Help me choose Nikon slr? Also a few questions!

[staphkills]

Hi all,

I just recently bought a Nikon D80 with a Nikkor 55-200mm lens, and while searching around for dslr articles I found out about film slrs as well! I'm really interested in going into film slrs (since they are so cheap and I already have a nikon lens!), and I was wondering if anybody has any suggestions on a good nikon slr? (I only want nikons since I only have nikon lens).

I've read that all film slrs produce the same quality, so I was thinking of getting something decent that's under $150 used. (I'm on a tight budget since I'm a college student!)


Also a few more questions:

Will my new Nikon AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm lens work on the old slr camera?

Can anybody recommend me a good lens (for outdoors, landscape, maybe macro) that's pretty cheap? I was thinking of something like a 18-55mm nikkor...would that be the best choice? It would be great if the lens could be under $150 used as well. If i get this lens for the old film nikon slr, will it work with my Nikon D80?

How much does it cost to buy the film nowdays? Do we have to get "special film" for dslrs? Would the image quality be bad if I use the same film as those disposable film cameras? How much does it cost to process the film?

Thanks!

 

[Dwig]

...

Will my new Nikon AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm lens work on the old slr camera?...

No. It is a DX lens and therefore will not cover the larger 35mm film format. Also, it is a G lens and lacks an f/stop ring, something almost all film bodies require.

 

[staphkills]

Thanks for your reply!

I've looked around and I think I've found a lens comparability list. Now the problem for me is to identify what is a "new" lens vs what is a "old" lens.


After looking through a whole bunch of reviews, I think I might go for either the Nikon F100 or the Nikon N80. I think I'm leaning towards the Nikon F100 since there's such good reviews about it but I don't quite know the difference between the two. Are there functions that the F100 has that the N80 doesn't have?

Also, which lens should I get that's compatible with the F100 and the D80?

Thanks!

 

[PJL]

The price of film really depends on what you're looking for. I get Fujifilm 200, 400, or 800 speed color print film from Walmart for about $1.50-2.50 a roll; on the other hand, if you're shooting 100 speed film or B&W, those prices can go from $5-12 for a roll of film. As for developing, shop around. My local CVS develops and does low res scans for under $7. The local print lab gets about $12 for 24 exposure developing and prints. B&W, if you have a lab develop it, usually costs more than film, anywhere from a few bucks to twice as much. If you're just learning film, you should probably stick to cheaper C-41 process color print film in the beginning.

The F100 is a great choice, by the way. I'm not too up on Nikon lenses, but if you find a good lens for your F100, you'll be able to use it on your DSLR, as well.

 

[staphkills]

Thanks for all your replies! I think I will be getting the F100, I'll just shell out a few more bucks for it.

I'm thinking of buying a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF as well, since I think it's compatible with both the F100 and the D80.



I have a few more questions:

How much will the quality of the photo degrade if I use some cheap riteaid film?

How will the photo quality come out if I scan the film strips? I believe my school has some film scanners, so I might use it when I head back in a few months. Will the photo quality be comparable to a dslr?

Thanks!

 

[PJL]

As far as film goes, you can get Kodak or Fuji at Walmart for the same price you'd pay for Rite Aid store brand.

Photo quality from a scanned 35mm negative depends on the quality of the scanner and the ISO of the film. Although it's debated, a good 35mm scan would be equivalent to 10-15 megapixels in a DSLR, sometimes more if you have a really fine grain film and a really good scanner. But getting that kind of resolution doesn't matter unless you're planning on doing gigantic poster-size prints.

 

[smokinphoto]

Wow.. definitely got a lot more knowledgeable after reading this post.
Thank you for sharing your expert opinions guys.

 

[djacobox372]

f100 is a great choice! any autofocus lens will work on both of your cameras as long as its not "dx." tbe 50mm af 1.8 is an awesome lens for both bodies!

as for film, try to limit yourself to 100iso for color shots, 400iso or more gets really grainy which looks good in b/w but not in color.

also most "cheapo" color film is 200 or 400iso, if u find 100iso you can be assured that youll get quality photos.

 

[Early]

Thanks for all your replies! I think I will be getting the F100, I'll just shell out a few more bucks for it.

I'm thinking of buying a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 AF as well, since I think it's compatible with both the F100 and the D80.



I have a few more questions:

How much will the quality of the photo degrade if I use some cheap riteaid film?

How will the photo quality come out if I scan the film strips? I believe my school has some film scanners, so I might use it when I head back in a few months. Will the photo quality be comparable to a dslr?

Thanks!

Assuming you did everything right, the photo lab did everything right, and it's a quality scanner, you have nothing to worry about.

And, if you do have access to a quality photo lab, and film scanner, try the Ektar 100 film. It will be worth the extra bucks.

 

[kshapero]

My main squeeze these days is the Nikon FM3a.

 

[molested_cow]

Just a few advices from personal experience.

I don't know where you will be getting your F100 from, but I'd suggest getting used equipment from a reputable place. The reason being that you never know what exactly is right or wrong with your purchase. For me, I ended up sending it to the shop for overhauling just to make sure everything is right. The total cost was more than if I just bought the same camera from a reputable place that makes sure that everything is working well before they put the price tag. I recommend KEH.com. I used to live in Atlanta and have been to their facility. Very professional and helpful people.

Film wise, just buy them online. I shop on ebay for negatives and buy them in bulk. That way you can get a professional roll, such as the Ektar, for around $5/roll. If you get consumer grade negatives, it will be even cheaper. Don't bother getting them in stores unless you need it right away.

Scanning the negative yourself is definitely the way to go if you have access to a scanner. It's time consuming, but it's worth it. Most stores scan negatives in relatively low resolution, probably only good for 4X5" prints. I bought myself the Epson V700 and it's one of the best purchase I've made. Over the last year, I've taken enough photos to fill a 2" thick binder. The only issue that comes with scanning is dust issue. There's no way to keep all the dust out, so you will need to spend time editing it out. Well, nothing is impossible with photoshop. All you need is patience.

However, I have to warn you that this is not cheap by any means. You have to pay for every photo you take and it accumulates. $5 for a roll of Etkar + $3 of developing = $8 for 36 frames. This doesn't even include the cost of the scanner and the time for post processing. I do it for fun, so I am ok with this. If you are budget-tight, you really have to ration your clicks (which is good btw).

Also, when you send the negatives to the lab, make sure to tell them NOT TO CUT it for you. It's mostly because every scanner takes different number of frames each time. For example, my scanner takes 4 rolls of 6-frame strips. So I want to cut them in strips of 6-frames for more efficient scanning. It's really annoying if they cut it at some odd number, like 7 or 4 frame strips because I end up wasting a lot of time and it make it harder to archive the negatives. So find your staple scanner, buy yourself a small paper cutter(the chopping type) and a pair of lent-free gloves as well as a pack of negative sleeves.

 

[kshapero]

I have a good service fromKEH on used stuff for many years.

 

[djacobox372]

Just a few advices from personal experience.

I don't know where you will be getting your F100 from, but I'd suggest getting used equipment from a reputable place. The reason being that you never know what exactly is right or wrong with your purchase. For me, I ended up sending it to the shop for overhauling just to make sure everything is right. The total cost was more than if I just bought the same camera from a reputable place that makes sure that everything is working well before they put the price tag. I recommend KEH.com. I used to live in Atlanta and have been to their facility. Very professional and helpful people.

Film wise, just buy them online. I shop on ebay for negatives and buy them in bulk. That way you can get a professional roll, such as the Ektar, for around $5/roll. If you get consumer grade negatives, it will be even cheaper. Don't bother getting them in stores unless you need it right away.

Scanning the negative yourself is definitely the way to go if you have access to a scanner. It's time consuming, but it's worth it. Most stores scan negatives in relatively low resolution, probably only good for 4X5" prints. I bought myself the Epson V700 and it's one of the best purchase I've made. Over the last year, I've taken enough photos to fill a 2" thick binder. The only issue that comes with scanning is dust issue. There's no way to keep all the dust out, so you will need to spend time editing it out. Well, nothing is impossible with photoshop. All you need is patience.

However, I have to warn you that this is not cheap by any means. You have to pay for every photo you take and it accumulates. $5 for a roll of Etkar + $3 of developing = $8 for 36 frames. This doesn't even include the cost of the scanner and the time for post processing. I do it for fun, so I am ok with this. If you are budget-tight, you really have to ration your clicks (which is good btw).

Also, when you send the negatives to the lab, make sure to tell them NOT TO CUT it for you. It's mostly because every scanner takes different number of frames each time. For example, my scanner takes 4 rolls of 6-frame strips. So I want to cut them in strips of 6-frames for more efficient scanning. It's really annoying if they cut it at some odd number, like 7 or 4 frame strips because I end up wasting a lot of time and it make it harder to archive the negatives. So find your staple scanner, buy yourself a small paper cutter(the chopping type) and a pair of lent-free gloves as well as a pack of negative sleeves.

All very good information, I would add that if you develop the negatives yourself it's only around 20 cents a roll for black and white. No need for a darkroom, just a changing bag, and about $50 of startup costs.