Product Description

Nikon F 5 has a lot to offer. The world's first self-diagnostic double-bladed shutter that is tested to 150, 000 cycles is featuring Nikon's exclusive Shutter Monitor, Nikon's exclusive mirror balancer and floating-type design is for motors and gears. Titanium viewfinder housing and solid aluminum-alloy die-cast body, aluminum top, bottom, back and grip covers and vibration-minimizing mechanisms ensure a good grip and stability of the picture. This camera passes severe environmental testing for improved resistance to moisture and dust.The world's first 3D Color Matrix Metering with exclusive 1, 005-pixel Red-Green-Blue contrast, selected focus area, distance, and scene colors brings unequaled exposure results. Exclusive Custom Control Center-Weighted Meter enables you to customize the size of the meter, Spot Metering and AF Integration matches the Spot Metering area automatically to your selected focus area. The exclusive five-segment TTL flash control offers 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill-Flash with D-type lenses and Nikon Speedlight SB-26 or SB-27. Photo Secretary expands your photographic capabilities through additional custom settings, the remote operation of multiple cameras, and the selection, downloading and editing of shooting data.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5521 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Nikon
• Model: 5

From the Manufacturer
One of the most advanced SLR cameras available today, the Nikon F5 features an autofocus with five highly-sensitive sensors that will keep up with subjects at a stunning 8 frames per second.

The light meter, the first in-camera meter with color sensitivity, divides the frame into 1005 discrete units. It then analyzes the light and color patterns and compares them against thousands of images that have been programmed into the camera's on board memory. Users can adjust the size of the center weighted metering area from 8mm to 20mm for more accurate small area metering.

Exposure control is controlled further via EV compensation, AF and AE lock controls, four exposure control systems, full manual control and automatic balanced fill flash that can be set in increments. A wide array of backs, viewfinders and other accessories make this the most advanced camera in the Nikon system.

Features include:

• Body Construction - Die Cast Body with Titanium Viewfinder
• Exclusive Technology - Nikon Exclusive Dynamic Autofocus knows where the subject is, Mirror Balancer for vibration free shooting, Self-Diagnostic Shutter keeps shutter speeds accurate
• Light Metering System - Nikon Exclusive 1,005 Pixel RGB 3D Color Matrix Meter for scene identification
• Autofocus Technology - 5 Area Cross Array Autofocus System for fluid composition includes 3 Cross Type AF sensors
• Compatibility of AF Sensors - Cross-Type AF Sensors operate with every AF Nikkor lens
• AF Technology and Frame Rate - Nikon Exclusive Focus Tracking with Lock-On™ to 8 Frames Per Second
• Shooting Modes and Shutter Speed Range - Program, Flexible Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual. From 30 seconds to 1/8000 of a second
• Versatility - 24 Built-in Custom Settings lets you personalize F5 for the way you shoot
• Computer Interface - Nikon Exclusive Photo Secretary for F5 incorporates 17 additional Custom Settings and ability to link exposure information to scanned photo images
• Lens Mount - F Bayonet Lens Mount accepts every Nikon AF Nikkor and most manual AI or AI-S Nikkor lenses

Customer Reviews

The Best Film Camera Ever
I have been a photographer for 50 years and have shot with the best-Hasselblad, Contax, Canon, Mamiya, etc. The one film camera I have kept in my possesion is the F5. I feel totally comfortable and confident with this camera. It is part of my body and the results are always the same-wonderful. I just hope I can continue to buy film and find decent processing. Long live the F5!!!! Charlie

A Classic Nikon - that just about says it all
I have one of every model Nikon F made from the FTn to the F5. I used to think that the F2 was God's gift to photography. Rock solid and mine is 30 years old and it still works fine. However, as good as it was, I would not want to go out on a magazine assignment with an old F2. The capabilities of modern AutoFocus cameras make my old F2 and even the F3 too limited - especially with regard to invaluable tools like automatic fill flash, auto exposure, simple exposure bracketing and simple and fast film loading. I have an F4 too and in its day, it was a gem. But I shoot a lot of motorsports and the F4 was too slow for fast action. The F5 is everything the F4 was plus it focuses better and faster. The camera is a joy to hold (at least for my two hands) and is possibly the best handling camera I have ever used in my over 30 years of picture taking. As mentioned above, it focuses very well and very fast - especially with the newer "S" lenses with the motors in the lens. The camera takes lithium batteries and they seem to last through many dozens of rolls of film - not as cheap as alkaline but very convenient and much lighter to carry. The high eyepoint finder works great for me and my thick eye glasses. The controls are where Nikon has put them over the years so long-time users should have no trouble working fast with the F5. Mine has seen rugged use here and in Europe and it has never failed me. The only gripe I have is that the removable prism does let in dust but every Nikon I have has the same issue. It's simple to eliminate the dust with a soft brush or some canned air so it's a pretty small gripe. I think the Canon EOS 1V cameras and lenses focus a tad faster (I tend to use them more for my motor racing assignments) but the F5 is such a joy to use and the Nikon glass is so sharp that I look for assignments where I can use this camera. The F5 remains for now in the product line, despite the introduction of the new and more expensive F6. The F6 looks like a winner and handles well too. But its $2400 price tag and the fact that the majority of the market for a high powered pro camera has already turned to digital, makes me wonder who but a serious amateur with deep pockets will pony up the bucks for one. My final warning to you camera junkies out there is that once you handle the F5, you will not want to put it down. And that's not a bad thing.

One of Nikon's Best Autofocus SLRs
Without question, the Nikon F5 is one of the best conceived, well built professional quality autofocus 35mm SLR cameras I have come across. True to the tradition of ruggedness expected from a Nikon F series camera, the F5 is truly built like a tank. In a sense, it is the autofocus equivalent of the old Nikon F and F2 cameras, which made Nikon's reputation for building a first-rate professional quality SLR system. Indeed it is the only professional grade autofocus 35mm SLR which comes with interchangeable finders and screens, harkening back to its F and F2 predecessors. I've handled the F5 in camera stores and also at trade fairs such as Photo Plus East; it may be the best handling autofocus SLR I've come across. However, it is about to be replaced by the newly introduced - and much lighter - Nikon F6, so potential purchasers should look carefully at this camera and the F6, before making their purchase.