slow auto focus, Nikon's decision to incorporate the lens focus motor into the body rather than the lens as Canon did was a big error. Canon ditched their FD mount and replaced it with their fully electronic EOS (Electrical Optical System) auto focus system. Canon put the lens focus motor into the lens rather than the camera body, they also removed all mechanical linkage for the diaphragm and made it all electronic. In 1987, 70 percent of professional photographers where using Nikon and had a large investment in Nikkor lenses, Nikon had no choice but to work auto focus with the F mount and maintain compatibility with their lenses way back to Non Ai. the result was an auto focus system that was not only loud but slow compared to the New Canon EOS system or even Minolta's auto focus mount. ZThis is why the F4 will meter and work with all Nikkor glass.In 1988 all systems had only one centre focus point, Nikon's system demonstrated even more issues with continuous and tracking, just too low and could not keep up with fast subjects, again they had no choice. they lost so much market ground to Canon that some say the F4 is the camera that doomed Nikon. Good news is the newer AFS G series lenses have the focus motor in the lens and work very quick with the F4, you only have Shutter, Program and High Program as shooting options as G lenses have no aperture ring but the lenses focus quick in both single and continuous with good tracking. Best of all the F4 is near silent. What truly is impressive is that even as DSLR engineering kept pushing forward since 1987 to today, Nikon continued with F mount comparability, so AFS G lenses will work flawlessly with past Nikon auto focus film cameras dating way back to their entry into the photography auto focus and electronic body era. No other SLR manufacture as done this. Only in recent years Nikon finally changed the mount to the new Z mount but still maintain compatibility with F mount glass through the FTZ adapter and in body lens recognition firmware ( when you input lens info into the Non CPU lens menu section the camera will recognize the lens most of the time). Obviously their will be limitations depending on the lens. Thanks again for another amazing presentation. :)
@@StevenTanno my pleasure to share what I know. I've been working as a professional since 1986. I have used so many cameras over the years but Nikon has been my tool of choice, not so much for the cameras but the lenses they have produced over the years and even today with the Z mount. The lens is the key. Just to add one tip for Nikon FA and F4 users. When using AFS G lenses in program mode, you made a great point on Program and High program. When you want a faster aperture to isolate your subject, use High Program. The camera will priorities shutter speed therefore it will select the fastest aperture. You may need to use ND filters in bright light situations. Give it a try. Thanks again for your amazing content. :)
Thank you. More than a year I have bought one with a 35/2 nikon lens. The lens diaphram was oily. So it was cheap. I actually bought it to sell separetly, the body and the lens. But I did not, because I loved it.
I have just bought a used F4, when I tried the cs mode, the strange sound made me think that the camera was broken lol. Thanks for your video that I know everyone's F4 is like this
Really enjoy your videos and happy to see you have reviewed one of my favorite cameras; the Nikon F4. I dreamed of owning one when they were new and couldn't. Finally bought one a few years ago. It's a joy to shoot.
I AM INTERESTED IN BUYING A F4. AFTER WATCHING BOTH YOUR VIDEOS ON THIS CAMERA, I AM MOST DEFINITELY GOING TO JUMP ON THIS MODEL, I'M LOOKING AT, ON FACEBOOK!! GREAT VIDEOS PACKED WITH LOADS OF INFORMATION!! THANK YOU FOR PUTTING OUT GREAT CONTENT! SUBBED!!!🤘🏾🤘🏾👊🏾
Great review of F4 and comparison with F3, I have both and love them! I'm learning from your videos, please keep them coming. Please review some AF D lenses you use with your F4, thanks Steven!
I have an F4 with the MB-21 battery and I love it. I do have some LCD bleeding but it isn’t so bad that I can’t see what the camera is doing. Also I have had great luck and results shooting in Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority using the matrix metering mode. This camera and my Canon EOS-1N RS are my favorite shooters from this era. The Canon mostly because I have so many great Canon EF lenses that work on it. I got the Nikon because I had always lusted after one when I was younger and now that I’m older and the money I indulged myself and I’m so glad I did. Great review and I actually learned a few things about the camera. Thanks
Thank you very much for the in-depth presentation of the Nikon F4. I have a Nikon D7000. I use to shoot film on a Minolta 40 years ago. I will definitely make the purchase of the Nikon F4, I want to get back to a film camera. I already have some glass that will work. Thanks.
Hello Steven, thank you for making these videos about Nikon's F4. This camera has been my dream since I was a teenager. I really appreciate your commentary and technology insights about this camera, especially about the shutter balancer and low vibration feature that this camera is capable of. Now, I have greater admiration for my Nikon F4 whenever I bring it out to take pictures.
Hi, Steven, thanks for your brilliant videos and I have watched them all. Wonderful comments regarding its position as well as its key features. But for the place regarding the G-Type Lens: there is one error: if you use G-Lens, you could also Shutter Priority (S) Mode. However, F4 could not use VR (Vibration Reduction) as well as the modern Electromagnetic Lens (E Lens) As a nikon camera researcher of Nikon F4 since 2019 June, I think that this camera is really brilliant. I took this camera back home and my dad feels that his old times of photography when he was a journalist at 20 totally returned. After 2.5 years of research, I not only had 2 bodies of F4, but also collected all the alternative viewfinders (DA-20/DW-20/DW-21) with original box and instruction manual, as well as all the film backs (Except for the 250-exposure Multi-Control Back because that is too expensive) as well as their instructions and 5 brochures [3 in Japanese: Dating back to the birth of F4 1988.9.8/Mid-period of 1990.10.20 and the late period of 1996.2.21 and 2 in English (1988 and 1996)] and its 3 battery packs (MB-20/21/23 excluding MB-22). And some friends of mine said F4 was just a beast and did not worth a purchase due to its slow autofocus speed, but I just smiled and said: 'Without F4, how would you have witnessed the fast speed and excellent metering system of Nikon F5 as well as the most up-to-date Z9? F4 is the foundation of Professional Autofocus Nikon SLR and this is without any doubt.'
A wonderful in depth video of the Nikon F4. Because of your 2 part series, I went ahead and bought myself an F4. Looking forward to shooting with this classic iconic camera. Thank you!
I adore your videos. So well thought out, great information that's often missed in other channels. I'm currently looking at an F4 that's being sold in my area, your video is making me want to buy it now. I'll be heading to Japan in October for a photography tour, hopefully our paths will cross.
Hi Steven, Thanks for your reply on my comment to part 1! Really liked this video, I can see your passion for photography and for this camera. I will have a look at your other videos! Cheers, Ray.
Really nice 2 set video. Made me take my beloved F4 Std out and play with it ! Forgot that the lever around the speed dial activates the green LED light. The ability to use Ai, AiS, AF-D and AFS lenses is truly remarkable. I guess on the Nikon Df can do this too. BTW - with AFS lenses, the auto focus performance is great without the noise of AF-D screw.
Thank you for two very excellent reviews. I really appreciate not only your knowledge, but also your style of presentation. New subscriber, and new (yet to receive) owner of an F4. Cheers!
A very fine approach to this Nikon F4, thank you v.m.! In 1997, I had the honour of using the F4 from a pro photographer, and it was great. But as an old man I'm very satisfied with 'the F4 for poor', the F801s (N8008s). Just like you I prefer the MF mode and dislike AF plastic lenses. All my sturdy old MF lenses (Ai-converted) can be used, even 1969 Micro-Nikkor 3.5/55 with ascent and descent focus grip. In Germany the F4 now costs about 220 euros, the F801s about 30 euros - that makes a great difference to me.
@@StevenTanno The F3 has the best external MotorDrive ever. My preferred pro F is the F2S(1974) but without MD-1 / -2 / -3;-)) I like the big red LED in the DP-2 exposure meter whose body is in the form of unique 'Gelsenkirchen Baroque' (crazy architecture like a Ruhr District's captain of industry fin de siècle villa in Germany).
I just went bought Nikon F4 serial number 222×××× , it has a few marks on it wear and tear the LCD screen is good , the shutter is rated for 150,000 I think it can go easy 200,000 , Can slide the standard back cover off and put a date and time LCD cover on you can imprint the date and the Day and the Time on your negatives but it kinda looks tacky if you enlarge the picture to 8 × 10 or bigger , plus with a vertical grip installed The Matrix metering will still work cuz it's got a Mercury switch that switches it over to vertical or horizontal to read the seen FYI ... You could be nearsighted and farsighted need glasses ... Not ware your glasses... Use the Nikon F 4 lol ... With a fully manual lens ... And in the viewfinder it'll light up green when you're on the mark ... Focus what are the other camera will do that lol Canon AE 1... Minolta 700 .. lol ... I have the earliest Nikon F4 serial number starts with 221xxxx . It is in very good condition and I only paid $217 on Amazon ... Canadian
Excellent videos Steven! A real joy to watch! thanks for sharing your wonderful knowledge of the F4 with us! Sure wish I could justify getting an F4, it just doesn't make sense to do so. I think if I did , it would just end up being an expensive paper weight on my office desk. Think I'll keep using my F3/T's!!
Thanks for the great video. It would be amazing if you compare the shutter from f5, F4, F3 and fm3a to see which is the best for los shutter while hand held. Nobody has a video talking about this. Have a great 2023!!!
Awesome video on the F4. I have not bought one as of yet but I have one in my sights that I may be getting in a few days. You mentioned a problem to look out for in the early models. How can I tell if the camera I am looking at is an early model?
Great Video, Steven ! I know all the buzz, when the F4 came out...same with the F3 before, whileas i was a kid. I do think, those flagships are being mostly appreciated by ppl into their 40+ age... ;-)
In this video is awesome but leaving out on the Nikon 4F you If you use 1970s manual lens you can focus not needing glasses waring them , have to do is look up at in the viewfinder and it'll tell you if it's focused and to take the phot as your focusing in ...
@@StevenTanno yes the F4 out of the 3 version's is certainly the one to get, we don't really need high frame rates when shooting film in the digital age. I'm actually looking for a MB-20 battery grip to turn it into an F4 but I cannot find any for sale here in the UK, so I'll probably order one from some of the eBay sellers in Japan that I have had dealings with over the years. I've found them to be very accurate with there descriptions and reasonably priced its just a pity that the postage cost is so high but at the same time delivery through DHL from Japan to Northern Ireland in 3 days when some things coming from England can take up to 10 days.
bueno por fin compre la Nikon F4s la compre desde japon y esta perefectamente bien sobre todo el visor, esta perfeta toda la camara, el unico problema fue el envio ya que la camara costaba 291€uros y con aduana y no se que cargos mas me salio por 133 euros mas asi que me salio por 424 euros en yenes sobre 69630,94 pero no me arrepiento es una camara magnifica un saludo desde BARCELONA ESPAÑA.
The chart at 17:38 has a mistake. The FM and FE (FM2 and FE2 don't have these) also has the mechanism to lift the metering tab and can use Pre AI lenses.
I have one funky non-working F4. Main shutter button doesn't work at all. Vertical shutter button on the battery pack lights the view screen and focus the lens but nothing else. With relase cable you can make the shutter work. After each shot the rewind lights starts blinking and it doesn't wind film forward. Fortunately I have working F4's also.
Hey Mr Tanno . Awesome videos I watched all . Just wondering would you recommend buying an F4 if I already have an an F3 ? Is it worth ? And what are the sharp 50-55 prime lenses for Nikon f3? Cheers
Regarding the little knob for pre AI lenses - the Nikon FE also has this. I don't know about the FE2, I don't own one of those. But I do own an FE and it has that feature :)
que gran camara, tengo mirada alguna en EBAY pero no conocia ese problema estare atento antes de comprala gracias muy buen video lo he descargado traducido a ESPAÑOL para verlo mas tranquilamente cuando tenga mi preciosa camara un saludo desde BARCELONA ESPAÑA.
Hello, Tks for your video, Given the difficulty of finding a split image focusing screen, can the ones for the F3 be mounted somehow on the F4? Thank you.
i had a nikon f4, bought it because i thought it was beautiful (was only using AIS lenses, and thought shooting at 1/8000 would be cool). but i wound up selling it. it's too heavy, it's too fussy, it does things i will NEVER use. so i got an F3. even that does annoying things (who uses aperture/shutter priority?) it's a brick, i know, but a smaller one, and it doesn't need four batteries.
A good video, except your chart at 12:05 about compatible cameras for Non-Ai lenses shows FE as not compatible, which is wrong. Nikon FE can take Non-Ai lenses in the same way as the F3 and F4. You need to push the tab back and mount the lens. Anyone watching this video should be made aware of the error in the chart.
The asking price for the used type K screen is more than the camera itself these days. I wonder if our Chinese frineds would care to step in and provide a reasonably priced vesrion?
I have a Nikon F4 I bought from Japan , yes when you open up the back and you push the shutter button I can't figure out how it knows that the back of the camera is open because the carbon fiber blades do not open when the back is open ? And you could use lenses manual lenses on a camera and in the viewfinder top right it'll actually tell you when you adjust the manual lens that the picture is in Focus even though it's a manual lens in it which I'm surprised it does that mine is a Nikon F4 standard when I bought it off of Amazon was supposed to come with the attachment but that's okay cuz I'm happy with the camera as it is , it didn't come with a lens so I went out and bought an 80 - 200 mm ED 2.8 .. the lens I would say is slightly heavier than my Nikon 4 and yes Nikon 4 built like a tank , I bought mine off of Amazon and it shipped from Japan and I paid $217 , in the first three numbers of the serial number starts with 222xxxx
I have that Nikon F4 standard ... Grip ... to make my Nikon F4 I will pay $200 Canadian to get the Nikon F4 six AA battery grip ... looks more sexy and kinda makes Nikon 4 heavier that's when we weed out the wimps and the pros ... cuz when it comes to the standard Nikon F4 and a 80 - 200 ED push pull zoom lens W NIKON USERS DONT NEED any wimps because the camera is too heavy bud ... you want something light ... cheap buy all plastic frame and gears the Canon AE-1 ... after that lane camera came out only year after the Minolta XD came out which should have blown away the Canon 81 which was made out of Total Plastic lol which the Minolta XD was totally made out of metal had P / A and Manual ... I'm saying that Nikon was the best in the 70s and 80s yeah sure they came out with a heavy camera the Nikon F4 you want cheap or you want something that's actually said to everyone we engineer the best at the time We won't cut corners will look outside of ... Nikon will never do this ever again no other company in the camera business will ever do this again ... Lica camera company and Minolta did it once With Miolta XD RD Spells Research and Development and Lica ... took Took Minolta camras R&D and Lica came out with M4 , M4 M5 and it was never repeated again ... I'm saying is Nikon make the perfect 35mm camera Personally I don't like Nikon as a digital camera company today ... Wish Minolta was still around making top of the line cameras
You are THE BEST reviewer I have ever listened to!
& Thank You Sir!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
PART II, AWESOME
When a Review of F5? Another masterpiece👍👏🤙🇦🇷
完全可以感受到前輩對攝影的熱愛
Great review of the Nikon F4. Like your content, please continue with lenses etc.!
(Nikon F3, F4 and F6 user)
Thanks, will do!
このビデオはありがとうございます! Thanks for making such a great and well explained video! 🍺😉👍
I watched part one and had to watch part two straight away. Very well done. Thank you
Awsome in depth review of an amazing camera and I am pleased that I own one. Please keep up the good work, I enjoy your videos!
So great to hear:))
This is great. I love the F3, but honestly, never considered the F4... until I watched your pt1 and pt2. And now I know I'd love to use one. I see the F4 very differently now after your review. Your reviews are so refreshing - real knowledge, long term experience, skill as a photographer, genuinely practical advice, no BS. I'm delighted to have found your channel. Thank you.
Thank you Steven for your brilliant videos
Thank you:)
Best film for NIKON F4 I saw.
thank you Steven : )
Thanks:))
I bought a standard F4 this year (My Preference) I don't need more fps.. I bought my first Nikon F camera in 2019; an absolutely mint N2020.. after only a few rolls I was hooked on the Nikon AF system. Slow quirky and noisy but I didn't miss many shots; it always seemed to focus exactly on what I wanted it to focus on (Unlike my much newer Olympus OM-D EM1 mk2).. So the Olympus went and I said hello to a Nikon D2X for much, much less money... My F4 is a beauty too and is in virtually mint condition so now I'm concentrating on buying some Nikon lenses to use on all three cameras... I really liked the relaxed tone of these videos; subscribed.
Excellent video. Thank you
Thank you, Steven. Very helpful video for me as I consider buying an F4.
Steven, I think you have produced the most comprehensive pair of videos on the F4 that I have seen. Since I own several F series bodies I am always looking for good video content related to the F's, and yours are some of the best. Well done! I say this because even though I have owned F4's for several years and feel pretty comfortable with them, I learned some things from your videos that I not seen anywhere else. One, I did not know about the viewfinder illuminator button! I suppose I should have but maybe not enough use in low light conditions. Two, the Pre-AI tab position allowing the use of Pre-AI lenses. I have only recently come into possession of a 58mm f1.4 for my F2 that I now can use on my F4. Three, the available socket for a manual cable release! I always suspected from the look of it that it was a cable release socket but now you have confirmed this for me. Thanks! I also own a very nice F3 with standard prism and will say that step taken to the F4 was when cameras became much more complex and capable in so many ways never seen before. The shutter is one of my favorite things about the F4. Cheers.
So much appreciate David, have a nice weekend:)
You are a very outstanding reviewer and your videos are enjoyable to watch. Thank you!
Thanks:)
I think it's a great camera, and I will soon have one. Thanks for the video, really informative.
This is the best video I have watched s far on the Nikon F4 in regards to the features that are important. At least to me. Great job !
This video HAS to be the best, most comprehensive walk through video on utube. Every question I had about the F4 has been answered. Thank you sir, you have been most helpful 😊.
Thank you four 'HAS' :)), have a good day Kit!
I echo all of the laudatory remarks below. I have a broken F4 that you have inspired me to fix. Keep up with your videos!
worth to fix it :))
Interesting that Giorgetto Giugiaro also designed the Nikon EM. It has the same shutter button/film advance as the Nikon F3.
Really?
I love my Nikon f4 and F5. They both have served me well over the years. A+
Thank you Steven, for making this in-depth video. It's always a pleasure to watch your introduction. I'm a beginner of film photograhy and I started with an Nikon FM2 (from my dad), and your poetic narrative as well as your breath-taking photos inspired me a lot. Wish you produce more fantastic works!
Glad it!!
I love these videos. I bought an F4 because of you! Would love to see one on your Hasselblad.
Hi Steve. Great video as always. I am waiting for my F4s to arrive from Japan. I managed to find an unused boxed one at a premium price. But worth it I hope.
I don’t shoot digital any more totally film now . No menus to worry about and every setting is mechanical. Heaven
Hi Steven, what an amazing presentation of the Nikon F4, this camera is historical as it was the bridge to our modern day DSLRs. Just to add a few things about the cons. First off the weight, yes the 4 F is quit heavy but that weight is very important for another important reason, stability especially when photographing at low shutter speeds hand held. It also helps with dampening of vibration from the mirror at slow speeds. The added small grip (thin strip on the left of the body) helps with stability when you use both hands to hold the body. super useful when using large fast telephotos like the 300mm f2,8 ED IF AFi or AFS. Slow auto focus, Nikon's decision to incorporate the lens focus motor into the body rather than the lens as Canon did was a big error. Canon ditched their FD mount and replaced it with their fully electronic EOS (Electrical Optical System) auto focus system. Canon put the lens focus motor into the lens rather than the camera body, they also removed all mechanical linkage for the diaphragm and made it all electronic. In 1987, 70 percent of professional photographers where using Nikon and had a large investment in Nikkor lenses, Nikon had no choice but to work auto focus with the F mount and maintain compatibility with their lenses way back to Non Ai. the result was an auto focus system that was not only loud but slow compared to the New Canon EOS system or even Minolta's auto focus mount. ZThis is why the F4 will meter and work with all Nikkor glass.In 1988 all systems had only one centre focus point, Nikon's system demonstrated even more issues with continuous and tracking, just too low and could not keep up with fast subjects, again they had no choice. they lost so much market ground to Canon that some say the F4 is the camera that doomed Nikon. Good news is the newer AFS G series lenses have the focus motor in the lens and work very quick with the F4, you only have Shutter, Program and High Program as shooting options as G lenses have no aperture ring but the lenses focus quick in both single and continuous with good tracking. Best of all the F4 is near silent. What truly is impressive is that even as DSLR engineering kept pushing forward since 1987 to today, Nikon continued with F mount comparability, so AFS G lenses will work flawlessly with past Nikon auto focus film cameras dating way back to their entry into the photography auto focus and electronic body era. No other SLR manufacture as done this. Only in recent years Nikon finally changed the mount to the new Z mount but still maintain compatibility with F mount glass through the FTZ adapter and in body lens recognition firmware ( when you input lens info into the Non CPU lens menu section the camera will recognize the lens most of the time). Obviously their will be limitations depending on the lens. Thanks again for another amazing presentation. :)
This is a wonderful comment, very correct to tell a history of Nikon.
@@StevenTanno my pleasure to share what I know. I've been working as a professional since 1986. I have used so many cameras over the years but Nikon has been my tool of choice, not so much for the cameras but the lenses they have produced over the years and even today with the Z mount. The lens is the key. Just to add one tip for Nikon FA and F4 users. When using AFS G lenses in program mode, you made a great point on Program and High program. When you want a faster aperture to isolate your subject, use High Program. The camera will priorities shutter speed therefore it will select the fastest aperture. You may need to use ND filters in bright light situations. Give it a try. Thanks again for your amazing content. :)
Thank you. More than a year I have bought one with a 35/2 nikon lens. The lens diaphram was oily. So it was cheap. I actually bought it to sell separetly, the body and the lens. But I did not, because I loved it.
heck yeah! i was waiting for the part 2 :)
I have just bought a used F4, when I tried the cs mode, the strange sound made me think that the camera was broken lol. Thanks for your video that I know everyone's F4 is like this
Really enjoy your videos and happy to see you have reviewed one of my favorite cameras; the Nikon F4. I dreamed of owning one when they were new and couldn't. Finally bought one a few years ago. It's a joy to shoot.
I AM INTERESTED IN BUYING A F4. AFTER WATCHING BOTH YOUR VIDEOS ON THIS CAMERA, I AM MOST DEFINITELY GOING TO JUMP ON THIS MODEL, I'M LOOKING AT, ON FACEBOOK!! GREAT VIDEOS PACKED WITH LOADS OF INFORMATION!! THANK YOU FOR PUTTING OUT GREAT CONTENT! SUBBED!!!🤘🏾🤘🏾👊🏾
Great review of F4 and comparison with F3, I have both and love them! I'm learning from your videos, please keep them coming. Please review some AF D lenses you use with your F4, thanks Steven!
Glad you like them! I will 😄
I love your videos Steven. So pleasant and nice to listen to. And a lot of great information!
I am grad, thanks:))
I have an F4 with the MB-21 battery and I love it. I do have some LCD bleeding but it isn’t so bad that I can’t see what the camera is doing. Also I have had great luck and results shooting in Aperture Priority and Shutter Priority using the matrix metering mode. This camera and my Canon EOS-1N RS are my favorite shooters from this era. The Canon mostly because I have so many great Canon EF lenses that work on it. I got the Nikon because I had always lusted after one when I was younger and now that I’m older and the money I indulged myself and I’m so glad I did. Great review and I actually learned a few things about the camera. Thanks
Thanks Sophie :)
Thank you very much for the in-depth presentation of the Nikon F4. I have a Nikon D7000. I use to shoot film on a Minolta 40 years ago. I will definitely make the purchase of the Nikon F4, I want to get back to a film camera. I already have some glass that will work. Thanks.
I am glad to hear that thank you
Very high quality content. Thank you!
Best review I’m. Long term user of film and Nikon. Just love watching reviews even though I know all features
Thanks :)
Hello Steven, thank you for making these videos about Nikon's F4. This camera has been my dream since I was a teenager. I really appreciate your commentary and technology insights about this camera, especially about the shutter balancer and low vibration feature that this camera is capable of. Now, I have greater admiration for my Nikon F4 whenever I bring it out to take pictures.
Thank you and so great to hear!
I loved this review, thank you. I have an F4 on the way to me right now. I believe Nikon FE can use pre-AI lenses, if I’m not mistaken.
Hi, Steven, thanks for your brilliant videos and I have watched them all. Wonderful comments regarding its position as well as its key features. But for the place regarding the G-Type Lens: there is one error: if you use G-Lens, you could also Shutter Priority (S) Mode. However, F4 could not use VR (Vibration Reduction) as well as the modern Electromagnetic Lens (E Lens)
As a nikon camera researcher of Nikon F4 since 2019 June, I think that this camera is really brilliant. I took this camera back home and my dad feels that his old times of photography when he was a journalist at 20 totally returned.
After 2.5 years of research, I not only had 2 bodies of F4, but also collected all the alternative viewfinders (DA-20/DW-20/DW-21) with original box and instruction manual, as well as all the film backs (Except for the 250-exposure Multi-Control Back because that is too expensive) as well as their instructions and 5 brochures [3 in Japanese: Dating back to the birth of F4 1988.9.8/Mid-period of 1990.10.20 and the late period of 1996.2.21 and 2 in English (1988 and 1996)] and its 3 battery packs (MB-20/21/23 excluding MB-22).
And some friends of mine said F4 was just a beast and did not worth a purchase due to its slow autofocus speed, but I just smiled and said: 'Without F4, how would you have witnessed the fast speed and excellent metering system of Nikon F5 as well as the most up-to-date Z9? F4 is the foundation of Professional Autofocus Nikon SLR and this is without any doubt.'
Great F4‘s lover ))
Great video. Congratulations
Wonderful review. Gorgeous camera.
Thank you.
Thank you；）
A wonderful in depth video of the Nikon F4. Because of your 2 part series, I went ahead and bought myself an F4. Looking forward to shooting with this classic iconic camera. Thank you!
As an owner of two of these I approve this message :-)
Thank you very much for great information
I adore your videos. So well thought out, great information that's often missed in other channels. I'm currently looking at an F4 that's being sold in my area, your video is making me want to buy it now.
I'll be heading to Japan in October for a photography tour, hopefully our paths will cross.
Thanks a lot, ✌️✌️
Great thorough review! It would have been great if you shared some of your images taken with this camera as well :)
Thanks Eder, Will share in the future:))
Hi Steven, Thanks for your reply on my comment to part 1! Really liked this video, I can see your passion for photography and for this camera. I will have a look at your other videos! Cheers, Ray.
thanks Ray.
Really nice 2 set video. Made me take my beloved F4 Std out and play with it ! Forgot that the lever around the speed dial activates the green LED light. The ability to use Ai, AiS, AF-D and AFS lenses is truly remarkable. I guess on the Nikon Df can do this too. BTW - with AFS lenses, the auto focus performance is great without the noise of AF-D screw.
Steven, i would love to see a video on your thoughts and opinions on the F6, the last of the line
Thank you for two very excellent reviews. I really appreciate not only your knowledge, but also your style of presentation. New subscriber, and new (yet to receive) owner of an F4. Cheers!
Many thanks:)
Another great video on a Magnificent camera 📸
Loved ur F4 videos, thank you very much
Why not focus screen type P? 45 degrees angled split screen is a very nice feature.
Thank you sir, a really great review by an expert.
A very fine approach to this Nikon F4, thank you v.m.! In 1997, I had the honour of using the F4 from a pro photographer, and it was great. But as an old man I'm very satisfied with 'the F4 for poor', the F801s (N8008s). Just like you I prefer the MF mode and dislike AF plastic lenses. All my sturdy old MF lenses (Ai-converted) can be used, even 1969 Micro-Nikkor 3.5/55 with ascent and descent focus grip. In Germany the F4 now costs about 220 euros, the F801s about 30 euros - that makes a great difference to me.
Thanks Reinhart, I love F4 but I usually use F3 if I have to walk long time because I am old, it’s big and too heavy. ;)
@@StevenTanno The F3 has the best external MotorDrive ever. My preferred pro F is the F2S(1974) but without MD-1 / -2 / -3;-)) I like the big red LED in the DP-2 exposure meter whose body is in the form of unique 'Gelsenkirchen Baroque' (crazy architecture like a Ruhr District's captain of industry fin de siècle villa in Germany).
@@philosimot F2 is the best made camera ever! 😄
@@StevenTanno You're totally right;-))
I just went bought Nikon F4 serial number 222×××× , it has a few marks on it wear and tear the LCD screen is good , the shutter is rated for 150,000 I think it can go easy 200,000 , Can slide the standard back cover off and put a date and time LCD cover on you can imprint the date and the Day and the Time on your negatives but it kinda looks tacky if you enlarge the picture to 8 × 10 or bigger , plus with a vertical grip installed The Matrix metering will still work cuz it's got a Mercury switch that switches it over to vertical or horizontal to read the seen FYI ... You could be nearsighted and farsighted need glasses ... Not ware your glasses... Use the Nikon F 4 lol ... With a fully manual lens ... And in the viewfinder it'll light up green when you're on the mark ... Focus what are the other camera will do that lol Canon AE 1... Minolta 700 .. lol ... I have the earliest Nikon F4 serial number starts with 221xxxx . It is in very good condition and I only paid $217 on Amazon ... Canadian
Thank you for your ver informative video, I just hit subcribe. I was given my dads old Nikon F4 and I'm really excited to stat shooting with it.
Ohhhh... that f/1.2 its so gorgeous!! 🤙👏👍🇦🇷
Yes I like it so much:)) Thanks!
I discovered your Channel today. Your videos are incredibly well made.
thanks😄
Excellent videos Steven! A real joy to watch! thanks for sharing your wonderful knowledge of the F4 with us! Sure wish I could justify getting an F4, it just doesn't make sense to do so. I think if I did , it would just end up being an expensive paper weight on my office desk. Think I'll keep using my F3/T's!!
Yes, Thanks:))
Thanks for the great video. It would be amazing if you compare the shutter from f5, F4, F3 and fm3a to see which is the best for los shutter while hand held. Nobody has a video talking about this. Have a great 2023!!!
Thank you, have a nice weekend:)
Awesome video on the F4. I have not bought one as of yet but I have one in my sights that I may be getting in a few days. You mentioned a problem to look out for in the early models. How can I tell if the camera I am looking at is an early model?
For most , I still love my F3 NIKON ....she is a good girl.
Great Video, Steven ! I know all the buzz, when the F4 came out...same with the F3 before, whileas i was a kid. I do think, those flagships are being mostly appreciated by ppl into their 40+ age... ;-)
Superb camera I have two
In this video is awesome but leaving out on the Nikon 4F you If you use 1970s manual lens you can focus not needing glasses waring them , have to do is look up at in the viewfinder and it'll tell you if it's focused and to take the phot as your focusing in ...
Amazing review, thanks so much!
Hi Steven If I set the F4 to minus one exposure compensation and put a flash on the camera is the flash exposure also decreased by minus one?
Great informative video. And yes the weight is it's weak point, it's a bit of a beast even in standard form it's heavier than my D850.
Yes, F4s is heavier but choose the f4 to be 200 grams lighter ：）
@@StevenTanno yes the F4 out of the 3 version's is certainly the one to get, we don't really need high frame rates when shooting film in the digital age. I'm actually looking for a MB-20 battery grip to turn it into an F4 but I cannot find any for sale here in the UK, so I'll probably order one from some of the eBay sellers in Japan that I have had dealings with over the years. I've found them to be very accurate with there descriptions and reasonably priced its just a pity that the postage cost is so high but at the same time delivery through DHL from Japan to Northern Ireland in 3 days when some things coming from England can take up to 10 days.
bueno por fin compre la Nikon F4s la compre desde japon y esta perefectamente bien sobre todo el visor, esta perfeta toda la camara, el unico problema fue el envio ya que la camara costaba 291€uros y con aduana y no se que cargos mas me salio por 133 euros mas asi que me salio por 424 euros en yenes sobre 69630,94 pero no me arrepiento es una camara magnifica un saludo desde BARCELONA ESPAÑA.
The chart at 17:38 has a mistake. The FM and FE (FM2 and FE2 don't have these) also has the mechanism to lift the metering tab and can use Pre AI lenses.
I have one funky non-working F4. Main shutter button doesn't work at all. Vertical shutter button on the battery pack lights the view screen and focus the lens but nothing else. With relase cable you can make the shutter work. After each shot the rewind lights starts blinking and it doesn't wind film forward. Fortunately I have working F4's also.
Try cleaning the battery holder, or swap the holder since you have 2 bad cònnections since most use aa bateries that leak
Fyi the fm also has that little button to move the metering lever out of the way.
Hey Mr Tanno . Awesome videos I watched all . Just wondering would you recommend buying an F4 if I already have an an F3 ? Is it worth ? And what are the sharp 50-55 prime lenses for Nikon f3? Cheers
Yes you can buy a F4 it's cheaper now. I would say 50mm f1.2 ais or 55mm 1.2 Pre-AI.
Regarding the little knob for pre AI lenses - the Nikon FE also has this. I don't know about the FE2, I don't own one of those. But I do own an FE and it has that feature :)
Nice!
Also, the F6 could be sent back to Nikon for conversion to enable it to use pre AI lenses (and I think this could also be done for the F5).
que gran camara, tengo mirada alguna en EBAY pero no conocia ese problema estare atento antes de comprala gracias muy buen video lo he descargado traducido a ESPAÑOL para verlo mas tranquilamente cuando tenga mi preciosa camara un saludo desde BARCELONA ESPAÑA.
Gracias！
I have both an F3 and F4 in my Nikon collection. They are both terrific cameras. The F4’s main downside is that it weighs a freaking ton!
Yes. I rarely use F4 because it's too heavy.
Hello, Tks for your video, Given the difficulty of finding a split image focusing screen, can the ones for the F3 be mounted somehow on the F4? Thank you.
I think that's a different model can not be use on F4
@@StevenTanno tks!
I believe eyepiece curtain design for long exposure reason.for user like astrophotographers.
a por cierto la camara venia completa con objetivo 50mm f/1.4 y la correa original de Nikon en rojo gracias otra vez.
i had a nikon f4, bought it because i thought it was beautiful (was only using AIS lenses, and thought shooting at 1/8000 would be cool). but i wound up selling it. it's too heavy, it's too fussy, it does things i will NEVER use. so i got an F3. even that does annoying things (who uses aperture/shutter priority?) it's a brick, i know, but a smaller one, and it doesn't need four batteries.
Just like part 1, excellent video Steven, CHEERS!
Thanks!
Stevenさんこんにちは。美しい映像、的確な批評、大変興味深く拝見しています。
だた残念なのは、私が英語の理解に乏しいことだけです。😅
ごコメントありがとございます、嬉しいです。いま日本語の字幕作ることを考えます。
Does Nikon have 120 film version of this camera with the waist finder
are the modular eye pieces interchangeable with the f3?
Yes, they are same.
Hi. Can’t you use G lenses in shutter priority mode ?
Yes, I tried it works.
I bought an F4E (high serial number) in new condition 10 years ago with no LCD issue. Now, 2 of the LDC have leaked.
12:20 Shutter Priority should work too, right?
@@dasungeheuer3873 yes.
What's the difference between the F4e?
F4e more biger and more faster, 5.7 frames/SEC.
A good video, except your chart at 12:05 about compatible cameras for Non-Ai lenses shows FE as not compatible, which is wrong. Nikon FE can take Non-Ai lenses in the same way as the F3 and F4. You need to push the tab back and mount the lens. Anyone watching this video should be made aware of the error in the chart.
Yes that's wroung. Thanks👍
老哥，看了你的影片今天也开始用F4来拍摄了，退卷的时候碰到个问题，R1的解锁钮不是特别顺，按下后扳手拉出很僵硬，等回卷完成后，R1的扳手还是没有水平归位，我用手按下去按不动，直到关闭舱门且按了一下快门键，R1扳手才在手动助力下有所松动且推入归位，我不知这个位置正确的操作机制应该是如何的？还望赐教，我怕蛮干导致机械故障。谢谢
我的R1也有點歸不了位但不僵硬、你的情況如果影響拍照的化就去修一下。
@@StevenTanno 好的，这是我用F4到手的第一卷，我再试试看多拍几卷，或许是年代久远润滑液老化，如果接下来确实影响拍摄，就送去保养下了，感谢老哥回复
Think the Nikon FA takes all lenses that the F4 can use.
Thank you for this great presentation! have you seen our latest video?
I will check it out
The asking price for the used type K screen is more than the camera itself these days. I wonder if our Chinese frineds would care to step in and provide a reasonably priced vesrion?
I have a Nikon F4 I bought from Japan , yes when you open up the back and you push the shutter button I can't figure out how it knows that the back of the camera is open because the carbon fiber blades do not open when the back is open ? And you could use lenses manual lenses on a camera and in the viewfinder top right it'll actually tell you when you adjust the manual lens that the picture is in Focus even though it's a manual lens in it which I'm surprised it does that mine is a Nikon F4 standard when I bought it off of Amazon was supposed to come with the attachment but that's okay cuz I'm happy with the camera as it is , it didn't come with a lens so I went out and bought an 80 - 200 mm ED 2.8 .. the lens I would say is slightly heavier than my Nikon 4 and yes Nikon 4 built like a tank , I bought mine off of Amazon and it shipped from Japan and I paid $217 , in the first three numbers of the serial number starts with 222xxxx
I have that Nikon F4 standard ... Grip ... to make my Nikon F4 I will pay $200 Canadian to get the Nikon F4 six AA battery grip ... looks more sexy and kinda makes Nikon 4 heavier that's when we weed out the wimps and the pros ... cuz when it comes to the standard Nikon F4 and a 80 - 200 ED push pull zoom lens W NIKON USERS DONT NEED any wimps because the camera is too heavy bud ... you want something light ... cheap buy all plastic frame and gears the Canon AE-1 ... after that lane camera came out only year after the Minolta XD came out which should have blown away the Canon 81 which was made out of Total Plastic lol which the Minolta XD was totally made out of metal had P / A and Manual ... I'm saying that Nikon was the best in the 70s and 80s yeah sure they came out with a heavy camera the Nikon F4 you want cheap or you want something that's actually said to everyone we engineer the best at the time We won't cut corners will look outside of ... Nikon will never do this ever again no other company in the camera business will ever do this again ... Lica camera company and Minolta did it once With Miolta XD RD Spells Research and Development and Lica ... took Took Minolta camras R&D and Lica came out with M4 , M4 M5 and it was never repeated again ... I'm saying is Nikon make the perfect 35mm camera Personally I don't like Nikon as a digital camera company today ... Wish Minolta was still around making top of the line cameras
I also saw intlerestling things on MIR. regardng Nikon other stuff