New Camera Alert, the Nikon F100

 September was a bad month for Gear Acquistion Syndrome (GAS) which I've always commented there's no cure, only remission, and temporary at that. It started with the Nikkor AF-D 28-105 lens, which has to be the perfect walk around/travel autofocus lens for the Nikkor system. Market wise Nikon slotted this lens a step down from the constant aperture F2.8 glass which on the used market isn't cheap and aimed towards the advanced amateur segment and bundled with the F100, more that camera in a sec. I've shot with this lens on my Nikon F90 on a hike up at Boyne River, and it delivered. When I test lenses I prefer real world scenarios, because quite honestly shooting a brick wall looking for distortions at all focal lenghs and aperture is boring as hell. 

I was lusting after, and still lusting after a Nikon F5, that will be a next year purchase. My friend Frank put his Nikon F100 up for sale and the price was right. This camera earns its reputation as F5 Lite, and is a very very scary good camera to shoot with and I'm glad I bought it. 

A bit of backround, the F100 replaced the F90X (N90S for the American market) back in 1999 and was aimed to the advanced amateur market. Unlike it's predecessor the F100 came with five autofocus points and a ten point 3D colour matrix metering which shooting C-41 and slide makes like so much easier in nailing your exposure. The camera has magnesium construction in the chassis and is by and large a very durable camera with one weak point which leaves you sceaming obscenties in Japanese to the F100 product team at Nikon responsible, for the camera back. Ah the rear door on the F100, why oh why did Nikon went with all plastic construction? The little hooks are made of plastic, and if you're rough with the camera can break, which makes you a sad F100 owner. There are work arounds with mad scientist repair techs, or you go on Ebay and look for a replacement. 

When I found out this camera was for sale, I messaged Frank to hold it for me, and I did a ton of research, and read the owner's manual back to front to back again. When I got the F100, the AF-D 28-105 lens was immediately attached, and fired up. Everything worked, I set the mode to Aperture Priority and matrix metering and went to town with a roll of Kodak Ektar 100. 


More next post. 


Camera: Nikon F100, AF-D 28-105 F3.5-4.5 lens. 

Film: Kodak Ektar 100 



Nikon F100, the latest addition to the fleet. End of the Mothballed "Boise" Budd Mothballed YDHR Rolling Stock Dining Car and Active Rolling Stock Project Rolling Stock Heavyweight Vestibules Heavyweight Side Wooden Boxcar on the YDHR YDHR Heavyweight in the Yard YDHR Executive Car Project Soutwest End of the YDHR Yard

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