Last January I bought a Nikon F6, the most advanced film SLR camera ever created. Over the past few weeks I have been tracking down a Nikon F, Nikon’s original film SLR, camera on eBay. The F6 has fully electronic control and a self-diagnosing shutter. The F is fully mechanical and is not at all self-aware. I am obsessed with the F6’s ability to capture data about exposures and write information to a CF card and to the film itself. So, why would I want a Nikon F? For me the Nikon F represents a certain beginning to modern photography. Since the end of the Kodak APS era I have been a Nikon user and have fully adopted the Nikon culture (not to mention the F-mount lens system). I can’t say that its nostalgia because I wasn’t alive with the Nikon F was released, but there is a desire to touch history and to experience using a fully manual camera, learning to calculate exposure values and becoming more aware of the dynamics of focus selection. I also have some apprehension about approaching a method of photography that has absolutely no electronic assistance or guide, which I have been dependent on since I began photography when I was 5.

My Nikon F is due to arrive around April 4th.

	Nikon F6	Nikon F
Exposure Control	Manual, Shutter, Aperture, Program Auto	Manual
Aperture Control	On-Body Electronic Drive	Manual
Shutter Speeds	1/8000 to 30 min + Bulb	1/1000 to 1” + Bulb
Power Source	CR123 or EN-EL4	Manual
Auto Focus	TTL phase detection, Nikon Multi-CAM 2000 autofocus module	Manual
Film Loading	Auto	Crank (Manual)
Film Advance	Auto	Manual
Film Rewind	Auto	Manual
Multiple Exposure	Yes – 2 to 10	Manual
Self-timer	2, 5, 10, 20 seconds	3-10 seconds (manual gear timer)
Intervalometer	Electronic Program Interval	None
Remote	Cable release, ML-3 Wireless	Cable release
Weight	975g (34.4 oz)	1049g (37 oz)
Released	2004	1959