I've used Minolta, Canon and Nikon cameras since 1975. I finally settled on Nikon because they kept the lens mount compatible with all earlier lens, and as time went on, they had the features and ruggedness I desired. Minolta and Canon make fine cameras too. But in the F100 I see the best features of Nikon's F5 distilled down to a light rugged machine that does about everything I could ask a 35mm camera to do, and does it very efficiently; once you get used to its functions. This is not a camera for everyone. If you use your camera set on Program, there are many fine cameras out there that will do the job for you, and cost much less. But, if you want total control of metering pattern, focus points, depth of field, and shutter speed, the F100 may be for you. In the F100 you have a choice of metering pattern: spot metering for picking out that essential point in a higher contrast background, you have center weighted to deal with averaging a scene, and Matrix metering for complex mixtures of light and dark. Added to this Nikon has incorporated 20,000 different scenes that the Matrix metering can evaluate the scene against to handle contrast and color. Nikon is also famous for flash metering. With the F100 using a Nikon flash it takes it's metering off the film plane for exposure accuracy, sends a preflash to take distance into consideration and automatically adjusts for lens focal length.
Handling the F100 is a pleasure. It had a rubberized surface that is easy to grip. A built in handgrip conforms to your hand well, placing fingers in a position to touch vital controls without excessive reaching. The thumb naturally falls on the focus spot selector that allows you to decide where in the frame the focus point will begin. From there, the camera can track the focus of a moving object, keeping you in focus even if something briefly comes between you and your subject. Shutter speeds are from 30 seconds to 1/8000 of a second and very accurate, plus bulb for extremely long exposures. Which brings me to the F100's few faults. A camera in this price range should have mirror lock up for extreme closeup photography. It should also have a built in eye piece blind, as the N90S has. The supplied eye piece cap is not consistent with the quality of this camera and inconvenient. It does however have a built in diopter adjustment, for those that would like to use the camera without wearing their glasses. In use, I have done fashion photography, wild life photography, shot sports, landscapes, and macro work. The camera has never presented a problem in almost 2 years of steady use. I do keep extra AA batteries around, as it can chew through them if you're using the motor drive on high; 4.5 frames per second, with focus tracking! If I could have only one camera, the F100 would be that camera. Nearly all of the F5 features, at half the price and weight.
The F100 a 35mm SLR body geared to the professional and is situated beyond the N90 and behind the F5 as the #2 top camera in the Nikon line With its s...More at Amazon Marketplace
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