Why Nikon at all

[Guest]

Ergonomics. Having access to everything available when I ran a camera store 25 years ago, I found the Nikons to fit most comfortably in my hands and their viewfinders to be the least cluttered and most logically laid out. That feeling persisted when I replaced them a few years ago. After all, if it's hard to focus or too heavy and clumsy to use, you will not use the camera as often, and that is the point, right? Unless you buy for the status...
To this day, when asked for an SLR recommendation by a friend, I tell them to check out the major makers offerings (Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Minolta) and pick the one that feels best to them. Frankly, the alleged differences in "quality of construction" are just silly - no amateur puts his camera gear through the wringer and the very unique or extreme lenses that Nikon and Canon make are not likely to be used by most folks either.

 

[Guest]

Those reasons by F8lee are true, plus for me I like being able to use new camera bodies with all my lenses, even 30 year old classic glass or vise-versa (except G lens). Having lots of choices is always a good thing!

 

[Guest]

Started with Nikon in the late 60's I guess. I was very impressed with the quality build and the niceties of metal shutter curtains ect. As opposed to the other brands having rubberised silk. [Can't remember if the F had titanium back then, but the F2 did. I think the Nikkormats had a metal copal square shutter.]

I liked the way the Nikon fitted me and the feeling of them being an almost indestrucable brick. And after all these years,I have never had a Nikon let me down.The only attention a body has had, has been a CLA.

I did baby my first F, but pounded my poor Nikkormats. I loved them for their 125th. flash sync.as I did a lot of flash work back then.

I guess that I am well hooked on the system now, having far too many lenses and bodies to make a change, as the bodies just won't be worn out. I hope I am able to say this about "my wifes" F80 in the years that lie ahead.

Good light to all.

Steve.

 

[Guest]

I started with a Minolta Maxxum and got sick of the slick AF (but) the dark viewfinder...

Then decided to go "manual" and did my research and realized the best value for $ (just because of the compatibility of lenses) is the Nikon system.
Ended up buying a new FM3A.

I am an engineer by training and really love the fact that my FM3A can handle 1/4000 without a cell AND give me aperture priority with the cells.
Other than a few of my pet peeves about the FM3A, I really love it!

 

[Guest]

Still have and sometimes use my 1968 "F" FtN, and use all my glass (over 30 nikkors) on my new D1X. What a system!

 

[Guest]

Service, Support, Reliability and Nikon is just a workhorse.
The cameras I have owned from the Nikon F ..F2 ..3..5 and Now D1X’s and D100 have all been and are now the best bodies and combined with Nikkor Glass and Drives are a dream to use.
Only wish I had kept my old Nikon F’s.
Barry.

 

[Guest]

There was an advert in the late 60's or early 70's which ran "A Bullet Bust my Nikon" and it had a picture of a F or an F 2 which certainley was the worse for wear, it was supposed to belong to one of the war photographers working in VietNam I had been taking pictures for about three years then and was using a Pentax S1a which had been givent to me by my uncle - but what I realy wanted was an F2 with a photomic head - I could never afford one and when I finaly moved on I was persuaded to buy a Cannon AE1 this kept going wrong and was finaly stolen in Israel. with the Insurance money I bought an Olympus OM1 and untill las week I used Olympuses.
Last week I bought I bought My first Nikon and I'm delighted with it - Its a second hand F70 and a short zoom. It fits my hand better than any other of may cameras and just pressing the shutter is a pleasure - I look forward to using it more in the coming weeks.

 

[Lawrence]

I started with the F65, i am New to the SLR Camera's, but i have had great Suscess with the F65, I now have the D100, and having lots of fun...

So i think the Nikon is very User Friendly, so thats why i use Nikon

 

[jimmomary]

I bought my first SLR, a Mamiya Sekor 1000 DTL in 1969. It died in 1971 and the repair quote = new price. Feeling betrayed and somewhat cockey, I bought an all black Nikon F2 Photomic. In 1975 I added a Nikkormat EL for it's auto-exposure capability! ( that was WOW WEE stuff back then ... to the younger readers )

That lousy F2 Photomic died in 1999 after only slightly more than 31,500 rolls of film ran thru it. Talk about crappy construction !!! In the course of its 28 year life, it fell off a step ladder, was stepped on a few times, barbequed in closed autos, bumped into many branches during hikes and took a swim in the Amazon. I was crestfallen when "she" gasped her last sutter advance.

A Nikon N90 arrived at my doorstep shortly thereafter. I sent out some of my older and fav glass to be modified so it would halfway work on my "1st" AF camera. Did I love the new baby, yep sure did. This past April 2nd I added the D100 to my family. Once before, I fell in love, her name is Debbie ( married that one 24 yrs ago ). Now I am a bigamist. Hands down, the D100 is the best in its class.

I've become comfy with the Nikon line, have amassed many lenses and etc. They always fit and feel my old and crotchety hands better than other friends' cameras I've used or toyed with over the years. They are intuitive to use and indestructible in proper usage. I guess I am biased, but then the cameras do exactly what I want, when I want, each and every time. In the end, that's what it is all about, the camera being used to take photo after photo after photo.

The opinion expressed above is not ... but it sure is mine !!!!

Jim M.

 

[nikonguyattnet]

I stared with a nikon photomic F in 1967 and just continued adding lenses and bodys. I sold the F in 1987 and also sold an FE in 1999. Still have F3, FM with motor drives and older nikkormat.

The orginal F did have a titanium shutter. The nikkormats have the Seiko vertical shutter.

Gene Crumpler
http://home.att.net/~nikonguy