Other Known variations of Nikon F4 SLR Models

HTML File size: 39k Loading now . ..

I don't intend to be a hero to discuss about something that I am not sure about and neither want to misled any surfers in this section ... but a hard fact remains, Nikon F4 is one of the rarest single digit Nikon F model thus far that has produced with any variations of model. It is a known fact that throughout its entire product cycle until it was being replaced by the Nikon F5, very few known F4 variants existed (if ever a possible "Nikon F4/T" being introduced, probably I could have acquired a unit simply for my personal Nikon "Titan" collection as well). The Nikon Hand Book by Peter Braczko mentioned an Olive coloured Prototype Nikon F4 was introduced in 1987. A picture illustrated in his book was not entirely similar with the silvered coloured second version of the Nikon F4 prototype supplied by Hiura Shinzaku of The Nikomat ML, Japan. Peter's version has some differences from standard F4 version, with the body entirely furnished in olive colour. It has a top limiting shutter speed of only 1/4000 sec. He said it has never went into production which we all know it is true.

I was quite curious in finding out is there any other special versions being produced by Nikon as in the case of the Nikon F3 variations thus far but has not be able to gather any information. However, a few years back, a gentleman from US did mentioned to me via e-mail that some Nikon's NPS (Nikon Professional Service) members have a special LE Nikon F4 specifically produced for them with a different technical specifications. I was then not too interested as the bitter episode of the Nikon F3 with Nikon USA did upset my stomach then and I thought I would never want to create a Nikon F4 site unless with the consent from Nikon directly. Well, a few months back, a caring visitor informed me that a unit of the said special Nikon F4 was surfaced at Ebay auction and has send me an image downloaded from Ebay. I followed the trail and has attempted to contact the seller but both of us seemed to have some communication problem trying to understand each other's intention (why I need the permission to use his image). This is the original transcripts of the auction:

The Nikon F4 Professional version " .... This Nikon F4 S Professional version is the offered only to Nikon Professional Services (NPS), An NPS member could order the camera through a Nikon Service center . The F4 P probably reflected the need of professional for a sports photographer. It's processed shutter speed dial 1/350s, 1/750s (between the 1/1000s , 1/500s and 1/250s) but lacks the full 2, 4 sec and tight adjusted the shutter release button. It comes with its front cap and MB-21 battery pack. But with not NPS strap. Winning bidder pays for shipping from Japan. ....".

Credit: This image was cropped from the original image which comprised of a few images of the "Nikon F4P". The original strip of the image can be viewed via by clicking here (Jpeg file, 95k) If you happened to be the original creator of this image, please contact me as I wish to credit you. If you have objection in relation to usage of this image in this website, I will remove it immediately. I hate to use this image in this manner but it is meant for educational purpose as I am using it here for all Nikon fans to share this information OR can any other EXISTING owner of this camera contributes some images to replace this image that I am using without permission ? As this is simply a hobbyist site and I don't intend to get stuck with unnecessary legal issue. Mail me ..

Site Update as at May 2005 Images of this rare piece of collectible, NIkon F4 Press ("P") were contributed by Mr. Arthur Wong, Hong Kong. At least, I am not so worry by publishing the earlier finding of this Nikon F4 variant ementioned above in this Nikon F4 site.

Well, another special version of the Nikon F4 is easier to handle relating to the source of information as it was available in the Volume 5 of the "Nikon by Nikon" magazine published by Nikon Corporation in February, 1992.

" .... If the people at Nikon seemed a little spacey last September, 1992, they had good reason. Once again, Nikon joined a team of US astronauts on the latest mission of the space shuttle Discovery. Actually, two Nikon F4s models made the six-days joumey into outer space. One F4s underwent minimal conversion for use in an Electronic Still Camera (ESC) system to digitally transmit photos taken in space back to earth in mere seconds.

Cont .. The other, a commercial F4s using conventional 35mm film, was modified slightly for operation in weightlessness. The ESC system produced monochrome images that were viewed and enhanced in space using a modified laptop computer, then transmitted to the ground via a digital downlink system. The conventional 174s documented the activities within the Discovery capsule itself, a kind of "Six Days in the Lives of the Astronauts." A few accessories went along for the trip: several AF Nikkor lenses, the Nikon MF-23 Multi-Control Camera back and the SB-24 Speedlight. They enabled a wide range of extra performance features, including Intervalometer operation, Auto-Exposure bracketing, very long time exposures, and Focus Priority. As Richard LoPinto, Division Manager for Marketing, Nikon Photo Group, Nikon Inc., commented, "Nikon cameras have flown on every NASA manned space mission since Apollo 15, and we look forward to many more years of NASA's continued use of the Nikon system....." -Extracted from Vol. 5 Nikon by Nikon magazine, Feb, 1992 -

Click for a Larger View in a Gif Image (140k) Credit: Nikon Corporation, Japan.

Information compiled by Nikon Web on this heavily modified special application Nikon F4 camara: http://www.nikonweb.com/nasaf4

Jarle Aasland (jarle@aasland.org)
Url : http://www.nikonweb.com
Date : 08:34 PM Tuesday 31 May, 2005
Information and previously unpublished (?) photos of NASA's first Electronic Still Camera (based on a Nikon F4 camera body): http://www.nikonweb.com/nasaf4/

Thanks, Jarle - This info is COOL ...

MORE ? Wait till someone update me with additional information.

| BACK | to Main Index Page Nikon F4 Series SLR camera Models

The Camera Body - Features | Reliability | Focusing | Metering | Exposure Control | Lense Compatibility | Interchangeable Prisms | Data Film Backs | Various Power Sources | Focusing Screens | Flash Photography | Other system accessories | Cases for Nikon F4 Series | Remote Control |

| Specification | Main Reference Map | Nikon F4 Variants
Instruction Manual: PDF (4.5M) - External Link

Nikon F | Nikon F2 | Nikon F3 | Nikon F4 | Nikon F5 | Nikon F6 | Nikkormat / Nikomat | Nikon FM | Nikon FE/ FA | Nikon EM/FG/FG20 | Nikon Digital SLRs | Nikon - Other models

Nikon Auto Focus Nikkor lenses:- Main Index Page
Nikon Manual Focus Nikkor lenses:- Fisheye-Nikkor Lenses - Circular | Full Frame | Ultrawides Lenses - 13mm 15mm 18mm 20mm | Wideangle Lenses - 24mm 28mm 35mm | Standard Lenses - 45mm 50mm 58mm | Telephoto Lenses - 85mm 105mm 135mm 180mm & 200mm | Super-Telephoto Lenses - 300mm 400mm 500mm 600mm 800mm 1200mm |

Index Page Special Application lenses:
Micro-Nikkor Lenses - 50mm~55mm -60mm 85mm -105mm 200mm Micro-Zoom 70-180mm
Perspective Control (PC) - 28mm 35mm PC-Micro 85mm
Dedicated Lenses for Nikon F3AF: AF 80mm f/2.8 | AF 200mm f/3.5 EDIF
Depth of Field Control (DC): 105mm 135mm
Medical Nikkor: 120mm 200mm
Reflex-Nikkor Lenses - 500mm 1000mm 2000mm
Others: Noct Nikkor | OP-Nikkor | UV Nikkor 55mm 105mm | Focusing Units | Bellows-Nikkor 105mm 135mm
Nikon Series E Lenses: 28mm 35mm 50mm 100mm 135mm | E-Series Zoom lenses: 36~72mm 75~150mm 70~210mm

MF Zoom-Nikkor Lenses: 25~50mm | 28~45mm | 28~50mm | 28~85mm | 35~70mm | 36~72mm E | 35~85mm | 35~105mm | 35~135mm | 35~200mm | 43~86mm | 50~135mm | 50~300mm | 70~210mm E | 75~150mm E | 80~200mm | 85~250mm | 100~300mm | 180~600mm | 200~400mm | 200~600mm | 360~1200mm | 1200~1700mm

Tele-Converters: TC-1 | TC-2 | TC-200 | TC-201 | TC-300 | TC-301 | TC-14 | TC-14A | TC-14B | TC-14C | TC-14E | TC-16 | TC-16A | TC-20E

Recommended links to understand more technical details related to the Nikkor F-mount and production Serial Number:
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-153.html by: my friend, Rick Oleson
http://www.zi.ku.dk/personal/lhhansen/photo/fmount.htm by: Hansen, Lars Holst
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/nikonfmount/lens2.htm
http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html

| Message Board | for your favourite Nikon F4 Series SLR models
| Message Board | for your Nikon Optics in a shared environment
| Message Board | Specifically for Dispose or Looking for Nikon/Nikkor Photographic Equipment

| Back | to Pictorial History of Nikon SLR / rangefinders / Nikonos / digital cameras.

About this photographic site.

| Back | to Pictorial History of Nikon SLR / rangefinders / Nikonos / digital cameras.

W A R N I N G: The New G-SERIES Nikkor lenses have no aperture ring on the lense, they cannot adjust aperture(s) when operating in manual exposure control even with certain earlier AF Nikon SLR camera models. Similarly, not ALL features provide in a modern AF-S series AF-Nikkor lenses can be utilized fully with a Nikon F4. Please refer to your local distributor for compatibility issue(s).

PLEASE NOTE: Complimentary links are appreciative but it is not necessary, I have limited bandwidth here in this server... So, PLEASE don't distribute this URL to any bulk mailing list or unrelated user-groups, just be a little considerate, thank you. (The more you distribute, the slower this server will response to your requests...). I am NOT a Nikon nor Nikkor expert, so don't send me any mails, use the Message Board Instead. While the content prepared herein should be adequate for anyone to understand and evaluate whether you should invest into a used Nikon F4 pro-camera system for your kind of photography. Well, IF you like what you have seen so far, please help to perfect this site by reporting any broken links or any errors made.

About this photographic site.

HOME - Photography in Malaysia

Credit: Chuck Hester, US for his patience, encouragement and help to setup the various content in this site; Robert Johnson for some of his original images on the F2H-MD appeared in this site; my ex-staff, KiaSu for his superb 3-D logo appeared in this Nikon F2 site; Marc Vorgers from Holland who generously provide me with some of his images of F2AS; MCLau®, who has so much time with me to re-edit the content in this site and not to mention buying a Nikon Coolpix 990 just for this site; Paul Armstrong (pkared@ameritech.net) for his explantion of the FF2 Slidemagic and Nikon F2 Pin Camera Keat Photo, Kuala Lumpur for providing their Nikon F2A to take some images for this site; Mr Edward Ngoh the great camera collector who provides us his collection of F2AS with MD-2; hawkeye.photographic.com for their images on the Speed Magny film backs; Sean Cranor for his image on Nikon F2 25th Anniversary Model; Ted Wengelaar®, Holland for his continuous flow of input on some of the early Nikon bodies; Genesis-Camera for granting permission to use an image of the SS-F2 camera; Mr Sover Wong, Australia for those great images of his rare F2 Gold;CYLeow ®, photo editor of the Star newspaper, Malaysia for some of his images used in this site. Ms Rissa Chan, Sales manager from Shriro Malaysia who has helped to provide some of the very useful input. HiuraShinsaku®, Nikomat ML, Japan for some of his images on various F2 models; my staff, Wati, Maisa, Mai and my nephew, EEWyn®, who volunteered and helping me did so many of the film scanning works; Hong-sien Kwee of Singapore for all the Nikon F2 Pin camera images appeared in this site; Luigi Crescenzi for many of his images on the Nikon F2 Titan; John for two of his images of the Nikon F2/T used in this site; Contributing photographers or resellers: Jen Siow, Foo KokKin, Arthur Teng, Mark Fallander, John Ishii, Ed Hassel, YoonKi Kim, Jean-Louis, M.Dugentas (Dell Corner.com.), Mr "Arsenall", Yang Zi Xiong and a few images mailed in from surfers with no appropriate reference to their origin. Note:certain content and images appeared in this site were either scanned from official marketing leaflets, brochures published by Nikon and/or contribution from surfers who claimed originality of their own work to publish in this site based on educational merits. The creator of this site will not be responsible for any discrepancies that may arise from such possible dispute except rectifying them after verification."Nikon", "Nikkormat", "Nippon Kokagu KK" & "Nikkor" are registered tradename of Nikon Corporation Inc., Japan. A site made with an Apple IMac.