I couldn’t get enough of that feeling and the sound of the shutter, that made me feel like a true photographer (even though my photos rarely reflect that *cough*). I’d carry it with me through the streets of Belgrade for hours on end, shooting roll after roll. Since then, l’ve been shooting the Nikon F5 almost exclusively.
The F4 and the F5 represent two magnificent pieces of industrial design I couldn’t believe it: my dream had finally come true. Two days later, l was holding the F5 in my hands. A fellow photographer sent me a message in October if 2019, asking me if l wanted to buy his minty looking F5, after seeing my WTB post in one of the Facebook groups for film photographers. Finally, after selling a couple of film cameras that l hadn’t really been using l managed to save enough money for the Five. So, l had to be patient and keep saving up. However, they aren’t really abundant where l live, and even when a wild F5 would appear in the classifieds, the price was really steep for a college student living off a tight budget.
After a nose dive into the history of Nikon l decided to start saving up money for the professional photographer’s go-to camera, the Nikon F5. I’ve always admired journalists and sports photographers for having the privilege of using only the best tools available. I say that because shooting film slows you down, because each shot costs you something in terms of the film itself and the developing process.As a “reward” for being a good boy and passing all of my exams, my girlfriend gifted me a Nikon F90X, and just like that, sparked my love for Nikon.
One thing that I have noticed since I started shooting film again is that it has improved the rate of good images I take. Pints of the photos on the other hand, look fine. I have taken some nice shots with the F90X, but I am not overly impressed with ISO200 film, at least when looking at it on a computer screen. When it comes to film cameras the quality of your images come down to the type of film you use, and your composition skills, more than anything else. The only real difference is that you only have a roll of film to work with, so take your time when shooting! If you use a 24 exposure roll of film and use continuous high motor drive, you'll go through a roll of film in about 17 seconds! With that in mind, I would not recommend using a film camera for action or nature photography! I generally use film for landscape photos only, which is where it really seems to shine. Exposure controls work the same as on any SLR camera, in terms of the different shooting modes, which means there is nothing new to learn from that perspective.
Since DX (not digital crop) coded film gives you the ISO setting, you just put the film in and forget it. There aren't hundreds of different settings to change, you can even use program mode and shoot with it as if it was a point and shoot camera, although I would not advise doing so. In terms of actual use, the F90X is rather simple. You do want to be careful when buying older film cameras because they can be reaching the end of their life, so make sure you buy from someone you know, or a dealer with some kind of warranty or 90 Day refund policy. I was able to buy my F90X for $50 US dollars, and it is in great shape. The F90X/N90s is a film body, which would be a great camera for someone who wants to shoot film, but does not want to compromise in terms of build, auto focus speed, and easy of use, without spending over $100 for a camera like the F4, F5, F80 or F100.