A Brace of Vintage Nikon F's

[P. Lynn Miller]

This pair of Nikon F's have become my daily user's...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4077/4770776590_db6286b253_b.jpg

The first is my original Nikon F bought quite a few years ago, #6424323 with an early Nikkor-S 5.8cm f1.4 #158742, making them both 1960 vintage. This Nikon F has restored my belief in the Nikon F, it has fully recovered from its second burial at the beach with no ill effects. I thought that the Nikkormat FTn was the only camera that could survive such an ordeal.

The second Nikon F is a recent acquisition found in a box lot of stuff bought off the local eBay, #6409109, making it the oldest Nikon F I own, apparently made in late 1959. It is mated with a very early Nikkor-S 3.5cm f2.8 #920429 'Tick-Mark' with a nine-blade aperture.

After several years of experimenting with a number of different formats and types of cameras, I have come full circle and found the Nikon F to be the best camera for me. As a tool, it simply disappears. Oddly, the Nikon F with an eye-level finder is the only camera that I can use thoughtlessly, I do not even second-guess my exposure choice, it just happens.

The Nikon F only requires me to make 3 decisions when making a photograph, shutter speed, aperture, and focus, which happen instinctively allowing me to concentrate on the world through that huge 100% viewfinder.

[Brian Sweeney]

Very nice Pair of F's.

It's nice to see these early ones get used. I have one that fits in-between yours, with the 5cm f2 Nikkor-S on it.

[E.M]

I had 2 of those , a black one with small finder which I bought new in 1974 and a 1969 chrome one with Ftn finder , bought in 1987 . The first one was stolen just a year after purchase and I sold the other one , still regret it .

Luckily , I still have my 1971 F2 . Love these cameras !

http://www.etiennemichiels.com

[P. Lynn Miller]

Thanks, Brian.

Have you ever used the 5.8cm? It is vintage Nikkor at its very best. I must get some of my prints scanned. The 5.8 has been a real discovery!

[Brian Sweeney]

I keep the 5.8cm/1.4 on a Bullseye Photomic, and have used it. It is as close to a Summarit as you can find in F-Mount. Lower contrast, swirly Bokeh. I like the magnification of it compared to a 50. A 50mm lens has a Slight Retro folded into the formula. I end up using a 55/1.2 more than a 50, and the 5.8/1.4.

[jonmanjiro]

A very nice pair of early F's indeed. An SP would be the perfect RF comparison, and would operate seemlessly when used with these cameras ;)

[P. Lynn Miller]

Brian,

The out-of-focus areas just seem to melt with my 5.8 instead of the expected swirl of most Nikkor 50's. The Nikkor 55/1.2 is still on my list, but after a nine-blade 10.5cm and Nikkor-H 85/1.8 for portraits and a 2.1cm f4 for landscapes.

Maybe I will start a separate thread about the 5.8cm f1.4...

[P. Lynn Miller]

A very nice pair of early F's indeed. An SP would be the perfect RF comparison, and would operate seamlessly when used with these cameras ;)

A really nice S2, SP or maybe an S3 will be the only thing that could tempt me back into the rangefinder fold at this point. I have to just clear my shelves of all my unused M-mount stuff to fund such an acquisition.

One day... soon.

[Brian Sweeney]

I'll post some with the 58/1.4. we should start a thread on it. Roger would like that as well, one of his faves.

[Keith]

Very nice Lynn ... as much as I admire my FM3A I'm not convinced it offers me any more than what one of these beauties would, maybe I made the wrong choice.

But then, that may start another whole 'gas' cycle ... and we can't have that! :D

[jonmanjiro]

A really nice S2, SP or maybe an S3 will be the only thing that could tempt me back into the rangefinder fold at this point. I have to just clear my shelves of all my unused M-mount stuff to fund such an acquisition.

One day... soon.

Definitely an S3 or SP over an S2, for the same type of shutter speed dial. I should have kept this F... :bang:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/3092222266_5f78e5fe52_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonmanjiro/3092222266/)

[maddoc]

You should have kept it definitively ! :eek:

Definitely an S3 or SP over an S2, for the same type of shutter speed dial. I should have kept this F... :bang:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3136/3092222266_5f78e5fe52_o.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonmanjiro/3092222266/)

[oftheherd]

I once lusted after the Nikon line, but couldn't afford it for what I perceived of my photo needs at the time. I ended up with Yashica and Fujica. No real regrets.

Those two look nice indeed! The Nikon F is mentioned in Jason Schneider's most recent column on vintage cameras in Shutterbug.

[P. Lynn Miller]

I'll post some with the 58/1.4. we should start a thread on it. Roger would like that as well, one of his faves.

Brian,

Sounds good to me. We will start a new discussion dedicated to the Nikkor-S 5.8cm f1.4. If you have images handy, take the lead, I still have to scan my prints. Which forum should it go under?

Jon,

I am really bummed out that I missed that S3 that you sold in the classified last week. Since I only really use a rangefinder with 50mm, I am thinking an S2 will be fine for my needs. I am trying to resist the S-series until I have completed my vintage F kit.

In case, anyone is listening... that list includes the following items...

Type 1 self-timer lever and screw for the 4-digit F
Beat-up black eye-level finder
A couple of AR-1 soft-releases
A couple of AR-2 cable releases
Nikkor-P 10.5cm f2.5 'Tick-Mark'
Nikkor-H 85mm f1.8
Nikkor-O 2.1cm f4.0

I am trying to convince myself that I am not a collector, but an appreciative user. In fact, I have no shelf-queens. Everything I own is used and abused. Nikon F #6424323 was buried in the beach while taking this photo a few years ago...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2169/2426937923_c142a32ba0_z.jpg?zz=1

After being thoroughly flushed with acetone and mineral spirits, it shows no ill effects of the salt-scrub.

So I am slowly putting together a kit that would have been found in the early years of the Nikon F being released which will also be the photographic kit that I use everyday.

[Ljós]

Lynn,

these are very nice cameras indeed. And the picture on the beach is outstanding!

I am wondering whether you would possibly like to briefly sketch what made you leave the rangefinder fold? I am asking because your thread on the then new 28mm f2 VC Ultron was very inspiring... Sounded like the rangefinder way and you were a good match. Myself, I come from SLR (and Nikon F2 and F was the nicest I used, too), and sometimes suffer from "metaphysical doubt" as to whether I could save myself some pain (and money) by switching back to SLR. I would get a plain prism F2 and the VC 40mm f2 Ultron in that case as main outfit.
Then I use my M2, and cannot part with it, shortcomings (close focus, frameline issues etc...) and all.

Whatever you use though, you have great pictures to show for, which, of course, is all what counts :-)

All the best,
Ljós

[helenhill]

well Mr. Miller
Quite PLEASED that YOU 'FEEL' back on Track with the F....
Beautiful Cameras Indeed !!!!

How is the S2 'Experience' compared to the F ?

on Flickr I ADORE Table 33 & Alfresco....Drooool

Cheers- H

[VinceC]

Great F's. I have a non-descript eyelevel F that I used so much that the strap lug wore through. Everything you said about the camera disappearing in your hands was also true for me. I was in love with m F's before I found the Nikon RFs, and immediately fell in love with them because the controls were identical.

[P. Lynn Miller]

well Mr. Miller
Quite PLEASED that YOU 'FEEL' back on Track with the F....
Beautiful Cameras Indeed !!!!

How is the S2 'Experience' compared to the F ?

on Flickr I ADORE Table 33 & Alfresco....Drooool

Cheers- H

Helen,

Thanks! I cannot tell how an S2 will be similar or different to a F as I do not own or use an S2... yet!

Interesting the photos you mention... one was taken with the iPhone and the other with the M5.

I have used the Nikkor 50mm f1.2 plenty, but never the 55/1.2. You need to ask Brian for more details on that lens.

Thanks!

I am wondering whether you would possibly like to briefly sketch what made you leave the rangefinder fold?
Ljós

Ljós,

It has been a long and twisty road back to the Nikon F's.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with rangefinders and will readily admit their advantages for some people and places. And I only concede that the Nikon F is the perfect camera for me.

But why?

Little annoyances with a rangefinder... only being able to focus in the middle of the view-finder... minimum focus distance of .7 meters and often a full meter... not being able to see distortion when using super-wide angle lenses... general feeling of the cameras feeling fragile and vulnerable, this includes Leica.

Specifically M-mount cameras and lenses... the aperture rings and focus rings turn the wrong way... I am not so old and dogmatic that I cannot learn a new trick. After almost 2 years I learned to be aware of the direction that I should be turning the aperture and focus, but when chips were down and I had to use the camera without thinking, that is instinctively, everything went wrong. Always, the camera never disappeared, I had to be aware of what I was doing with the camera, so in effect the camera ended up in the way.

I can do almost anything with a Nikon F that I could do with a Leica... and some things I could not do with a Leica. Such as pop the prism off and look straight into the top of the camera... very handy and useful. With the mirror raised on the F, it is nearly as quiet as the Leica. I can shoot the Nikon just like many people use a rangefinder, f8 and be there, not even bother to look through the finder. Size is not an issue as the M5 is nearly as big as the Nikon F, although normal 'M' is smaller, I found the M3 I had uncomfortably small.

My time with the rangefinder has taught me some great things... like shooting with both eyes open and not living and dying by what I see in the viewfinder.

Then there is the simple course of circumstance... I had committed myself to the M-mount only a few months ago, putting all my Nikon equipment up for sale with a local dealer. I bought what I considered the perfect, compact rangefinder kit, Bessa R, 28/3.5, 50/2, 90/3.5 and kept the M5 for the 35/1.2 and 50/1.1. I used this kit for a few weeks or about 20 rolls of film, and found myself reaching for my Nikon F's. I was determined to continue with the M-mount, when I received a call from the dealer telling me that my favorite Nikon F #6424323 was unsaleable because the shutter was sticking on all speed below 1/8 sec. That simply doomed the Leicas and Bessa's.

I crossed town the same day to pick-up my Nikon F, I was never so glad to get a camera back in my hands. It was almost like that Nikon F was determined not be sold because by that evening it was firing perfectly on every shutter speed and has not missed a beat since. Go figure.

Since that day a few weeks ago, I have shot more film with more beautiful photographs than I have in years. I am fearless, there is an unspoken trust and confidence that I have with my Nikon F's that I never had with any rangefinder, I know I can carry them with me everywhere and anywhere, bang them, drop them, soak them, fill them with sand, anything, without fear or favor and when I need a camera I can expect them to deliver. And that helps me take better photographs.

I had this conversation with the lovely Helen Hill not so long ago regarding tools and that while we all know that the tool does nothing on its own and an accomplished craftsman can use most any tool to produce his craft, a good tool allows him to focus on the craft and not the tool, thus often allowing the craftsman to produce superior work with that superior tool. That is how I feel about the Nikon F.

I expect to soon have a rangefinder back in my bag, but it will be a Nikon rangefinder. I have briefly used an S2 not long ago, and it felt as familiar as an F.

But more importantly, I am now thinking more about the photographs than the equipment. That is a good thing, I am even having fun putting together photo albums again. Can you imagine that?

[Keith]

Wow ... the last time I encountered this much SLR passion was in the Olympus OM threads.

This is a worrying trend! :angel:

[P. Lynn Miller]

Thanks to everyone that has contributed to this thread. I am enjoying the discussion very much.

Keith,

That is the irony of this discussion. There is much fuss and fretting about a possible 'Leica Killer' in this forum. The Nikon F, introduced in the 1959, was by all intents and purposes, the 'Leica Killer'. It definitely ushered in the era of the SLR and ended the reign of the rangefinder.

[Keith]

Thanks to everyone that has contributed to this thread. I am enjoying the discussion very much.

Keith,

That is the irony of this discussion. There is much fuss and fretting about a possible 'Leica Killer' in this forum. The Nikon F, introduced in the 1959, was by all intents and purposes, the 'Leica Killer'. It definitely ushered in the era of the SLR and ended the reign of the rangefinder.


I was just reading the bartender's excellent write up on the F ... it was the camera that took the industry domination away from the Germans effectively!

Pretty impressive credentials! :)

[FrankS]

Wow ... the last time I encountered this much SLR passion was in the Olympus OM threads.

This is a worrying trend! :angel:

I have a cupboard with 5 shelves. One each for Nikon SLR, Olympus SLR, Leica M and screwmount RF, various medium format cameras, and various fixed lens and P+S cameras.

[ray*j*gun]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4770883447_333386188a_b.jpgHere are my "classic" Nikon SLR's........guess which one came back with me from Vietnam?

[kdemas]

Congratulations on finding the tool that works best for you, something that many people cannot always comprehend as they look for a universal "best camera". My Dad was quite the lover of the F (and shot a Leica IIIG as well) so I'm well aware of the gravitational pull of that camera once you use it a bit.

You might try a F2 with the unmetered prism if you see one around sometime. For me they "fixed" a few things, like shutter release placement, while keeping the brick-like character of the F. Just a thought.

Enjoy your Fs, wonderful cameras. Also enjoy the S2 if you get one, terrific 50mm shooting platform.

Kent

[rbsinto]

I have two Fs, both motorized.
One is the guts of a chrome camera purchased on ebay inside the black body of a parts camera also purchased on ebay, attached to a KEH "As is" F-36 drive, with an old DE-1 prism. It has become my favorite SLR, and gets more use than any of my other motorized SLRs: F2, FA, or FM.
The other is a pristine black body (of no significant serial number) which spent its life attached to a microscope in the Botany department at the University of Toronto. It has a microscope focusing screen and is attached to an early (no body support pin on back of handle) f-36. I got it with a chrome-faced FTn prism. it is squirreled away and likely will be sold as I really don't need it and could use the money to fund rangefinder lens purchases.
The F is simply basic transportation, and is in my opinion, really all the camera God meant for any man to have.

[Ljós]

Lynn, thank you very much for taking the time to elaborate on your journey SLR - Rangefinder and return. Much appreciated, and I am sure others here at RFF reading this will agree.

I think one observation here at RFF underlines your subjective gut feeling about the F being a camera that one simply does not need to worry about: the halfcase threads :-) I will readily admit that I got myself a Zhou case for my M2 - and I would never dream of getting a halfcase for a F or F2. I carry the M2 with me every day in almost any situation, always in the hand(s), no strap. That means I put it down, pick it up often (getting the groceries, anything, you get the picture.) Now I know the camera is tough, and I do not care about the cosmetics, but I feel that without a case I don't want to just plonk it down on a counter... what about the rangefinder alignment etc.? And I know it may be silly, as longtime veterans will credibly tell that they motorcycled around the planet without babying their Leicas without problem. When I had my F2 it never occurred to me to take such precautions.

Another thing is the shutter burn issue. For normal walking about even in strong sunlight I have made my peace with it, in strong sun the lens will be stopped down anyway and I am not concerned. But there have been picture taking situations, where I was unsure how long I could safely have the lens pointed in the general direction of the sun. Never a burn - but the nagging thoughts. Oh, you can put the lens cap on, scout the picture until the cows come home, THEN take the cap off briefly and take the picture... not what I call freedom of expression ;-) ;-)

Quiet(er)ness and compactness is chiefly what keeps me with my M2... but put a CV 40 f2 on a Nikon, and by the time you add a decent sunshade to the Leica the setups will be essentially the same size. I am sure that at some point I will get another F2. At the same time I am sure I do not want to part with my M2... let's see how this pans out ;-)

The long and the short of it is, I congratulate you on finding the bliss and peace of mind with your tools. The fact that you are thinking about/are putting together a photo book may be the strongest testimony that you are on the right track.

All the best,
Ljós

[Travis L.]

My three get semi-regular service these days. Few cameras feel better in the hand than an F (my hand anyway).
I also have a slew of Nikkormats which I love just as much.

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t27/lewisaurus/FFF.jpg

[cary]

I have been a Nikon F user since 1972. I have always been able to depend on them. They fit my hand very well, using them is second nature, I have used the same Nikon F in high school as a yearbook photographer, in college at Brooks Institute of Photography and for a couple of assignments at Sandia National Livermore Labs. My original F is an Apollo model my other F is chrome 1969. In high school all the yearbook photographers used Nikons or Nikkormats, we wrote to Nikon on how we used their cameras, in turn they took out an ad in our yearbook. We thought that was real cool. I just started using my black F again after a CLA. After all these years I could never get use to my Leica M3 like I have with my Nikon. The M3 is a great camera. Manual focus Nikkors can be purchased for very few dollars. Two years ago I picked up a 135mm f3.5 for $11 and a 28mm f3.5 for $34 on that auction site. Long live the NIKON F!!

[akremer]

how much should i be prepared to spend on a beaten but well working F body + 1.4 lens??

[Keith]

So what's the viewfinder like on these old bangers compared to an FM3A in terms of brightness and focusing ability.

I've been spoiled by my OM's and I'm curious if they'd be up there with the Oly?

[jonmanjiro]

So what's the viewfinder like on these old bangers compared to an FM3A in terms of brightness and focusing ability.

I've been spoiled by my OM's and I'm curious if they'd be up there with the Oly?

Larger and darker. I found my now sold F easier to focus in bright light, and my FM3A easier to focus in low light.

[Leigh Youdale]

Hmmmm. Food for thought. The Nikkormat FTn I bought new back about 1962 is sitting on the shelf with film in it, and yesterday I bought an M6. One of the Bessas (probably the R3A) is likely to go.
I stopped using the Nikon a few years ago when my cataracts prevented me from being able to focus it, and turned to rangefinders. I tried a couple of IIIf's but the antique squinty viewfinders did nothing to improve the shining hour and so I bought one, then a second Bessa. One big benefit I noticed was the reduction in bulk and weight of the RF kit compared to the SLR.
I've had my eyes fixed and can actually use the SLR again. Why now get an M6? Well, I wanted to own a Leica before I died, and I still like the compact size and lower weight of the RF, but I also needed two Bessas to cover the range of lenses I use (else use accessory vf's a lot). I'm hoping that the M6 will cover the requirement in just one body.
But I'm not selling the Nikon and I might even ask my daughter to give me back the second one as she no longer uses it.

[bobkonos]

Yes, much the way Spain did today in the World Cup.

Great set of F's, Lynn. Cool that you are using them, especially the four-digit F. I have the 2.1cm f4 lens and finder and it is a very nice 21 and looks awesome on my "64xxxx" F camera with the finder in place.


I was just reading the bartender's excellent write up on the F ... it was the camera that took the industry domination away from the Germans effectively!

Pretty impressive credentials! :)

[P. Lynn Miller]

Wow! I have not started a discussion that has caused such a flurry of activity in a very long time. Many thanks to everyone that has contributed.

Lynn, thank you very much for taking the time to elaborate on your journey SLR - Rangefinder and return...

...At the same time I am sure I do not want to part with my M2... let's see how this pans out ;-)...

Ljós,

I hope that it works out for you and your M2. The Leica M is a great camera and serves many people very, very well.

Speaking of size... the set-up that I was most comfortable and instinctive with was my M5 and Nokton 35/1.2, which in RF terms is huge. I find the tiny lens of RF's often too small for me to use quickly and efficiently with my big hands.

........guess which one came back with me from Vietnam?

Don't leave us hanging!


You might try a F2 with the unmetered prism if you see one around sometime. For me they "fixed" a few things, like shutter release placement, while keeping the brick-like character of the F. Just a thought.

Kent,

I have a pair of Nikon F2's as well. But I do not mesh with the F2 as well... not sure why... just me.

...This past January the pair of FTn's complete with the 24/2.8 & 105/2.5 were stolen in a burglary...

JSU,

Theft is not a top priority for me, but if I caught the thief in the act, he would quickly realise that he put his life in my hands. Grrrr....

...Manual focus Nikkors can be purchased for very few dollars. Two years ago I picked up a 135mm f3.5 for $11 and a 28mm f3.5 for $34 on that auction site...

Vintage Nikkor glass is one of the best bargains going... you could build a whole Nikkor kit for a few hundred dollars, from 24mm to 300mm, if you were not choosy about your maximum aperture or not a collector.

how much should i be prepared to spend on a beaten but well working F body + 1.4 lens??

Regularly on Australian eBay for $250AUD, give or take abit. I got both of mine for free by buying a lot of gear and selling off the bits I did not want.

So what's the viewfinder like on these old bangers compared to an FM3A in terms of brightness and focusing ability.

I've been spoiled by my OM's and I'm curious if they'd be up there with the Oly?

Keith,

I have used the Olympus, not sure what the fuss is about. Nice, but not nicer than a F/F2/F3. The original Nikon F focusing screens are not the brightest, the screens brightened with each new model. All of my F's have either F3/F4 screens or after-market screens such as the Beattie, which will shame a FM3A.

I have the 2.1cm f4 lens and finder and it is a very nice 21 and looks awesome on my "64xxxx" F camera with the finder in place.

The 2.1cm is on my list of lenses to buy soon.

Thanks!

[normclarke]

I have a pair of F's that I aquired from the well known site, a very shabby black late model and an early chrome body that came w/o prism. In fact I payed more for a respctable prism than the body at £75. I have had several F2's and always found them to be 1st class and probably more refined than the F. The shabby body that had been hand painted over the original black was stripped down to brass and repainted fairly successfully and along with a 105/2.5 started renewed interest in a mark that I've flirted with over nearly 50 years. I once owned the 21/4 and adapted it for the Leica M and foolishly sold it when I replaced it with the 21/3.4 SA, from tests I did at the time there was little advantage with the SA but of course it focussed with the M. I have just aquired an early 24/2.8 which completes a line up of 24, 35, 50,105 and 80-200/4.5, I would like another 21/4 but they do hold a price premium in the current market. Still eminently useable though!

Best,

normclarke.

[Keith]

Keith--

The K3 screen that comes standard in the FM3A is perhaps the best all around screen for manual focus that Nikon has ever had. It certainly brings the FM class cameras to about the same brightness and contrast as the best of the MF Nikons (F & F2.) The Nikon F screens were at this same level decades earlier.

I have the K3 screen in one FM3A and a Beattie Bright Screen variant of the Nikon "B" screen (plain matte) in a second FM3A, both display equal brightness and virtually the same contrast. Meter readings are identical between the two cameras.

The real difference between my FM3A's and my OM2n's is the percentage of image displayed on the screen. If I do an A:B comparison between a FM3A and an OM2n, the difference is quite apparent. My numbers may not be precise but the FM3A shows ~93% of the actual image, the OM2n shows ~98% and the F series Nikons show 100% of the image.



I have to confess to being a little disappointed in my FM3A regards focusing and I'm beginning to wonder if there's a fault with my camera. I was alternating between the FM3A and my OM-1 (stock screens) the other night focusing on a book several feet away. With the Nikon reading the lettering on the binder was relatively difficult ... with the OM it was much more vivid and appeared sharper to my eye! Both viewfinders appear to be equally bright but this slight but noticable difference in clarity puzzles me?

[Keith]

Ok the plot thickens!

I've just done a comparison between my OM-2, which actually has a fairly battered standard screen in it, and the three Nikons I own: N90s, FM3A and my new D700!

Focusing on some black text approximately 3mm high on a white background about a meter away the Nikons are all pretty much the same, just OK ... I hate to say it but the OM-2 absolutely slaughters them for clarity by comparison!

I'm stunned!

[Fuchs]

I have two, both beaten but perfectly working F's, one with the plain prism and the other with a Tn Photomic. This thread makes me want to put them into regular use again!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4773932371_0ddb677af2_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4774570594_47a9b70375_b.jpg

[cary]

I also very much enjoy reading this thread, hope more people will post their Nikon F stories.

[kdemas]

Ok the plot thickens!

I've just done a comparison between my OM-2, which actually has a fairly battered standard screen in it, and the three Nikons I own: N90s, FM3A and my new D700!

Focusing on some black text approximately 3mm high on a white background about a meter away the Nikons are all pretty much the same, just OK ... I hate to say it but the OM-2 absolutely slaughters them for clarity by comparison!

I'm stunned!

Keith- The F series viewfinders are larger and brighter than the "semi-pro" Nikons you're testing. You'd be pleasantly surprised with an F2, for instance, in comparison to the Oly. The OMs do have nice finder views, no question.

Kent

[Brian Sweeney]

Lynn- The "Evil SLR" forum is the most logical lace for a Thread on the 5.8cm F1.4. I need to scan some more shots in, the ones scanned are tests and not "real" shots.

I'll look in the archives.

[jbielikowski]

http://www.destoutz.ch/nikon_f_all_bodies.html

I want just one.

btw great thread, love the stories how one camera serve for decades to one person, the perfect symbiosis.

[Livesteamer]

I got my first F in 1976 and still have it and a few other F's. I once owned the worlds ugliest F and even it still worked great. I shoot mostly M6 now but the F is much faster for me in brighter light. I don't even think about focusing the F, I just do it. With the M6, I think about where to focus and when my brain gets involved that really slows things down. Tough, wonderful cameras. They only ever let me down once. On my honeymoon the F lost all speeds above 1/60 but that's the only time in 34 years they have not come thru for me. Joe

[Uncle Bill]

Nice pair of F's. I have an early Nippon Kogaku and a later Photomic Tn model.

[Livesteamer]

If you like F's then keep watch for the Nikon cassettes that fit them. In college I put hundreds of rolls thru four of those cassettes working for yearbook, newspaper and development. They work well in a Watson bulk loader and last forever. I recently got six for $19 on e bay. I'm not bulk loading now but plan to in the near future. Joe

[cary]

Here is another Nikon F story. When I was an Industrial/Scientific Photographer for Sandia National Labs, I was assigned to photograph a black project (highly classified) in 35mm. 99% of my work was done with 120 roll-Bronica or 4x5-Sinar. I was given a very large budget to purchase new gear. Was also told the photos had to come out perfect, no excuses and no second chances. I decided that I would use my personal Nikon F's since I knew they were in working order and was very familiar in using them. The project was so important, when I processed the film I watched it go through the Hope C41 processor with night vision goggles. Job came out perfect. Even to this day I have never considered the Nikon F as a "classic" or "old school". Maybe one day I'll upgrade to a F2. Hee Hee...
Edit/Delete Message

[Ranchu]

Ok the plot thickens!

I've just done a comparison between my OM-2, which actually has a fairly battered standard screen in it, and the three Nikons I own: N90s, FM3A and my new D700!


Keith, I'm not that familiar with the OM-2, but I also like the older screens. They're darker, but finer in focus. I've never been happy with the screens on AF cameras for manual focusing. Here's a good page on how they evolved. They've turned into a plane of small lenses rather than a matte surface. http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/canonf1n/metering/screens/screens.htm

[mynikonf2]

Let's keep the stories coming. Maybe we can get another generation of photographers hooked on the "F". I know the cameras are up to it. ;)

[Range Loser]

Great thread Lynn, need to ask a question about the post when you said you had F3/F4 screens in your F's, forgive my ignorance, but I didn't think they would fit. Can you explain please?

I've had a few F's over the years, a black 64 model being the most collectable I guess, anyone know more about the rarity of these? I'm left with one slightly battered but working black F Apollo with plain prism which I like very much. Though it doesn't get used much due to digital. Shame.

[Nikkor AIS]

Beautiful Nikon Fs, Lynn.


Gregory

[raid]

I have an F2 but have sold my F with its FTN finder. It is too late to say I wish I had not, but my camera was a user's camera and not shiny as the ones I see posted here.

[Ben Z]

Great thread Lynn, need to ask a question about the post when you said you had F3/F4 screens in your F's, forgive my ignorance, but I didn't think they would fit. Can you explain please?

I can answer that. I have F4 screens in my 2 F's. I love how much brighter and easier to focus they are. The screens themselves are the same thickness, it's the frames that position them just enough "off" to be inaccurate for critical focusing. 4 screws + brackets around the plastic frames that secure the screen. It's easy to transplant the F4 screen into an F screen frame, just handle the screen carefully because the matte surface is very easy to scratch. (BTW I used the F4 screen with split-image and microprism donut rather than the standard "B" screen with just AF brackets).

[mynikonf2]

...The screens themselves are the same thickness, it's the frames that position them just enough "off" to be inaccurate for critical focusing. 4 screws + brackets around the plastic frames that secure the screen. It's easy to transplant the F4 screen into an F screen frame, just handle the screen carefully because the matte surface is very easy to scratch. (BTW I used the F4 screen with split-image and microprism donut rather than the standard "B" screen with just AF brackets).

Great information here. I shall have to give it a go. :)

[mynikonf2]

...I've had a few F's over the years, a black 64 model being the most collectable I guess, anyone know more about the rarity of these?

Check the Head Bartender's page for info on the black "64" F. http://www.cameraquest.com/nfbl64.htm

Here's a photo of my black "64" F standard prism with a 58/1.4 attached.


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b11/mikebrsm/_DSC00310001.jpg?t=1278732334

[parsec1]

Always wanting to march by myself :- a story in reverse.I worked in a camera store in Ilford Essex UK at 14 years old during school holidays and at weekends,something that would never be allowed these days. I shot the passport pics and swept the floor,cleaned the shelves etc. They let me, God bless them buy a Leica M2 and a 35 'on the drip'. I didn't get paid any money for years but my M2 earned me a few pounds from the local papers and I learned my tradecraft. After some parentally enforced military service I joined an American news agency in London. All the other guys were using Nikons and Pentaxes. Slung it the rear of the camera closet was a battered black Leica MP2 that nobody wanted to use. That was for me ! The agency closed a few months later. They owed me back pay and the boss said you can have that in lieu thats if you really want it . I still have it. I keep it in the bank vault now .Maybe as part of my pension. LOL.

[mynikonf2]

Always wanting to march by myself :- a story in reverse.I worked in a camera store in Ilford Essex UK at 14 years old during school holidays and at weekends,something that would never be allowed these days. I shot the passport pics and swept the floor,cleaned the shelves etc. They let me, God bless them buy a Leica M2 and a 35 'on the drip'. I didn't get paid any money for years but my M2 earned me a few pounds from the local papers and I learned my tradecraft. After some parentally enforced military service I joined an American news agency in London. All the other guys were using Nikons and Pentaxes. Slung it the rear of the camera closet was a battered black Leica MP2 that nobody wanted to use. That was for me ! The agency closed a few months later. They owed me back pay and the boss said you can have that in lieu thats if you really want it . I still have it. I keep it in the bank vault now .Maybe as part of my pension. LOL.

Has to be my favorite Leica story!!! Would love it if you could post some pic's of that treasure.

[parsec1]

Has to be my favorite Leica story!!! Would love it if you could post some pic's of that treasure.

OK will try and do so next week. Am in Hospital at present (See story in tomorrows Mail on Sunday ) .Had thyroid cancer and radiotherapy ,iodine 131 a couple of weeks ago. Set off radiological alarm at Dover on return from Dunkirk France on monday LOL....... Mind you high security state as anniversary of London 7/7 bombings so pleased the authorities are on the ball. Am in remission now so fingers crossed. Sorry to Roger as I was unable to make Arles as we (Pauline) and I had hoped.

Flickr = Peter 32

[Range Loser]

I like the parsec1 story very much. All the best with your recovery.

When I left school I worked in a small camera shop for a while. I knew little about cameras then and when a customer once asked for a "synch plug" (flash cord in hindsight) I thought he was looking for something hand basin related and sent him to the hardware dept'.

[parsec1]

I like the parsec1 story very much. All the best with your recovery.

When I left school I worked in a small camera shop for a while. I knew little about cameras then and when a customer once asked for a "synch plug" (flash cord in hindsight) I thought he was looking for something hand basin related and sent him to the hardware dept'.

Ahhh.... Fork handles or four candles, 0's (Zeros) or Hose (for watering the garden)...a famous comedy sketch from one of our English T V shows. The Two Ronnies' One thing we Brits can do well is make people laugh intentionaly or otherwise !

Thank you Range Loser.

[Range Loser]

Here's my Nikon F Apollo, fitted with a 35mm f2 lens. It has a fair dent on the finder, but is still clear and free from prism separation lines.

[parsec1]

Sarah and Mike. Leica M6 28mm Biogon Praysaac market France. Friday morning coffee.
XP2 processed at local lab in C41 machine

[Dwig]

Fun to read this thread, in light of my use of the Nikon F. I started using the F because the motor drive was so much more reliable than my SP motor (which I bought used in 1968 or so).

The F motors always [usually] fired, the SP not so much. ...

Interesting that you had this experience.

The F-36 and S-36 motors were so identical that Nikon only published one repair manual to cover both. Both the SP/S-36 and F/F-36 combo's had to be individually adjusted as mated sets to work reliably. It is impossible to adjust a single S-36 or F-36 motor to work reliably on more than one body. Sometimes a motor will work with more than one body, but its just a chance thing and often, after some heavy use, the motor will become unreliable on one of the bodies.

[Mackinaw]

Too bad we couldn't talk Nikon into making a limited-production digital back for the F.

Jim B.

[Mister E]

I just put a CPU chip on my 5.8cm f/1.4 over the weekend so now I get full functionality out of every Nikon SLR made from the F on! Totally spectacular.

[rodt16s]

My F's and F2, the Chrome Ft was a Dr's and came with spare unmetered, wlf prisms and also 50/2 H, 55/3.5 micro + M2, 105/2.5 (P 248***) and 135 looked like they had never been out of the surgery. Owned them collectively between 15 - 20 yrs.


http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4277799288_6bfcd6fa3e_b.jpg (http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/%3Ca%20href=)

[ferider]

I only have a single lonely FTN. Got is as a gift, as below, and added some lenses. Really like that 55 - Roland.

http://ferider.smugmug.com/Technical/Kits/Apollo/P1010009/257809381_X6YHZ-L-1.jpg

[helenhill]

am THINKING about this EVIL SLR 'F' Experience
even though I am head over heels in LOVE w/ RF's and Leica M's

But the Prices are GGREAT & THE Kits Produce Phenomenal Results....

Which F would be the way to Go ...
I want it simple and Basic just like my Leica M6/M2
Just Look through the VF, select my f & shutter , Focus ...CLICK!

I have narrowed it down to F3 or FE ??? pros & cons Please

Two lenses: 55 1.2 and the 85 1.8 pros & cons

Thank You ...who knows I may be a 'F' Girl
(will NOT sell my M)

Cheers & Thank YOU in Advance for your Thoughts !

[FrankS]

Thanks to this thread, I transfered an F4 focus screen into my F screen frame. Unfortunately I did not have a spare screen with split image rangefinder finder, but its still an improvement.

Helen, if you are going to go down that route (like I did), I suggest the original F or F2 with non-metered prism. This will be most like the Leica M2 experience. Think of an Olympus OM1 on steroids.

Failing that, the F3 was a fantastic camera in it's day, and still is, for the silly cheap price (<$200) you can buy one for today.

Let me know if you want a 55f1.2 lens.

[andreios]

Oh, these threads are a torment to me.. First I survived the zuikoholics thread without buying anything but I cannot resist any longer, just like helen. On my recent holiday I realized that I really NEED an film SLR system (for tele and close focusing things) and I think it will be a Nikon (F-something or FM something). Can anyone suggest a safe way to pick up a beaten one in a working condition for small money without buying ruined cameras from that big auction thing? There are almost none older nikons save few F3s round here, or at least I haven't discovered them yet.

[parsec1]

My walkabout pleasure kit :- an M6 with a 28 + 40mm in pocket or on bottom of camera and an F2 with a 105 2.5 Ais.
Anything else is IMHO superfluous.
My working kit D3s D700 and 14mm 2.8 24mm 2.8 50 1.4 70-200 2.8 300 2.8 2x etc etc etc ad nauseum ad back breaking tedium.
For delight :- a small surplus in my bank account. Not easy these days............

[P. Lynn Miller]

I just put a CPU chip on my 5.8cm f/1.4 over the weekend so now I get full functionality out of every Nikon SLR made from the F on! Totally spectacular.

Do you have a picture of the surgery... not much use to me since I do not have a modern Nikon DSLR to use... use a D70 when digital is called for.

Too bad we couldn't talk Nikon into making a limited-production digital back for the F.

Only a matter of time. If Nikon does not, I will. Just waiting for full frame sensors to become affordable.

I only have a single lonely FTN. Got is as a gift, as below, and added some lenses.

That lonely FTn has beautiful mate called a Helios 85/1.5... now that is a lens I want to get my hands on as well.

am THINKING about this EVIL SLR 'F' Experience
even though I am head over heels in LOVE w/ RF's and Leica M's

But the Prices are GGREAT & THE Kits Produce Phenomenal Results....

Two lenses: 55 1.2 and the 85 1.8 pros & cons

Cheers & Thank YOU in Advance for your Thoughts !

Helen,

I buy most of my Nikon gear from eBay, with occasional local purchases. You should not have to pay over $200 for a working F with a screen and finder. I have bought most of mine for far less. The good thing about the Nikon F is that is hard to buy one that is not working. Talk to Rover, he had found a local seller with some Nikon kits priced quite reasonably.

I suspect with your very defined tastes in tools, that you would be better served to find someone local, such as a RFF member, that would be willing to let you use a Nikon F for an afternoon, day or two. You may not find that you like them at all and prefer that Canon F1, F1n or the Pentax LX or whatever. There is no doubt that the Nikon F is a great camera, but not for everyone.

As for lenses, I would not jump into the 55/1.2 straight away, it is a big and heavy lenses, makes the Nokton 35/1.2 seem like a flyweight. I would recommend that you buy a Nikkor-SC 50/1.4 and a Nikkor-PC 105/2.5, both can be bought inexpensively and are legendary. There is a thread about the 105/2.5 (http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92229) that is quite hot at the moment.

Do not over pay... I suspect a price jump in Nikon F's and old Nikkors after this thread. But remember there were 800,000 or so Nikon F's made and millions of Nikkor lenses as well, so you should be able to pick up an F, 50/1.4 & 105/2.5 for $400 or less in very condition.

And remember... it is not the tool but the craftsman that produces the result. But there is no doubt that the Nikon F is a very fine tool.

On holidays at the moment... so this is my walk-about kit for today.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4771292638_444dd428a3_z.jpg
Nikon F with Nikkor-S 3.5cm f2.8... film choice not yet made.

[Mister E]

Do you have a picture of the surgery... not much use to me since I do not have a modern Nikon DSLR to use... use a D70 when digital is called for.

Actually no surgery was required on the 5.8cm which is why I used it over a different lens. I'll post some links to the instructions later. It would make the lens meter and work completely on your D70 which might be nice.

[barnwulf]

Helen, I have a couple of FE2s and I love those cameras. I have a black one that I am going to keep but I have a chrome one that's very nice and CLA'd last year and hasn't been used since. I am planning on selling it if anyone is interested. It will probably be a few weeks before I list it anywhere. - Jim I"m sorry if this is inappropriate for this thread.

[mynikonf2]

Helen,
I can't praise the 85/1.8 enough, it is one of my favorite Nikkors. The way this lens pulls & isolates your subject out from the backround & creates a smooth & pleasing out of focus area from it, rivals anything Leica has produced. Another good thing is the prices for this lens, in mint condition, have fallen to the $200-190 level. I'd go for a non-AI version, you can have it AI'ed later if you find you need to. Good luck & good light

[Mister E]

Yeah for me the stock screens in any of those cameras are unusable. I have I think the D screen in my Nikon F and F2 with the grid matte screen in my FE, FE2 and FM3A. Much better, but the F/F2 sets the standard. I can focus any fast lens spot on with it every time while my FE2 is a bit too ambiguous and the D700 is worse.

[barnwulf]

There are some beautiful old Nikons here. I bought my Nikon F, Ftn, in 1968 and still have it. It's showing quite a bit of wear and the slower shutter speeds are slow now. I bought a used black Nikon F FTN around 1980. It shows some wear an brassing but it still works great. It's really nice seeing these old cameras.

[Mister E]

Bjorn's information is obsolete now that fully programmable chips are available:
http://ongabonga.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/russian-communicator/

[jonmanjiro]

I'd love a black paint Nikon F with the Nippon Kogaku logo (not the later Nikon logo type).

Probably crazy but ...... anyone want to swap a mint one plus a few period correct lenses for a mint F6???

[maddoc]

Reading all the comments here, I should bring my F3 and FM back with me to Japan the next time I visit Germany ... On the other hand, there was a nice black F with motor in some shop here locally ... :eek:

[amateriat]

Ooh, so much to ponder here...

First trip to the Dark Side for me was a shiny, new Canon F-1, which reminded me of the (then-just-barely-current) Nikon F prism, but with a meter built into the body. As the F was the camera to beat, the Canon channeled a lot of F-goodness in their rival.

Some time later, I found myself with a gaggle of Nikon Fs: one black F body with both matching prism and barely-working FTn Photomic finders (the latter my sole remaining link to my Nikons, used the last few decades as a paperweight), an F2 Titan, an FM2, and, best of all, a pair of F3HP bodies. Of all my Fs, I really miss the F3s the most.

The only other SLR I have any warm fuzzies about is the Olympus OM series. I had most of the single-digit models at one time or another. My sole remaining SLR is an inherited black OM-2n with standard-issue 50 f/1.8 Zuiko and somewhat-rare Sigma 21-35 ultrawide zoom, which (together with a Vari-Magni finder) I use with the OM as a sort of ersatz miniature view camera.

The interesting thing about both the Canon F-1 and Olympus OM cameras is that both designs drew heavily on the Nikon F for an obvious reason: that was the camera to beat at the time, and I believe both cameras, along with the F, have stood the test of time for this reason. Other than the F3, I don't think much of the other SLRs I've used.

But then came the Hexars, eight years ago, and that was that. But the OM-2n still comes out for a project or two.


- Barrett

[P. Lynn Miller]

...I can't praise the 85/1.8 enough, it is one of my favorite Nikkors...

The Nikkor-H 85mm f1.8 is the next lens on my 'to-buy' list. Well... there may be a very early 10.5cm f2.5 jumping the queue.

I'd go for a non-AI version, you can have it AI'ed later if you find you need to. Good luck & good light

Please do not take an F-mount 85 and modify it. There are plenty of 85's out there that have been modified to 'AI' that non-modified early 85's are getting hard to find. One of my pet peeves is photographers modifying early F-mount Nikkor lenses. I am not a proponent of shelf queen's, but hacking a lens only diminishes the stock of original lenses. In fact, AI'd lenses are usually cheaper than original lenses these days.

...fully programmable chips are available...

Thanks for the link, Nathan. I may have to modify some of my user lenses. I have some really mangled F-mounts and AI-s lenses that would be nice to be used on the D70.

...The F3 will have a better VF and screen than the FE...

With patience you can often find an F3 for the same money as an FE2. The F3 was the pinnacle of the F system camera, the number of finders, screens, and accessories is simply mind-boggling.

I'd love a black paint Nikon F with the Nippon Kogaku logo (not the later Nikon logo type).

I would like to have a really beat-up early black F at some point as well, but I am in no rush. Will get a few more lenses before I start chasing more bodies.

What I really want to know is where to get spare parts. I need a few parts for the 4-digit body, but cannot seem locate anyone with bits for sale. And unless a body is completely wrecked, I just goes against my grain to turn a working body into a parts donor.

[helenhill]

THANX EVERYONE for your thoughtful Insights !!

will peek at a few shops this weekend...just 'LOOKING'
for a well worn BLACK F of some description & one lens probably a 50 since thats my FAVirite way of seeing
made Lots of notes
will see what happens...

though i have been BAD....
and bought a 1980 75 Summilux for my M
( which leaves me w/ 2 lenses : a 1970 50 Cron & the 75 lux)

[maddoc]

though i have been BAD....
and bought a 1980 75 Summilux for my M
( which leaves me w/ 2 lenses : a 1970 Cron & the 75 lux)

.... wait a moment ... that means you sold your 21/3.4 :eek: AND 35/1.4 :eek::eek: :confused:

[helenhill]

eric's got the 35 1.4 with his summaron...he's the 35 MAN.....:D

50's get me DRUNK....I'm strictly a 50mm woman and soon to be in LOVE w/the 75

[naruto]

.... wait a moment ... that means you sold your 21/3.4 :eek: AND 35/1.4 :eek::eek: :confused:

helen, what happened to the 35/1.2? :confused:

[helenhill]

helen, what happened to the 35/1.2? :confused:

Beautiful lens...but alas not for me
I LOVED everyone else's photos
shot two rolls but MINE lacked something ... maybe character
given back to Stephen Gandy

[Keith]

You seem to have set off on your own (lens) odyssey Helen ... 'o sister where art thou?'

:D

[helenhill]

You seem to have set off on your own (lens) odyssey Helen ... 'o sister where art thou?'

:D

LOL,
perhaps I should be Locked Up in a 'GLASS' menagerie....

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Helen,

Black Fs are the way to go. Not F-anything: just F. The F2-3-4-5-6 are lineal descendants, with ever more disputable 'improvements', but F-anything-else is at best a less well-made Nikkormat -- and you might also want to consider a Nikkormat (I have 5 Fs and two Mats).

Most of the screens are far more usable than you might believe from internet hysteria (I have quite a few): remember that there is to some extent a trade-off between brightness and acuity. I've also got at least one aftermarket screen -- Brightscreen, as I recall -- and that's pretty good too.

My Fs range from an unbelievably ugly chrome body, with dinged prism, self-timer fallen off, etc. to a couple of black Fs with the kind of brassing and patina that make strong men weep and say, "I used to have one like that..." when they see it.

Note that black paint often costs a LOT more than chrome, and that a black prism on its own can cost more than a body on its own.

A few hints on use.

1 Make sure the rewind collar is FIRMLY twisted ALL the way towards 'advance', or the camera will appear to function perfectly while making no exposures whatsoever.

2 Strap lugs can and do wear through. I forget now whether I had two pairs replaced or three. My repairer used harder steel lugs from another camera entirely.

3 Film counters can get sticky but are easy to unstick.

4 Fred's experience notwithstanding, the F36 motors aren't all that clever. Every now and then they will fire an entire roll for no apparent reason. This is from personal experience of using Fs with matched motors, bought new and well maintained, in an AV production house. I must have put hundreds of rolls through those cameras myself, and others used them too. Also, they're bloody great heavy things.

5 The metered heads (Photomic series) are huge, crude and (today) no longer reliable or easily reparable. Go for a plain prism.

Cheers,

R.

[Vickko]

oh, and I'm thinking of selling my "super nice black NKG Nikon F", in my goal of reducing my collection.

I love the look of the black F, it is such a quintessential design.

But, must take advantage when I have "reverse GAS"

...Vick

[parsec1]

Another story. Coming home very late from a days hard work at the Sunday Express, might have been Live Aid can't remember anyway left a couple of F2as's with motors and flashes attached laying on the back seat of my car. Me Escort RS, once again if I remember, anyway somewhere in Dagenham ( East London ) pulled up sharply at the rear end of a traffic light queue. Both cameras slid back on the seat and the cameras and flashes started to go off in the car. Oh dear must be 'The Bill '(Police for the non English amongst ye) assumed the drivers in front and the traffic parted the lights changed to green and I drove straight through. Such is life .

[helenhill]

HEY VICK,
DID the Mail come yet....???? :D


oh, and I'm thinking of selling my "super nice black NKG Nikon F", in my goal of reducing my collection.

I love the look of the black F, it is such a quintessential design.

But, must take advantage when I have "reverse GAS"

...Vick

[maddoc]

oh, and I'm thinking of selling my "super nice black NKG Nikon F", in my goal of reducing my collection.



.. wasn't jon(manjiro) looking for one of these ?

[cary]

Yesterday I photographed about a dozen items to be sold on that auction site, using my black F, 85mm f1.8 Nikkor and Broncolor strobes. I have used this combo for eleven years and have been very sucessfull in clearing unwanted clutter in my house, to date I have made about $40k. For those of you thinking of getting one I say if you can afford it GO! It is a great tool for tanking photos, is a joy to use and looks real cool! It is a little heavy compared to the FM/FE series, flash mounts on the rewind crank, film back is not hinged, 1/60 sync speed, standard prisms are hard to find, but the F is still a joy to use! I have never really have been temped to get the F2, for my uses the F does everything I need it to.

[P. Lynn Miller]

There is/was a nice user black Nikon F with a 105/2.5 in the classifieds.

[jonmanjiro]

There is/was a nice user black Nikon F with a 105/2.5 in the classifieds.

I tried tofind it, but it's not listed anymore (unless I missed it).

[david.elliott]

Jon,

Here you go: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost-classifieds/showproduct.php/product/22975/cat/2

[ornate_wrasse]

If someone wants to purchase a Nikon F with three lenses, the following is available at my local pro photo store for the paltry sum of $495:

Nikon F
35mm 3.5
50mm 1.4
105mm 2.5

I held it in my hands and inspected it. I won't be buying it as I already have an FM2N that I like a lot and I'm interested in a CV lens for my M6 that they have at the same store.

If anyone wants the link, I'll be happy to provide it.

Helen: I am going to send my thoughts on your purchase of a Nikon body in a separate PM.

All the best,

Ellen

[helenhill]

ornate wrasse: THANK YOU awaiting your THOUGHTS ....
is that a brassed old Nikon F in your local Shoppe ????

Mr Roger Hicks: Thank sooo Much...I ADORE YOU for your Input
xoxo to YOU & Frances

[jonmanjiro]

Jon,

Here you go: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost-classifieds/showproduct.php/product/22975/cat/2

Thank you David. I clearly need to brush up on my search skills :)

[mynikonf2]

I'd love a black paint Nikon F with the Nippon Kogaku logo (not the later Nikon logo type).

Probably crazy but ...... anyone want to swap a mint one plus a few period correct lenses for a mint F6???

No, but I do have a mint black (later Nikon logo) F with the Ftn photomic finder + mint prism finder & a mint- 58/1.4 that I'd be willing to work a trade on a SP or black dial S2, any takers????

[normclarke]

I found it easy to invert the lugs (with the top off) when I repainted my black body, at least another 25 years of use!

Best,

normclarke

[PKR]

Lynn; Those are great cameras. I used a pair for years. I now use a couple of F3s. If you don't know they are there, you have the right camera. Concentrate on the image.
p.

[johnnygulliver]

I have a beat up F and 5.8 cm, for years this has been my most reliable camera ...

[parsec1]

I have a brand new Nikon F photomic tn black and matched F36 motor drive and original F camera back with all boxes instsructions cards etc. Not a mark on it not a film thru it.
Deciding if I should sell it and what its worth. Anybody help please ?.

[mynikonf2]

I have a brand new Nikon F photomic tn black and matched F36 motor drive and original F camera back with all boxes instsructions cards etc. Not a mark on it not a film thru it.
Deciding if I should sell it and what its worth. Anybody help please ?.

Here is a link to an e-bay ad that has been relisted several times with no takers. It sounds similar to your kit.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-F-Photomic-TN-F36-Motor-Drive-outfit-/270618046018?pt=Film_Cameras

[puderse]

I bought two Fs new when I was a still photographer in the army in '71 or '72 and accumulated a few lenses and motors. I threw the boxes and other stuff away. I bought tools and they went right to work.

Although I have F2s and F3s, the Fs are dear to my heart.

They just feel right.

When you say there are only three settings on the camera; stop, speed, and focus, today you usually just get a blank look in return.

Also you know that the brain is not engaged.

[David Murphy]

I feel much the same way. The eye level non-metered prism F was a bread-and-butter camera for photo journalists for many years, and for good reason (which is why it's now hard to find prisms without extensive signs of use!). When in good condition, the shutter and advance mechanism on this camera is an inspiring mechanical work of art. I really like the way that one can use almost any Nikon lens, in fact there are millions of lenses that can be used. The non-AI Nikon lenses are particularly well made and have very good optics by any standard (and are reasonably priced by-in-large).


This pair of Nikon F's have become my daily user's...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4077/4770776590_db6286b253_b.jpg

The first is my original Nikon F bought quite a few years ago, #6424323 with an early Nikkor-S 5.8cm f1.4 #158742, making them both 1960 vintage. This Nikon F has restored my belief in the Nikon F, it has fully recovered from its second burial at the beach with no ill effects. I thought that the Nikkormat FTn was the only camera that could survive such an ordeal.

The second Nikon F is a recent acquisition found in a box lot of stuff bought off the local eBay, #6409109, making it the oldest Nikon F I own, apparently made in late 1959. It is mated with a very early Nikkor-S 3.5cm f2.8 #920429 'Tick-Mark' with a nine-blade aperture.

After several years of experimenting with a number of different formats and types of cameras, I have come full circle and found the Nikon F to be the best camera for me. As a tool, it simply disappears. Oddly, the Nikon F with an eye-level finder is the only camera that I can use thoughtlessly, I do not even second-guess my exposure choice, it just happens.

The Nikon F only requires me to make 3 decisions when making a photograph, shutter speed, aperture, and focus, which happen instinctively allowing me to concentrate on the world through that huge 100% viewfinder.

[JohnTF]

Last week's camera show had a 9+ condition F2 with motor drive, and 43-86 zoom in the $200 range, and Campus Camera just had a few F2 bodies very reasonably priced.
When you find one, it seems you find another.

A dealer snapped up a 4x5 rail with lens and case, two Leica Cases, a Contax SLR with Tamron Adaptal lens, plus another camera for $175.
People walking in were mostly selling, I think more than a hundred folks came in-- was an annual Club show.

Regards, John

[cary]

I am about to shoot a small job that requires only 4x6 prints. My original black F is packed with a 28mm f3.5 Nikkor, and Broncolor FCM meter. Everything fits in a tiny case.

[Mister E]

What is the SN?

[paulfish4570]

Wonderful thread. Those plain prism Fs are so stinking cool.
I am seriously conidering a switch to the F-series or FM-series, for one reason: the easy and cheap availability of corrective eyepieces.
Thanks, P Lynn for starting this thread ...

[Mister E]

Wonderful thread. Those plain prism Fs are so stinking cool.
I am seriously conidering a switch to the F-series or FM-series, for one reason: the easy and cheap availability of corrective eyepieces.
Thanks, P Lynn for starting this thread ...

What? They take the exact same corrective eye pieces.

[Contarama]

I finally got my F2...here is a brace of Nikons for you! :)

[mynikonf2]

I finally got my F2...here is a brace of Nikons for you! :)

Congratulations on your acquisition. The F and F2 are my favorite cameras. Enjoy your brace of Nikons as I know you will... :D

[fbf]

Well, i don't have any working Fs left but I do have 5 F bodies with no finder, no backs which i bought for 10$ each as curtain parts...

[Ronny]

I agree with Roger, (again).


Dear Helen,

Black Fs are the way to go. Not F-anything: just F. The F2-3-4-5-6 are lineal descendants, with ever more disputable 'improvements', but F-anything-else is at best a less well-made Nikkormat -- and you might also want to consider a Nikkormat (I have 5 Fs and two Mats).

Most of the screens are far more usable than you might believe from internet hysteria (I have quite a few): remember that there is to some extent a trade-off between brightness and acuity. I've also got at least one aftermarket screen -- Brightscreen, as I recall -- and that's pretty good too.

My Fs range from an unbelievably ugly chrome body, with dinged prism, self-timer fallen off, etc. to a couple of black Fs with the kind of brassing and patina that make strong men weep and say, "I used to have one like that..." when they see it.

Note that black paint often costs a LOT more than chrome, and that a black prism on its own can cost more than a body on its own.

A few hints on use.

1 Make sure the rewind collar is FIRMLY twisted ALL the way towards 'advance', or the camera will appear to function perfectly while making no exposures whatsoever.

2 Strap lugs can and do wear through. I forget now whether I had two pairs replaced or three. My repairer used harder steel lugs from another camera entirely.

3 Film counters can get sticky but are easy to unstick.

4 Fred's experience notwithstanding, the F36 motors aren't all that clever. Every now and then they will fire an entire roll for no apparent reason. This is from personal experience of using Fs with matched motors, bought new and well maintained, in an AV production house. I must have put hundreds of rolls through those cameras myself, and others used them too. Also, they're bloody great heavy things.

5 The metered heads (Photomic series) are huge, crude and (today) no longer reliable or easily reparable. Go for a plain prism.

Cheers,

R.

[cicsprog]

Here's my collection of F's and F2's. I have early and late periods. And, a F2 finder collections. Sover helped me get some of this stuff period correct.

Nikon F plain prism 6424xxx <EP> Nikkor S f=5.8cm 1.4 hood and cap 165xxx in Nikon box/shipping manual and caps
Nikon F plain prism 6402xxx Nikkor S f2 f=5.8cm 2 tic marks 524xxx
Nikon F BLACK plain prism 7450xxx
Nikkor SC f=55mm 1.2 276xxx cap chrome filter
Nikon F Flag prism early 6518xxx Nikkor H f2 609xxx hood and cap
Nikkor S f=50mm 1.4 323xxx hood and cap
Nikon F2 BLACK plain prism 7740xxx Nikkor 50mm 1.4 4009xxx hood cap
Nikon F2 DP-2 7829xxx Nikkor 50mm f1.4 3835xxx cap
Nikon F2 plain prism 7108xxx Nikkor 50mm f1.4 1118xxx hood cap
Nikon F2 plain prism 8061xxx Nikkor 50mm 1.2 339xxx

[cicsprog]

and one last pic on the <EP>.

[kshapero]

Very nice Lynn ... as much as I admire my FM3A I'm not convinced it offers me any more than what one of these beauties would, maybe I made the wrong choice.

But then, that may start another whole 'gas' cycle ... and we can't have that! :DI have a FM3a and recently got an F for $25!! then had it modified into an RF type shutter (another story). Never thought I would say this but now that I am not afraid of a meterless camera (thank you M3), the F rocks and rocks!

[kshapero]

Remember if you are looking for an F and want one that really works, Pete Smith at Nikonsmith has over 300 F's!! Some working, some for parts. Tell him what you want and he will have it or assemble it. The man is the F Master bar none. And a nice guy.

[Ronny]

One of my old Nikon F, early 1959.
Photo via Apple iPhone 4S, late 2011.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronnypersson/6691911681/in/photostream

[Ronny]

Nikon F 1959 - Nippon Kogaku Tokyo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronnypersson/6694825873/in/pool-cameraporn

[Vickko]

Pete has passed away. Rest his soul.

Vick
Remember if you are looking for an F and want one that really works, Pete Smith at Nikonsmith has over 300 F's!! Some working, some for parts. Tell him what you want and he will have it or assemble it. The man is the F Master bar none. And a nice guy.

[Vickko]

You are my hero. I only have 3 F's (two black, one chrome ) and two F2's (both black).

Vick
Here's my collection of F's and F2's. I have early and late periods. And, a F2 finder collections. Sover helped me get some of this stuff period correct.

Nikon F plain prism 6424xxx <EP> Nikkor S f=5.8cm 1.4 hood and cap 165xxx in Nikon box/shipping manual and caps
Nikon F plain prism 6402xxx Nikkor S f2 f=5.8cm 2 tic marks 524xxx
Nikon F BLACK plain prism 7450xxx
Nikkor SC f=55mm 1.2 276xxx cap chrome filter
Nikon F Flag prism early 6518xxx Nikkor H f2 609xxx hood and cap
Nikkor S f=50mm 1.4 323xxx hood and cap
Nikon F2 BLACK plain prism 7740xxx Nikkor 50mm 1.4 4009xxx hood cap
Nikon F2 DP-2 7829xxx Nikkor 50mm f1.4 3835xxx cap
Nikon F2 plain prism 7108xxx Nikkor 50mm f1.4 1118xxx hood cap
Nikon F2 plain prism 8061xxx Nikkor 50mm 1.2 339xxx

[Ronny]

Tri-X and some Nikons...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronnypersson/6823026768/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronnypersson/6969150933/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronnypersson/6969162613/in/photostream

[Paulbe]

Ronny--wow!
Beautiful cameras!
Thanks for posting..
Paul

[goodtimes]

I have a FM3a and recently got an F for $25!! then had it modified into an RF type shutter (another story). Never thought I would say this but now that I am not afraid of a meterless camera (thank you M3), the F rocks and rocks!

Kshapero, this is triggering my curiosity.
Could you please let us know about the modification of your F to RF type shutter ?
Thanks

[Contarama]

It was Spock's birthday a couple days ago... :)

Note how he is holding the camera...I tried this with my eyelevel and discovered that the viewfinder is so good I don't have to put it all the way up to my eye to make a snap...

http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii570/sapulpamotorcity/spockF.jpg

[Ronny]

Nikon F with 85.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7128/7026207829_bf71fa33a9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronnypersson/7026207829/)
Nikon F Black 64x (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronnypersson/7026207829/) by Ronny Persson (http://www.flickr.com/people/ronnypersson/), on Flickr