Solid feel.
Just feels like an extension of your arm, it just does everything it should, easily.
Built by Nikon.
Matrix meter - the best there is.
Fast shutter speed - put it on high speed mode, push the shutter, and watch yourself go broke.
Due to everyones 'need' to go digital, these things are an absolut bargain, hence my 5 star rating for value. When new though, much like the D3, you paid a premium for these things.

No matrix metering on old lenses.
Has a thirst for batteries.

What a magnifican camer this thing is. After owning an F3, F4, D200 and a D3, an opportunity arose to purchase a mint condition F5 for a very enticing price. I jumped on it and have hardly used any of my other cameras (Hasselblad excluded). The feel of this thing in my hand inspires me with such confidence. It has a solid feel to it but it and the weight is just right with a nice pro lens hanging off the front.. Weight of this and my D3 is not an issue for me as I am a fully grown adult, but it's no Leica M series that's for sure. It is hard to blend into the crowd with one of these babies. The custom menus setup is a bit of a dog's breakfast but I have found that I never need to use them. Nowadays these custom menus are changed by viewing the large LCD monitors on the back of the camera, but the F5 lacks this screen. I think that is what gives it the more solid feel over the D3.

The price of the F5 on the second hand market surely makes this camera the ultimate bargain in the photography world. Do not hesitate, go ahead and buy it.

Customer Service

I find Nikon Australia to be very good.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D3
Nikon F4

Does everything very well and super reliable.
Massive range of Nikon equipment to use with it.
Beautiful matrix metering.
Fast , accurate auto focusing.
8 frames per second!.
Very tough and well built.(weather seals etc).
Cheap as chips nowadays.
Batteries last forever compared to my D200.

Beats up my lenses! the AF motors are so fast and powerful it will kill any sub standard lens dead in short notice.
A bit on the heavy side, but this can be a good thing in certain situations.(windy etc).
It's so good that it stops me from going totally digital!.

Best all round film slr camera ever made! I feel very confident in any shooting situation holding this beauty because I know it can handle anything I throw at it and come up with the goods when it counts.
Super accurate metering combined with fast precise AF.
Ergonomics are superb.
Fast rewind.
Bulletproof.
Never lets you down especially during wedding shoots! makes a great film backup for when your digital gear can't hack it.
Never miss with the ultimate camera THE F5.

Customer Service

Never needed on any of my Nikon gear.

Similar Products Used:

F4s, F801, F90x, F80, D200.

- ergonomy
- build
- fast AF
- superb 3d matrix metering
- speed
- exchangeable focusing screens
- removable prism (you can fit a waist level finder)
- good value on a second-hand market

- batteries
- weight and size (sometimes)
- lack of wireless flash control
- can't do matrix metering with AI lenses (like F4 and FA)

I always wanted the F5 ever since I borrowed it from my friend. Why? Whatever people say, they'd change their mind when this camera is actually in their hands - it feels solid, friendly, well balanced, ergonomic and full of usefull features. I'm semi-pro wedding and portrait photographer and for the last few years I was a proud owner of Fuji DSLRs. Recently I'm using Nikon D200 and it's more than enough for my work (and it's weather sealed unlike the Canon 5D), but sometimes for my own pleasure I use film cameras - mainly rangefinders and medium format. Recently I was forced to sell my Hasselblad system and with some change left in my pocket I snapped a second hand F5 from Ebay as a film backup for my Nikkor lenses. I can't justify the purchase of for example D2X, but to ignore the low price of the F5 on a second-hand market would be a crime! This is the best camera ever! I like my cameras big and heavy, I like them with the vertical grip, I like the well sealed and rugged. Every pro knows this camera already, so there's no need to try and convince them (well, apart from Canon users), but all serious amateurs with a stash of Nikkor lenses who enjoy transparency films, should try the F5 as well, as it's so intelligent it does "point&shoot" thing as well, and it's quite good at it ;-) Anyway, where there's no need for an instant feedback or your pictures aren't going to be printed the same day, try Nikon F5 instead of a cheap DSLR, because for that £300 you will never able be on top of the game in digital, but you can be in the traditional film photography... And whoever says, that this camera is too heavy opposed to Leica M7 etc. - well, probably your Bentley is more comfortable than our Hondas too.

Customer Service

so far so good...

Similar Products Used:

- Nikon D200
- Fuji S3
- Canon D30
- Hasselblad 503CX
- Mamiya 645AF

Likes batteries - use AA lithiums and there is not issue.

In todays digital world this camera is unique among beasts. I'll not bore you with specs plenty are available on the net for you to see. The F5 is superbly built and just seems to be a perfect blend of technology and simplicity. The ergonomics are perfect with a Monique body that is not overly large, but nice and robust. Mirror lock-up is a snap compared to Nikon's other pro line cameras (F6 - D2x - D200). This is the last Nikon that allows for an interchangeable view finder. If you've not used a 6x mag finder on a Nikon pro body for Outdoor work, you are missing something. The F5s meter is excellent in all respects, but I still use Spot metering to check what its doing. There is not much else to say here, which I think speaks volumes. Its a tool you will grow to love and think more of as a faithful companion. Too me the F5s strength is in it reliability, it just works, always. This is contrast to many digital SLRs.

Customer Service

Need it on one of my F5s. Nikon eventually ended up replacing the camera. However, I must note that I put this camera through rigorous testing that most photographers would not bother to do.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F4, Fe2, FG, D2h

Blistering fast autofocus Solid - you don't worry about breaking this thing in day to day use Handfilling - no pinky hanging off the bottom of the camera It takes a concious effort to change your settings - nothing gets bumped on/off

It gets heavy when you carry it in your backpack for extended periods - but it's worth it, so I do it!

First off, I bought this camera with a camera bag, flash and several lenses, hence the purchase price being so high. Getting a F5 was a dream come true for me. I had handled them in photography stores and liked the way it felt in my hands. While some may complain about the size and weight, I love that this camera is hand filling and solid. The number one thing I love about this camera is the focus speed. It is phenominal how fast this camera focuses! I have missed shots before because of the autofocus being slow, but if you miss a shot with the F5, then you weren't paying attention. Since I shoot a fair amount of sports (soccer, basketball, football, track, baseball) the faster autofocus is a tremendous benefit. The other thing I really like about the F5 is that you don't do anything by accident. It takes a concious decision to turn it on/off, rewind the film, etc. You don't have to worry about your settings being off, or the camera getting turned on when you put it in your camera bag and killing the batteries. This is a professionals camera, with professional features, and world class capabilities.

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

N80 N8008 N70 Various Pentax's

All-metal, moisture-and dust-resistant metal exterior cover, world's first self-diagnostic, self-adjusting, high-performance shutter to provide reliable performance. 3D matrix metering is second to none.

A bit heavy, but of course, it's a Professional Camera.

Wow, Nikon F cameras come along way with high reliability record and F5 is still at the top of the list for the last 9 years. The AF system is fast enough for me, no complain, build like a tank, a moisture and dust-resistant metal exterior cover, high performance shutter, and the best feature I like is the 3D Matrix Metering for accurate exposure reading. Although I like my F100 better in red-highlighted Focus Area selector... F5 don't have it. Of course, F100 came out two years later after production of F5 camera. I guess Nikon engineers have refined the camera to suit the best needs for professional usage. F5 is unique in its way, 100% viewing is good and eight frames per second is all you need to do all type of photograhy. I do like the AF system in the Canon EOS1V, but still I think the build quality is better in the F5 camera and motor drive is built in. Trust me, you will enjoy this camera for years to come.

Customer Service

Very friendly and helpful.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F3HP, N8008s, N90s, F100, F4s, and F5.

Weather sealing I have taken the F5 while on a sailboat in Kauai in 15 foot swells hanging on to the boat with one hand and just pointing the camera with the other (program mode) and guess what I got some good shots. I don’t hesitate using this camera in adverse weather conditions and just wipe and clean it. Autofocus Speed Easy to learn controls Great Handling

I wish the focus area brackets in the viewfinder illuminated in red similar to the N80 and F100

I purchased the F5 more than two years ago and this is what I think. I take better pictures with the F5, let me clarify, at an air show, while whale watching and of course all the people shots I would have missed if it were not for the speed of the auto focus and the wonderful metering system. If it sounds like I use the camera as point and shoot camera sometimes I do exactly that. I think it is one of the attributes of this camera the ability to get the shot, quickly and accurately. The F5 was introduced in 1996 and was a top of the line 35mm camera and in 2005 it's still one of the top cameras. I know other manufactures make great cameras but nine years later this camera is still at the top of the list.

Customer Service

No repairs

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D2h Nikon N80

RGB Metering AF Speed and Tracking Build Quality MLU 8 FPS Interchangable Viewfinders Virtually no shutter lag Handling ( I realize that's a subjective quality) Used Prices Lots of available accessories

AF focus points are not well illuminated as in the F6 and F100

Very simply there is not a finer 35mm slr camera body made. There are those that may be close/equal but different, but as a field nature photographer (wildlife, macro, landscape, environmental potraiture) there is no camera for my application that is close. I won't quote specs.; those are everywhere. Practically speaking the build of this body is remarkable. I am not bothered at all by the mass or size of the body, and the one piece construction is a plus for me. Consider for field work that the interface between a battery pack or motordrive may introduce a "weakness" open to the environment compared to a one piece body (the trade for lighter weight and flexibility). Autofocus performance lightning fast and tracking ability is uncanny; it is second only to the F6, which adds more AF sensors. I have rarely lost a shot due to the camera's AF performance. The F100 is also exceptional. I manual spot meter whenever I possibly can. That being said, there are situations in which time does not allow manual metering. In nature photography, these can include rapidly changing light, unexpected behaviors, and fast moving animals. In these situations, the F5's RGB meter has yielded a significantly higher percentage of usable shots than any other camera that I have used. The F6 and F100 have exceptional metering as well, but lack some things that I consider critical to my work. Mirror lock up is absent on the F100 and the FPS rate is slower; interchangeable viewfinders are not available on the F6. Both of these cameras require a battery pack for max. FPS and vertical shutter release. The negatives? Well, I wish the AF focus points were illuminated better as in the F100 and F6 (I use the EC-E grid screen. That's it for me. Others may find it bulky or heavy, but that's what it takes to get ALL of these attributes in one camera body. These are all fine cameras, but in short; no other camera offers the combination of capablities, flexibility, performance, and field durability of the F5. Now they are under $1,000 used! This might be the best cost/performance ratio of any product on the planet.

Customer Service

Never needed it but I hear you are better off sending gear to Long Beach rather than Melville. That's the skinny.

Similar Products Used:

F100 F2 F3 N90s N80 N6006 FE-2 FG-20 Mamiya 645 Super

power at all levels

dark focus points in the viewfinder are annoying, and it's not the ideal camera to use with the sb800.

Moving from Manual to an N80 was an exciting jump. Going from the N80 to the F5 was like hopping on a rocket bound for the moon! You just load the film and take a ride! You can feel the sheer power and the 8fps when used judisiously is a fab tool. They say the F6 has surpassed it in some ways, but is the F6 worth nearly two to three times as much as a good, used F5? Can't say... but I don't regret my purchase in any way, and I'm considering another if I start to shoot weddings.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon N80

Incredible build quality. Near faultless exposures. Weather resistant. Ability to knock dents out of cars!

Easy to loose cable release socket cover-annoying!

I think if I needed to hammer a tent peg in this camera would do it while taking saleable shots of the event. Is there anything it doesn't do stunningly well. Used mine all over with all lenses and has been near faultless. Any faults have actually been down to me in all honesty.

Customer Service

Has anyone ever needed it?

Similar Products Used:

F4s