C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The F4s is not a separate camera model but the standard configuration in which Nikon sold and marketed the F4 for professional use - the F4 body paired with the **MB-21** motor-drive grip. Where the base F4 with MB-20 advances at 4 fps on 4 AA cells, the MB-21 adds two more AA cells (six total), raises the continuous frame rate to **5.7 fps**, and deepens the grip for a more ergonomic two-handed hold. In practice, most F4 bodies encountered in the used market are F4s configurations, making "F4s" effectively the default form of the camera. All other specs - single-point AM200 autofocus, 3D matrix metering, 1/8000s shutter, interchangeable prisms - are identical to the base F4.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
The F4 as Nikon intended it: MB-21 grip fitted, 5.7 fps, six AA batteries, and ready for a deadline.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Nikon F (pre-AI flip, AI, AI-S, AF, AF-D) |
| Years | 1988-1996 |
| Shutter | 30s - 1/8000s + Bulb, electronic vertical aluminum |
| Flash sync | 1/250s |
| Meter | TTL matrix, center-weighted, 5mm spot |
| Modes | P, A, S, M |
| AF | Single-point AM200 |
| Frame rate | 5.7 fps (MB-21); 4 fps (MB-20) |
| Weight | ~1,280 g (body + MB-21, no lens) |
| Battery | 6x AA in MB-21 |
Nikon launched the F4 in July 1988, simultaneously offering it in two grip configurations: the smaller MB-20 (F4) and the larger MB-21 (F4s). The MB-21 name is derived from Nikon's internal grip numbering, and "F4s" was Nikon's marketing name for that pairing. The camera was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro - continuing his F3 collaboration with Nikon - and represented the company's belated but serious answer to the Canon EOS-1. Production ran from 1988 to 1996, when the F5 superseded it.
A third variant, the F4e with the MB-23 NiMH rechargeable grip, was sold primarily to studio and press photographers who kept spares on charge. The F4s was the variant most commonly issued to staff photographers at wire services.
The F4s sits in a curious market position: too modern to carry the mystique of the all-mechanical F3, too old to excite autofocus enthusiasts who prefer the F5's CAM1300 multi-point system. That neglect makes it one of the better-value professional film cameras on the used market. The 5.7 fps rate and 1/8000s ceiling are competitive with later bodies, and the matrix meter - first developed for the FA in 1983 - is accurate and predictable. The MB-21 grip also accepts a battery holder for 1 EN-4 pack with the optional adapter, though AA convenience remains the primary appeal.
For working film photographers, the F4s offers capabilities that match the F5 for most practical purposes at roughly half the price.
Full Nikon F-mount compatibility across generations. The F4 (and F4s) retains the AI-coupling indexing tab that most later Nikon AF bodies omit, allowing un-modified pre-AI lenses to mount and meter correctly. AI and AI-S lenses use stop-down or full metering depending on version. AF and AF-D lenses autofocus. AF-S and AF-P lenses mount but operate manual-focus only.
Interchangeable finders: DA-2 (standard), DA-20 (sports/waist-level), DW-20 and DW-21 (magnifying). Interchangeable focusing screens. SB-24 and SB-28 flashes support matrix-balanced TTL fill. Data backs MF-24 and MF-25 for imprinting.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
View profile →Nikon F4s
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