Nikon F4S as Conversation Piece
For reference, here's a photo that I posted before, of my pair of Nikon F4S cameras:
Last weekend, I drove Gail to her get her hair done, and I figured I would go for a walk and some coffee while I waited for her. I brought my F4S with me to finish the roll of Kodak UC100 that was in it. It had the Nikkor 50mm f1.8D mounted, exactly as in the above picture (the one on the left). I went for my short walk, and I ended up at the Royal Ground coffee shop on Geary St. and 17th Ave. I ordered myself a latte, and was getting a lid for my cup when I heard someone say, "I see you're using a F4." I said, "Yeah, it's an F4, are you into photography?"
Since I had time on my hands, I decided to sit down at this guy's table and chat for a while. We proceeded to introduce each other and we had a very nice conversation about cameras, careers, spouses, and other topics over a cup of coffee. We ended by walking to his car where he showed me his newly acquired Nikon D80 which I never saw in person before that day.
I told him about this forum, and invited him check us out. Unfortunately, he only has dial-up at home, and he's not really into surfing the net. We did exchange emails so that I can email this portrait to him (of course, I took his picture with the F4).
Meet Dick, photographer and all around nice guy:
(Nikon F4s, Nikkor 50mm f1.8D, Kodak UC100)
--Warren
Last weekend, I drove Gail to her get her hair done, and I figured I would go for a walk and some coffee while I waited for her. I brought my F4S with me to finish the roll of Kodak UC100 that was in it. It had the Nikkor 50mm f1.8D mounted, exactly as in the above picture (the one on the left). I went for my short walk, and I ended up at the Royal Ground coffee shop on Geary St. and 17th Ave. I ordered myself a latte, and was getting a lid for my cup when I heard someone say, "I see you're using a F4." I said, "Yeah, it's an F4, are you into photography?"
Since I had time on my hands, I decided to sit down at this guy's table and chat for a while. We proceeded to introduce each other and we had a very nice conversation about cameras, careers, spouses, and other topics over a cup of coffee. We ended by walking to his car where he showed me his newly acquired Nikon D80 which I never saw in person before that day.
I told him about this forum, and invited him check us out. Unfortunately, he only has dial-up at home, and he's not really into surfing the net. We did exchange emails so that I can email this portrait to him (of course, I took his picture with the F4).
Meet Dick, photographer and all around nice guy:
(Nikon F4s, Nikkor 50mm f1.8D, Kodak UC100)
--Warren
posted by Warren T. at 10:46 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Warren, that's a great story, and great photo.
When I see those huge F4's, I immediately think, "wow a NASA camera" ;)
Thanks Ted.
The big, honking F4s with its myriad knobs, dials, and overall imposing presence is not the camera to use if you want to go incognito :). However, it is such an absolute joy to use that I always end up going back to it after my forays into digital and rangefinder cameras :).
Last month when I was the volunteer photographer for the Chinatown Health Fair, I walked up to an entrance where only fair volunteers were allowed to enter, and the guy there let me breeze by after he saw me holding the F4 and big zoom lens, with a Nikon speedlight mounted, and automatically assumed that I was a press photographer or someone official. I didn't have to say anything, I just walked through. :)
At the same fair, another volunteer, a young man struck up a conversation with me about photography because he spotted the F4. He told me that the F4 is his dream camera, and that he would buy one someday (he's just a teenager). He immigrated from Shanghai, and has aspirations to be a photographer (despite his mother's objections). We chatted for a while, and I let him photograph his friend with the camera before I got back to my work.
--Warren
Lol, I think if I saw someone coming through a door with those I'd think CSI crime scene! ;)
A couple of months ago I was talking with a tech consultant who is also a hobby photographer who ended up doing some product photos for his client's data sheets.
On the day of the shoot, everyone was shocked that he didn't have some huge SLR's or MF and tripods. He ended up taking the photos with two M6's loaded with different films, handheld, and the clients were pleased, but he said next time he will take some SLR's and tripods for show ;)
BTW, what do the F4's do that the F3's don't. I missed out on the whole F4/F5 period not being into photography at that time.
Hi Ted,
The F4 was the next generation of F Series professional 35mm slr bodies (from the F3). In addition to the usual "F" attributes, the F4 added:
- Autofocus
- Integral motor drive w/motorized rewind
- Matrix (multi-segment) metering, with matrix mode available on older mf lenses, a feature not introduced again until the F6.
- Spot Meter
- Program and Shutter priority modes (the F3 had aperture priority AE)
- Shutter top speed 1/8000 (1/2000 on the F3)
- 1/250 flash sync (1/60 on the F3)
And some other subjective attributes such as ergonomics, aesthetics, shutter vibration damping, chassis rigidity, and reliability.
I had a pair of F3's that I loved before I picked my first F4 in the mid-90's. After that, I sold one of my F3's because they were not being used as much as my F4.
--Warren
He looks so enthusiastic -- must've enjoyed the conversation with you Warren :)
Warren, that's one of the best portraits I've seen in a long time! And I agree with all the rest - just from looking at your photo, he looks like a guy I would love to meet and schmooze with.
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