Suggest a Nikon camera to me?

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loplyg

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Rich
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Hi folks,

I just received an F80 which I decided, during a rush of blood to the head, should go with me alongside my D300 from now onwards.

I want to start taking the odd shot on film and 'see what its like' as it were.

Anyway, I got the thing and I'm a tad disappointed that it's quite a bit bigger than I envisaged.

In my mind's eye I had pictured something that would be pocketable (on a large coat!) with a 50/1.8 or 28 prime attached, which I may therefore take with me to places I wouldn't bother taking a big digicam + lenses.

My quesiton therefore is, can somebody name a Nikon 35mm film body which:

Will autofocus
Works with G lenses (no aperture ring)
Is as small as possible, preferbly the old-style FM shape

I've been scouring eBay but frankly I find the number of models produced a bit bewildering, and the seemingly unpredictable variation in features is a headache!

Cheers,
Rich
 
I think the problem you'll find with SLR type film cameras is they have a mirror to "look through" the lens which in turn causes the camera to be quite bulky. I could be wrong, but if you're looking for something smaller I think 2 things you won't get is an SLR and autofocus ability on the camera. Something like a rangefinder might be closer to what you're looking for.
 
I take your point but my problem is lenses, I can't justify buying a new set of lenses for the moment. I can use my existing Nikon lenses (some of them, anyway) so all I need is a cheap second hand Nikon camera and I can dip my toe, so to speak.

Looking at the F80 I see that the mirror does indeed more or less dictate the size of the thing, but certainly the built in flash and 'grippy bit' for your shutter hand don't help matters :nono:
 
Yeah, it's an issue with the SLRs alright. Although 1 did come to mine (and I'm by no means well learned on film cameras so others might have better advice). There's an old one called an Nikon FE 2 that's an SLR. Not sure what lenses it does and doesn't support though. And also, it doesn't auto focus.
 
If you're after something smallish, you may find your choices somewhat limited particularly as you have G lenses. The FE2 and FM2 are fairly compact, but they require lenses with aperture settings, such as 'AIS' manual-focus lenses. The FM/FM2 is a manual-only camera, and the FE/FE2 is manual and aperture-priority.

It would be the same with other Nikon models such as the FM3a and F3. Of course, all these cameras are manual focussing, and the auto-focus versions such as the F-501 also had a built-in winder which increases the size of the camera body.
 
I would recommend a Nikon F65 or F75 if you can find one. I have an F65, picked up for £10 on E-bay. It is tiny, lightweight and worked perfectly with my 35mm f1.8 AF-S G ( albeit with a bit of vignetting as it is a DX lens ) . It produces amazing pics and with my up and coming 50mm F1.4 AF D it'll fit in my coat pocket no problem.
 
Yep another vote for the f65. I keep mine in my bag as a film backup purely for it's compact size and it's a feather weight compared to all the other Nikon bodies i have.

Roy
 
Hmm, I might swap the F80 for the F65 in that case, I gather they are more or less the same size but the 65 is a smidge lighter and a smidge smaller. Smidges count :p

I've also read good things about the cheap Nikon 28-80 G lens, which is a shame as I just won a 35-70 2.8 on a well known auction site, and I'm thinking the 28-80 would have been a wiser choice :) Oh well...
 
Just dug out my F65 and F80 to compare size and weight. Size differences aren't that great - after all, the flange - film distance is dictated by the lenses so is bound to be similar and the width needs to accomodate a cassette at one end, a spool at the other and leave enough space between for the film to be exposed. There does seem to be a fair amount of difference in weight though and IMO, the extra heft of the F80 is a benefit in terms of balance and the way the camera feels in the hand. IF weight saving is a priority then the F65 does win but IMO, the F80 is enough nicer to use that the extra weight is a small price to pay.

Not sure where the OP is based but if they're anywhere close to Exeter, I'd be happy for them to have a fondle of each to see which they like most.
 
loplyg said:
Hi folks,

I just received an F80 which I decided, during a rush of blood to the head, should go with me alongside my D300 from now onwards.

I want to start taking the odd shot on film and 'see what its like' as it were.

Anyway, I got the thing and I'm a tad disappointed that it's quite a bit bigger than I envisaged.

In my mind's eye I had pictured something that would be pocketable (on a large coat!) with a 50/1.8 or 28 prime attached, which I may therefore take with me to places I wouldn't bother taking a big digicam + lenses.

My quesiton therefore is, can somebody name a Nikon 35mm film body which:

Will autofocus
Works with G lenses (no aperture ring)
Is as small as possible, preferbly the old-style FM shape

I've been scouring eBay but frankly I find the number of models produced a bit bewildering, and the seemingly unpredictable variation in features is a headache!

Cheers,
Rich
Click to expand...
 
Can't recommend the F75 enough. It is tiny (about the same size as a D40) but works with G lens, VR etc. It won't meter with manual lenses but if thats the way to go try the Nikon FA - my dream camera in the 80's and now dirt cheap on Ebay.

(sorry about the two posts - I am trying to work out how to use the reply system properly!)
 
Could have sold you a gripped F90x for under £100! Good to hear you have got something sorted though - another film camera out there getting used can be nothing but a good thing!


Arthur
 
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