1 My pictures don't stink anymore!
I've always used cheap 35mm and disposable cameras. Now that my daughter is growing up and becoming more involved in various sports and school activities I've long wanted to have a serious camera with zoom so I can get good upclose high quality shots. I decided to splurge on the N65 after doing lots of internet research and talking to variety of photographer type folks.
The camera itself is very sturdy and solid, but not extremely heavy. I'm able to carry it around in my backpack all day without discomfort. It's easy to load the film in, but the provided instruction book is superb to get you started. It has a variety of manual settings, but I've pretty much only used the auto setting for everything - and just about all my pictures have come out great. Nice and sharp, with rich colors and just so much better looking than my cheapo camera gave me. It's also nice to be able to zoom in on various subjects. I have a lot to learn about this camera, and will need to find a book to learn it all - but as a beginner it has really served the purpose for me, but I know there is much more I can do with it.
2 A great SLR for beginners and advanced amateurs
I bought this camera four months ago knowing nothing about photography. Now, thanks to my F65, I'm shooting slide films and learning the zone system and continue to amaze ppl with my wonderful pictures. I had a chance to play with the more advanced F80 but besides the faster flash sync offered I'm fully satisfied with my easier-to-manage F65. By "easier" I don't mean any loss in functionalities or features. Advanced features like multiple exposures, depth-of-view preview and auto bracketing are all there inside this compact, light weight body. There's an optional infra red remote for this camera that functions like a cable release which's a must for night and serious photography too. The camera works with all AI and AFS Nikkor lenses. A shutter speed of 1/2000 is more than adequate for all conditions and film pull/push can be achieved by exposure compensation despite the fact that we can't directly manipulate the ISO setting. It's a perfect camera for novices with its automatic modes, and for advanced users with its possible manual settings. The matrix metering is reliable and accurate, the center weighted metering is good for low light or night photography. It doesn't have spot metering, but it isn't necessary anyway as a real professional won't need a on-camera spot meter. So unless you're in need of a faster flash sync for wildlife photography or a more rugged but heavier body, there're really no reasons to go for higher models.
