When I bought the Nikon F100 a year ago I knew deep down that it was a camera I chose instead of the mythical F6. Of course at the time I convinced myself that the F100, which is a terrific camera, was all I needed. More than I needed. And for less than $200 it might just be the best deal in film cameras ever. Problem was, I knew the F6 existed, and I knew it was better. Every time I grabbed the F100 I felt the tiniest little tinge reminding me that, hey, I should’ve just gone for the good camera.

Then I bought a D700 and solved that problem for good. Right?

Not so fast. An odd thing happened after using the D700 - arguably one of the greatest digital SLRs you can buy - I got no joy from using it. Sure, it’s terrifically built and can practically see in the dark. The full-frame sensor means that there’s no crop factor to deal with and the files are oh so nice. All great, but meaningless if it’s not any fun. I liked everything about the D700 except that there was nowhere to put film in. That’s when the F6 started to come up in my daydreams. Everything about it attracted me, and every review or article I could find had nothing but wonderful things to say about it.

So I bought an F6. I picked it up from keh.com in “bargain” condition. It was listed as bargain probably because there’s a significant wear mark near one of the strap lugs and it came with nothing, not even a body cap. Released in 2004, the F6 sold for a bit over $2500. That’s about the same as a new D700 today. My scratched up “bargain” cost close to $1,300. Many sell for $1,500 or more. New (old stock) still fetch near the original price. It’s a crazy price for a film camera these days. I wonder if the D700 will still be worth more than 60% of its original value in 7 years.

I love the camera so far. It feels so good in hand. Solid as a brick. It’s got all of the actual picture-taking technology of the D700, but I get to use film. Modern, crazy-fast autofocus. The meter seems to be foolproof. It can use all the latest Nikon lenses. The CLS flash system is available and can be used with the newest SB-900. It even records shot/exposure information. I can push an “info” button after shooting and see shutter speed and aperture for that frame. Basically, the F6 is a completely modern, professional film camera.

Besides all that, the thing that really clinches it for me is that I can be sure that no one is going to suddenly release a better 35mm SLR. The F6 will probably always be the best film SLR ever made. I find that comforting. On the other hand, Nikon is poised to announce a D800 any day now - instantly making the D700 feel like an also-ran.