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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Nikon F and F2

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• Thread starter kivis
• Start date May 17, 2018

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kivis

Member Allowing Ads Joined May 21, 2006 Messages 312 Location South Florid Format 35mm I have a Nikon F since 1974 (bought it used). A few years ago a friend offered me his F2 on permanent loan. Didn't see anything all that great about it over the F. Now he is calling me again, to give it a second chance. Am I missing something? Kivis Nikkormat FT2, FE, D80 (2) Lots of Nikkor Glass Leica M3 and lenses http://www.flickr.com/photos/kshapero/ My Blog

Huss

Member Allowing Ads Joined Feb 11, 2016 Messages 9,058 Location Hermosa Beach, CA Format Multi Format I have Fs and F2s. The ergos on the F2s are much better, with a better placement of the shutter button, much improved film loading (hinged back), better shutter speed range etc. There is a reason Nikon introduced it and phased out the F.. I still have lots of fun using my Fs, but the F2 is the natural progression. If none of the changes matter to you, then they don't matter!

darkosaric

Member Allowing Ads Joined Apr 15, 2008 Messages 4,568 Location Hamburg, DE Format Multi Format Hi Kivis, I am with you on this one. I had F, F2 and F3. On the end I have sold F2, somehow it did not worked for me as good as original F, cannot explain exactly why. Now I have F with plain prism, and F3 when I want aperture priority. -Darko https://darko-saric.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@_analog_photo https://www.deviantart.com/darkosaric/gallery

narsuitus

Member Allowing Ads Joined Nov 24, 2004 Messages 1,813 Location USA Format Multi Format Back in the 1960s when I was working for a newspaper, I was using two Nikon F cameras. In the early 1970s, when the Nikon F2 was first introduced, I tried one. Some of the features I liked were: Motor drive - interchangeable from one F2 body to another instead being custom made for each F body. Shutter release - F2 position was better ergonomically Hinged back on F2 was better than removable F back Mirror lockup on F2 did not require loss of one frame like F After using the F2 for a while, I replaced my two Nikon F cameras with two F2 cameras and never regretted that decision. In fact, I still use one of the two Nikon F2 bodies that I purchased back in 1972. I replaced the other body that I purchased back in 1972 after I dropped it on concrete. Nikon F2 by Narsuitus, on Flickr

Paul Howell

Subscriber Allowing Ads Joined Dec 23, 2004 Messages 10,025 Location Scottsdale Az Format Multi Format I agree with narsuitus, my first Nikon was an factory modified motor drive body, when I upgraded to a F2S I found the F2 to much easier to use in the field. The F2 is very robust build, and the S head meter was very accurate. Later I again upgraded to a F3P, another great camera with additional features, but like the weight and size of the F2 better than the F3.

mshchem

Subscriber Allowing Ads Joined Nov 26, 2007 Messages 15,711 Location Iowa City, Iowa USA Format Medium Format F2 fixed the few things that the F got wrong. Nikon F is derived from Nikon rangefinders. F2 was a clean sheet design. F with the plain prism is beautiful. F2 with a plain prism is beautiful and easier to use . F3 is elegant, more styled and a really wonderful camera. I have all 3, Smart person buys a perfect F3, romantic buys an Apollo F with plain prism, F2 is a bit of a muscle car, had the most accessories, and with the md-2 motor drive So Cool.

chip j

Member Allowing Ads Joined Oct 26, 2012 Messages 2,193 Location NE Ohio Format 35mm The F2 looks like it was styled by a pimp.

mshchem

Subscriber Allowing Ads Joined Nov 26, 2007 Messages 15,711 Location Iowa City, Iowa USA Format Medium Format

chip j said: The F2 looks like it was styled by a pimp. Click to expand...

WHO'S YOUR DADDY? F2, DE-1 Prism MD-2 motor w/ MB-1 battery pack hold 10 1.5 V AA cells. You could start a Buick with that! PIMP? The APEX of Japanese Mechanical 35mm Design and Manufacturing. MHO YMMV (It looks even better in black!) OP OP

kivis

Member Allowing Ads Joined May 21, 2006 Messages 312 Location South Florid Format 35mm

darkosaric said: Hi Kivis, I am with you on this one. I had F, F2 and F3. On the end I have sold F2, somehow it did not worked for me as good as original F, cannot explain exactly why. Now I have F with plain prism, and F3 when I want aperture priority. Click to expand...

My F is a plain prism and I use the Nikon FE for aperture preferred. Kivis Nikkormat FT2, FE, D80 (2) Lots of Nikkor Glass Leica M3 and lenses http://www.flickr.com/photos/kshapero/ My Blog OP OP

kivis

Member Allowing Ads Joined May 21, 2006 Messages 312 Location South Florid Format 35mm Kivis Nikkormat FT2, FE, D80 (2) Lots of Nikkor Glass Leica M3 and lenses http://www.flickr.com/photos/kshapero/ My Blog

mshchem

Subscriber Allowing Ads Joined Nov 26, 2007 Messages 15,711 Location Iowa City, Iowa USA Format Medium Format

kivis said: Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong I have 2 Apollo F, and an early F. The Apollo F has got the F2 advance lever, probably the best looking Nikon made . There's so much history that was witnessed by the F and F2. Really amazing cameras. The pimp comment I find whimsical. Both cameras are amazing

Theo Sulphate

Member Allowing Ads Joined Jul 3, 2014 Messages 6,489 Location Gig Harbor Format Multi Format It may be that the improvements of the F2 over the F are not important to you. In addition to the obvious hinged back, relocated shutter release, and other features mentioned above, many people are still unaware that the F2: * has stepless shutter speeds between 1/80 and 1/2000 * self-timer delay from 2 to 10 seconds * slow timed speeds from 2 to 10 seconds "Great photography is about the visual effect upon the viewer, not sharpness." - Stephen Gandy, Cameraquest

mshchem

Subscriber Allowing Ads Joined Nov 26, 2007 Messages 15,711 Location Iowa City, Iowa USA Format Medium Format

Theo Sulphate said: It may be that the improvements of the F2 over the F are not important to you. In addition to the obvious hinged back, relocated shutter release, and other features mentioned above, many people are still unaware that the F2: * has stepless shutter speeds between 1/80 and 1/2000 * self-timer delay from 2 to 10 seconds * slow timed speeds from 2 to 10 seconds Click to expand...

And the stepless shutter speeds WITHOUT an electronic shutter. The F shutter release is definitely odd to me, but I grew into the F2 in high school. F2 is the ergonomic standard that even the D5 uses today. Both the F and F2 are so beautiful I have had a hard time not buying them when the price and condition was favorable. Items of gratification !

Chan Tran

Subscriber Allowing Ads Joined May 10, 2006 Messages 7,134 Location Sachse, TX Format 35mm

Theo Sulphate said: It may be that the improvements of the F2 over the F are not important to you. In addition to the obvious hinged back, relocated shutter release, and other features mentioned above, many people are still unaware that the F2: * has stepless shutter speeds between 1/80 and 1/2000 * self-timer delay from 2 to 10 seconds * slow timed speeds from 2 to 10 seconds Click to expand...

I never had the F so I can't say which is better. I had the F2AS since 1977 until 1984 and I liked it very much. I am aware of all the features you listed and when I bought it I was very proud of those. Today, those features mean nothing to me. I would want the shutter in finer steps but not stepless. Shutter speed longer than 1 sec isn't important to me as I can time those by hand accurately with the help of a watch.

blockend

Member Allowing Ads Joined Aug 16, 2010 Messages 5,049 Location northern eng Format 35mm I owned a plain prism F for a long time, and years later bought an F2AS. The F2AS never resonated with me. I think the difference was the prism, the metered head Nikons look Frankenstein and are top heavy. If unmetered versions of either weren't so expensive I'd give them another go, but the market has spoken and it said plain prism pro-Nikons are the aesthetic preference.

mshchem

Subscriber Allowing Ads Joined Nov 26, 2007 Messages 15,711 Location Iowa City, Iowa USA Format Medium Format

blockend said: I owned a plain prism F for a long time, and years later bought an F2AS. The F2AS never resonated with me. I think the difference was the prism, the metered head Nikons look Frankenstein and are top heavy. If unmetered versions of either weren't so expensive I'd give them another go, but the market has spoken and it said plain prism pro-Nikons are the aesthetic preference. Click to expand...

F3s are cheap and plentiful in mint condition, lovely lighter weight camera. Put new silver oxide batteries in every year . And the meter is in the body so no gianormous photomic finders. Nikon made a beautiful (Cordovan?) burgundy , leather case for the F3, the bottom half attaches similar to the popular Leica style half cases. This is a good discussion, I need to get rid of some of these antiques ,all I shoot is medium format and occasionally my F5 for slides. I found a youngster that I hooked up with 2 of my surplus Beseler 4x5 enlargers, and sundries for 100 bucks. He was so happy. I still have 4 ha! Best Regards Mike

Scott Micciche

Subscriber Joined Jan 20, 2017 Messages 316 Location Chattanooga, Tennessee Format Multi Format

mshchem said: F3s are cheap and plentiful in mint condition, lovely lighter weight camera. Put new silver oxide batteries in every year . And the meter is in the body so no gianormous photomic finders. Nikon made a beautiful (Cordovan?) burgundy , leather case for the F3, the bottom half attaches similar to the popular Leica style half cases. This is a good discussion, I need to get rid of some of these antiques ,all I shoot is medium format and occasionally my F5 for slides. I found a youngster that I hooked up with 2 of my surplus Beseler 4x5 enlargers, and sundries for 100 bucks. He was so happy. I still have 4 ha! Best Regards Mike Click to expand...

Good cases keep the cameras functioning like new. Even though I don't have an F3, I liked the smallish grip so I had this one made by Luigi. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hasselblad 500c/m / Fuji GW690iii GF670 / Rollei 35s / Nikon F[2,3,4,6] / Konica III / Pentax67 / Rolleiflex 3.5F K4F

mshchem

Subscriber Allowing Ads Joined Nov 26, 2007 Messages 15,711 Location Iowa City, Iowa USA Format Medium Format

Scott Micciche said: Good cases keep the cameras functioning like new. Even though I don't have an F3, I liked the smallish grip so I had this one made by Luigi. View attachment 200809 Click to expand...

Very Nice!!

macfred

Subscriber Allowing Ads Joined Nov 6, 2014 Messages 3,839 Location Germany Format Multi Format The only SLR I favour over my F2 Photomic is my F2 plain prism ... “…all photographs are self-portraits.” – Minor White https://www.flickr.com/photos/igel_rupert/

Uncle Bill

Member Allowing Ads Joined Apr 24, 2005 Messages 1,395 Location Oakville and Format Multi Format Preaching to the converted, I picked up a chrome F2a earlier this week. I love my Nikon F2's. I have a thing for Nikon F2’s by Bill Smith, on Flickr "Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once and a while, you might just miss it." Ferris Bueller

Theo Sulphate

Member Allowing Ads Joined Jul 3, 2014 Messages 6,489 Location Gig Harbor Format Multi Format F2S with MD-1 and MB-1: "Great photography is about the visual effect upon the viewer, not sharpness." - Stephen Gandy, Cameraquest

Ap507b

Member Allowing Ads Joined Sep 1, 2008 Messages 184 Location Surrey, UK Format 35mm Have an F eyelevel & a few F2's. As nice as the F is to shoot with the F2 feels more polished when shooting. Never thought of it as a pimp camera. Anyone know where I can get some leopard skin print replacement leatherette for one? Lol. F2's are the favourites of all my Nikon' to shoot with. David. NAS sufferer with far too much Nikon kit.

Scott Micciche

Subscriber Joined Jan 20, 2017 Messages 316 Location Chattanooga, Tennessee Format Multi Format

mshchem said: Very Nice!! Click to expand...

Thank you, his work is exquisite and fast! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hasselblad 500c/m / Fuji GW690iii GF670 / Rollei 35s / Nikon F[2,3,4,6] / Konica III / Pentax67 / Rolleiflex 3.5F K4F

CMoore

Member Joined Aug 23, 2015 Messages 6,239 Location USA CA Format 35mm

Theo Sulphate said: F2S with MD-1 and MB-1: View attachment 200829 Click to expand...

Wow, do you use that occasionally.....the motor drive that is.? I saw a lot of F2's in my day, but i do not recall the winders very often. Maybe guys at Sports Stadiums, that were down at field level, and kind of out of view.?

chip j

Member Allowing Ads Joined Oct 26, 2012 Messages 2,193 Location NE Ohio Format 35mm That was the camera used in the 2nd King Kong movie.

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