Nikon N90s 35mm SLR Film Camera

 

I recently purchased a Nikon N90s from Used Photo Pro in Indianapolis, sold in “as-is” condition. UPP has a section in their store dedicated to working film cameras and lenses, but these items come with no warranty. That’s because many of them have one or more issues—something might not work properly, or the gear may show significant cosmetic wear. In exchange for these caveats, prices are fixed and budget-friendly. A camera body typically runs around $25.

The N90s I purchased was fully functional except for one flaw: the top LCD screen was burned out. Fortunately, settings were still visible through the viewfinder, but the lack of a working top LCD display was a definite compromise. However, this body came with the MB-10 vertical battery grip, which made it worth purchasing.

I ran 2–3 rolls through the camera without issue, but I found the missing LCD confirmation annoying—especially when trying to verify or setting up metering modes, non-DX ISO settings, and exposure programs. Because of this, I didn’t put the N90s into my regular shooting rotation.

Then, a few days ago, I spotted another “as-is” N90s body at UPP. Mechanically it looked sound, though it had heavy cosmetic wear. The big plus? The LCD screen worked! I bought it and swapped over the MB-10 grip from the earlier body.

I took the newer N90s out for a street photography and really enjoyed the experience and using the N90s. It’s fast, comfortable in the hand, and loaded with features making it a really nice camera to use. Some key specs include:

·       Lens mount: Nikon F-mount

·       Autofocus: Fast and accurate with single, continuous, and manual modes

·       Shutter speeds: Bulb, 30 seconds up to 1/8000

·       Flash sync: Up to 1/250 sec—ideal for studio strobes and consistent with many digital studio setups

·       Motor drive: Built-in, with film advance up to 4 FPS

·       Exposure modes: Program (P), Shutter priority (S), Aperture priority (A), Manual (M)

·       Metering: Matrix, center-weighted, and spot

·       Viewfinder: Bright and easy to work with

·       Custom settings: 17 user-configurable functions

·       Power: 4 AA batteries

The Nikon N90s was produced in Japan from 1994 to 2001. At the time, it was considered Nikon’s top-tier enthusiast camera—sitting just below the professional-level Nikon F4. It was eventually succeeded by the more advanced Nikon F100.

Here are photos taken with my Nikon N90s using Ilford HP5+ and Kentmere 400:

Ilford Kentmere 400 developed with Kodak D-76 1+1

Ilford HP5+ developed with Kodak D-76 1+1

Pentax K1000 - 35mm Film Uberness

One of the finest general purpose / everyday 35mm film SLR is the Pentax K1000. You want reliable? You want basic? You want good images? Then look no further than the K1000. Manual focus, reliable light meter, good ISO/ASA range (20 - 32000), good speed range (B to 1/1000 second), hotshoe & solidly built. What else would you want in a basic SLR.

I have 2 K1000's. One with a workable light meter and one without. The K1000 with the light meter that doesn't work is still perfect for using with a hand held light meter or sunny 16. The shutter operates without a battery.

To operate you either manually use aperture or speed priority. Set whichever is your preference based on the scene, film and light. Then simply adjust the other. The light meter is a needle in the viewfinder that goes up and down based on the setting. When the needle is in the center your exposure is set.

The shutter has a moderate mirror slap which is noticeable but still stealthy enough for candids and street photography. 

I have one of the cameras mounted with a Pentax-M f/1.7 50mm and one with a f/2.8 28mm. I prefer the 50mm which is my go to focal length for street photography.

Honestly, for a basic camera or your first SLR you can't go wrong with a Pentax K1000.

The manual at Butkus 

A few photos taken with bulk loaded Kentmere 400 pushed to 800 and some Kodak TMAX 400 at box speed.

Kentmere 400 Pushed to 800 - Olympus OM10

I regularly use 100' bulk film to keep my 35mm film cost manageable.  Recently I've gone through several boxes of Ilford HP5+, Ilford XP2, Arista EDU, Kodak TRI-X and now Kentmere 400. 

Harman Labs produces and sells Kentmere films which leads me to believe that Kentmere is a "cheap", lower QC version of HP5+.  Good enough for me to give it a go.

I brought several bulk loaded 36 exposure rolls with me to a street photography afternoon in downtown Louisville. It was a "murky" day.  Bright but extremely hazing and overcast.  No direct sunlight, or shadows.  It was like being in a giant softbox.  I wanted to do general street scenes.

Because it was overcast and I wanted higher speeds I pushed the Kentmere to 800. Ilford HP5+ is very push friendly, so I figured this would be as well.  I had hoped to push the film to 1600 but my camera mysteriously locked up when I set the ASA dial to 1600.

My camera of choice for the street shoot was an Olympus OM10. I purchased this camera at a New York charity shop for $20. Works A-OK (except the weird ASA issue) and is clean.

I shot 3 rolls in this camera. Once home I developed the rolls in Ilford Ilfosol3 for 6.5 minutes. I scanned the negatives with an Epson V800.  Imported them into Adobe Lightroom Classic and used the tool to crop & adjust the histogram only.  

Some results:

Overall, I'm happy with the film. It pushes easily to 800 (will test at 1600). The blacks are black & whites white. The grain at 800 with Ilfosol3 is very manageable and pleasing.  I'll be running a side by side with pushed HP5+ soon, so stay tuned for that.  Bottomline, a good general purpose B&W 35mm film.