Testing a Loaned 'BEAST' -- the NIKON F5 !!

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Peter
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risking another Hernia I was loaned a NIKON F5 by a fellow Camera Club member who has not used it for many years. I had to watch a couple of Videos then he found the Instruction book so i could find out what all the 'Buttons' did ! I set Single Frame Wind and Single Focus and have not used the famous 8 frames per second winder ! I do NOT LIKE the 'Custom Functions' as there is NOT ONE to 'Leave Out Film Leader after rewind' and all the others were not really useful . I have used it with the NIKON SB-27 flash and my Studio Bowens and my Mecablitz 45 CL-3 with 'NIKON' module for TTL flash and also with a manual focus Nikkor 105mm f2.5 lens . I have used 'Program, AV and S ' exposure modes. The 'Follow-Focus' was good on ambulances on call. I also tried the 'Matrix and Centre-Weighted' metering and TODAY used 'Spot Metering' so no photo to show yet as film not finished. I DO like the faster flash synch speed of 1/250th and it IS possible to set 1/300th second. I also used the 'Vertical Shutter Release' Lens Supplied is a AF Nikkor 28-105mm f3.5-4.5 D
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It is a bit of a beast. I've not used mine much since I bought it a couple of years ago, but it does do a lot of stuff.
Your exposures look really good, and an interesting mix of subjects. What film are you using?
 
FILM was 09/2004 dated Fuji Superia 400 kept in 'fridge, rated 160 ASA.
 
Those are some lovely, vibrant photos there, though the ambulance looks to have shifted towards greenish, but that could be my colourblindness screwing it up for me.
I know what you mean about custom functions. My EOS 5 has plenty but I only use the one to leave the leader out.
 
That's why I asked about the film. I've always liked the strong colours from Fuji films, especially strong in the green part of the spectrum (maybe that's why the film boxes were green?)
 
I thought the ambulance in the first picture was one on it's way to take you to hospital after picking up the F5 and sipping a disc! ;)

An F4 is heavy enough and add on the 35/70 - F2.8 AFD Lens, it is a weighty beast, but the F5 for me is a bridge, just a little bit too far. It will be as well built as a F4 is but I am not a press photographer that needs to fire of multiple frames just get one usable image. There are far more F5's on sale second hand than there are F4 models, I think that tells it's own story.
 
Those are some lovely, vibrant photos there, though the ambulance looks to have shifted towards greenish, but that could be my colourblindness screwing it up for me.
I know what you mean about custom functions. My EOS 5 has plenty but I only use the one to leave the leader out.

With the F4 and possibly the F5 you can manually rewind and watch the counter going back so when it gets to '0' the leader is still out of the cassette.

Fortunately I have perfect colour vision and to me this picture of the ambulance looks fine, the yellow on the top of the cab looks faded but that may be a bit of over exposure, or the paint fading with sunlight.
 
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I find modern Fuji 400 Superia Xtra often has a magenta cast to it when I home scan it, which has rather put me off using it, I'm going to try Kodak Ultramax 400 instead next time I restock.
 
Considering the age of the film I think Pentaxpete was very lucky to get these images, they are lovely and sharp and clear. If you get colour casts with Superia 400 can you not correct them with whatever software you use. If it is a sunny day with wet roads or footpaths in the view I get really bad blue casts on the roads and paths but it is only a reflection of the sky. I just use PS CC and the view is back to normal. This happens with digital as well.
 
If you get colour casts with Superia 400 can you not correct them with whatever software you use.
Probably, if I spend ages messing about in Photoshop in the hope I can kill the magenta cast without messing up all the other colours. On the other hand, I can just use another film I can scan without having that issue.

As for the film, I'm wondering if Fuji have changed it since 2004?
 
I have an F6 as well - not as good as the F4 -In comparison it feels a bit plasticky, although it does the job remarkably well. There again, Nikon film cameras of this era are all pretty well sorted out - even the F100, and they are a lot lighter than either.
 
Regarding 'Colour Balance' of the Ambulance one -- I think I got the 'grey' of the tarmac OK and the paint IS faded on those vehicles - not a perfectly 'fresh' colour.
 
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