I am glad I found your channel and this video in particular. I am a Nikon film and digital owner and am about to buy an F6 and the MB-40 grip today (15 April 2023).
For me the only negative is cr123 type of batteries which is pricey and only good for 15-35 rolls I opted for Nikon F4 and despite people saying things, it seems that AF-S is pretty reliable If I'm not mistaken you can use high-speed sync with dedicated Nikon flashes with F6 which is absolutely amazing
The F4 is a good choice. My favourite SLR. Albeit the AF-S is slow, loud and clunky like people say but it's always been reliable for me. That kind of sums up the whole camera really - clunky but reliable. It also has a few other quirks like the shutter balancer that lets you handhold at low shutter speeds, or the all dial controls. Not a big fan of digital menus on SLRs.
When I bought and started shooting the F6 with Nikkor lenses and Fujifilm Provia 100 everything changed. I know, I know, it's setting and light and framing and all of the skills we try to learn. But the F6 with Provia in matrix-meter mode just turned the images into something epic that exceeds my skills. I haven't bothered getting the bottom battery extender. The F6, with the Nikkor lenses designed to work with it simply disappears. I forget that I'm holding a camera. It feels like looking at a beautiful scene without effort, but later you get to see that scene again via photograph. I dreamt of owning an F6 for rather a while, and finally got one on a year-long payment plan. It's not just the pinnacle of 35mm shooting, it's the pinnacle of photography period. The only next steps after the F6 are medium format and large format.
I bought my F6 in 2006 brand new with the grip. Shot alot of weddings which paid for it quickly. I used it about 3 weeks ago, still a stunning camera. Love it.
Thanks so much for your thoughts and analysis of the Nikon F6 SLR camera. I've owned the F6 for over ten years. It's simply the finest 35mm film camera that I've owned. As a travel and portrait photographer I shoot digital capture and film routinely. I love my Nikon D780 DSLR and Nikon F6 SLR cameras.
I shoot an F5 simply because I can't justify the price of the F6 but if one were to come about at $700 under the market value then I'd snatch it up no questions!
I'm currently in love with my Nikon F5, but keep thinking I want an F100 in my main kit instead as it would fit in my camera bag a little better. Your video is really tempting me to get an F6 instead of an F100 😂 Great video!
I have the F100 and it is a great camera for light shooting, but it is not as robust as the other F cameras like the F5. If you don't have the money for the F6, a good F5 would also be a great choice and can use all the latest lenses. Be careful of the F100 with its plastic back, it is known to break and fail.
I would love one but can't afford just yet (have to stick to my canon eos3). Great choice! Cooper can you please elaborate on that Hassie quietly seating behind you? I thought you wouldn't dable in medium format again?
If you use manual focus lenses, when you hit back button focus, the focus spot lights bright red, twist the lens barrel slightly past focus, hit the bbf and fine tune. The arrows/meatball are HUGE, easily seen in the center of the lower view finder. The meter bar runs up the r side of the viewfinder, a bit out of the way, but I tend to use an incident meter but when using it to spot just below the eye, set meter to one stop brighter than dead center on caucasian skin and with auto focus, bbf it is dead on. The viewfinder is better than my f100. As a portraitist, I don't use auto exposure like aperture priority but will give it a try for street. Yes it looks like a digital, but I don't want a camera that is all show and no go. This camera gets the camera out of the way and lets you concentrate on the image, not the mechanics of taking the photo. One look through the view finder and you will LOVE it. Best viewfinder I have ever seen.
I love my f6. The meter, autofocus and lens selection is unmatched for 35mm. However I have been thinking about picking up a Leica m6. what are your thoughts on differences? my main reason is small form factor for hiking and traveling. I have only used slr style cameras. Not sure if rangefinder is for me. But definitely would like to try one out. edit: I have used a cannot ql17iii, and it was somewhat fun. I am just not as fast at focusing with it yet
As a starvng student, was given a range finder 35 mm and it was fine, but for 10 years couldn't wait to get an slr. No limitation on really wide or even 135 long lenses. I see what I am getting. Never looked back and chuckle at the Leica schmeica craze. The range finder bodies suck to me. Buy a mirrorless sony or nikon and adapt the leica lenses. That is what is spectacular about leica and gives the leica look.. not a body.
I've stuck with my F80's for weight. I use 400 pushed to 800 and ua 24mm lens. Set in Continuous focus mode with nearest subject priority and shutter release priority, I tend to not worry about the focus being perfect as from F4 onwards the depth of field is insane. I can also get super close as I like to my street subjects and the F80 is soooo quiet. But I still want an F6 so will get one shortly. ;-)
You are right. F6 is Ike a Leica M, you either need it or you don't. There is no sitting on the fence about it. Its a shame that it was not more widely available and that Nikon stopped building them.
As a landscape photographer the only negative I've read about the F6 is the lack of a mirror lock up. This is important to eliminate vibration when shooting longer exposures on a tripod.
It does have mirror lock up, you can select it with the top left-hand dial. There are other accessories like triggers and angled viewfinders to assist with landscape photography. Aside from that, the f6 is the most balanced camera I have ever used and has very little mirror slap. I have used it extensively for landscape and never had a blurry image. Also love the long exposure settings up to 30 min.
@@lucarondon thanks for the reply that's good to know. I just picked up a new Nikkor 20mm f2.8 ais and a used Nikkor 24mm PC lens. These would be great on an F6.
@@keithpeeples3565 I’ve been eyeing the 24mm pc for a while. I use the old 28mm 3.5 pc for architecture but it has a lot of barrel distortion which is somewhat unacceptable in a pc lens. I read that the 24 does a much better job with that. The f6 is a really good camera for all of my uses really, I just wish it were quieter like the video says.
That’s on you, I can tell you which lengths to use, that’s personal preference, but if you mean in terms on which ones to buy, I’d stick with any of the Nikon G series lenses
Just bought this camera a few weeks ago but have idea what lens to get for it. I have mostly L-mount lenses. Is there an adaptor? Or should I just look for native f mount lens?
How do the D6 and F6 have a connection? They are both the last presentation in their line up. The F6 is the last pro film camera Nikon will ever make and the DSLR is on the way out. Mirrorless bodies are the future and Nikon won’t invest in a D7. It just took a little more than 20 years for DSLR cameras to become obsolete. It took five decades for professional film cameras to cease production.
I was not a fan of the F6. The F5 was and is the best film camera ever. The F6 was just too late to the show for me. Still too expensive for me to even consider.
Hey babe you want to be a real photographer you to invest in a Nikon F4 , don't need the digital readout on the top , we want knobs and switches unlock , Sutter counter balancer with carbon fiber
1) calling someone "babe" regardless of gender is cringe AF 2) a "real" photographer takes good photos regardless of the tool, and there are many different tools suiting different shooting styles and needs. Bye
I really love my F6. It’s the perfect blend of modern and classic.
The F6 was referred to by pros as the best 35mm film camera ever made.
They said that about the F 💀
I LOVE my F6. Has to be one of the finest cameras on the planet. Add a 35mm 1.4 and enjoy!
I am glad I found your channel and this video in particular. I am a Nikon film and digital owner and am about to buy an F6 and the MB-40 grip today (15 April 2023).
Hi: I did buy the F6 and MB-40 grip and am in love with this camera because it is the best Film SLR EVER MADE!
Couldn't agree with your points more! Was eyeing it for years and finally pulled the trigger a few months ago. Worth every penny.
For me the only negative is cr123 type of batteries which is pricey and only good for 15-35 rolls
I opted for Nikon F4 and despite people saying things, it seems that AF-S is pretty reliable
If I'm not mistaken you can use high-speed sync with dedicated Nikon flashes with F6 which is absolutely amazing
The F4 is a good choice. My favourite SLR. Albeit the AF-S is slow, loud and clunky like people say but it's always been reliable for me. That kind of sums up the whole camera really - clunky but reliable. It also has a few other quirks like the shutter balancer that lets you handhold at low shutter speeds, or the all dial controls. Not a big fan of digital menus on SLRs.
The F6 is the only Nikon film camera thas has modern i-TTL flash with fantastic exposure precision
When I bought and started shooting the F6 with Nikkor lenses and Fujifilm Provia 100 everything changed. I know, I know, it's setting and light and framing and all of the skills we try to learn. But the F6 with Provia in matrix-meter mode just turned the images into something epic that exceeds my skills. I haven't bothered getting the bottom battery extender. The F6, with the Nikkor lenses designed to work with it simply disappears. I forget that I'm holding a camera. It feels like looking at a beautiful scene without effort, but later you get to see that scene again via photograph. I dreamt of owning an F6 for rather a while, and finally got one on a year-long payment plan. It's not just the pinnacle of 35mm shooting, it's the pinnacle of photography period. The only next steps after the F6 are medium format and large format.
Totally correct about slide film, just uploaded another video where I shot a roll of Ektarchrome on the F6 and every frame has spot in exposure
Love my F6 + 35mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.4. Bought my F6 in 2015 for 2400 usd. If I remember correctly
I bought my F6 in 2006 brand new with the grip. Shot alot of weddings which paid for it quickly. I used it about 3 weeks ago, still a stunning camera. Love it.
You should check out the Minolta Maxxum 9. They are a nice camera to use and they shoot 12 thousands of a second,
I love my F6 and F4.
Thanks so much for your thoughts and analysis of the Nikon F6 SLR camera. I've owned the F6 for over ten years. It's simply the finest 35mm film camera that I've owned. As a travel and portrait photographer I shoot digital capture and film routinely. I love my Nikon D780 DSLR and Nikon F6 SLR cameras.
funny to think that the last Nikon pro Film SLR camera was the F6, and the last Nikon pro DSLR was the D6.
I shoot an F5 simply because I can't justify the price of the F6 but if one were to come about at $700 under the market value then I'd snatch it up no questions!
The only Nikon I do not have multiples of. I love every F I have, all the way to the F5. I just never could afford an F6.. yet! That and a Leica.
I got lucky, mine was cheap in-comparison to what they are selling for eBay etc
I'm currently in love with my Nikon F5, but keep thinking I want an F100 in my main kit instead as it would fit in my camera bag a little better. Your video is really tempting me to get an F6 instead of an F100 😂 Great video!
I have the F100 and it is a great camera for light shooting, but it is not as robust as the other F cameras like the F5. If you don't have the money for the F6, a good F5 would also be a great choice and can use all the latest lenses. Be careful of the F100 with its plastic back, it is known to break and fail.
@@TXLorenzo Much appreciated! I'll probably stick to the F5 for now, I'm really enjoying it for portrait work, which is the bulk of what I do lately.
How does it stack up against the canon eos-1v? In the market for either of them, just can’t decide
I currently own 2 Nikon F6 bodies. They operate very much like a modern dslr except they shoot film!
I would love one but can't afford just yet (have to stick to my canon eos3). Great choice! Cooper can you please elaborate on that Hassie quietly seating behind you? I thought you wouldn't dable in medium format again?
His de-gassing didn't last long. Ha.
Nah it’s not mine, it’s my friend Luke’s, it what I shot the semi recent road trip
Video with, I’ve just not giving it back to
Him yet
@@shootswithcoops ha ha keep it long enough and you’ll end up buying it!
If you use manual focus lenses, when you hit back button focus, the focus spot lights bright red, twist the lens barrel slightly past focus, hit the bbf and fine tune. The arrows/meatball are HUGE, easily seen in the center of the lower view finder. The meter bar runs up the r side of the viewfinder, a bit out of the way, but I tend to use an incident meter but when using it to spot just below the eye, set meter to one stop brighter than dead center on caucasian skin and with auto focus, bbf it is dead on. The viewfinder is better than my f100. As a portraitist, I don't use auto exposure like aperture priority but will give it a try for street. Yes it looks like a digital, but I don't want a camera that is all show and no go. This camera gets the camera out of the way and lets you concentrate on the image, not the mechanics of taking the photo. One look through the view finder and you will LOVE it. Best viewfinder I have ever seen.
I was looking at getting an F^ and I still might, I hate the fact that it takes those 123a batteries unless I get the additional grip.
I love my f6. The meter, autofocus and lens selection is unmatched for 35mm. However I have been thinking about picking up a Leica m6. what are your thoughts on differences? my main reason is small form factor for hiking and traveling. I have only used slr style cameras. Not sure if rangefinder is for me. But definitely would like to try one out. edit: I have used a cannot ql17iii, and it was somewhat fun. I am just not as fast at focusing with it yet
F6 and m6. That’s like trying to compare a car to a plane. Two different cameras for two very different purposes
As a starvng student, was given a range finder 35 mm and it was fine, but for 10 years couldn't wait to get an slr. No limitation on really wide or even 135 long lenses. I see what I am getting. Never looked back and chuckle at the Leica schmeica craze. The range finder bodies suck to me. Buy a mirrorless sony or nikon and adapt the leica lenses. That is what is spectacular about leica and gives the leica look.. not a body.
I have always wanted an f6 but they are extortionate. I have a canon 1v which is about a third of the price, and like the f6 is absolutely flawless.
I've stuck with my F80's for weight. I use 400 pushed to 800 and ua 24mm lens. Set in Continuous focus mode with nearest subject priority and shutter release priority, I tend to not worry about the focus being perfect as from F4 onwards the depth of field is insane. I can also get super close as I like to my street subjects and the F80 is soooo quiet. But I still want an F6 so will get one shortly. ;-)
Where can I get the T-shirt you are wearing with the film can and leader out? Thank you.
I actually made that myself. On the back is a print of one of my contact sheets
When I used to shoot a canon 1v supposedly that camera with battery pack could shoot 10 fps . Never tried it
You are right. F6 is
Ike a Leica M, you either need it or you don't. There is no sitting on the fence about it. Its a shame that it was not more widely available and that Nikon stopped building them.
This camera is the most logical design transition from film to digital. I wish that I had one, ;-)
Great one, man! I love mine. Would like to visit Australia one day..
come on down
As a landscape photographer the only negative I've read about the F6 is the lack of a mirror lock up. This is important to eliminate vibration when shooting longer exposures on a tripod.
It does have mirror lock up, you can select it with the top left-hand dial. There are other accessories like triggers and angled viewfinders to assist with landscape photography. Aside from that, the f6 is the most balanced camera I have ever used and has very little mirror slap. I have used it extensively for landscape and never had a blurry image. Also love the long exposure settings up to 30 min.
@@lucarondon thanks for the reply that's good to know. I just picked up a new Nikkor 20mm f2.8 ais and a used Nikkor 24mm PC lens. These would be great on an F6.
@@keithpeeples3565 I’ve been eyeing the 24mm pc for a while. I use the old 28mm 3.5 pc for architecture but it has a lot of barrel distortion which is somewhat unacceptable in a pc lens. I read that the 24 does a much better job with that. The f6 is a really good camera for all of my uses really, I just wish it were quieter like the video says.
@@keithpeeples3565 PC-E lenses don't work on the F6 like all E lenses with electrical aperture drive
Coops I need to know what are the best primes to get?
That’s on you, I can tell you which lengths to use, that’s personal preference, but if you mean in terms on which ones to buy, I’d stick with any of the Nikon G series lenses
Oddly now I feel a bit nostalgic about DSLRs, miss my D800 a bit
I miss my d700, haven't used it in an HOUR!
Just bought this camera a few weeks ago but have idea what lens to get for it. I have mostly L-mount lenses. Is there an adaptor? Or should I just look for native f mount lens?
Those are mirrorless lenses, they Emmy work on a dslr, you will have to get native
Get the 35mm f2 D version for that camera. The only lens you’ll need.
i prefer my 35 f:1.4 AFS that work so fine on the F6
Whelp, adding this to the list of unobtanium.
From my local store i can buy 2 f5s for the price of f6. I just can’t disrespect f5 like that ☺️
good stuff coops.
thanks mate
Reminds me a bit of the Canon EOS 3. Pretty much does everything.
How do the D6 and F6 have a connection? They are both the last presentation in their line up. The F6 is the last pro film camera Nikon will ever make and the DSLR is on the way out. Mirrorless bodies are the future and Nikon won’t invest in a D7. It just took a little more than 20 years for DSLR cameras to become obsolete. It took five decades for professional film cameras to cease production.
D6 and F6 have no connection other than being “pro” body cameras, when the F6 came out Nikon were producing the D2
F6 has has a lot of improved F5 technology for the mechanics as well as D2x technology for AF, i-TTL, light measurement
the only "negative" in f6 is the film inside it :)
But it works also with positive slide films not only negatives 🤣
I was not a fan of the F6. The F5 was and is the best film camera ever.
The F6 was just too late to the show for me. Still too expensive for me to even consider.
Hey babe you want to be a real photographer you to invest in a Nikon F4 , don't need the digital readout on the top , we want knobs and switches unlock , Sutter counter balancer with carbon fiber
1) calling someone "babe" regardless of gender is cringe AF 2) a "real" photographer takes good photos regardless of the tool, and there are many different tools suiting different shooting styles and needs. Bye
A truly great camera but the F5 is the last truly professional Nikon film camera. Built like no other before. Next to it the F6 is for wimps!
It’s biggest negative for me is the cr123a batteries😢
true they are $$, but they last a good amount of time
I switched from Nikon to Canon after the F4. It’s just the better AF on the Canon.
I love CR123 batteries!
Last not that long in the F6 and loose a lot of power in cold weather.
@ I was being sarcastic. Nikon FM for cold weather