Launched in 1998 as an entry-level SLR, the Nikon F60 (or N60 if you’re in the USA) is not a camera that is ever likely to have its own fan club. It looks like a plastic-fantastic , but is surprisingly heavy on account of the metal it has underneath its polycarbonate skin. I picked mine up for £10 from a local camera shop and paid an additional £10 for the Nikkor 28-80mm G lens which is likely to be its permanent companion.

The auto-focus and metering are fairly rudimentary compared to other cameras in the Nikon range, the motorwind is pretty slow and it will only work with DX-coded film canisters. There is no way to manually set the film ISO, but you do get ±3 stops of exposure compensation (which is ‘remembered’ when turning the camera off) so there is a work-around.

My aquaintance with this camera has been short, but (so far) sweet. I’ve put two rolls through it and for a camera to have with me all the time, I think it is nearly ideal. Sure, it’s a bit bigger and heavier than I’d prefer, but it isn’t so big and heavy that I resent having it in my man-bag. It feels good in the hand, and I can use it one-handed, so it’s perfect for when I’m walking my dogs on their leash. It’s cheap enough that I’m not worried about breaking it, so no need to faff about with a strap.

I can have manual control if I want, but mostly intend to use it as a point-and-shoot on aperture priority. I can buy ten of these for the price of a less capable but more fashionable compact such as the Olympus Mju II. When you put it that way, what’s not to like?

#ShootFilmBeNice, #BelieveInFilm,

Cross=posted at my Lomography home