I had to re-upload this video due to sound problems in the initial upload! Sorry to everyone who commented on the original upload, I wasn't able to replace the video but keep the comments and views.

great camera. Nikon claimed it to be a midrange, but it actually has almost everything that typical pro camera from this era would have, like extreme shutter speeds, interchangeable focusing screens, spot metering, and so on. my personal favorite feature there is double-shot self-timer. if you scroll the control knob counter-clockwise to the very end whilst pressing self-timer button, you'll find it after 30s mark. in this mode essentially what camera does is it makes one shot after 10s and the second shot (unexpected one) after 5 more seconds, to get more relaxed and unposed shots. this is like great for group photos, usually these second shots are brilliant

I bought mine new, took it to a camera repair shop to add a pc (flash cord) and have film rewind leave leader out. I used manual studio flash with hand metering ( Gossen Ultra Meter) or Minolta 3 flash meter. It worked great with Metz flash units. For cold situations I used advice from a National Geo photographer, used an older FM with worn loose gears. It was good at ~40c°/f°. Metering was great with attention to meter area, spot, 12% center, or larger area. All the best, nice video.

Because of you I'm now getting this camera. Was picking between Canon EOS 500 and this one, and honestly, Nikon won specifically for AA batteries :)

I came across your channel after deciding to dig my 801 out and finally start using it. This is just what I needed, great real world review. Great stuff.

Great camera. I used one for ten years as a travel photographer/writer. Went all over the world with it. My version was the 8008s; same model, different name. Can be had ridiculously cheaply these days. 30, 40, 50 bucks? Amazing. And many fine Nikkor lenses can be had cheaply, too. But make sure they're AI, AIs, or AF for full frame (not made for APSC crop sensor).

Love my Nikon film cameras. I currently have two N80's and a N65. I still enjoy taking out my AE1 or Minolta XG7 when I'm looking for more of a manual/slow shooting experience, but for most other situations, the Nikons are amazing. Plus, the ergonomics are great!

Thanks for sharing your really beautiful pictures and your experience with this camera! I just received the same camera for my birthday and i’m thrilled about it: it’s my first experience with film and full frame. Ciao from Italy

The 8008s was my first autofocus Nikon body, bought used for a lot more than you'd pay today. I used mine for about 10 years. The body alone has almost all of the features you'd ever use day to day in any situation. I used mine for landscapes, hiking and general photography. However, if you add the data back (imprinting data on film, which I never do), you add a collection of features which became more common and were integrated into later bodies, like rear curtain flash synch. My 8008s went on the shelf as a "baclup" when I bought an F100 to replace it. Since I never used it again, I gave it to the son of a friend who showed promise as a photographer. Unhappily, the seed did not take, so the 8008s is now handed off to a sibling of the donee, and we'll try to seed another new film photographer.

Got mine new in 92, along with a Sigma 75-300 Auto. Haven’t used it for over 25 years, so I’ll have to get it out and give it a run.

Just picked up one of these cameras! Great video and love your photos!

You're photos are amazing - almost too humble for how good these shots are! Fantastic 🙌

It is a great camera.I support your recommendations.cheers Geoff

I bought my first Nikon camera when this model was an option, so I know these cameras well. Let's be fair about the battery drawer. It could have only slipped out if the screw had not been tightened properly. The drawer was never meant to land on the hard ground, especially when loaded with dense batteries. You are the only person I've ever heard of that has had this issue, so I'm taking this as a unique experience and should not be used to disparage this camera. As for the cold, I suggest using lithium-iron cells; they not only work in the cold, but also they are the lightest AA-cell you can buy. Good luck and best wishes in all you do, young lady.

We used to call these type of cameras "electronic" or "electrically / electronically controlled" cameras, not digital. Just to avoid confusion 😊 Use a flash meter for flash photography. Yes, I know, it's expensive, but you'll have 100% accurate results, unless your camera doesn't work properly. Sticky aperture might be a problem for example. With that said try out other AF or D lenses. All cameras that use AA or AAA batteries are prone to quick battery drain in the cold. And there's a quick fix for that - unless you are shooting, keep your camera warm. Under the jacket is one way to do it.

This was my dream camera in the early 90s and I got my own F-801s in the late 90s. It was my main camera traveling overseas before I went digital when the D70 came out in 2006. I really like how you mention it is intuitive switching between digital and this model and I fully agree. Amazing how cheap they are now too. And nice plug for Beau Photo, I picked up my F-90x there as well. Did you use exposure compensation on your snow shots? I took an F4 up to Whistler last week and even though I dialed in +1 exposure compensation on Velvia 100, I recalled the meter for the F-801s/F4 required additional exposure comp. I did a ski event in 2023 with my F6 and I found I did not need to make any exposure comp with the snow XC ski shots..amazing how the meters have advanced. Anyways, great review.

These are super values based on price, features/layout, accessibility of batteries and access to all the Nikon glass and accessories. Saw it for $10 at a store today. So much better than a point and shoot. An F100 is great but this is a solid cheaper alternative.

Great video! Re shooting with strobes: It might be worth it to invest in a Sekonic L308 incident light meter. It does cost a little bit, but it's budget friendly and works with strobes. If you're shooting with film and strobes, it's a total life saver. Instead of burning film with test shots, just put the meter in flash mode, place it where the subject is and pop the flash. It will tell you what aperture to set your camera at for a given ISO and shutter speed for that flash power. If you want to shoot at a different aperture, no problem, just adjust the flash power until the meter gives you the aperture reading you want. Want to mix in ambient light? No problem. The meter does that too. Once you have the meter, you'll have absolutely no guessing about whether you're under or over exposed. And, even better, it's exactly the same workflow if you're shooting digital. You just meter your flash, adjust the flash power to get the settings you want, then take the picture with whatever camera you want to take it with. Correctly exposed film, correctly exposed digital. Exact same workflow. Easy Peasy. Oh, I have and use multiple L308 meters, so I'm speaking from a position of long experience with that meter. It's budget friendly and just works.

You got a good new to film camera. It top notch but only 2nd tier to the big F4 of its day. Loads of accessories and learning curve. Pair with you existing Nikon dedicated ttl flash (yes, your SB-800 works) or MF-21 Multi-Function Data Back for cools extras like date/time, notes, time lapse, bracketing for focus and exposure, Focus priority and more. It offers more than enough for a beginner or traveler. But if you like full manual, try Ai, Ai-S manual lenses. good used value. As for lenses; it can use a lot. It can meter G lens in P or S (not M, no aperture ring), Ai-S in full auto (stop down to "orange" index), Ai in M & A. VR lens mount but no VR mode.

I have to agree on reliability. I shoot Nikon D200 DSLR, and this thing survived winter temperatures, snow, running from rainstorm... Really its pretty hard to damage it, and imagine 90s SLRs are even more durable.

Those photos are amazing.

You can try to use center-weight metering which might be more accurate in certain situations,because 3d matrix metering tends to give a result that balances the dark part of the frame with the overall situation,instead of protecting the highlight parts.Many negatives have rather rich latitude to recover over expose,though.So i don't think it's a big problem when shutter speed is ok.I shot a roll of foma pan 100 in March and I used center-weight metering with -1 exposure compensation and got great results.

Nice video about my every-day analogue Nikon F801s. In 1992, it cost DM 1398 without lens, in 2023 I got it for 25 EUR in top condition. All in all I had four of them and gave some away to my students, except the last one which I'll never give away;-)) The F801s is extremely well made especially when you open the 'rear hatch' and look over the film path to the shutter. Why 1/8000 sec? So you can use an 800 ISO film but anyway take a shot with aperture wide open to isolate the central object from the background.

Hey Yvonne, great video. Beautiful photos! One of the great things about Nikon is the excellent cross compatibility of leses for film and digital. I currently rock a Nikon n90s (f90x outside US, very similar model to the f801s/n8008) and it absolutely kicks ass in tandem with my D600 DSLR. Have you considered getting a battery grip for your camera? It does add a bit of weight and size, but it might solve your battery problem as well as extend battery life and makes it a breeze to shoot potrait orientation with the second shutter button. Just a suggestion. Love your videos, glad I subscribed. Cheers!💙😁🍻

Nikon F-801S - for ever!

RE exposure: a lot of this can have to do w/ films & chemicals during processing and printing (especially their age) . Run a test roll in various Auto / Semi Auto (P, S, A) Experiment w/ variable P Hi or Lo. I've used my F4E for ages w/ good results in 3D colour Matrix, Spot & Center Weighted as well is beautiful in dedicated Nikon Speedlight TTL Metrix Balanced Fill-Flash. The F801 is awesome, it's a baby F4 w/ nearly all of of its goodness when using the MF21 Data back & modern SB-800 flash. SB-28 or 26 is just as good for that day. As for why or who uses Auto. Lot of us do. This is an AF camera so I bet you rely on 3D Matrix metering for focus. That's what made this camera since the F501. It's reliable So yes, Absolutely I use some form of auto metering, semi auto S or A depending on scene It gives me more time to compose. Something way more important in film when it cost each time & money. Because, at the end of the day, most of us are just following the meter the computer tells us. You can still +/- Exposure in auto/semi auto even in TTL auto flash.

Great video and nice photos. Interesting your metering issues. Some lenses only support spot or centre-weighted. Matrix metering on my Nikons is usually bang on, as long as you're careful about things like underexposure in the snow, blown highlights of light sources in dark scenes etc.

The F-801 is a great camera, I've used the lower-spec model from this era, and it wasn't that good, but after seeing this, I want to try the F-801! As for shooting in Program Mode, that is what I do most of the time; the matrix metering in these is bulletproof, making it easier to shoot film and get consistent results. I use Program mode in my F5 and Maxxum 9. As for the lenses, yes, you will want to use AF Nikkor lenses that still have the aperture ring, either the Original AF Nikkor and also the AF-D Nikkor lenses.

A pretty good assessment if not a little uncertain and your personality is not confident but wanting to get your info out or your view, its a disjointed approach, however i cant fault your comments and a lot of your photos are like you, very across the board, a broad spectrum.

Use the exposure comp to underexpose your shots if over exposed. But I'm sure you know that.

Very nice review and you take really amazing photos you have an excellent eye for composition and lighting. If I may I know this camera really well and I could suggest you try changing the metering pattern from center weighted where you were to matrix You might like the exposure better. Also the camera stopped working in the cold because the double a battery's froze up if you just carry a spare set in your pocket you can switch them out and keep shooting. One last suggestion.. if you haven't already tried it I would use a handheld flash meter in the studio as you said the meter in the camera is useless. Thanks for doing these reviews Great work!!!

Isn't F801 is the iconic "stock shutter sound" that has been used in movies and videogames for years? :D

Im in the midst of comparing film cameras based on image quality as well. I was just wondering are the photos in your video raw or have they been edited? They look amazing!

好喜欢这个博主的风格。

Nice review! It's a sweet camera, super advanced really. I wonder, how's your experience with the Autofocus? I'm finding mine struggles to nail critical focus and often goes back and forth and won't take a photo til it's settled on a spot 🥲

You should try to,find a Nikon FA, i preferred it over my 801 in most situations. Very similar when it comes to programs and meter, but no AF or motor, just knobs and dials.

Even on my 40yr old Nikon F3 the Auto mode is solid.. Id imagine that it only got better in your camera.

Hi Yvonne, I don't know if someone already pointed this out to you but I don't think you can only use film lenses on this camera. Maybe I misunderstood, but my AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 is (I think) a digital lens and the auto focus works perfectly. And the aperture I have to change manually, but I think that's what you mentioned as well. Let me know if I understood incorrectly, but digital lenses are working well on this camera right?

Love this!!!

The F801 is the non US version (which is fine). I grew up with my dad’s N8008 (US version) and it was an amazing camera. It’s starting to fail tho, sadly.

At -30 degrees the lubricant probably crystallized temporarily. Chemical or battery-powered hand warmers might or might not prevent this.

Agreed re the battery compartment which seems to be the weak part of an otherwise great camera... it's cheaper to buy a non functioning body for $10-20 as long as it has a good battery compartment/tray

Hi Yvonne I just got the camera and acnt figure out how to use the light meter and when its in Shutter priority I cant figure out how to change the shutter speed? Can you recommend any lenses or are the stock lenses good enough?

What focus mode are you using? My auto focus always not nailing where I want to focus (always on the center). I use 50mm 1.4D lens and F801s body

I have this camera, can someone tell me what mount this camera uses?

Hi when I use this camera with a film rated at ISO 400 is that what I need to set the ISO on the camera the whole time shooting with that specific film? Also can you recommend any good film for portraits and a lens? I recently received one but am not keen on how to use it!

Hows the autofocus in urs? Mine doesn’t focus right so I focus manually.

Get a Flash Meter.

Naikon?

I don't get this "difficulty" thing. I learned to use 35mm cameras - ALL MANUAL EVERYTHING - starting around 1960, when I was 12. I learned to process and print Plus X (RIP) and Tri X B&W film. I don't remember any of it being particularly difficult.

You got this for 100 dollars? Really? Im seing this one sale for 400+ dollars today