Introduced in 2001, the N65 was among the last of Nikon’s consumer-level film SLR’s. It’s plastic body sports full automatic modes, built in flash, manual overrides, and autofocus capability. In short, it does everything you might expect from a modern SLR.
The N65 is one of my guilt cameras. Mrs. Mack505 gave one to me in 2002, and I used it faithfully until replacing it with a D70 digital. I decided I didn’t need it anymore and got rid of it. When I resumed shooting and collecting film cameras, I knew I needed another N65. This one was an inexpensive eBay acquisition and features the Quartz Date back which I never use.
This week we went to Sarasota for vacation. The camera of the week needed to have a flash, the flexibility of automatic and manual modes, and above all it needed to be reliable. The choice was between the N65 and my Canon Rebel G. The N65 with 28-80 zoom won on the simple grounds of familiarity. As a habitual Nikon user, I find I need to think to get the most from the Canon. Nikon simply comes naturally to me.
I shot both Portra 400 and Fujicolor 200; both have already been dispatched to the lab.
REFERENCES:
Camera Wiki has a good article on the N65, which was also known as the F65 overseas.
Here’s the manual.
Ebay has a bunch of them, most at good prices. If you already have Nikon glass, this is a good versatile body to own.
Notes from Mosquito Hill 