Build quality
Feel
Versatility
Options
Features

Have to push button to release on/off switch
Old style black/grey indicators in view display for focus area

This camera is just a wonder to hold. I snap the shutter on my F100 and it goes "ker-plink". Snap the F5 and it goes "SNAP!" Ok, ok, but this camera is worth every nickel I scraped up. Period. Between the F100 and the F5, the F5 comes out of my camera bag first - my choice by far. Go sell the boat you never use and buy the F5, you'll be glad you did.

Customer Service

Always great from these guys

Similar Products Used:

F100
N90s
N70
N60

Meter
Ruggedness
Balance
Weight

Battery Life

This camera is simply amazing. When used properly it can go from your local riot, to shooting a wedding.

I've quit using my hand held meter, the meter in the F5 can be summed up in one word--AWESOME.

Get the battery pack for it, you get a lot more rolls of film through the camera. Don't buy the Nikon charger though, you can get a charger at radio shack for 50 bucks that will do the job.

If your into 35mm and want a camera that will allow you to concentrate on the subject and not on the process get the F5

Customer Service

No opinion, never needed it

Similar Products Used:

Minolta, Rollei

Awesome piece of equipment. Fast, accurate AF, bang on metering, and lovely flash technology.

Heavy!

Great piece of equipment. Unfortunately, the EOS-1V is more promising for me, so I had to dump my Nikon lineup for the 1V.

Similar Products Used:

EOS-1V, EOS-1N, F100, EOS-3, Maxxum 9.

Awesome ergonomics. Lighter than my EOS 1n-RS. Mirror flapping sounds 100-times better than EOS 1n. This F5 sounds more like Leica while EOS 1n sounds like Yugo. No kidding. This camera handles better and is lot smaller than EOS 1n-RS. AF speed is just as fast if not faster.

placement of buttons and the easy of pushing those button is far harder than Canon EOS 1n.

You can't compare F5 with EOS 1n-RS or the new EOS 1V because the difference in date of release. Just like cars, you can't compare a BMW 7-series which came out in 1995 with a Mercedes S500 which came out in 2000. All are great cars/camera are we are the lucky consumer that get to choose the best of the best.

Customer Service

never fail before

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS 1n-RS still using it and the F5.

Handling, Feels perfectly balanced in hand. Metering, Extreamly realiable and precise. Speed, both focus and film handling are great. Gives confidence to take on any assignment.

Somtimes attracts unwanted attention. I honestly can't think of any operational modifications I would make.

I was a Canon user for twelve years. Three years ago I tried this baby out for a weekend and switched over my whole system. I love the F5 - I'm convinced it's the best 35mm body in the world. Nikon have created a product that will prove very difficult for even them to eclipse.

Customer Service

None needed.

Similar Products Used:

Canon F-1n, Eos5, Eos1n. Nikon F100.

Solidly built -- fits like a glove in the hand, and gives you enough confidence to shoot at lower shutter speeds than normal. Weight a shock at first (coming from F90) but once you get used to it, the weight balances itself out, and the camera fees VERY well balanced. Its been like discovering photography all over again :-)

Manual rewind VERY welcomed. The number of times I've had the noise of motor rewind make me stick out like a sore thumb have been ridiculous. Also saves on batteries, and allows mid-roll rewind if you need that.

Color RGB meter fantastic.

Expensive, but worth it if you need something perfect. Also, wish Nikon had given the option for a focussing screen that highlights the focus areas in red like the F100. Regarding that, the EC-B screen VERY sensitive to scratching (and I hear talk of 'spiders webs,' whatever that is) and VERY expensive $120. Be careful.

Also, the F100 has some nice features that I wish the F5 had. Not only the red focus areas, but also a command dial near the vertical release on the MB-15.

Eats batteries. Use Lithiums at the very least -- forget alkalines unless you are happy replacing batteries constantly.

The F5 is a very well-designed camera, and a delight to use. I had to choose between the F100 and the F5 but decided in favor of the F5 purely because it felt so balanced in the hands. However, the F100 has some features I wish the F5 had -- namely the d*** focusing area indicators. But, at the end of the day, the color RGB matrix meter has been perfect, and the camera inspires confidence. Haven't dropped it yet, but feel confident that if I do, or it gets bashed, it won't break. A worthwhile investment, although the F100 comes close, and in some areas excels. Will probably get an F100 instead of the F5 to replace the F90 as my second body.

Customer Service

No problems with the F5, and one reason I went for the F5 is that in Armenia there is no customer service! However, I am from the UK, and had to return my SB-27 to Nikon UK twice this March on a return visit. Staff very helpful and quick.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F100, Nikon F90x, Nikon F4

Easy to use, durable, and the handling is simply superb.

The metering system on this camera is amazing - it took a while for me to build confidence in the system, but it seems to cope with almost everything that I throw at it.

If there has to be a weakness, it has to be it's weight. Yes, I know it makes handling easier, but it can be a pain when you have to carry it all day!

It would also be good if the focal length of the lens were taken into account in program mode (it might use it then!). A shutter speed of 1/30 is not useful with a 200mm lens.

I wish I had bought one sooner. It is a real pleasure to use.

However, when I bought the camera the only problem was the first 2(!) cameras had faults on them. Camera number 1 started overexposing random frames and reporting shutter errors on its 4th film. It was replaced by the retailer. Camera number 2 had a faulty LCD display in the viewfinder. This too was replaced immediately by the retailer. However, camera number 3 has been absolutely perfect, although my confidence in Nikon was dented for a little while - I bought the F5 to replace an aging but totally reliable F90X!

Customer Service

Never had to use it, but see comments below.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F90X, Bronica ETRSi

Handling like a BMW. Grips the road. You can pick it up from just about any angle and it molds solidly to your hand. The metering is superior to anything I've used including Leica, hand held metered shots, grey card readings etc., It's almost impossible to take an unusable frame. Viewfinder is excellent for those of us who are nearsighted. Forget about comparing to Canon with the red little boxes. Nikon is so much more refined. I'll have to forgive them that they used the little red boxes on the F100. I hope their design team doesn't start getting to modern in the cosmetics.

I haven't found one yet. Maybe the lack of auto film rewind but who cares. It's a pleasure to handle this instrument.

I know there are Canon folks who swear by the quickness of the focusing on their rigs but frankly I still think Nikons glass is superior. Hand held shots on 100s slide with 80-200 2.8 AF(not AFS) at about 1/60 f5.6 razor sharp. Shutter button smooth as silk. I love the F5.

Customer Service

Never have had to use them for over 20 years. Nikons don't break unless they're abused. I am a little ticked as I sent in a check 6 months ago for the Nikon Mag. Still don't have it.

Similar Products Used:

Nikons, F100, N90s, F3, FM, FE, Canon Eos1N, A2, Leica R8, Leicaflex.

AWESOME METERING!!! Great focusing and tracking. Great "feel". Weight, durability

Weight (for some), too bad everyone cant afford one :)

I finally had to bite the bullet and get an F5. My only regret is that I did not buy it sooner. For anyone really serious about photography, this is an awesome machine. Not a beginners camera by any means, but if you can afford one, you could grow into it.

I am a certified photographic consultant, and I shoot mostly landscapes and people, so my first thought was who needs 8 frames per sec, and tho I must admit I do not shoot sports very often, it is a godsend to be able to capture that instant when my niece kicks the ball, or when that duck lands in the pond. However, for me, motor drive was not the biggest draw, it was the metering. I have tried my darndest to fool this thing, the 1005 RGB is just incredible. When I shoot wedding or models I am now able to concentrate on expressions and composition rather then metering and such. This camera hits it perfect just about every single time. I work in a lab so I can print my own work, and let me say that for giggles I printed and entire rool or 36 with density set on normal. ONLY 3 SHOTS HAD TO BE CHANGED!!! and they were the 3 indoor shots with the sb-28, they had to be darkened 1 stop.

One word of warning, until you develop a feel for this camera, it is on the heavy side (for me an advantage) so you may want a monopod.

I have seen some spectacular shots from the older, manual focus cameras, some of which I have taken, but the F5 makes it so much easier to get those shots every time. And worrying only about composition, I get many more keepers from a roll. This is definately an investment, but it is worth every penny I paid and would do it again in an instant.

Customer Service

Very good, sometimes hard to get a hold of, but whenever a customer has needed a bizarre Nikon part or advice they have been helpful.

Similar Products Used:

You name it, I have tried it.

I own F5, F100, N90s, the hard to get N80, and N70, N60, and an 8008.

I have

Solid, fast, well designed (as far as I can tell). Inspires confidence. Heavy!

No conventional cable release input. Doesn't like AIS and earlier lenses.

I've only had the camera a few days cause my F4s has been in and out of service for the past 6 months half a dozen times and I was sick of its lack of reliability. This is not to say that the F4 is a crap camera - far from it - just the one I have unfortunately!

Anyway, I've read all the reviews and clearly this is not the camera for everyone. Like many companies, Nikon seem to chase what Canon do in the same way Kodak spend all their time trying to emulate Velvia! Personally I don't use autofocus, so its speed means nothing to me. I just want a reliable work-horse with good metering and a bit of weight.

And on the subject of weight (as clearly many of the reviewers have never used a Fuji 6x8cm camera), it really helps steady the camera in low light situations and balance it with flash. If your camera bag is getting to heavy, get a backpack. I carried an 18.5kg backpack around Europe containing (amongst other things) a 617 camera, an F4s and 5 lenses and it was quite bearable!

Being a fan of the traditional shutter speed selector dial, I have yet to find if I work well with the LCD display, but in the same way I am forced to adapt to the new Provia 100F despite its flaws, the lack of new F4's has made me face technology which may be a good thing.

Yes, we can all wank on about how great the Leica M6 camera is and how an F5 is just for lazy equipment-heads with too much money, but ultimately it's about the photos you take and if a camera encourages you to get off your behind and is enjoyable (not frustrating) to use, then it's the one for you...

Similar Products Used:

Virtually all Nikon cameras...