Film vs. Fast: Can a Nikon F80 Keep Up with the Tour de France?
When I began my camera collecting journey many years ago, I always swore I would never buy any modern electronic film cameras. I found their plastic bodies ugly in comparison to the beautiful aesthetics of mechanical film cameras. I also worried about their unreliability due to being fully electronic, making them difficult if not impossible to repair. My Olympus AF-1 Super is a prime example of said unreliability as it now functions as nothing other than a paper weight. However, if there is one camera that has changed my mind, it’s the Nikon F80 which is also known as the N80 in North America. Released in 2000, the F80 now has the distinction of being the most modern film camera in my collection and spoiler alert, I love it!
My Silver Nikon F80
Earlier this year, my husband and I began making plans for an epic campervan trip to follow the Tour de France in it’s final week. The route would bring us from the south of France through beautiful Carcassonne, up the legendary Mont Ventoux and through the Alps to the climbs of the Col de la Loze and La Plagne. I’ve been an avid recreational cyclist and follower of pro-cycling for many years now and it has long been a bucket list item to see the tour and my favourite cyclists in person. Once our plans were set and flights were booked, I naturally began immediate research on suitable cameras for the trip. I knew I was going to need something with good autofocus, continuous shooting mode and higher shutter speeds to capture the action. I initially looked at the F100 as a potential option, but prices can be pretty high for one in good condition and I worried it would be overkill in terms of size and weight. During my research I saw the F80 referred to as a poor man’s F100, having many of the same features but being much smaller, lighter and also much more afordable. The F80 ticked the boxes I wanted, was inexpensive and thankfully mine did not come with the sticky rubber or broken back latch that can affect these cameras.
The back of the Nikon F80 with controls for focus mode and area selection, command dial, meter mode selection and bracketing etc.
The F80 is an electronic prosumer 35mm SLR that was designed for serious amateur photographers. It has a shutter speed of up to 1/4000, a frame rate of 2.5 fps, a pop up flash and can take most Nikon F mount lenses. There are some exceptions to this such as the use of manual focus AI or AIS lenses which will mount to the camera but the camera will not meter with a manual focus lens attached. Overall, the F80 reminds me of my Nikon DSLR with many of the same functions and controls offered such as Program, Shutter, Aperture an Manual modes. This made it easy to use and the largely plastic body meant it felt light and comfortable in my small hands. The F80 takes two CR123A batteries which have a good lifespan though are not as easy to come by as AA batteries.
Top down view of the Nikon F80 and it’s controls
Before we travelled to France, I tested out the camera to make sure everything was working correctly and was pleasantly surprised by both the photographs and the camera’s ease of use. My F80 came with a lovely Nikon AF 50mm 1:1.8D lens and I later picked up an inexpensive 20-80mm AF 3.3-5.6G lens which is what I chose to use during the trip. Even with the 20-80mm lens the camera was light enough for carrying up a mountain but also allowed me a greater variety of focal lengths than the fixed 50mm. As this was my first foray into shooting any kind of sporting event, I will admit that I kept things simple and largely relied on the programme and shutter priority modes. Pro cyclists pass by quickly and I didn’t want to risk completely missing them as they zoomed past us. Thankfully most of the stages we attended were mountain stages which did make easier to capture some action as even the pros go ever so slightly slower on the climbs.
When I saw the photographs from the tour, I was pleased at how well the F80 was able to freeze the action and overall really happy with the sharpness from the autofocus and the 20-80mm lens. I shot primarily on Kodak Ultramax 400 and love the way it captured the vibrant colours of the riders and the spectators. Going to the tour is like attending a big party, everyone is excited to cheer on their favourite teams and you often wait for hours just to see the riders pass by in a matter of seconds. Having the continuous shooting mode on the F80 really helped with being able to fire off multiple shots so I could capture the peloton and some of that party vibe too.
The biggest takeaway for me was how easy the F80 is to use and also how fun. During the race stages I found that I was able to snap away but still enjoy the action without worrying about the camera or settings. I just let it do it’s thing and that in itself was very freeing. I’m never going to be a serious sports photographer (see the work of Kristof Ramon for the most beautiful cycling photography), but the F80 did a great job of helping me capture my own memories of La Grande Boucle. I can confidently say that the F80 did keep up with the Tour De France and I wouldn’t hesitate to take it to more sporting events.
As always, the use of film gives the photographs a beautiful nostalgic quality which I thinks works really nicely for capturing a sport such as cycling. Overall, I’m really happy with the results that the F80 produced and lately I find myself reaching for it as my go-to 35mm. It’s just so light to throw into a bag and while I do worry about it being electronic, I’ll continue to enjoy it for as long as it works. And while I’ll never fully abandon my beautiful mechanical cameras, the F80 is a nice of example of needing specific tool for a specific job, and it did that job well.