A Couple Nikons to Try: N2000 (F-301) and N90s (F90x)

[88E30M50]

I wound up with more cameras than I needed. The one in the picture came with the lens and cost $25, but was very late in the mail. They said it was lost. So, out of spite, I bid $20 each on two more N2000 auctions the ended at just the same time. Turns out I won both; $9 and the other for $15.
Then, the first one with the lens actually showed up! So, I wound up with three of them.

I've done similar before. That's how a collection starts. With me, it was Canon A-1s first, then FTbs and Yashica FX-3s last. I've managed to give the spare FX-3s away as they were nice, working cameras that just needed TLC and leatherette.

 

[88E30M50]

I fixed my sister's N2000 for her last spring and put a roll through it when done. I was pleasantly pleased by the N2000. It was a nice camera to shoot and performed quite nicely.

 

[George Mann]

What are your opinions of the 35-70 3.3-4.5?

It has 2 good performing f-stops. F/8 @ 35mm and 50mm, and f/5.6 @ 70mm. The rest are terrible!

Purchase and use an HN-2 lenshood, and do your best to keep any direct light sources away from the front element.

 

[250swb]

I've never thought to use my F301 that I bought for the lens (or the two F60's acquired for the same reason) but I am impressed by the heft of the F301 when it's loaded with batteries and rather like the switches and buttons. Maybe I should load a film because at the moment it's one of those cameras that isn't worth the walk to the post office if I sold it (as are the two F60's). I keep thinking they would all make good wet weather cameras shrouded in a plastic bag, but then I look out the window and think better of it. So the F301 sits in the no-mans land of I never really wanted one but equally I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

[ic-racer]

I don't have any other manual focus Nikon. That is why I bought the N2000. I have been looking at the "F" and "F2" and have collected folders of service information on those, but can't find any for $35.

I also have the service info for the N2000, but all 3 of my N2000 cameras perform as new. Makes me wonder why I even want to tear into an F2 for CLA. To make the case that mechanical cameras are better, the electronic ones have to fail

 

[Prest_400]

It has 2 good performing f-stops. F/8 @ 35mm and 50mm, and f/5.6 @ 70mm. The rest are terrible!

Purchase and use an HN-2 lenshood, and do your best to keep any direct light sources away from the front element.

Ha! Good to know. I did check some (digital) reviews which give it an ok rating and I now remember that the lens is listed in Ken Rockwell's 10 worst Nikkors, which made an impact as my teenage self got Dad's F401 with this kit. No fault found for those initial snapshots.

Nowadays I am not that much into 35mm and again a F80+50mm would be a good way to get back to it sometimes. I really like the F90 but its heft competes with my Medium formats sometimes. I will need to hunt for some kit with the 50mm 1.8 as it is often found priced equally with a body than standalone.

 

[ic-racer]

I was just testing the N2000 with a AF-S lens. Seems to work fine in P mode, metering and stopping the lens down as needed.

Also, trying an AI-s lens on the N90s, in P and S the indicator blinks but the camera works fine, just as if it were in A mode.

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

I did have a Nikon F100, bought new, and was happy to be rid of it.
I also had a used Nikon F90X i wish I had kept.
To keep down the weight I now use a F80.

 

[MFstooges]

I was in photography class back in 2008, the newest Nikon SLR at that time was D300. I talked about nice feature on Nikon N90s called "focus freeze" to my classmates and nobody ever heard about it
Actually it's one of the features I regret Nikon for deleting besides the lens aperture ring.

 

[reddesert]

I don't have any other manual focus Nikon. That is why I bought the N2000. I have been looking at the "F" and "F2" and have collected folders of service information on those, but can't find any for $35.

I also have the service info for the N2000, but all 3 of my N2000 cameras perform as new. Makes me wonder why I even want to tear into an F2 for CLA. To make the case that mechanical cameras are better, the electronic ones have to fail

This is only my opinion, but if you want to try a Nikon F, just pay the $100 or whatever for one that's not abused (it will be more than $35, but not outrageous) and don't worry about the CLA. The meter prisms often don't work by this point, and the plain prisms carry a collector premium, but the camera itself may outlast us. I bought one used in 1985 when my first entry-level SLR died, I still have it, and I think the meter is dead but the rest is as solid as ever.