I bought one of the first F5s produced, and the prices are much more reasonable now. This camera is for people who want the best Nikon has to offer. Big, heavy camera. Solid feel in the hand. Ergonomically, everything is where it should be, and easily accessed. Very accurate color matrix meter. Works especially well with Nikkor AF-S lenses, but also works with other manufacturer's better lenses (i.e. Sigma HSM, Tokina ATX-Pro, or Tamron). It has everything a discriminating photographer could want. Depth of field preview, Mirror Lock-Up (something I think every camera made ought to have), AF Memory and Lock, Multiple Exposure capabilities, and manual override of everything. When I need a reliable camera that I know will get the job done, I rely on my F5.

While the color matrix meter is very accurate, it won't replace a trained eye. My F5 doesn't always get the exposure correct on a mostly white subject with a dark background, such as a waterfall. But then again, what camera does? It tends to underexpose these subjects by a half stop or so. When they introduced the F5, Nikon wanted us to believe that it's meter was foolproof. It is not. If someone is thinking of buying an F5, be aware that this camera will not always compensate for bad technique. It also has a lot of buttons and knobs that may intimidate a beginner. It also uses a lot of lithium batteries, which are the only kind I buy. It takes 8, so it can get expensive. I wouldn't, however, use regular alkalines because the voltage tends to drop as the batteries get old, and then the body just dies (That happened to me on the trip of a lifetime in the eastern Sierra of California, and I nearly died myself, until I changed back to litiums). Another factor unrelated directly to the camera body is the fact the Nikon has priced it's pro level lenses out of reach of all but the wealthiest amateurs. I don't have any big Nikon glass. That's a shame, because I think the F5 really need the Nikkor AF-S lenses to work at it's best. Autofocus is a tiny bit slower with off-brand lenses, but very good. Don't believe the hype about off-brand lenses not working well with Nikon cameras. Nikon wants you to buy into that, but don't. One other thing I don't care for. Nikon wants you to buy a $300 program to change anything more than the original 25 or so settings that came standard. In a $3,000 camera, that should be standard, not optional.

Despite the inherent shortcomings mentioned above, I think the F5 is the finest camera Nikon has ever produced. Maybe the F6 will address these minor issues. A professional grade camera will never replace proper technique. If you want Nikon's best, then get an F5!

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None

Good looking, excellent autofocus, unrivalled metering and flash technology. Perfect exhibition of the highest technology of photography. Still have the feel of a camera rather than a toy/electronic equipment

Basically no weaknesses. The usually quoted batteries issue, price issue, etc are not really major problem.

F5 is still the best autofocus SLR in the world even the Canon 1V and Minolta flagship borned later than F5. Canon is like a toy (you don't have the feel that you are holding a camera) and Minolta is too stubborn to introduce ultrasonic motor in lens. Nikon's lens is virtually the best among the 35mm manufacturers. Nikon has no need to introduce a new flagship at this moment. Perhaps the next Nikon flagship will shock us again.

Customer Service

Very good

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F4S, F-801, F401

No Red eye, sharp pictures, everything else!

Heavy

Bought this 3 months ago. Had my last nice camera stolen Nikon F2 in 79. Never had pictures come out this good. I bought the 24-120, 70-300 and 60 macro, with the SB-28 flash. Read about the camera not offering red eye protection, since I got the camera I have taken 100's of photos with the flash both to fill in and at night. Not one has any indication of red eye. Other than the weight I am very happy and would buy it again, the quality of this camera now has me looking at a D1.
The overall rating of 4 is due to the weight of the camera.

Customer Service

never used

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F2 Photomic, Minolta XK, SRT 101, 102, 103, Canon FTB, and other newer junk

Dependability,is something that I would first say.Holding the f5 at a sporting event with a long lens,at a sporting event captures every play flawlessly, in any low light situation.
Whether you talk about auto focus,or metering
the f5 has never missed a great shot.

There may be times when you do not need to use autofocus,use manual,this procedure will extend battery life 3 times.This lesson I learned on a trip.The shutter can tripped by accident, on battery pack if not locked.

The camera is the latest in the evolution of the f series nikon cameras,Ifeel it is I,the photographer that is capable of pushing this picture taking machine to the limits of capabilitiesI have,t hat I expect is a great immage every time,you can expect human error to occur,people bumping into you, etc. I can see nikon making some improvements on this fine camera, leaving the film leader out, as a custom setting,and coloring the five auto focus sensors red,like the n100 hasthis feature is easierr to see in low light..

Customer Service

never used

Similar Products Used:

f3,f4, n70,n90s,n100,eos1n, pentaxme

This camera is amazing! I've taken it in rainstorms, fog, mist, and absolute freezing weather. Nothing stops it. The images are outstanding! The 1,005 RGB is almost right on!

There aren't any "valid" weaknesses.

I find very few "valid" bad reviews. This thing has the brains of a laptop and weighs only about 3 pounds! A lot of the bad reviews compare it to the Canon EOS. Well... that thing has the brains of a pocket calculator. This camera is a computer with a 30,000 image database and exposure calculating for RGB not B&W readings. Another issue brought up was the umm.. weight? Again comparing it to the Canon top of the line with a battery pack it weighs... maybe a half pound lighter? You really saved on the weight there buddy...

My feelings for this camera are absolute. It gets the exposure dead on, about all the time to the point that I don't even bother calculating manually anymore making my photography a far more rewarding experience. I've taken it in the rain, fog, sleet producing my best pictures as of this writing. Because of this camera, I've been able to focus on my composition soley, giving me more hits. I can't get enough of this camera, and I doubt you will either.

Customer Service

None

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS 1n

Construction
Autofocus speed
Pride of ownership
Built-in diopter adjustment
Build in viewpoint shutter

A bit heavy, but carrying around the added weight is a small penalty for what this camera can do.

I have the N70 and the F5. Both are fabulous cameras. Both produce great images. The F5 has a few advantages over the N70, but in reality, the practical difference in features for an amateur photographer is not that significant. Nonetheless, I feel the F5 is a wonderful camera.

As I see it, these are the principal differences between the F5 and the N70:

1. The F5 is instantly recognizable as a flagship item. Even people who know nothing about cameras take notice when the see the F5. If that sort of thing turns you on, the F5 will definitely float your boat. (I admit it…I like the feeling I get when I carry the F5.)

2. The F5 has a much more advanced metering system than the N70. It has a red-green-blue metering system with 1005 pixels, while the N70 meters on (I think) 8 or 10 zones in shades of gray. Does this really make a difference? I suppose it does, but I can’t see it in my photographs. Both cameras produce excellent results; neither is perceptibly more adept at it (at least to me) than the other.

3. The F5’s construction is much more rugged than the N70’s. The F5 feels indestructible. The N70 feels solid, but handle the two side by side and it is like the difference between handling an M16 rifle and an M60 machine gun.

4. Staying with the armament analogy, the F5 has a faster firing rate. The N70, in its continuous mode, can shoot at 3.4 frames per second. The F5 can shoot at 8 frames per second. I like this feature a lot. I actually photographed an airplane in a fatal dive at an air show shortly after I bought the F5; I could not have done that as effectively with the N70. Is that a real world need, or something that is likely to happen again? Probably not. But I like the feature.

5. I don’t know what the differences are in the autofocus systems between the two cameras, but the F5 is dramatically faster-focusing than the N70. The N70 is no slouch, but the F5 is just awesome. I recently photographed bees gathering pollen with the 70-300 Sigma lens on the N70, and it was difficult to get the camera focused quickly enough to grab a shot. When I put the same lens on the F5, the difference was pronounced. The F5 nailed every shot, and it did it instantly.

6. The F5 has a feature that allows you to select any of five zones for the autofocus point, while the N70 has only one. I initially thought that feature was kind of overkill, but I find I use it on the F5 a lot.

7. The F5 has a feature called dynamic autofocus, which allows the camera to focus in one segment of the view, and hand the focus off to another segment if the subject moves in the frame. This was another F5 feature I thought was a little silly, until I went to the Toyota Grand Prix in Long Beach, California. Wow, that thing nailed every shot! It was the first time I had used it, and it really impressed me.

8. The F5 has a built in diopter adjustment. I thought that was going to be a Mickey Mouse feature, but I find I use it all the time. When I wear contacts, my right eye has a lens that is for near field reading. When I wear glasses, I have bifocals. The F5's diopter allows me to quickly adjust the image when I am wearing contacts, and I find I really enjoy photography much more with the diopter adjusted for my vision.

9. The F5 has a built-in shutter for the eyepiece, instead of having to put a separate shade on the eyepiece as you have to do with the N70. I enjoy night photography, and that built-in shutter gets used a lot.

10. The F5 has a depth of field preview button; the N70 does not. This feature, which gets a lot of attention on the message boards, is something I just don't understand. Goes with my amateur status, I guess. To me, the DOF preview is a useless feature, but I understand that it is important to some of us.

My conclusion is this: I wouldn't feel undergunned with my N70. Both it and the F5 have more features than I will ever need. The N70 is a magnificent camera that can do just about anything. With the F5, however, I feel like I can do everything.

You can see photographs I created with my F5 (and my N70) at http://www.jhberkandassociates.com/Joe_Berk_Photography.htm.

Customer Service

Not needed.

Similar Products Used:

N70 Nikon

Excellent AF, focus tracking, meter, ergonomics. I tested it against even the F4, and the results were MUCH better! A quantum leap in photo technology. The meter is the best imaginable.

Weight!!! Very heavy body, hard to lug around with lenses and also makes it laborious to travel with. BUT it also feels very stable and shake-free as a result of the mass. I guess it's a compromise, some good, some bad.

Auto focus tracks high speed objects so well, you'll think you missed the shot...but wait 'til your film gets back from the lab! Incredible! If you want the best camera in the World, this is the one. If you're good, you'll be great with it. If you're intermediate, you'll get Pro-level results. Amazing. Wish it was a little cheaper, but you know what they say about the best...

Customer Service

Didn't need to contact customer service.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F100, N90s, F4, Olympus Om4, Minolta 800si, Canon 1N, etc...

None

None

I have been using this amazing instrument since the last four years,very strong for hard work and very reliable in functions roll after roll.
The "3D color matrix" exposure meter is very accurate even in the most complex lighting situations (I do stage photography).

Customer Service

In Mexico the Nikon service provided by "Mayoristas fotográficos",the official "NIKON" importer is terrible.

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None

Solid feel, speed of handling (quick, easy camera to use), GREAT meter (usually within 1/3 stop of my handheld spot metering for all but the most difficult lighting conditions, don't be mistaken, it's really good but not 100% in all situations, but I love that flex program), great results with SB-28 and D lens, light weight (the F-5 with lithium batteries is light compared to other top-o-the-line F series Nikons w/motor, especially my F3/MD4/MK1, and I carry my F-5/lenses/flash/etc all day), viewfinder readout, film loading ease, fast film rewind, compact size, fairly quiet motor/shutter, compatable with my favorite manual lenses especially my 30yr old 55mm f1.2 Nikkor, better auto focusing, and custom settings are cool too.

Smaller view finder than F-3 w/HP (took too long to get use to for unknown reasons), joystick AF controller sb eye controlled like Canon EOS, AF still "fishes" even with AF-S lenses, but no real deficiencies (no excuses anymore).

Good camera, quick and easy to use, great value, this and F3 are Nikon's best in my humble opinion, Nikkor AF-S lenses getting better too.

Customer Service

Unknown, knock on wood.

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F,EM,FE,FE2,F3,F4 (a really bad pro camera, good for non heavy duty use only), Contax G1,G2 (would switch to this full time if I didn't need 300mm+ lenses), Leica M6 (Ziess and Leica have better lenses than Nikkors, but I use Nikkors all the same)

high tech, practical for every perspect. truthly professional standard. amazing RGB meter. amazing frame rate. extremely fast af

mediocre vertical grip, no command dial for vertical grip. expensive accessory.

F5 is build for professional photographer. excellent and practical on every perspect.

Customer Service

good

Similar Products Used:

eos1v,3 nikon f100, f4 minolta 9, 7