Clumsy shutterspeed dial F2AS?

MikeTime · Nov 5, 2012

Just got a mint (sorry; as new) black F2AS. Fully manual, so finetuning shutterspeed after you've chosen your aperture comes natural.

Only thing, while with f.i. an FM2n it is fairly easy (could be better if the dial were more to the front of the body) to turn the dial with your index finger, this seems impossible with the shutterspeed "tower" of the F2AS.

Any tips from you guys?

Thanks!

Chan Tran · Nov 5, 2012

MikeTime said:
Just got a mint (sorry; as new) black F2AS. Fully manual, so finetuning shutterspeed after you've chosen your aperture comes natural.

Only thing, while with f.i. an FM2n it is fairly easy (could be better if the dial were more to the front of the body) to turn the dial with your index finger, this seems impossible with the shutterspeed "tower" of the F2AS.

Any tips from you guys?

Thanks!

The F2AS was my first SLR bought new in 1977 and I didn't know better so simply I use the thumb and index finger to turn the shutter speed dial. All F2 and F with photomic finder have this problem. I didn't think it was a problem however.

MikeTime · Nov 5, 2012

Thanks Chan. My "problem" (I've only had this camera for ten hours, ffs) is that I have to take the camera away from my eye to adjust the shutterspeed. I don't have to do thatbwith my FM2n, my Contax S2 and my Yashica FR...

Barring any suggestions pointing in another direction, I'm sure I'll get over it!

gorbas · Nov 5, 2012

Hi, Turn it by holding around film speed dial on the top of the "tower". You can see shutter speeds in the viewfinder. It worked for me.

Vilk · Nov 5, 2012

MikeTime said:
Fully manual, so finetuning shutterspeed after you've chosen your aperture comes natural.

been doing it the unnatural way for thirty years... sigh... yet another in a long list of my vices...

MikeTime · Nov 5, 2012

Vilk said:
been doing it the unnatural way for thirty years... sigh... yet another in a long list of my vices...

Ahh. Well, that's one way I thought of. Previsualize your exposure, determine shutterspeed, finetune aperture as required. Fine if your guessing/assessing is within one stop (which it should be, ha ha). I actually do that with my FM2n and S2. They don't have shutterspeeds between the clicks so you sometimes need aperture to finetune exposure.

I just tried the turn while you're still holding the camera to your eye thing. It works. Doesn't feel natural yet though...

Chan Tran · Nov 5, 2012

Well, I used to set the shutter speed first and then adjust the aperture so that the 0 led light up. After that I would change the aperture to give more or less exposure if I think it needs. I do not have take my eye away from the viewfinder to adjust the shutter speed although I use 2 fingers instead of just the index finger. I still do that when I have the F3HP and FM. On most cameras like the FM I would have to adjust the aperture last in order to have the 0 led light up by itself. The F2 is one of few that you can set the shutter speed in between steps but I never used it that way.

Les Sarile · Nov 5, 2012

I have the F2A - similar enough to the F2AS in this respect, which means you should be able to use your index finger to roll the shutter speed setting while viewing the change in the viewfinder. This does not require taking your eye off the VF.

Of course this is not as easy to reach as the other cameras that came after it.

LJSLATER · Nov 5, 2012

It’s possible to turn the shutter speed dials on the old photomic heads using only your index finger, but you have to push pretty hard. Some people like using a raised soft release (like the AR-1) so the trigger finger rests closer to the shutter speed dial. Personally, I don’t find it disturbing to use both my thumb and index finger to turn the shutter speed dial while looking through the viewfinder. I don’t use a soft release; I like to rest my trigger finger on the collar surrounding the shutter release, using it as a kind of stabilizer. It works well for me.

Remember that with the F2, shutter speeds below 1/80 are full stops only.

Aja B · Nov 6, 2012

MikeTime said:
...I have to take the camera away from my eye to adjust the shutterspeed.

Why do that? Thumb and index to adjust speed, middle finger on release. Leaving the film-advance lever open, the thumb rests between it and the body. Three motions without having to readjust fingers: 1) film advance, 2) shttr spd and 3) release. Very comfy and makes for fast shooting.

Could we have a Nikon engineer chime-in and explain why they eliminated the illumination of the aperture setting in the DP-12 viewfinder (F2AS)? The DP-3 finder (F2SB), preceding the DP-12 has this handy feature. I can't recall if the DP-11 finder (F2A) has an illuminated ap setting.

trojancast · Nov 6, 2012

Regardless of the shutter dial, I am very jealous! Congrats on the mint Nikon. Happy shooting.

MikeTime · Nov 6, 2012

Thanks Trojan! It is amazing; I found two minicule traces of use; "as new" describes it very well. And it works...

lxdude · Nov 6, 2012

One question: are mint Nikons green, or do they just smell nice?

brucemuir · Nov 6, 2012

You'll get used to it but having said that, the fm2 and those similar are a great operating camera for rolling the sspeed dial.

I do love my F2A but the fm2n is more intuitive for me since it was my VERY first real camera.

MikeTime · Nov 7, 2012

brucemuir said:
You'll get used to it but having said that, the fm2 and those similar are a great operating camera for rolling the sspeed dial.

I do love my F2A but the fm2n is more intuitive for me since it was my VERY first real camera.

Yeah but still, with the FM2n, the shutterspeed dial could have been placed more to the front of the cameratop for easier twirling...

MattKing · Nov 7, 2012

As an Olympus owner, I like the location of the shutter speed dials on the Nikkormat bodies

MikeTime · Nov 7, 2012

MattKing said:
As an Olympus owner, I like the location of the shutter speed dials on the Nikkormat bodies

Heh heh...

Clumsy shutterspeed dial F2AS?

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