Diagnosing underexposure with an F2

Chan Tran · May 14, 2021

Horatio said:
I'd be happy to find a working DP-11 that doesn't cost as much as an entire camera!

That's why I don't have an F2. The F2 was really my first camera and I bought it new in 1977 with the DP-12 finder. The dealer has a DE-1 in black that matches my camera that nobody buys so I bought it for $42. I paid $550 for the black F2 and the DP-12. Forward to 1984 when I managed a 1 hr photofinish shop in the mall and left my camera on my desk. Someone walked away with it. I've been thinking of buying another F2 just for nostalgia but the price of a black F2 and the DP-12 and DE-1 would be the same if not more than what I paid for them brand new.

ChristopherCoy · May 14, 2021

Chan Tran said:
I would agree to send the camera to Sover Wong. He takes a long time and expensive but if you simply want a camera that works I would just buy one that works. There are many F2 for reasonable prices that work perfectly. The high price is really related to the viewfinder.

Both of mine work thankfully. There are no light leaks, and I've had no mechanical issues to speak of.

In regards to the original post, the underexposure was across the entire frame, so it's not a shutter capping issue. I checked the shutter with the back open before I bought it to make sure it looks relatively accurate, and it works throughout all speeds without lag. Something caused me to believe that I needed to stop down as much as I did, and as I said, I really think it was because the lens notch had slipped under the meter coupling. The reason I believe that is because it had happened the night before. Maybe I didn't have the prism snapped down tight enough. I haven't been able to repeat the problem yet. The roll I developed yesterday was shot entirely with the same combo and it came out well.

Horatio said:
I'd be happy to find a working DP-11 that doesn't cost as much as an entire camera!

I lucked into mine. I was going to buy the silver F2 body with the DP-1 for $190. When he brought the parts camera out I noticed that it had the DP-11 on it and talked him into switching the meters. We agreed on $225, so the DP-11 was really only $30 for me. At least that's the way I look at it.

Chan Tran said:
That's why I don't have an F2. The F2 was really my first camera and I bought it new in 1977 with the DP-12 finder. The dealer has a DE-1 in black that matches my camera that nobody buys so I bought it for $42. I paid $550 for the black F2 and the DP-12. Forward to 1984 when I managed a 1 hr photofinish shop in the mall and left my camera on my desk. Someone walked away with it. I've been thinking of buying another F2 just for nostalgia but the price of a black F2 and the DP-12 and DE-1 would be the same if not more than what I paid for them brand new.

And they seem to only be getting higher! I think the prices on F2's have gone up just in the three months that I've been watching them.

And what is it about the black bodies? The guy at the shop all but begged me for mine. He said my black F2 was "easily" a $500 setup with everything I had on it. I didn't believe him but he said the black bodies always sell for much more than the silvers.

Chan Tran · May 14, 2021

Christopher! I was young back in 77. I was 22 and I thought black looked more like pro and the dealer charged $25 more for the black.

ChristopherCoy · May 14, 2021

Chan Tran said:
Christopher! I was young back in 77. I was 22 and I thought black looked more like pro and the dealer charged $25 more for the black.

Was black less commonly made than the silver or what?

Chan Tran · May 14, 2021

ChristopherCoy said:
Was black less commonly made than the silver or what?

Usually they made more of the chrome than the black. But when the F3 came out only black is available (except for some of the F3T's) and now almost all cameras are black.

Huss · May 14, 2021

Chan Tran said:
Usually they made more of the chrome than the black. But when the F3 came out only black is available (except for some of the F3T's) and now almost all cameras are black.

And that is why Leica is so awesome. Even now silver or black.

ChristopherCoy · May 14, 2021

Huss said:
And that is why Leica is so awesome. Even now silver or black.

Don't make me hurl.

Huss · May 14, 2021

Chan Tran said:
....Forward to 1984 when I managed a 1 hr photofinish shop in the mall and left my camera on my desk. Someone walked away with it.....

Nothing on the betamax security tape?

Huss · May 14, 2021

ChristopherCoy said:
Don't make me hurl.

Black chrome or black paint? Standard or pre-patina Lenny Kravitz Reporter edition?
Perhaps something from the Johnny Ives line?

ChristopherCoy · May 14, 2021

Huss said:
Black chrome or black paint? Standard or pre-patina Lenny Kravitz Reporter edition?
Perhaps something from the Johnny Ives line?

Why don't you just put a dress on the F4 and make it dance too while you're at it.

Huss · May 14, 2021

ChristopherCoy said:
Why don't you just put a dress on the F4 and make it dance too while you're at it.

I’m sorry I wouldn't take out anything that pedestrian for a night at the Ritz.
Nikons are perfectly lovely for menial jobs, once you can get one to work.

reddesert · May 14, 2021

Black Nikon F's are much less common than chrome and people ("collectors") pay a premium for them. Even more so for the Nikon rangefinders. By contrast, black Nikon F2's don't seem that uncommon, but maybe they are still a bit in demand. The black ones tend to get pretty brassed up at the corners so maybe there is an extra demand for unbrassed examples.

In the 1980s or so, the midrange Nikons (FE, FM, FE2, FM2, FA, even the FG) were all available in both black and chrome, and IIRC the black bodies usually cost some small amount more, about $10.

Huss · May 14, 2021

I have black and chrome Fs and F2s. The kids like the chrome cameras as it screams ‘vintage’ while old farts like the black as it suggests action in Vietnam.
All the kids know about ‘Nam is a preCovid springbreak bender.

ChristopherCoy · May 14, 2021

Huss said:
I’m sorry I wouldn't take out anything that pedestrian for a night at the Ritz.
.

The only way I'd pay for a night at the Ritz is if I were sleeping with Lenny Kravitz after dinner.

Huss · May 14, 2021

ChristopherCoy said:
The only way I'd pay for a night at the Ritz is if I were sleeping with Lenny Kravitz after dinner.

I think that’s what the winning bid got at the last Leicashop charity auction.

Chan Tran · May 14, 2021

Huss said:
Nothing on the betamax security tape?

They don't have the security camera. I kind of know who took it but can't be sure.

Huss · May 14, 2021

Chan Tran said:
They don't have the security camera. I kind of know who took it but can't be sure.

I'll come by and pick you up in my Fiero, and we'll go get it.

Chan Tran · May 14, 2021

Huss said:
I'll come by and pick you up in my Fiero, and we'll go get it.

Well that was more than 30 years ago! Back in 84. Oh well I think the Fiero came out a year later in 85.

Huss · May 14, 2021

Chan Tran said:
Well that was more than 30 years ago! Back in 84. Oh well I think the Fiero came out a year later in 85.

It's a Nikon F2. Time means nothing.

ChristopherCoy · May 15, 2021

Chan Tran said:
Well that was more than 30 years ago! Back in 84. Oh well I think the Fiero came out a year later in 85.

I know a guy....

Chan Tran · May 15, 2021

ChristopherCoy said:
I know a guy....

Yah I think his car was made in 84. His name isn't Coy but rather Floyd.

Huss · May 15, 2021

Now we’re getting somewhere.

Diagnosing underexposure with an F2

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