In article <4vks0f$aea@dole.uninett.no>, roe@niva.no says...
>mm15@cornell.edu (Mark Malkin) wrote:
>>It seems like many the advantages of the F5 advanced metering are lost >>unless AF series lenses are used. Where does that leave all of us who
>>use expensive AIS lenses and wish to take advantage of the new metering >>technology. Some of these lenses (fish-eyes; 15/3.5, 13mm, etc) have
>>no AF or AF-D versions and who needs AF for ultra-wides anyway. Long
>>teles (all of the big ED-IF AIS) lenses may work great in the AF
>>versions but the advanced meter technology is unusable with all of our
>>AIS big glass. True, spot metering is often the way to achieve best >>exposure but I find matrix metering on my F4 bodies to be fantastically >>accurate for many of my subjects and it works with ALL AI and newer
>>series lenses. It looks like the F5 has promise as a fantastic tool
>>but the lack of advanced metering unless AF lenses are used is a MAJOR >>oversight.

>I have been the fortunate user of the F5 for some time. It is sad and
>true that you loose some functionality with "old" AI/AIS lenses. Maybe
>Nikon think it's about time that everybody should upgrade to the new AF-D
>type lenses? However, not all new lenses are as good as the old ones
>(exception: the new 200 ED Micro is much better than the old 200 Micro),
>and who wants to buy new lenses whenever a new top professional camera
>arrives? Nikon has ventured into dangerous territory because the loss of
>backwards compatibility defies Nikons claim for non-obsolence.
>
>That being said, the F5 by solving all of the exposure fallacies of the
>F4 is a much better camera than its predecessor. It handles much better,
>has a almost vibration-free shutter, is less clumsy, has a tripod mount
>far superior to the F4, and is more compact and lighter than the F4S. All
>F-series Nikons have a strong personality and with that follows a mixture
>of good and bad features. The loss of matrix metering with non-AF lenses
>is a regrettable but bearable loss. An equipment combination of F4 and F5
>bodies is next to perfect. In a harsh Norwegian winter, the F2 Titan is
>even better. So much for progress - there is always a price to be paid.
>
>Order your F5 today. You won't regret it. Do keep your old Nikons,
>though.

Hmmm, just as this old dyed-in-the-wool stick-in-the-mud manual focus
and manual (center-weighted) exposure diehard ("AF and AE [especially
Matrix] don't work!") thought that finally a body had appeared that
might tempt me from my old-fashioned ways, I find that it will not
do some of those interesting things with 27 of my 28 lenses! (Some of
us do hate the lower-quality feel and handling of those %&#@* plastic
AF lenses!) I will stick with my 8008's for great TTL flash (with
selectable fill ratio), combined with 1/250th flash sync., motor, and
good manual focus and exposure control (and the F3 for precise framing
and good metering with PC lenses), I guess. Sorry, Nikon - I think not
keeping lens/feature compatibility at this point (the F5) is a mistake.
(The F4 is looking better.....)
Hope This Helps