The Nikon F4 - Still An Amazing SLR

Nikon F4 with a lovely 50mm f/1.4 manual lens

I recently came into possession of a Nikon F4 that is in excellent condition.  I really hadn't thought about all the features that it has, since the last time I shot with one was well over 15 years ago.  The local Ann Arbor camera store, Big Georges (which stopped selling photographic stuff in 2008) had a used one for sale that I purchased to do some freelance work.  It ended up having a problem that reinforced my "always have a backup" plan. I was shooting an event and realized that the film was being advanced through to the end of the roll while never firing an exposure!  Luckily, my backup was the consumer-level Nikon N60, and I was able to get all the shots that I needed.  But, for a few moments, I was in a panic. I ended up selling that F4 with its problems noted, and never bought another one.  So, a few months ago, one sort of landed in my lap, and I started shooting with it.  Comparing it to an F2 or F3 is a little unfair, as the technology in the F4 is far more advanced than its predecessors. It's certainly a lot heavier and beefier. But, with its grip on the right side, it feels right in the hands.  The large, bright 100% viewfinder is truly great, and having the hot shoe on the prism like most cameras, is a far better solution than the F, F2, and F3 location.  

The Nikon F4 was produced from 1988-1997.  It was an innovative breakthrough for Nikon, parting ways with the older manual-focus F cameras, yet retaining use of any lens, including non-AI. It works with all modern Nikon AF lenses, including G lenses (but not in A and M modes).  If you prefer knobs and buttons over LCD menus, this is the camera for you.  In fact, every feature on the F4 is readily identifiable and does not have to dealt with via a menu. Shutter speeds are from 30 sec to 1/8000 sec, plus B and T, and ISO settings from 6 to 6400. The information in the viewfinder is easily seen, and of course, you can manually set the lens aperture in A and M modes.  It's a perfect SLR to use with manual lenses, as you see focus confirmation in the viewfinder. In fact, while I often use the F4 with AF lenses, I love using it with a manual AI-modified 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor-S lens from the late 1960s. 

Everything is easily found, and no menus or LCD screens

 Everything is so clear and bright in the viewfinder that it's a real treat to use this camera.  The Nikon N90, while lighter, has many of the features of the F4, but it does contain an LCD screen and has mode buttons, and a primitive menu system.  None of that's in the F4.  I have used N90s quite a bit, and while excellent SLRs, they are not as rugged as the F4.  All the controls are where they should be (at least to a Nikon user) and are non-ambiguous.  Flash sync is at 1/250 sec., and the incredible array of Nikon Speedlights gives you so much more control over your flash photography than the F2 or F3.  Matrix-balanced fill flash, center-weighted fill-flash, rear-curtain sync, standard TTL flash, and multiple flashes are all options.   I'm not going to list all of the features of this camera, as they are easily findable on the Internet.  However, one feature that might escape notice is where the cable release connects to the camera.  - It's on the lower left rear, below the film door.  It actually makes a great deal of sense having it there, rather than part of the shutter release on top right, where it's usually found on most cameras. One other feature that I appreciate -- it uses 4 AA cells, not some expensive battery. Since it doesn't have an LCD screen, those AAs last quite a while.

The F4 with a great travel lens - the 24-120 AF-D.

This second go-round with the F4 has been most enjoyable, and the more I use it, the more I appreciate just how rock solid the camera is.  It was Nikon's flagship professional camera for almost a decade, and it was totally a major leap forward in pro camera technology compared to the electronic F3.  Don't get me wrong -- I think the F3HP is one of the greatest SLRS made, but the F4 certainly is a camera that sits well with the manual and the AF worlds, and is still an awesome SLR.  It's not a lightweight camera - with the 50mm f/1.4 and neck strap, it weighs 3.5 pounds.  Put on the 35-70 f/2.8 AFD lens, and that will be 4 lb 4 oz around your neck.  I carry mine over my shoulder.  One might be tempted to think that if the F4 is good, the F5 and F6 are better.  Using those two cameras is not much different than using a DSLR, and if you have used an F100, you would immediately know the controls on a D300. So, user-interface-wise, the F4 stands out amongst any pro-level AF 35mm SLR.

So, is the Nikon F4 right for you? Only you can answer that. Find one and shoot with it for a while, and you'll quickly see how great a camera it is.

Want to know more about the Nikon F4? Here are some links that will provide more information and inspiration.

• Casual Photophile
• Ken Rockwell
• B&H 
• Anatomy Films
• KEH Review

35-70 f/2.8 AF-D, Ultrafine extreme 100,  March, 2021

35-70 f/2.8 AF-D, Ultrafine Extreme 100, March, 2021

35-70 f/2.8 AF-D, Ultrafine Extreme 100,  March, 2021

35-70 f/2.8 AF-D, Ultrafine Extreme 100, March, 2021

 

Nikon FE10 - Hands On Review

 I recently decided that it was time to reduce the number of camera systems that I had been keeping on-hand, so I sold my Cosina-manufactured Canon T60 and lenses that I have had for a few years. I replaced it almost immediately with a mint-condition Nikon FE10 from KEH. I'd been wanting an FE10, because operationally, it was very similar to the T60, as both were made by Cosina. You may not have heard of the FE10, as it was only made for a short time in the mid-late 1990s, and it was not as common as the FM10, also a Cosina body that features only manual settings. 

 Why an FE10? I really liked the lightweight Aperture-priority Canon T60, and the Nikon FE10 is similar, but with more features. Just as lightweight, it comes in at 1 lb 6 oz with a 50mm f1.8 Nikkor, camera strap, and roll of film. Obviously, an ABS plastic body, with that champagne silver and black body that we also saw in the Nikon N60. While it obviously isn't a typical Nikon build, the FE10 has the following features: 

•  Aperture-Priority and Manual exposure, with speeds indicated via diodes in the VF. 
• Shutter speeds B, 1-1/2000 sec (in A mode, up to 8 seconds) 
• Flash Sync at 1/60 and 1/90 with Nikon TTL Speedlights 
• ISO settings 25-3200 
• Exposure lock button 
• Exposure compensation dial built-in with ISO settings. 
• Cable release socket in shutter release button 
• Depth of field preview lever
• Self-timer 
• Film roll window in back 
• Multiple-exposure lever 
• Lock setting on shutter speed dial to conserve battery power and avoid accidental exposures 
• Viewfinder - 93% coverage, with matte focus screen, microprism collar and split-image center spot (Nikon "K" screen) 
• Power- 2 1.5V LR-44 cells (required to operate camera) 

Some Observations - 

Manual Nikon SLRs have the shutter lock when the advance lever is flush against the body and once the lever is brought out about 30 degrees, the meter is activated and the camera will operate. After using Nikons for over 20 years, it's an automatic thing that I rarely think about. However, I recall a couple of times when I put a Nikon FE in a bag and the advance lever got pulled away, resulting in drained cells when I tried using the camera. The Lock setting on the shutter speed dial is a good feature, especially for those that might not have a long history with Nikon SLRs. 

Shutter speed dial set to Aperture-priority

ISO and exp. compensation dial

 Exposure compensation dials are typically separate when they are included on a Nikon SLR - i.e., all AF camera bodies, and on the Nikon FE, FE2, FG, FA, FM3a, F3, and N2000. Manual-only bodies do not require the +\- exposure comp. dial. At first I thought this setup was a bit ungainly on the FE10, but in reality, it does teach how +/- works - you are setting the ISO speed +/- in stops. So, if I have ISO 400 film and I want a stop extra of exposure, I set the dial to the +1, and the ISO speed is set at 50. The only drawback with this setup is that you might forget to change back to the actual film ISO. It's a compromise, but it does work. 

The shutter release does not require much force to activate, but once I got used to it, I had no problems.

Using the FE10 -

 After I received the camera from KEH, I installed 2 fresh LR-44 cells, and popped in a roll of Ultrafine Extreme 400. I have to say that the only thing the FE10 lacked was that new camera smell, (Okay, I confess, there is no such thing). The body looked like it had never been used. 

 I used it with a Nikon SB-18 Speedlight - a small flash that is a perfect match for this camera. I also shot it with several lenses, under different conditions, and I was so sure of the operation of the FE10 that I packed it as my only SLR for a long weekend in Pittsburgh. Once I got used to the touchy shutter release, I found using it to be good experience. The FE10 was a good choice, as I visited some interesting areas, one of which was Carrie Furnaces National Historic Site. There were a few times when I used the exposure compensation dial to accommodate the dark tones of the site. The FE10's simplicity of operation and the Aperture-priority automation makes it a great choice as a street camera. The lighter weight was nice, too. Of course, it's not like a Nikon FE2 (weight 2 lb, 3 oz in a similar configuration) either in sturdiness or feel. It was designed for countries that wanted cheaper cameras with the Nikon badge all while AF bodies were the rage. The FE10 and FM10 may not have been built like other Nikons, but as a "student" camera, I certainly can recommend them. 

 As a backup body, the FE10 would be so light to pack in with the rest of your gear, you might not notice it's there. I'm not going to be a snob and turn up my nose at the FE10, just because it's not made in a Nikon factory. If you want a bit more about the history of this camera - check out this review.  The only manual focus Nikon body I have that's newer is the FM3a. Overall, I found the FE10 to be a good companion on my Pittsburgh trip. I shot 6 rolls of film with it, and all the exposures were to my liking. I'll probably be using this camera in my travels, as I easily packed it in a shoulder bag with a flash and several lenses. I have other Nikons that are better-made, fuller-featured, but heavier. I can see packing my FM3a with the FE10 as a backup on a trip. As a walk-about camera, the FE10 won't weigh me down, and based upon my results, it's a better choice than a 40-year old Nikon FE. 

 And now, for some photos...

A Week at the South Carolina Coast

Sunset at Murrells Inlet, SC

I hesitate to use the word vacation, because I am retired, but it was a vacation from the kitchen renovation that is ongoing. We went to Murrells Inlet, SC for a week in mid-April, and it really was nice to do some traveling after a year of not doing any travel, other than day trips around NC.  Of course, we took the necessary precautions - mask up, and all that, and Bev was vaccinated, I had my first COVID shot, and Adrienne got hers shortly after we returned from our trip.  It was great to see the Atlantic, as it's been 22 years since I have been to the Atlantic coast. We left Weaverville on the morning of April 10, and arrived in the afternoon at our cottage that we rented for the week. It was little like going from Spring to summer-like weather.  It was great to have a real kitchen, as we have been making do with an ersatz kitchenette in the basement while our real kitchen is being completely renovated.  Even so, we ate dinner out a lot over the course of a week, as we had all that fresh and local seafood at the local restaurants.

Morning on the porch

First of all, Murrells Inlet is along what is called the "Hammock Coast," inland by the width of salt marshes from the Strand, a series of barrier islands that protect the marshes from the waves of the Atlantic.  Funny though, is seeing all those beachfront properties as easy prey to the effects of climate change.  At least there is less of an onslaught along the shoreline that is surrounded by the estuaries.

Our small cottage was perfect for our needs, and I enjoyed the quiet mornings there.  We were only a few minutes walk from the busy area with all of the restaurants, bars, and tourist-oriented places, yet we felt like we were in a very quiet spot.  I enjoyed the mornings with the sun casting shadows on the porch. 

Our rented cottage

One of the places that we visited - three times, in fact, was Brookgreen Gardens.  Admission on one ticket is good for 6 consecutive days, and in light of how much there is to Brookgreen, it certainly makes sense.  For the history of Brookgreen Gardens, go to https://www.brookgreen.org/history-gardens.  Brookgreen Gardens has over 2000 pieces of figurative sculpture in a garden setting, and I have to say that I was wowed by what I saw. Aside from seeing several works by two sculptors well-known by Michiganders (Marshall Fredericks and Carl Milles), I was introduced to Anna Hyatt Huntington's amazing work and many others. Of course, all this is in addition to the fabulous gardens and plantings, the Low Country Museum and the zoo. I spent many hours just walking around and loving the Tillandsia (although it's often called Spanish Moss, it's not Spanish and it's not moss - it's an epiphytic Bromeliad) hanging from the Live Oaks (Quercus virginiana).  To me, those trees exemplify the deep South, and with those long, arching branches, they provide a mysterious and languorous scene.  They also support other epiphytic plants such as lichens, mosses, and ferns. I photographed the hell out of them, seeking ways to convey that sense of wonder and place that they provide.  I'll know if I succeeded when I develop the film.

Don Quixote sculpture by Anna Hyatt Huntington

Live Oaks at Brookgreen Gardens

On the other side of Route 17, across from Brookgreen gardens, lies Huntington Beach State park.  This parcel is where the Huntingtons built their winter retreat, which Archer Huntington called Atalaya. He had a passion for Spanish history and literature, and Atalaya was designed to look like the coastal forts of Spain. It's now called Atalaya Castle, and is a shell of its former residence. Although I enjoyed walking around and through it, it seems a melancholy place. However, it provided some great photographic subjects, which I also hope come out the way that I saw them.  The beach area is large, and the North end of the beach is the best place for photography and wildlife viewing.  The south end is more managed for typical beach and camping activities.  

Atalaya Castle (Lumix DMC-LX3)

The North end of Huntington Beach State Park

Seaside memories

We also spent an afternoon in Georgetown, the third-oldest city in SC, incorporated in 1729. The historic district is a nice walk, and there are lots of beautiful old houses on the National Historic Register.  Georgetown is the second-largest seaport in SC and has several large industries. I did enjoy seeing that there is an old theater there, the Strand, which hosts theater and no longer shows movies. 

The Inlet Crab House

We ate one meal at a restaurant every day, usually dinner. My two favorite places were the Inlet Crab House - a small place that seemed to cater more to locals, and the Hot Fish Club - which is a big place that offered up some of the best meals I have ever had.  All of the places around Murrells Inlet feature seafood, and a lot of it is fried.  That's why the Hot Fish Club was so excellent - there are many non-fried options to choose from, and we ate there two nights. We ate lunch at Wicked Tuna one day, and I had the most amazing shrimp Po'Boy ever.  I was also introduced to She Crab soup, which I tried at two different places, and it's a luscious mouthful of buttery crab meat and roe. Graham's Landing had the best version. I also found that Grouper was my favorite local fish.

A shrimp po'boy at Wicked Tuna

Okay, this IS a photography blog, not a restaurant review, so I'll list what I brought along for this trip. I decided that my Pentax 6x7 wasn't giving me enough exercise, so I packed it and several lenses into a backpack. I also brought my YashicaMat 124, and Holga, to round out the medium-format section. Imagine my chagrin when I went to load the P67 and found that I had left the take-up spool at home.  I wasn't going to ruin a roll of film just to have a take-up spool, so I waited until I finished up a roll in the YashicaMat to transfer it to the P67. The Holga went along for many of the trips.  The 35mm camp was pretty straightforward - Nikon FM3a, with a spare Nikon FM body, in case I needed it. For lenses I brought the 50mm f/1.4, 28mm f/2.8, 85mm f/2, 105mm Micro-Nikkor, 35-105 Nikkor zoom, and the Lensbaby Pro Optic 35. I added the Horizon 202, and shot about half a roll of film with it. The Yashica Electro 35 CC was a constant companion,  and I also brought along two 35mm toy cameras to round things out.  The only digital camera aside from my iPhone was the Lumix DMC-LX3, which I did use a bit.  Overall, I shot 8 rolls of 120 and 16 rolls of 35mm over the course of a week. That's a lot of medium format for me to shoot, and I used the 55mm lens on the P67 quite a bit.  Most of the film was b&w, but there was enough color to keep things interesting.  

I'll start developing the film this weekend, and I am looking forward to sharing the results.  I'll be in Pittsburg at the end of the month, and look forward to photographing there again.

some work ahead

All of the images shown in this post were made with my iPhone XR.

The KEKS 30mm f/10 body cap lens

 KEKS Camera is a Taiwan-based company that produces the KEKS light meter, an attractive shoe-mounted light meter that's been getting some attention online. I was checking out their website, and saw something else that I figured would be a neat little item - a body cap with a 30mm f/10 lens mounted in it for $30. So, I place my order on March 18, and the package (envelope) arrived yesterday, April 5.   I'm sure that you are now wondering what the heck I'm talking about.

What is the KEKS body cap lens?

Typically, I have seen body caps turned into pinhole lens mounts for SLR cameras. That's pretty easy as a DIY project, and of course, there are commercially-made ones available. There are also pancake lenses that are very thin, made for M 4/3 cameras in the digital realm. The KEKS body cap lens is neither of these. It's an actual body cap with a 30mm f/10 lens from a Kodak single-use camera at the center.  There is no adjustment of any sort  except the shutter speed of the camera. The lens focuses from about 3 feet to infinity, and as you should expect from a single-use camera, the center is fairly sharp, while the outer edges of the frame are out of focus.   The idea is pretty good -- and because the distance to the film plane is shorter than with an SLR, the body cap lens is sold in only 4 mounts - Leica L39 thread, Leica M bayonet, Fujifilm X (digital) and Sony E (digital).  I bought the Leica Thread Mount (LTM), as it would fit my Zorki and my Canon 7 rangefinders.

As you can see, there isn't much to this lens, but I thought it would be something fun to play with.  The shallow profile makes the camera seem quite svelte.  I mounted the lens on my Zorki 2c, and loaded a roll of Fomapan 100.   Since the aperture is fixed at f/10, I shot at 1/250 sec in full sun, and adjusted accordingly in other conditions.   I just estimated the exposures and didn't bother with a light meter, as I strolled around in Montreat, NC, which is near Black Mountain.  As this lens makes the camera basically a point-and-shoot, I didn't worry too much about the framing on the Zorki.  I probably could have put a wide-angle optical viewfinder on the cold-shoe, since the tiny Zorki viewfinder isn't much help.

The KEKS lens in the Zorki 2c

I developed the roll of Fomapan 100 in D76 for 7 minutes last night, and scanned the negs this morning on my Epson V700.  Once I looked at the scans, I could easily see that the lens performed pretty much as I expected - relatively sharp and contrasty in the center, with the image becoming progressively softer towards the edges.  Not a bad look for the way I shoot, but if one is expecting sharpness all around, this $30 gadget is not for you. 

Here are some results from yesterday's shooting. 

Widening My Horizon Part II

Using 35mm film in a Pentax 6x7

Back in mid-February, I wrote a post about some ways to get panoramic images with a 35mm film camera.  At the time, I had not yet shot anything with a panorama mask and 35mm adapter in my Pentax 6x7.  I ordered my panoramic 35mm adapter from Clever3dPrints on Etsy, and it arrived soon after. The adapters to fit a 35mm cassette into the 120 roll film spot work very well.  The panorama viewfinder mask fit over the ground glass, but I think it's a 1/2mm too thick, as the prism doesn't snug in tightly with it in place.  Second, the 35mm adaptor to go over the film gate doesn't really fit well, and wanted to rub against the shutter curtain so I decided not to use it, and expose the entire width of the film. 

The back of the Pentax 67 opened up, showing the supply
and take-up cassettes, and the taped-on leader.

You need to set the film to 220 on the Pentax 6x7 pressure plate as well as the 120/220 selector button on the right side of the body.  To make sure that I got as much out of the 36 exposure roll, I taped a length of exposed 35mm film to the end of the fresh roll that was connected to the take-up cassette.  The take-up spool is an empty cassette (obviously oriented upside down. As it turns out, I need to make the leader a bit longer, as there was a length of unexposed film at the beginning of my roll.  The 220 setting is necessary if you are using a 36 exposure roll, and you should get close to 19 shots, unless you respool your own film and make it a 40-exposure roll.  

The beauty of using this without the panoramic mask in the film gate is that I get 24x70mm negatives, excluding the sprockets.  If you are sprocket freak, then you'll appreciate the exposed sprocket area. Compared with my Horizon 202 (more about that in another post), it's a bit wider - 12mm. I used the Pentax 55mm lens on the 6x7, which is about equal to 28mm in 35mm. The Horizon 202's lens is also 28mm, but the crop with 6x7 55mm lens  results in an image without any distortion that one sees with the Horizon camera.  

The obvious drawback with this setup is that the film still has some exposed frames that will be ruined if you open the back in daylight, unless you forgo shooting to the end of the roll.  I brought my camera back home and opened it up in my bathroom/darkroom and rewound the film into the original cassette.  I shot a roll of Ultrafine Extreme 100 and developed in D-96.  To say that I was happy with the images is an understatement.  All of my shots were handheld. The D-96 came from the FPP store.  All of my frames were scanned on my Epson V700 scanner.

Some results.

Dillsboro, NC

Dillsboro, NC

Rt. 197 up Ivy Knob to Cockscomb Mtn.

The French Broad River at Ledges Whitewater Park

After I scanned in the negatives, I was pleased at how big those images could be viewed. Zooming in revealed a lot of detail, and a print from them would be quite striking.  You may ask why not just crop any 6x7 negative post scan to be a 24x70mm negative, and my answer is:

• You can no longer buy 220 film that is fresh
• There are so many more emulsions in 35mm
• The viewfinder mask defines your image area
• It's part of the process

In part III of this series, I will discuss my experiences with my Horizon cameras.