# Nikon f5 vs nikon f100



## godek (Jan 12, 2018)

I am thinking about getting a nikon f100 because it is slimmer and lighter.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two? Like why would you want the nikon f5 over the nikon f100?


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## chris (Jan 12, 2018)

[QUOTE="why would you want the nikon f5 over the nikon f100?[/QUOTE]

After having most of my cameras stolen in a burglary I had the opportunity to change systems and arranged to try a F5 and F100 at a local photography store. As soon as I picked them up it was no competition and I left with the F5 because it was big and hefty. I am bigger than most and have large hands so the size was ideal for me and the weight was no problem - in addition to my 35 mm kit I had used a Mamiya RB67 for several years and that was the size, shape and weight of a house brick. The F5 is built to last, if it was dropped you would worry about whatever it fell on - you could use it to drive nails home. I believe that the F100 is built to a similar standard but the F5 suited me better.


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## beagle100 (Jan 12, 2018)

godek said:


> I am thinking about getting a nikon f100 because it is slimmer and lighter.
> 
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two? Like why would you want the nikon f5 over the nikon f100?




dunno, but if you want a "slim and lighter" camera go *mirrorless* and "pancake" style lens
*www.flickr.com/photos/mmirrorless*


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## godek (Jan 12, 2018)

beagle100 said:


> godek said:
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> > I am thinking about getting a nikon f100 because it is slimmer and lighter.
> ...


Do they have that in Film Cameras?


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## pendennis (Jan 12, 2018)

godek said:


> beagle100 said:
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> > godek said:
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In a word.  NO.

I've owned the F5, and foolishly let it go when I sold off a lot of film equipment.  Even though the F6 succeeded it, and I own one, I'd take another F5 in a heartbeat.  The F100 is a "prosumer" model.  While the F5 is 90's technology, it's a sturdily-built camera, and will perform for you for years.  I used mine as an adjunct to my RB67, M645, and C330 medium formats and it performed admirably.

I now own the F4, and it's also a worthy predecessor, even though the autofocus is crude by today's standards.

My F6 to which I just added the MB-40 battery pack, is also a great camera, although it might be more than you'd like to spend.

The F5 was the last Nikon to offer interchangeable view finders, a bunch of focusing screen options, data back, etc.


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## godek (Jan 12, 2018)

what is data back? I know what focusing screen is and I was thinking about changing that on my nikon f5. So prosumer means semiprofessional camera whereas the f5 is professional?

edit: So looks like I should just get use to the bigness and weight of the nikon f5 and not invest in a nikon f100 also.

Secondedit: I think the data back is collecting shutter, aperture, iso the date and so forth for each photo.


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## Peeb (Jan 12, 2018)

I love my F100.  It is pretty much the same size/setup as my D610 so it's easy for me to switch back/forth.  Great camera!


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## Derrel (Jan 12, 2018)

The F5 was quite a tank....nothing quite as hefty as a bloated,ungainly, 8-AA cell camera with a permanently in-board film advance and shutter cocking solution. Kind of a turd, really.

The F100 OTOH, is smaller,lighter, and is 95% of the camera, with the option of adding the added winding capacity and battery capacity on an as-needed basis.

These comments from a 1982-2018 era Nikon user and owner...

As the OP questioned, " Like why would you want the nikon f5 over the nikon f100?"

Indeed, why, indeed.


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## jcdeboever (Jan 13, 2018)

Nikon F100 Review by Thom Hogan


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## Peeb (Jan 13, 2018)

Thom writes in his 'F100 summary' box at the end of the review:  "Bottom line: Who needs an F5? Most photographers should save the extra money the F5 would cost them and buy another Nikkor lens."


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## godek (Jan 13, 2018)

"SOME SHOWS BATTERY CORROSION (ONLY ON OUTER PART DOES NOT AFFECT FUNCTIONALITY)"

Is it safe to buy cameras at low prices that have what's quoted above? How would you clean it if possible???


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## godek (Jan 13, 2018)

Why would you need mirror lockup on a film camera?


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## Peeb (Jan 13, 2018)

godek said:


> Why would you need mirror lockup on a film camera?


 To reduce possible vibration


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## Derrel (Jan 13, 2018)

YES...locking the mirror up eliminates mirror-up vibration, and in some cameras, allowed an extra frame per second or so on the highest motor drive setting, since the mirror did not have to go up and down, up and down, at high speed. In some fields, like photomicrography, the slightest vibration could negatively affect image sharpness, so, mirror-up was an offered part of the higher-end Nikon cameras. Also, there were/are some older "*intrusive*" lenses, which protruded rearwardly inside the mount and into the mirror box area proper, lenses like the old 21mm f/4; on this type of lens, the mirror absolutely MUST BE UP, in order to use the lens and shoot pics!!! Typically, an auxilary viewfinder was fitted to the camera, and the uber-wide (for its era!) lens was mounted to the camera, and shot with the mirror locked up.


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## pendennis (Jan 13, 2018)

godek said:


> Why would you need mirror lockup on a film camera?


On long exposures, the action of the mirror moving can create vibrations affecting exposure; the possibility of blurring on critical imaging.  It's more a problem with macro photography and the sometime longer exposures.  Usually composition has been done, so you're just trying to dot the i's...

If you ever used an RB67, it has a mirror vibration that will rattle your teeth (just slightly exaggerated).  I frequently locked it up when taking macro shots.


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## godek (Jan 13, 2018)

Well I guess it is good I got the f5 instead of the f100. As I would like to get into macro photography.


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## pendennis (Jan 13, 2018)

Derrel said:


> YES...locking the mirror up eliminates mirror-up vibration, and in some cameras, allowed an extra frame per second or so on the highest motor drive setting, since the mirror did not have to go up and down, up and down, at high speed. In some fields, like photomicrography, the slightest vibration could negatively affect image sharpness, so, mirror-up was an offered part of the higher-end Nikon cameras. Also, there were/are some older "*intrusive*" lenses, which protruded rearwardly inside the mount and into the mirror box area proper, lenses like the old 21mm f/4; on this type of lens, the mirror absolutely MUST BE UP, in order to use the lens and shoot pics!!! Typically, an auxilary viewfinder was fitted to the camera, and the uber-wide (for its era!) lens was mounted to the camera, and shot with the mirror locked up.



The old 6mm f/2.8 fish eye was such a lens, and it came with the auxiliary viewfinder.  In fact, I believe it's still the widest lens ever made.


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## jcdeboever (Jan 14, 2018)

godek said:


> "SOME SHOWS BATTERY CORROSION (ONLY ON OUTER PART DOES NOT AFFECT FUNCTIONALITY)"
> 
> Is it safe to buy cameras at low prices that have what's quoted above? How would you clean it if possible???



There are a lot of you tube video's showing how to clean battery compartments. It is a risk no matter what film camera you buy. At some point, someone left the battery in and it leaked. I typically use a fiberglass brush like this https://tinyurl.com/yb5pesrp. You can buy them at dedicated autobody supply stores as well. The actual name of the item is called Prep Pen.


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## Peeb (Jan 14, 2018)

godek said:


> Well I guess it is good I got the f5 instead of the f100. As I would like to get into macro photography.


Congrats on the new camera.


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## pendennis (Jan 17, 2018)

Studio Zanetti said:


> Nikon f5 is an excellent choice because it is more lighter and sharper as compared to nikon f100



The F5 weighs in @ 1210 grams, and the F100 @ 785.


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## epatsellis (Jan 21, 2018)

pendennis said:


> godek said:
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> > Why would you need mirror lockup on a film camera?
> ...



It may feel that way, but the RB has a rather nice dampener at the end of the mirror travel that is very effective. If you can actually feel the vibration of the mirror going up, your body needs servicing.  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## pendennis (Jan 21, 2018)

epatsellis said:


> pendennis said:
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It was meant mainly in jest.  I used the RB for almost 20 years, and maintained it religiously, since it was my primary portrait camera.  The mirror vibration is greater than that on my old Hassy 500C, but I never had any problems with the Mamiya.

I'm still pondering buying another.  I see the RB Pro SD models out there fairly economically, and I'm torn between one of those and a RZ67 Pro II.


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## Venturo (Jan 23, 2018)

godek said:


> I am thinking about getting a nikon f100 because it is slimmer and lighter.
> 
> What are the advantages and disadvantages of the two? Like why would you want the nikon f5 over the nikon f100?



F5 is "built to last" while F100 has plastic parts where you don't expect. At least not on a so called "semi pro" camera. The film back door latches (plastic) will brake any day and leave the door open. In worst case destroy your film by exposing it to light. No spare parts are available so you might fix it with a rubber band or gaffa tape. Unless you are using the battery grip mB-15 the camera's battery door lock may brake. The rubber is "melting" and makes the camera sticky. Build quality is poor and fuctions are simpler compared to F5 in my opinion. The advantage may be the weight.

The F5 on the other hand (early serial numbers starting with 301, 302xxxx and so on) may suffer from "low battery indicator" which shuts down the camera when camera think the batteries are empty while they're not. It eats batteries. Even when camera is shut of. Hard to see which of the unlit focusing points is used in the view finder. It's quick and will eat one film roll in four seconds in high speed mode.

Both cameras collect "exif data" in their built in memory. There's a software to transfer it with into your scanned pictures. I have however not succeeded to transfer anything from my current F5 yet.


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## Johnny Garcia-Photography (Jan 24, 2018)

Studio Zanetti said:


> Nikon F100 is an excellent choice for all type of photography. It is more light weighted and durable as compared to F5.


 (its all about the glass) the camera does nothing without the Photographer some may prefer weight some may not! these matters are more a personal preference


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## Johnny Garcia-Photography (Jan 24, 2018)

Johnny Garcia-Photography said:


> Studio Zanetti said:
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> 
> > Nikon F100 is an excellent choice for all type of photography. It is more light weighted and durable as compared to F5.
> ...


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## ShannonDrawePhotography (Jan 24, 2018)

I've been trying to give my F5s away ... until now!


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## F5 Penguin (Jan 26, 2018)

F5, F5, F5! You made the right choice.

This thing is bulletproof. You can look at all the details and differences between the two, read reviews but what matters is these cameras are now 2 decades old. The F5 was released in 1996, there was actually a world wide waiting list as many pros had hung on a long time for a F4 successor. The demand was through the roof! Nikon provided the F90X as the gap filler till the F5 was ready for release and it served many pros well. After release the F5 was put to work. It was used, abused and no matter what pros threw at it or put it through it just continued on without missing a beat. The F100 was released as a semi pro model after the F5. It would take the market from the F90X and was of the F5 generation technology where as the F90X was a generation of it's own coming between the F4 and F5.

What you need to ask if you are a buyer today is did these cameras withstand the test of time??? Am I buying something that will still tick for years or have I bought a second hand time bomb? F5 shutter was rated to 150k cycles, the F100 100k cycles. I know from back in the day the F100 had shutter failures, the F5...err...maybe just look!

F5 with one million shutter releases without fault: Nikon FX SLR (DF, D1-D5, D600-D850) Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

F5 is the best camera I've ever owned. Today I shoot my digital stuff with a D3X which most I imagine would consider a nice camera. If I had to throw out either the D3X or my remaining F5 body tomorrow I can tell you D3X is BYE BYE!

F5 is an iconic/legendary camera, it always will be. The F100 is nice but it's just another camera in Nikon's history. When you can buy today for a few hundred $$$ what so many photographers could only drool over in the 90's, crazy, go get a F5!


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## Kiron Kid (Jul 22, 2019)

Peeb said:


> godek said:
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> > Why would you need mirror lockup on a film camera?
> ...



No need for mirror lock-up on the F100. The mirror is well dampened. I tested it.


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## Peeb (Jul 29, 2019)

Kiron Kid said:


> Peeb said:
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Wasn't suggesting otherwise- I was just explaining the whole rationale for mirror lockup.  Glad to hear that the F100 is so well dampened- since I have one!  Honestly haven't ever done any long exposure shooting with it.


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