[Review & Sample Photos] Nikon F6, the Last Film SLR

Hello, everyone.
This time we're introducing the combination of the Nikon F6 and AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G.
This Nikon F6 is also a camera the author uses regularly. Released in 2004 and discontinued in 2020, it is the last 35mm film SLR of the F series.

Nikon F6 Specifications

• Mount: Nikon F
• Shutter: Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal plane
• Shutter speed: 30 sec to 1/8000 sec
• Flash sync speed: 1/250 sec
• Viewfinder: 100% coverage, approx. 0.74x magnification, pentaprism
• AF: 11 points
• Continuous shooting: approx. 5.5 fps (up to approx. 8 fps with MB-40 attached)
• Batteries: 2x CR123A
• Size: 157 x 119 x 78mm
• Weight: approx. 975g (body only, without batteries)

Equipped with the latest AF system and metering performance of its day and excellent handling, it is truly the culmination of the Nikon F mount.
More than 20 years after its release, Nikon still continues to offer repairs, which makes it a very reassuring film camera to use. Thanks to that reliability, it is still supported by many fans.
This time I paired it with a relatively new G-type lens, and the compatibility with the F6 is outstanding. The AF is very quick, with a lightness as if you were operating a digital SLR. The way it combines the joy unique to film cameras with a modern feel of operation is a charm that only this camera offers.

This combination actually also appears in Five Star Camera's YouTube series "Used Camera Shop Staff Photo Walk with a Color Restriction" .
Set on the west side of Shinjuku Station, "Always include something orange in the frame"was the rule I took on for my shoot.

First, this one.
I boldly made the trash can beside a vending machine the star of the frame, and built the composition to include its reflection in the machine.

Some of you may have noticed that the Nikon F6 can imprint shooting data between frames. It can print the date, time, and exposure information, and depending on the settings, it can record not only between frames but also within the image area or on frame zero. It's an interesting feature unique to the F6 that lets you enjoy the record-keeping quality of a film camera.

Next, this one.
From a low angle, I took in as much of the orange in the frame as possible, including traffic cones, a crane, and a safety fence, and composed it for a dynamic impression.
I also paid attention to the position of the crane so the eye flows naturally. I used AF/AE lock while shooting as well.

The third shot combines a train with an orange stripe, an orange backpack, and shoes.
Walking around town, there are moments when colors connect in unexpected places. It was a discovery unique to a color-restricted walk.

Here I panned with an orange backpack and a Tower Records shopping bag.
A centered "hinomaru" composition tends to be monotonous, but panning seems to have naturally guided the eye to the subject.
Ideally I would have liked to slow the shutter speed a bit more, but since I was using ISO 400 film and the lens only stops down to F16, about 1/50 sec was the limit.
Even so, I think it turned out to be a shot that expresses the movement of the subject well.

Finally, this one.
I spotted an orange chain first, and right after that noticed a person wearing orange shorts, so I hurriedly put together the composition and shot it.
By placing orange in both the foreground and background, I think I gave the whole composition a sense of unity.

Shooting while chasing only a specific color was a slightly different experience from usual.
By placing limits on composition and subject selection, you naturally pick up perspectives and modes of expression you wouldn't normally notice.

And the Nikon F6 I used this time is also a camera that lets you enjoy the constraint of shooting on film.
Since it has only been a few years since production ended, manufacturer support is still ongoing. I can confidently recommend it as a film camera you can use with peace of mind even today.
It carries on the tradition and appeal of the Nikon F series through the generations while boasting a high degree of refinement.

If you're curious, please come to the store and try it in your hands.
You can also see how this shoot went in the FiveStarCamera YouTube series "Used Camera Shop Staff Photo Walk with a Color Restriction" .
If you haven't watched it yet, please check it out.

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