Nikon F First Impressions | Days of Knight
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Welcome to the NIkon F mafia Azriel, as the owner of five F's you have mechanical perfection in your hands.
Thanks Bill. I can't keep this guy though.
Azriel - great video - I love how consistent you are. Very approachable in how you explain everything. You remind me a lot of a great friend of mine both in your looks and the sound of your voice.
I'm assuming your friend had stunning good looks ;)
Love your channel. Keep it up! I just ordered my first film camera. Looking forward to learning a lot from this channel. Love the vibe.
Another great video as always, glad to see your starting to get into Nikon’s more, I look forward to seeing a review of the Nikon F3 and F4 next.
Thank you.
you know, i've been saving money for years to get one of these magnificent camera, things got worst the pandemic came in, lost my job in between the timeline, now a full-time freelancing and all. took that leap by selling my other film cameras and decided to get a nikon f, once i got and held it, i was love at first sight. the connection between the camera and i was instantaneous, shot my first roll using the hp5 and as i'm writing this, i am smiling. that obvious. looking forward for more of your content. #staysafe
20:38 You slowly joining the Nikon mafia, welcome to the family :)
Thank you ;)
It´s not a Mafia or even a Cult, it´s a black hole! (or yellow)
Be warned.... once you join us, you never going to leave us ;)
One of my favorite camera's ever made! Nice to see you use the same setup as me, maybe also do a review with the awesome 20mm UD ;) Love that lens. And welcome to the family.
Just bought my first F two weeks ago! Halfway through a test roll of Superia 400 right now. Nice job on the video!
Hope it goes well :)
Wow. Great video and I’m glad to have found your channel.
Thanks :)
Getting a new camera bag is just as lovely as a new pair of shoes!
Very cool video. Liked and subscribed. My F is coming in this week. I’m pairing it with a 24mm 2.8 and a nifty 50 1.4. The 105 seems like a sweet lens. Lots of glass 😊 thanks for sharing your process!
Thanks Pedro!
Fab video. Found you late as its Our Queens Jubilee in England. I love the F. Highly recommendvrhe plain screen and a G2 screen D#
Thanks David :)
I love the Nikon FA the meter in that is just so good and i love the little detachable grip (something i really wish my fm3a had), my only gripe with it is that you have have to have the lever out i order to take a shot.
If you get a chance to pick one up i recommend you try it, they can be had for relatively cheap, but are notorious for breaking down and once they do good luck having it repaired there are virtually no parts for it you have to grab them from a donor.
My uncle purchased a Nikon F new in 1964. He traveled around the world with it a few times, took thousands of photos (only Kodachrome) and was able to take photos of Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford, and Carter. (He worked for the US Dept of Agriculture)He then gave it to my older brother around 1979. My bother then gave it to me in 2012. Still works perfectly.
cool - any pics we can tune into?
I do love the 80s vibe in your videos. Nice images!
Thanks Joe :)
Go make art! Glad you shot that roll, man. I inherited my grandmother's Nikon F2 (or maybe its an F) and will be restoring it soon. Stoked!
I have a little something headed you way, as a thanks for everything you've done.
Nice bag there! Nikon F was my first camera. I had to ask the dealer to give me half a year extension for half of the purchase price in 1970, which he did. It was his first Nikon sale.
He went on to become a Nikon certified dealer in my small town. By 2019 it was game over. RIP.
I still have my F though.
One thing I'm really puzzled with is; why did it take so long for camera makers to add grips to their bodies?
Was F3 the first?
Nicely composed pictures and good music.
Thx for sharing.
Btw. the F2 is a much better choice in my opinion.
Great video!
Love Nikon F, one of my favourite cameras. Nikkor p 105 2.5 (sonnar design) is between my top lenses for sure.
I love the focal length in general but this was a really nice version.
Impressive !!!!and Inspiring!!!! , I have my fathers Minolta SRT from years back , I loaded it a few years back and did pretty well with it
Great informative and entertaining video! Thanks. I also have the Nikon F (1972 model year) with a working Ftn prism head that I purchased from a local camera repair shop, overhauled and refurbished. It's like a brand new vintage camera! It's my most prized film SLR; I have seven, total. Do you notice a huge difference in quality/characteristics between the TRI-X and the Ilfird HP5 films? I've ran both through this camera and I'm still undecided.
I LOVE the Nikon F. What a beautifully engineered, totally bulletproof tank of a camera… this is the absolute essence of an SLR. The F is the camera I first *really* learned photography on, at least the basics of focus, composition and exposure, all the things you don’t really get with the point and shoots or disposables I grew up with
Thanks for sharing :)
Aziel, I know your focus is on film cameras that I grew up with and used, and glad to see that there is still interest in shooting film and a Darkroom. I have spent much time and enjoyment in the darkroom alone in developing and printing a lot of B and W , along with some color printing. What impressed me on this video is the quality of video production and the sharpness of it. You wear 2 hats in doing your CZcams videos. I would be interested in seeing your video process, setups, and equipment, editing in the process. I enjoy your videos and would love to learn more about the videos as I having shoot film still photography without thinking of video as now part of the process with our social media world of Tech. I really noticed the quality of the production, very professional.
It might shock you to know then, that I have been filming on a smartphone :)
@@AzrielKnight Good images for a smartphone, but I also liked the construction and production of the video, kept me interested moving from A to Z, plus you seemed pretty comfortable speaking in front of a camera.
I've grown so spoiled by aperture priority on my film cameras. I will still use full manual if I need to override the meter for certain compositions, but I can't imagine having a mechanical camera my "daily" carry. I guess a compromise would be a simple matchstick meter. I really enjoy the simplicity there. No segmented LED's or red arrows to mess about with.
One thing I do love about the Nikon F is the ability to use the ground glass for focusing. I absolutely love using my Yashicamat 124g for that reason.
Anywho, great job as usual, man! Cheers FROM Nashville TN!
Thanks for the input Brian :)
Love the shutter sound.
same, very satisfying
@@AzrielKnight S2!!! ❤️
They're so reliable. I once owned a TTL version, sold to fund Medium Format, but about 4 years ago I borrowed a friend's F. He guessed it hadn't been used since around 1990, yet everything was perfect: Usability, mechanics and of course the images. I want to get one again but it's not really justifiable unless I sell something else, which I don't want to do!
Thanks for sharing Danny.
This might be my new favourite channel. I have an F3. For some silly reason im tempted with an F
Thanks Christopher, I appreciate the kind words.
Hi Azriel you mentioned acquiring a new camera bag, if you ever tier of this bag have a look at the Domke F6 bag. It has very easy access for quick lens changes. It will easily hold that Nikon F and lenses plus film and filters if you choose. Also you won't look conspicuous 📸 🥂
The F2 is really worth testing. Love that camera.
I'm going to :)
Hi Azriel, Daryl here! Love the shots. I'm a big fan of fully mechanical cameras so would love to get a hold of one of these! My favourite in my collection is my Praktica TL3 closely followed by the Zenit E
Thanks for watching! I have a video of the Zenit E if you're interested.
@@AzrielKnight I've seen it :)
Epic VHS-C development montage! I never would have thought about shooting vertical video on one. 🤔
Thanks ;) A little 21st century styling on a 20th century format :)
Hey Azriel! Loving the content lately! What is the song you used for the developement montage around 12:30? Sounds familiar but i cant seem to find it.
Let me be Somebody Else By Niki Gee
ROCKING DUDE ROCKING .....you have inspired me to go out and shoot my CONTAREX SUPER ........
Cool, glad I could help :)
Yeah I love my Nikon F.
I'm mostly an Olympus fanboy, but the Nikon F sometimes adds a "could've-been-the-60's" feel to images.
The lenses are so sharp, I use them with my Canon DSLR as well.
I have the waist-level finder, I find it works best in a crowd. I zone focus and use my thumb on the release while pretending to look at my cellphone in my left hand. The rewind is quite subtle too.
Then I have the Photomic viewfinder (with TTL meter, for those playing along at home). The old PX625 batteries (2 of them) worked until recently, but when they gave up the ghost I bought two MR-9 regulated adapters so I could use SR44s instead. It was a too-tight squeeze to get them in there, but it worked. It would help to grind off a bit of thickness on both adapters and batteries.
Hi Azriel, for the last 2 years i've been shooting with an F and a 55mm Micro Nikkor and couldn't be happier! don't feel i need anything else.
That's awesome if it works for you.
Azriel you can get the photomic viewfinder prism that has a light meter built in, you have to match the hook of the lens to the pin of the finder.
Spoiler alert I already have one! Stay tuned ;)
@@AzrielKnight oh nice! I had the same setup with 50mm f/1.4 before I gave it away as a birthday gift to a friend.
@@AzrielKnight, wow, a fully functional photomic meter prism. Nice. They’re getting harder to find as the variable resistor goes bad and renders the prism useless. Nikon quit making the part several decades ago. Has somebody stepped up and make a third party product to replace the failed part?
Nice video Azriel. I agree with you about the light trap.I have a Zeiss Contaflex that has a similar back door plate, and Voigtlander cameras that use an overlap light trap. It goes with that era of camera manufacture 1950s /60s. Much better than the foam light traps of later models. I hope you get plenty of time to use the Nikon F. Cheers Edward
Thanks Edward!
I am a Nikon fan. I have an FE, a N75 and an all black Nikkormat ft2 with a 50mm f1.4 non ai, a 105 2.5 non ai and a 24mm 2.8 afd which I use on all my cameras including my Digital Nikon D300s.
Nice!
I dig the development montage. ha ha. Awesome.
Thanks Jamie :)
I love it 😍😍😍
I have been using a F2. Picked up an F which has just been a display camera. Plan on using it next while on an outing. Just wanted to use the model that started it.
I would definitely shoot the original F again.
I love my Nikon F. All manual, no light leaks, no BS. I also have a few Miranda’s. Not many of them around these days.
I do love Miranda's
@@AzrielKnight yes she has a very nice one, that's for sure. But lost her address.
That 105mm is sweet. I have one of those too. That one and the 84mm F1.4 are probably my favourite Nikkor lenses I've tried. Very nice shots this episode :-)
Thank you!
@@AzrielKnight I of course meant the 85mm😆
Was triggered by the developing segment, I spent way too much time in the 1970's developing film and photographs. The 1000's of hours spent in the darkroom, and now it just haunts me. I'm glad that you enjoy this, I'm now fully digital and I'm not looking back. I've got a whole Canon F-1 film system that is just gathering dust now.
Just noticed that your in Calgary (same as me), let me know if you'd like to borrow and review the Canon F-1 camera, I'm sure we can work out something :-).
drop me a pm on instagram
@@AzrielKnight I'm not much of a fan of Insta. I see the you have posted your email, I'll send you a hello there. :-)
Love the 105 2.5. It’s mounted on my fm right now
I may want one of my own.
@@AzrielKnight if.you look for one, have to know there are 2 versions (basically) sonnar, as the one you've tried, and xenotar. Similar but not the same. Silver nose is the sonnar
@@AzrielKnight I may want a original f after watching your review.
Great content as always, Azriel. ... Puddles! I recently started shooting puddles, although I need to "force" me to shoot them, because I dislike rain. But shooting nice, wet, muddy or reflecting puddles keeps me from shooting walls or the stuff I've already taken so many pictures of. Puddles are starting slowly to grow on me =-O
What's the name of your darkroom timer app at 12:50 ? I like the UI.
Massiv Dev Chart's app
puddles it a great idea. I've seen people bring their own water.
@@AzrielKnight Thank you for the app brand; and a huge LOL on bringing their own water 🤣 ... I need to try that whenever it seems to get too dry for shooting ... well, puddles 😆
Stay safe & I wish you a great holiday season!
As a Swede 4:30 is pretty nice I gotta say. Up here the sun sets at 2:55. We have also not gotten *one minute* (According to our weather data) of direct sunlight since December started.
Any ideas on how to enjoy photography ourdoors when it's always overcast and fairly dark? I really struggle with this a lot due to season we're in.
Long exposure photography?
2:55 is insane.
@@AzrielKnight Perhaps I just need to experience. I've never tried night photography on film before.
I still have one of my first F's from 1968. It has been CLA'd once and seals replaced twice. I also have 2 others. Solid camera! The US Army replaced Leicas with Nikons because the F's were more feliable and easier to repair in the field. The US Navy used Beseler Topcons. Good video.
Thanks for sharing the cool info!
Sorry, what does CLA'd means?
Cleaned lubed adjusted
I took a gander at Google street views in Inglewood. Found the abandoned Corner Market, shot at two different times in its history in two clicks at the La Palma & Flower intersection.
Sometimes Google's cameras capture really sharp images.
Inglewood is def an interesting place.
If you get a chance pick up a Nikkormat (FTn or FT2). I found both with three lenses for $50 US and they were flawless. One black and one silver and the black one has no brassing... they are absolutely undervalued.
Great choice. I have the retrospective 7 which is the perfect size for a Leica q and Pentax KX with a 50mm on the front
Nice! At some point I'll get a smaller bag for taking less with me, I wouldn't be surprised if I got another retrospective.
And I inevitably will get a larger one when you finally tip me over the edge into the world of medium format film.
Just saw this old video where you're shooting Tri-X in an old F. If you're shooting at box speed, you might want to try developing it at 68F (plus or minus 1/2 a degree) in Kodak X-Tol 1:1. It's been my go-to developer for quite a while now, and it's an amazing developer. You need to use the Kodak recommended agitation, though, to get optimum results. Absolutely spectacular for contrasty scenes - not flat at all! You used Rodinal. It is better for medium to slow films, or if you want to emphasize the grain. X-TOL 1:1 is just amazing with Tri-X and medium speed films. Not a big Rodianl fan at all, but many people like that look. Urge you to try X-TOL - 1:1 from stock solution. BE CONSISTENT in every aspect of your developing, especially the dilution and the agitation - as well as using a constant temperature. And, finally, ditch those Patterson tanks and reels! Get some good stainless reels and an 8 oz. tank! You'll be glad you did, esp. if your film is wet, or if it gets bent somehow! Lest you think I'm some kind of a condescending noobish Millennial, I'm not. I'm 68, and have been developing b/w film since high school. One final thing - get a medium yellow filter for your lenses - a 52mm should fit all of the lenses you mentioned. No more bald skies, and everything else will be the proper tonality, i.e., normal! Panchromatic film, even though it is less sensitive to blue than orthochromatic film, is still blue sensitive. The yellow filter normalizes this blue sensitivity. Just trying to save you some time - the learning process is tough enough without wasting years doing the same things I did at the beginning!
My EDC is a black Nikon FE with 50mm 1.8. I need to expand my nikon lens option though. The nice thing about the FE is it uses ai and non-ai lenses so I can use those awesome lenses you used and more modern ones!
ooo, a black one, nice!
Back in the day I held that cameras several times in my hands, either in the store (rather pawn shop) or on various photo fairs, but never pulled the trigger. Instead, I've opted for F2 which I had for many years...
The F2 is def a legend, I'm looking forward to trying the F3 onward.
Why does no one use the thumbwheel while loading film??
Other premium 35mm SLR manufacturers (Leica and Minolta, especially), built separate "MOT" camera bodies. Most Nikon F bodies could take a motor drive "fresh from the box." Since the camera was built before "in-camera-exposure-metering" was a thing, the Photomic exposure metering prism finders were bulky and idiosyncratic (Compared to, say, a Canon F-1). I waited for the Nikon F2 model, since taking the camera off a tripod/fixed stage to reload was "a bit inconvenient," to say the least. Note: The Nikon S2 was a family camera, so the Nikon F was a known quantity.
I see you're paying your respects to Nikon!
Another underrated and overlooked camera is the Canon F-1. Basically the Canon F-1 is like the Nikon F in design, construction and features.
Can I please have *your* old bag? I'm in Canada. I'll pay for shipping.
4:40 NONESENSE! Camera ASMR.
12:30 YES! MORE EXPERIMENTAL FILM! Love the Creativity in every one of them! Always the Darkroom Creative Sjort Film, love it, I will be waiting for more of these! :-D
Drop me a line on Instagram and we can talk about the bag.
Steve McCurry used an Ai-S version of that Nikon105mm f/2.5 lens to take his famous Afghan girl photo. One of the greatest lenses ever made IMHO (though I think the Nikon Ai-S 50mm f/1.2 is better).
Love the video as always!!
Thanks for the info!
@@AzrielKnight You're shooting the original Sonnar-type lens formula 105. It was revised in the early 70's to a Xenotar/Gauss-type lens formula, making it even better. Both are great lenses and warranted an entry in "The Thousand and One Nights".
imaging.nikon.com/history/story/0005/index.htm
I had an F and an F2 for a while. I ended up selling the F and keeping the F2. It does everything just a little bit better, and the later prisms take ai lenses. The thing I really dislike about the F is the shutter is just slightly in the wrong place. If you use other nikons you’ll find yourself pressing in the wrong spot and missing shots
Good to know.
My county is the least hit by COVID in our state. I know nobody that got the bug. But I took precautions when indoors with people and wore a mask. Now I am vaccinated so no need for a mask anymore. . However there are ZERO reported cases Worldwide of anyone catching the Virus Outdoors. Just a little FYI for all of our comfort. :)
Nikon F3, just as legendary, was made for 20 years straight!
That's true. They were making the F5 by the time they stopped production of the F3!
That's crazy!
21!
Nikon F is a great camera and still very reasonable to purchase. WLVF is perfect for Street.
WLVF?....ooooh waist level finder.
The old canon f1 had just about all the same features and swappable prisms and all that.
Now you just need to make a video with a Nikon rangefinder!
ooooo, suggestions?
@@AzrielKnight Probably an S3 with any version of the 50mm and the 105mm (same formula as F mount) All the lenses seem to be of a very good quality.
@@andrewsmithphoto Yep, Nikon S3 is the best - the SP was more expensive, but the S3 had/has a more straightforward viewfinder mechanism. The 50mm f1.4 lens is a gorgeous classic - wide open, it had a lot of uncorrected spherical aberration which gave indoor and artificial light shots a fabulous dark glow. Close it down a couple of stops and it was as sharp as.
Also, the viewfinder neither magnifies nor minifies, so you can look at what you’re photographing with both eyes open - unlike Leicas, where you generally view one-eyed. And I think they’re still cheaper than Leicas of comparable vintage, too.
@@SkepticalSteve01 yeh I have an `S3 but how can I shoot video? Do you have a 3rd party 4k digital back. the door comes off easy ?
@@buzios999 Y’know, if you’re planning on shooting video it’s _possible_ a Nikon S3 might not be the most appropriate tool for the job.
(On the other hand, if you’re after the particular lens quality of an old Nikon rangefinder, you could try a Nikon Z6ii with Z-to-S adaptor ring. Not that I’ve ever tried such a thing.)
This camera is responsible for ending large formats reign in the professional and sports photography industries. Small enough to be portable, with lenses sharp enough for quality newspaper prints, and fast enough to rapidly get shots whether operated manually, or with a motor attachment. They're also stupidly tough.
Also a big reason that Leica got decimated. Leica didn't put out an slr till 1964 - the leicaflex - and the leicaflex, while built like a Leica, was limited in lenses, modular capabilities (motor drive wasn't introduced until about 1970), and cost about 2.5 times a Nikon f. It was simply too expensive to compete with professionals, and too unknown for many conservative Leica users.
(And don't even get me started on the contarex...) 😂
Jason
Nikon fanboy until someday you can taste the legendary Canon K35s! 😋
I've had an F for two years now and among all of my cameras, it's my baby.
I can see why you love it.
Walls. Hmm.
The F is a tough camera.
Agreed.
Oh man ! just put the fucking samples, I´m not really sure if I want to see a rare Canadian Samurai walking and talking for there !
Getting out of your own head is so difficult. The only way I've found to do it is actively to try to copy somebody else's style. We learn by copying, its built in to all sentient life.
Talking of customs - I was sent a jigsaw from a girlfriend in Amsterdam - I was annoyed at the time that it was opened and searched. Now I just laugh at the thought of the poor customs official that had to test every single piece for drugs :-)
Not a half bad idea.
Check out the Nikon 135mm f/3.5 AI lens. May be even better then the famous 105mm f/2.5. It is simple 4 lens elements in 4 groups, has excellent optical performance even wide open at f/3.5. Small compact, build in hood and very cheap.
Thanks Albert!
Nikon Fm3a, possibly the greatest SLR ever made
Will have to try it :)
Nikon F is basically a Nikon S2 rangefinder camera converted into an slr
SP actually, the S2 had a less intuitive double shutter speed dial and lacked a self-timer.
Good to know guys, thanks!
Don't review F2, F3, FM or FM2. Nikon EM, FG or FG-20 are way to go.
I hope to get to them all!