| Type | 35mm SLR |
|---|---|
| Lens mount | Nikon F-mount |
| Focus | TTL Phase Detection Autofocus (11 zone) |
| Exposure | Program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual |
| Flash | External flash |
| Frame rate | 5.5 frame/s, 8 frame/s with external battery & grip |
| Dimensions | 158 × 119 × 77.5 mm, 975g |
| Weight | 975g |
| Made in | Japan |
The Nikon F6 is a 35mm single-lens reflex camera body that became commercially available during 2004, and is the sixth top-of-the-line professional film camera in Nikon's line since the introduction of the Nikon F in 1959.[1] The Nikon F6 is designed by Nikon and manufactured at their Sendai Plant.[2]
As of early 2010[update], the F6 is the current model of Nikon's F series, replacing the Nikon F5, manufactured from 1996 to present. The Nikon F6 accepts nearly any Nikon F-mount lens with full metering functionality, except for non-AI (non-aperture indexing) lenses made before 1977, unless the camera was modified by Nikon Service.
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The F6 is designed for reliability and durability like previous Nikon F-series cameras. The camera also has a manual film rewind, 100% coverage viewfinder and low 37ms shutter lag. The industrial designer for Nikon professional cameras since the Nikon F3 has been Giorgetto Giugiaro and he is responsible for the design of the Nikon F6 as well, the styling of which resembles the Nikon D2X, its digital contemporary. The F6 is also Nikon's first F-series camera without an interchangeable viewfinder pentaprism.
The F6 uses the same Multi-CAM 2000 autofocus module as the D2X professional-level digital SLR which was designed for the APS-C frame size of 23.7 x 15.7 mm.[1] The F6 is a 135 film camera with a 24 × 36 mm frame size[3] which results in the autofocus sensor covering a smaller area of the F6's frame relative to the coverage on the D2X.[4]
The Nikon F6 was announced to much surprise among photographers and industry observers. Professional use of the 35mm format has waned since stock photography firms started accepting digital photography and news photography became predominantly digital. Some elements of the F6 design, such as the non-interchangeable viewfinder and detachable battery pack/grip, may indicate that the F6 was designed for film-using photographic enthusiasts as well as professional photographers. The price of the camera has been reduced compared to that of the F5, and some elements of its design show marks of this economy. Not only is the viewfinder fixed, but it also lacks the Aperture Direct Readout (ADR) feature, so after attaching an AI coupled lens to the body, the lens' maximum aperture has to be set on the display of the camera back. Before, the ADR system used a complex mirroring system and a larger prism that reflected the aperture data in the viewfinder. Also in the viewfinder, the marks and signs are now displayed in monochrome, which makes it more difficult to find necessary information. The prism itself is now covered with magnesium, not with titanium, as was the case with the F5. The detachable grip is made of plastic with some metal inserts. These changes do not greatly affect the ergonomics and the durability of the camera, but they illustrate how Nikon mixed its two professional camera lines into one body. Originally, the professional category (F, F2, F3, F4 and F5) showed a constant evolution in all terms of durability and performance. The second line (Nikkormat, FM/FM2, F801, F90, F100) used less costly, but also cutting-edge technologies. Those bodies were lighter and less expensive, but still very durable. Now, with the F6, the two product lines have been merged.
In January 2006, Nikon announced that the F6 is one of only two 35mm film cameras that Nikon will continue to sell, the other being the Cosina-produced FM10.[5]
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Nikon_F6 Nikon F6] at Wikimedia Commons
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