Nikon F5

 

Nikon F5 with older AI-lens (Nikkor 1.2/55 mm.)

After a long tim of guessing and searching for info Nikon introduced in Summer 1996 this beautiful professional camera. The Nikon F5 has become the last camera system alike its 4 renowned predecessors. A body that can be 'dressed' with viewfinders, backs, motor drives, etc. The Nikon F6 hasn't got all these features.

The Nikon F5 had at its introduction a long list of new features, like the RGB-sensor for 3D color matrix metering, lock-on (auto)focus tracking, multi-CAM-1300 auto focus sensor with 5 areas, flash sync at 1/300 sec., built-in motor drive (8 fps.), shutter control unit, titanium viewfinder and many more. The 3D color matrix meter incorporates a 1,005-pixel charged-coupled device (CCD) which is able to read the main colors red, green and blue. The information received from the sensor (brightness, selected focus and distance, contrast and color characteristics) are linked to more than 30,000 different exposures, which are kept in the camera's micro-processor. If you think that this processing is taking a few minutes you are wrong. Within some milliseconds all this information is processed delivering a very balanced exposure resulting in top images. This revolutionary system is the world's first 3D color metering system. Nikon has done it again!

The Nikon F5 can be combined with nearly all Nikkors ever produced, including the very first Nikkor and the latest VR-lens. Even in this digital era a Nikon F5 is a very reliable back-up camera.

Nikon F5 + AF-Nikkor 1.4/50 mm.

 

The standard viewfinder (DP-30) can be replaced by the DA-30 Action Finder, the DW-31 High-Magnification Finder or the DW-30 waist-level finder. All viewfinders will give a 100% image covering, the DW-31 and DW-30 provide spot metering only. More info about the accessories can be found in the miscellaneous chapter.

 

To celebrate the anniversary of the very first Nikon camera (Nikon I rangefinder camera) in 1948 Nikon Corporation presented in 1998 a special version (in a limited edition of 2000) of the Nikon F5: the Nikon F5 Limited (see below). The inside of the camera and its features are identical to the regular Nikon F5, but the outside carries grey covers (including the BF-1A body cap), the old Jugendstil-engraving 'Nikon' on its front and at the back the old 'Nippon Kogaku Tokyo' logo with an additional (stylish) '50'. A special strap with '50 years Nikon 1948-1998 - Nikon F5' came with the camera as well as a bag.

 

Nikon collector's item Nikon F5 Limited