Blog — GEORGE CHEN

When Nikon introduced its F4 film camera to the world, I was only 8 years old. The F4 was my dad's favourite as he used it on daily basis, for his work as a professional photographer for many years. I remember the days when he didn't want me to even touch the camera mainly because it was way too expensive and quite complicated.

Fast forward. In the winter of 2021 I happened to find a F4 online and the camera seemed to be in pretty good condition. I grabbed it quickly.

The F4 was the first professional Nikon to feature a practical autofocus system. Nikon introduced the F4 as the next generation in Nikon's line of F-series professional cameras. Following the debut of F4 in 1988, Nikon brought F5 to the market in 1996. All F4 models were discontinued soon after, in May 1997.

A lot of film photographers may choose other models than F4 as the camera is a pretty heavy (or "solid", in my words) one. Of course, F4 means more personal to me as it was my dad's favorite one. When I told my dad I bought a second-hand F4, his first question was about the price. Yes, it is much cheaper nowadays than in 1988 when he got it.

Indeed, F4 used to be a camera that can make everyone around you very jealous in those old and good times in the 1990s.

Another interesting fact about F4 is its designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro, the legendary Italian designer probably best known for his car designs like DMC DeLorean. F4 was the first camera designed by Giugiaro as some fans may say the F4 viewfinder reflects the same style of DeLorean.

I'm going to learn more about film photography in 2022. Welcome any tips and advice.

Yes, digital photography makes our life much easier and more efficient. But sometimes we just want to enjoy those "back to the basic" moments too. I hope I can use my F4 to shoot some nice photos and perhaps someday can “show off” my work to my dad and make him proud.