Will the Nikon F6 be the last SLR film camera?
Oct 28 '04
The Bottom Line In the age of digital photography, the film-based camera Nikon F-series continues...
With the event of digital photography dominating the turn of this century, and its prominent appearance into the future with zealous improvements in image resolutions, there remains much debate whether film-based 35mm SLR (Single-Lens Reflex) cameras, or film-based photography for that matter, will survive the digital total annihilation.
By comparison, I am a new comer in film photography. My share of enthusiasm about the Nikon SLR flagship camera has mostly been through exchange conversations with my photo peers and literature, though I have had the opportunity to proudly own three of the Nikon flagships: Nikon F3, F4 and F5 (and currently using F4 and F5). I am still shy from the revolutionary digital photography, despite the fact that there are a multitude of superb digital SLR cameras, produced by many outstanding manufacturers. Perhaps I still regard myself as a purist and a traditionalist; and partly because I started my photography with film-based SLR cameras that makes it a hard habit to break. Or, it's just a simple fact that digital SLR camera is still too expensive for me to pay in lump sum.
Everyone I know is now shooting digital (both SLRs and non-SLRs). Yet, I still lug my trusted Nikon F4 and a beat-up tripod to the same location to photograph sunset that I used to come every year. In spite of all that, and being a purist, I prefer to have my image physical and tangible; something I can hold in my hand and see, something that cannot be digitally manipulated. Sometimes, I get upset when people see my printed images and say "Wow! Very nice! Did you do this in PhotoShop?" I always use slide film for my photography. I do, however, connect to the digital world with my Nikon film scanner.
Several years ago at a photo conference I attended (in Chicago), there was a talk about digital photography. Many people I met were very enthusiastic about the topic. But there was also a debate on the floor among small groups about film-based SLR cameras. The Nikon F5 came up in the subject, that it "would" be the last film-based SLR camera in the digital age. Some based their argument on the dominating digital photography and marketing. Some argued that because there isn't much to improve upon the Nikon F5, being the King of the SLR film camera. Throughout the discussion, I mostly remained quiet, and withdrawn to myself, with hope and anticipation what the F5's successor would be like.
Well, eight years after the introduction of the Nikon F5, the new Nikon F6 will continue the dynasty. Personally, for the first time, I am very excited of this good news. Every eight to ten years, Nikon introduces its flagship SLR film camera to the photographic community (or world). The following is a list of the Nikon F-series, in chronological order.
March 1959: Nikon F
With its interchangeable pentaprism, this model has gone through various improvements during its 15-year reign. Its improvement has been on the prism itself, from regular Photomic, to Photomic T, Photomic TN and Photomic FTN.
September 1971: Nikon F2 Photomic
The F2 was rich with accessories. Its improvement, among other things, was from pure mechanics to semi-electronics, particularly on its LED display, on the F2S Photomic model. Nikon continued to modify the F2 with various improvements with model designation as F2SB, F2A, F2AS, F2 HighSpeed, F2 Titan and so forth.
March 1980: Nikon F3
This is perhaps one of the most well-known and most successful F-series to be in production for more than two decades (1980-2001). The F3 also has many different or modified models, such as F3P, F3 Titan, F3 Limited, F3 NASA (designed exclusively for NASA), F3 HighSpeed. However, the famous one and widely available is Nikon F3 HP (for its 100% viewfinder). In the early auto focus era, Nikon has also done some various experiments with F3 (Nikon F3AF).
December 1988: Nikon F4
One of the first F-series to have pure electronics and multi-metering systems (with a built-in spot meter in the body) and an array of accessories. Personally, it's one of my favorite Nikon F-series cameras. With its detachable high-speed motor drive, this model is known by many names: F4 (with its built-in 4-AA battery cells), F4S (with its 6-AA cells for film rate of 5 frames per second), F4E (with its MN-20 NiCad cells with 5.7 frames per second).
September 1996: Nikon F5 Imported from the Future
Nikon stunted the photographic world with this camera. To this day, Nikon F5 reigns supreme as the King of SLR film camera, with its superb three-dimensional color matrix metering system (3-D Color Matrix) and its continuous 8 frames per second with focus tracking (providing all 8 frames with sharp image).
My two complaints with the King are weight and power consumption.
October 2004: Nikon F6
At first glance, Nikon F6 can easily confuse for Nikon F100. From the front view, they both look very similar. It is small and appears to be lighter than its predecessor, the F5. The F6 appears to break some of the F-series' traditions. It has a fixed pentaprism but with interchangeable optional screens. Nikon F5 has four interchangeable prisms. The F6 will use two CR123A lithium cells, instead of the regular AA batteries used by F4 and F5. This will cut down the weight tremendously, although this type of battery can be difficult to find in remote places; Nikon F5 uses 8 AA cells, adding nearly a half pound to its already heavy and bulky body.
The Nikon F6 is the film-based SLR camera in the digital world. All the F5's advanced technology, including its accessories--multi-function data back, data wizardry and custom functions--combined with the technology of the digital SLR camera are packed inside the Nikon F6. With its large rear LCD panel, the F6 can be confused for a digital SLR camera. This is a digital camera that uses film; it uses a CompactFlash (CF) card for its data, frame and shooting information.
Much like the Nikon F4, the F6 will have optional motor drive to boost its 8 frames per second in continuous auto focus mode and tracking with lock-on. This is one of the reasons why I prefer to carry my Nikon F4 (with its 4 AA cells) when I need to hike long distances. I only use my F5 for people photography.
So why all the excitement about the Nikon flagship? Any cheap film camera body "can" get the job done! When I first switched from Canon to Nikon, my first Nikon SLR body was N90S. I then replaced it with Nikon F100, and explored other Nikon SLR bodies (N60, N70, N6006, N8008S, etc) then F4, F3 and F5. As a freelance photographer, I remain using F4 and F5 alternatively presently. The reason is because they are the most reliable cameras I have ever used. The simple fact is that professional SLR cameras are built to withstand professional abuses. On top of that, only top-of-the-line camera bodies provide all the features that I need and use.
Perhaps, the Nikon F6 will be the last dynasty in the film SLR camera. Until that happens, I'm going to enjoy the time that I have as much as possible, before I give in to the digital world.
I can't wait to get my hands on the Nikon F6.
Thank you for reading...
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