Written by Sonia Marfatia-Goode
My history with the Nikon F100 35mm film camera is pretty simple.
My digital experience was with the Nikon D40X and Nikon D610, which made the transition to the Nikon F100 was rather seamless.
All of my lenses were compatible, so I didn’t have to buy any new lenses. (Did I buy any additional lenses? That’s another story, because I have a severe case of Gear Acquisition Syndrome!)
Find the Nikon F100 at KEH Camera or on eBay.
Ease of Use
The Nikon F100 was one of the first cameras I purchased when I got into film. Everything about it was SO EASY.
I tried to do the responsible thing by reading the manual first (you can find the manual to the Nikon f100 here), but it was so easy to jump right in.
The F100 is a 35mm camera, so you’ll get 24 or 36 exposures, depending on the film roll. It’s light to carry around and is compatible with almost all Nikkor lenses, both manual and auto focus.
You can find the lens compatibility chart here.
The camera works on 4 AA batteries, which is great, because you always have AA batteries around or can pick them up anywhere.
I prefer Energizer rechargeable batteries (find on Amazon). Many other film cameras use batteries that are often hard to find.
Loading the Nikon F100 and Using the Internal Meter
Loading the Nikon F100 is easy peasy. Insert film, pull out leader, lay on track, close back, hit shutter once, and bam.
Once it’s loaded, I usually set the ISO and shoot in manual using the internal light meter.
The internal meter is pretty accurate with matrix metering. Just pay attention to the aperture and shutter speed and you’re good to go.
When I shoot with the F100, I leave my external light meter behind and just use the internal light meter.
The F100 also has auto, aperture priority mode, and shutter priority functions as well.
Double Exposure and Flash Functions
There’s an option to do double exposures, if you’re interested, by turning the mode dial to the overlapping image symbol.
You can find more specific instructions on page 60 of the manual. Mastering double exposures is a goal of mine to work on.
You can also hook the Nikon F100 up to strobes or flash.
The max shutter sync speed is 1/250, which gives you a lot of flexibility. Shooting with strobes has been a game changer, especially in the winter time, when light is limited.
What I love about shooting with this camera is how easy it is to shoot documentary, action shots, and portraits.
It’s such a versatile camera.
And it’s pretty light to carry, depending on the lens you’re using. Basically, despite having so many camera systems, this is the one I always depend on.
Thank you so much, Sonia! You can also check out more of Sonia’s work on her website and Instagram, or business Instagram.
Leave your questions about the Nikon F100 below in the comments, and you can pick one up for yourself at KEH Camera or on eBay.
You can also check out all of our film camera reviews here.
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Blog Comments
Luca
June 15, 2019 at 5:43 am
With the Nikon F100, at least with the oldest versions (I’ve read that during the years Nikon went back to metal, but I am not sure if it’s true or not), watch out for the plastic film shaft.
When the Nikon F100 first come out, I immediately bought one and I managed to break the said plastic film shaft while closing the back, changing roll in a hurry, at a concert.
The roll wasn’t properly seated, and in the pitch dark hall I couldn’t tell, so I ended up pushing very gently on the back when I felt a crack…it was the film shaft. I ended up selling the camera straight away and keeping instead the MUCH better made F4s.
shootitwithfilm
June 17, 2019 at 4:18 pm
Thank you so much for the info about the plastic film shaft! So helpful!
Tamás
November 4, 2019 at 11:44 am
And heres a tip how to fix that:
https://mindenhezis.hu/nikon-f100-hatso-ajto/
Sorry for the hungarian language, but you can use the images to have an idea.
Nice camera by the way
Luca
November 5, 2019 at 3:12 am
Thanks for sharing, but the film shaft I was referring to is the piece that keeps the roll seated into the camera, i.e. the two bits that go one on top, one on the bottom of a film canister. On pretty much every camera I ever seen are made of metal, on the F100 I owned at least the “fork” was instead made of some kind of plastic, hence it broke. Still really useful information, even for other cameras!
Christian Klammer
September 19, 2021 at 12:35 pm
Pentax A3 was one other SLR camera using AA batteries (2x in that case).
Lens bayonet there would be Pentax-KA
José Eduardo R Azevedo
November 20, 2022 at 11:23 am
At first this review seems lacking information, but that’s it! The F100 is a simple and capable camera. Precise metering and AF, up to 4.5/5 (with grip) fps if you’re into that. Nice to handle. Great lens compatibility. Not much else to add.
But there are three flaws: battery holder, back door latch and, as mentioned above, the film shaft – all made of a somewhat fragile plastic. But if you have the least careful, no problem.
I bought mine to replace an F3 because it has AF (I’m aging…), more metering modes AND its layout is similar to my D700. This way, I don’t have to keep remembering which buttons do what when I move from film to digital. Great!
The F100 was Nikon’s last prosumer film camera. Except for these flaws they made an amazing job!
Although it is a “recent” camera – discontinued in 2006 – the battery holder and back door are impossible to find, should you need a replacement. I picked a cheap second body as spare parts, just in case.
One of its greates qualities is that it doesn’t stand between you and your pictures. It just does its job with precision, reliability and capability.
That’s why this review might seem somewhat “simple”. If you use the Nikon system and are looking for a competent film camera, go for the F100 and forget it! Just be aware of those 3 points of attention.
You’ll love it 😉
Frank Wolff
February 9, 2024 at 12:48 pm
Sonia,
Have you any experience with removing the sticky residue from the camera body?
This seems to be an issue with a lot of different cameras made during the 90s.
A rubber coating that did not age well.
Also have you used anything to condition the surface as a preventative measure?
A lot of F100s on eBay have had the tacky surface removed. After watching YouTube, many advocate using strong solvents, (alcohol, hand sanitizer, degreaser, Windex, WF40, nail polish remover), chemicals that eventually will break down the coating. There’s very little on what to do after cleaning. Some type of conditioner or coating that would slow the break down process.
Your thoughts?
Thank you
FW
shootitwithfilm
February 12, 2024 at 6:53 pm
Hi Frank! In the comments of this article: https://shootitwithfilm.com/nikon-n80-review/ there has been some luck with cleaning it with denatured alcohol and a lint free cloth, and then using an automotive rubber protectant, like GummiPfleger, and letting it air dry for two months or so. If you have an F100 that isn’t sticky yet, I would try the rubber protectant as well. Hope this helps!