Nikon N8008 Film Camera

I have several Nikon N8008 & N8008s 35mm cameras, even in the age of digital a great addition to any bag, I always carry at least one with me at all times, I don't use Program Mode often but when I do I can count on an accurate exposure, Most of the time I'm in the A-Priority Mode set at f8 so I can quickly compose and shift hi or low depending on the shot, and when it comes to composition what a view, always bight and clear, the body is sturdy and the controls are perfectly placed, in my view one of the very best Nikon has ever poduced. One additional accessory you may want to add is the Magic Lantern Guide it will really help you bring this Great camera to it's full potential.

Still nearly a legend even 20 years later. The N8008 and its fraternal twin the N8008s were the first good near pro level Nikon AF slrs. With a fast 1/250 second flash sync, decent motor drive speed, depth of field preview, compatiblity with every lens made by Nikon Ai or later , for its time good autofocusing speed, interchangeable screens, AA battery compatibity, High eyepoint viewing and a better then average ruggedness, the N8008 led the way for more advanced successors like the F4 series, the N90 series, the F100, F5 and F6.

Unbelievably cheap today, they offer much more value then almost any other mid level or lower later made film Nikon (like the N50,55,60,65,75 and 80. The N70 is okay, albeit, harder to use at first because of its interface ).

Sporting an excellent user interface, the N8008 was both sophisticated yet intuitive. Its controls easy to get to and quick to respond.

The only weaknesses which were addressed in later Nikons were center point only autofocus, lack of built in autobracketing, lack of built in flash (its kid sister, the N6006 addressed that, another excellent camera), and limited compatiblity with later autofocus Nikon lenses.

If you stick with standard and AF D Nikkors you won't have any problems.
AF-I and AF-S Nikkors will mount but won't autofocus. G Nikkors will mount and meter but can't be used in aperture priority or manual modes, only shutter priority and program.

My first one was an S model with faster autofocusing and spot metering (which I rarely ended up using). I paid $600 new New York Discount store in 1990.
Today, they are rarely listed over a $100 making a good example a true bargain.

Mine lasted over a dozen years. I put it through hell and it still worked. It finally broke so I got four more both standard and S models along with a trio of N90s slrs).

Whether you're a student learning photography who wants a film slr which will grow with you, a digital pro who needs an inexpensive compatible body to accomodate the occasional film shoot (there's actually a review of a working pro who switched back to film from digital after the N8008 saved his bacon in a paying assignment listed among these reviews) and wide angle capability to a complete novice who wants a cool looking slr which will just take better pix then the dinky digital point and shoot they have, the N8008 and S will more then fill the bill for a fraction of the price of what it used to cost.

For those requiring faster autofocus (particularly action shooters), off center focusing capability and 1/3 stop shutter speeed controls to use for slide film, I strongly recommend the vary similar (if you know one, you can learn most of the controls of the other with no manuals) and somewhat more expensive N90s (avoid the regular N90, can't stand that camera. I know a pro who had three, all of them had extensive problems. The 90s is better and more advanced, the 8008 is more reliable) But for most purposes, the 8008/s should do the job most of the time.