Nikon N75 35mm SLR Camera Kit with 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 Nikkor Lens

I mainly wanted to write this review to debunk the 'error' a previous reviewer was complaining about. They really should read the owner's manual... The 'film not loaded error icon' that they are talking about is used in two ways on this camera. If when you first load the film, something goes wrong, this will blink to indicate the film was not loaded correctly. The second use is as a 'low-film' indicator. When you're looking through the viewfinder, this light will blink when you hit 5 exposures left. It's obviously meant to let you know you're getting close to the end of your film, so you don't miss that 'perfect shot' due to running our of film. The fact that the reviewer went through several of these cameras, and never figured this out astounds me. I've never had to contact Nikon support, but I would hope that the support person I got would be a little more knowledgeable than the people she talked too...

Overall, if you're looking to get started with an SLR, you can't go wrong with this camera. I would, however, suggest that you visit your local Ritz (or equivilent camera shop) to hold onto the camera, and compare it to a few others. I was all set to buy a Canon Rebel Ti, based soley on reviews - until I went to the shop. It just felt wrong in my hands, where the Nikon felt perfect. It's all a matter of personal preferrence, so you'll want to make sure you're getting the right one.

I've also been pretty hard on this camera since I got it (Ritz has an optional replacement warranty, so I've not been too worried) - including getting it soaked on a boat trip. It's kept on going through everything I've thrown at it - very durable.

Pros:

-Can be used as a point-and-shoot when needed (or while learning)
-Has the ability to control every aspect of the picture taking process.
-Great built in flash
-Amazing 25 point 3D metering system
-Controls are all easily accesible while holding the camera
-In my opinion, it just feels sturdier and more comfortable in your hand than the Canon Rebel Ti - Canon's equivilant camera

Cons:
-Being an SLR, it's a little on the big side. It is, however, lighter than you might expect. Basically, you have to be making the commitment to carrying it around with you. For this, I'd highly recommend one of the lowepro bags - they're about the smallest you can get for this type of camera.


great camera!   January 2, 2004
Hemanshu Kumar (New Delhi, India)
36 out of 36 found this review helpful

So here's where I'm coming from: I'm big on photography enthusiasm (I would rate myself as a semi-serious to serious amateur), and very low on budget. I've owned a Pentax SLR camera before, as well as a few point-and-shoots.

I bought this camera last August after doing a lot of research both online and in magazines like Popular Photography. All the reviews raved about it, and boy, were they true! It's a wonderful camera for both the starting amateur (you can just set it on the Auto mode, and all you need to do then is point and shoot!) and the more serious amateur (you can make the camera all-manual by selecting the corresponding mode, or do speed-priority and aperture-priority). Still life and close-up enthusiasts will definitely enjoy the depth-of-field preview button, and everyone will benefit from Nikon's great series of lenses. One note there: this camera works with the Nikon "G" series lenses, which have no aperture ring -- aperture is set electronically from within the camera.

While I have exposed only a very few rolls of film with this camera yet, I have a friend who took hers to Norway, shooting in low-light conditions, from speeding boats, buses and what not, entirely in the point-and-shoot AUTO mode -- and the snaps look absolutely brilliant! Hats off to the light-metering system, which is better than on similar Canon Rebels etc.

There is one point to note however: while this SLR kit comes with the 28-80mm G nikkor lens, I bought a different kit, which had the 28-100mm G lens. I find the extra zoom of that lens makes it even better if you want to survive on a one-lens-only basis. The other lens I want to buy soon (since I'm somewhat interested in bird photography) is the 70-300mm nikkor G lens.

If you are considering digital cameras as well -- I decided to go for a manual SLR because there is no way you can get this quality of photos and this range of optical fiddling options at this low a budget in a digital camera. I would say that's easily two years away right now. I just get my photo lab guys to make me a Photo CD, so I can easily send the pictures I really like to all my friends to admire! ;)

In summary, I would say look no further -- Nikon's N75 is the best non-totally-professional SLR film camera out there for a price that fits everyone's pocket!


Well balanced features at a great price-Film Not dead yet!   November 9, 2004
R. Rosener (St. Louis, MO United States)
26 out of 26 found this review helpful

I bought this camera for a several reasons, as a backup to my aging Nikon 8008s (still going strong after 10 years!) and for a film body to use Nikon "G" lenses, and because of the Nikon USA Fall rebate.

Upon first opening the box I thought I'd made a real mistake. It's the lightest 35mm SLR I've ever used. The viewfinder is rather small and none too bright. Compared to the 8008s the N75 feels like a disposable camera!
Upon inserting the batteries and mounting a 50mm Nikon lens, things began looking up. I bought the body only, and strongly recommend you do the same, and get a Nikon AF 50mm 1.8 lens. This camera balances beautifully with this prime lens! My hands are small, so the N75 felt just right. Autofocus is quick, and I like the red confirmation light in the finder (same as on my D 70 digital SLR).
When it comes to focus speed and silence, the N75 blows my old 8008s out of the water. It's focus rarely hunts and the shutter is fairly quiet, as is the drive motor. Switching to Manual Exposure mode is quick and easy. This camera even has a depth of field preview button.

Overall this has become a favorite film camera because it is so light and easy to carry. It's fast and the meter is accurate. I wish the spot meter were easier to access, but that is my only real complaint. It does 90% of what the N80 does at less than half the price. This is a great camera for a new photographer or advanced user looking for a backup film body. The nice thing is all those wide angle lenses stay wide, and shooting a roll of slide film through this little gem will convince you film is not yet dead!


No defects, Great Camera.   December 19, 2003
20 out of 20 found this review helpful

The n75 is great. There is no defect with the camera. When you take the time to read the instruction manual it clearly states (in the "Shutter Release" section, pg. 30 at the bottom) that "when exposures remaining in the film becomes 5 or less, (the "film not loaded properly" icon) appears and blinks for 5 seconds in the viewfinder." Sure enough, when the exposures reach 5 or less, the icon appears everytime. The camera is amazing, with all the features you'll need, plus, in my opinion, it looks cool. I highly recommend this camera.


easy and simple   March 17, 2004
writer and music junkie (United States)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

I don't have a lot of experience with cameras but this one was so easy and simple to use and produced a bunch of great pictures with little effort. I have to give it a 5 star rating because it is just impossible to mess anything up. If you want a camera that knows what you want and is soo easy to learn to use, get this one. It's worth it.