Did early Nikon f2's have problems?

[chip j]

That's what a camera shop owner told my friend many years ago. He said the F2AS was the best.

 

[LeftCoastKid]

What sort of "problems?" I've had as many as 10 in my arsenal, at one time, ranging from 71xxxxx to 80xxxxx. The only issues: Foam deterioration (expected, you will agree, in cameras over forty years old), and, after years of hard use, slightly inaccurate shutter speeds (ditto); as well, I have a single F2A body that suffered from shutter bounce. No discernible difference, in my experience (over four decades) with "earlier" vs "later" bodies.

 

[BMbikerider]

I have had 4 F2 models 2 very early ones from the early 70's which both had plain prisms and two later ones both F2a. All were 'oldish' when I bought them - the plain F2 models came into my hands when the F3 was well esablished and the F2a's after the F4 had just been introduced, All worked very well, even the meters on the later two were decently accurate - enough to use slide film with few problems. Yes the foam was replaced on all at one time or another, so what problems was the shop owner refering to?

I wish I still had the to F2a models - life would be that much simpler.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

I heard that the earth is flat, and my friend Captain Shroom read on the internet that the entire English royal family are lizard type aliens in human guise.

 

[dynachrome]

I remember reading in Ivor Matanle's book on classic SLRs that some early F2s had winding mechanism problems. The F2 I use most has a DP-2 finder and works well.

 

[guangong]

I was in Olden Camera in NYC on the first day the F2 went on sale. The usual carping by many in the store complaining it did not look like the Nikon F. Who says that photographers welcome change? I never heard complaints from friends about reliability of early F2. At the time I used Leica so I am only reporting hearsay.

 

[narsuitus]

I was one of the early purchasers of the Nikon F2. I purchased my first non-metered view finder version on 9/20/1972 for $470. The metered viewfinder versions were not yet available at the time.

Over the years, I have owned and used a total of six F2 cameras and have never experienced what ever the rumored problem was.

In fact, I had been using my cameras for years before I even heard the rumor that some of the early F2 cameras had some type of problem.

 

[Alan9940]

I've owned my F2 since the mid-70's and, I guess, that doesn't qualify it for the earliest ones, but it's still pretty early on at that time. To this day, I still shoot it occasionally--was my only camera back in the "day"--and never had a single issue. Love that camera!!

 

[chip j]

I heard that the earth is flat, and my friend Captain Shroom read on the internet that the entire English royal family are lizard type aliens in human guise.

YES! I've heard that!

 

[Theo Sulphate]

One of my F2S's had an issue where the wind lever standoff detent had a problem: the lever would just swing loosely. This was on a new-to-me camera, but I knew the previous owner personally and he did not abuse his cameras. So, it was just something that happened. I had it fixed quickly. Among five F2's I've had no other F2 issues.

As for the F2A, F2AS, people love the ability to mount the AI and later lenses without going through the Aperture Ring Twist Ritual. Ok, understood. However, having an 'A' F2 also means you have to use stop-down metering with pre-AI lenses. As it happens, I have an equal number of pre-AI as AI and later. Also, I like the twist ritual, so non-A F2's appeal to me and A F2's do not.

P.S. Alien lizard people do exist; they live deep under the ground in southern California. That's the reason for earthquakes there: the lizard people are building their cities underground.

 

[Alan Gales]

That's what a camera shop owner told my friend many years ago. He said the F2AS was the best.

I've never heard that but I have heard lies told in camera stores.

 

[Alan Gales]

I heard that the earth is flat, and my friend Captain Shroom read on the internet that the entire English royal family are lizard type aliens in human guise.

I'm a lizard type alien in human guise and I resent your insensitivity and down right prejudice. It is demeaning to even suggest that we would have anything to do with such low class people as the English royal family!

 

[E. von Hoegh]

I'm a lizard type alien in human guise...

Oh no they're everywhere!

 

[fstop]

I heard that the earth is flat, and my friend Captain Shroom read on the internet that the entire English royal family are lizard type aliens in human guise.

If the earth was flat ,cats would have pushed everything off it by now.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Yes, I never had a Nikon F2. That is a problem.

 

[narsuitus]

Lizard type aliens taste like chicken.

 

[macfred]

I heard that the earth is flat, and my friend Captain Shroom read on the internet that the entire English royal family are lizard type aliens in human guise.

That's a fact !

--
I have two F2 cameras (74xxxxx and 77xxxxx) and two metered prisms (DP-1 and DP-2) - never had a problem with my stuff.
According to what I have heard so far the F2 was the best full mechanical SLR that was ever built ...

 

[ac12]

Mine was from about 1973/74.
Zero problems.

As for the twist the aperture ring to set the max aperture, that was just a routine one got into when mounting a lens, and I did not think about it.
It was more of a hassle to mount the lens on a Nikkormat FTn, because you had to set the lens to 5.6 and the coupling pin ring to the clockwise mounting position, for the coupling prong to mate with the coupling pin.

 

[PGillin]

That's what a camera shop owner told my friend many years ago. He said the F2AS was the best.

I have to ask, since your last thread I saw was also about F2 problems, do you have some kind of problem F2?
If so I think many of us can recommend good service people. If not I think perhaps you're considering one, but have actually done TOO MUCH research on internet forums and are getting paranoid. The F2 has the same problems (and lack thereof) associated with any (exceptionally) well-built pro-level mechanical camera, and any good piece of equipment that's now long in the tooth. Could there have been a *few* problem bodies that went out of the factory in the first batch, giving rise to this urban legend? Sure, just as happens with new equipment now. At this point, the odds of getting one of those bodies that hasn't seen a service and needs some horrible lurking problem dealt with are minuscule, while the odds of getting one that has congealed lube from being a shelf queen or film sprockets etched into the pressure plate from years of crazy PJ use are much higher.
So don't worry so much about it. If you have an F2 that's irritating you, sell it to me cheap. I'll shoot it or find it a good home. Then buy an F2 Titan and send it to Sover or Kanto. Your PRISTINE example will then run exactly as the gentlemen who engineered it intended, and a good CLA is pretty much the only way to guarantee that in 2017.

Problem (if there was one) solved.

 

[chip j]

Aren't you cute.

 

[jimjm]

Chip, get off the computer and go live life (and photograph)!

BTW, the FM2N you sold me is great

Jim

 

[cooltouch]

If the earth was flat ,cats would have pushed everything off it by now.

Yes, especially if "everything" includes cameras. Just sayin' cuz one of my cats likes to push my cameras off my desk. Did that with a Contax the other day. Fortunately the camera landed on the carpet.

Regarding early F2s, I have a 71xxxxx that I've owned since 1990 and it was my only F2 until a couple years ago, when I picked up a clean '78. I've had absolutely no problems of any kind with my old '71, so I wouldn't hold much credence to this rumor. Kinda the giveaway to that camera store guy's comment was his claim that the F2AS was the best. He confused "best" with "desirable" (for some but not all by any means). Latest model snobbery is all that was.

 

[Arklatexian]

Lizard type aliens taste like chicken.

Taste like chicken. Hmmmm, sounds like you have had the opportunity to eat one of the aliens' cousins that live in the lakes and swamps here in Louisiana and nearby states. By the way, it is my understanding that their big tails are white meat like breast of chicken. Seriously, they are pretty tasty when prepared properly........Regards!

 

[chip j]

Chip, get off the computer and go live life (and photograph)!

BTW, the FM2N you sold me is great

Jim

I was out twice in the last 2 weeks w/my N2000 & 135mm Series E! Got great stuff in my Late Style.

 

[dlridings]

Worked at Jefferson Camera Shop in St. Louis when they came out. I can't remember any issues, other than it didn't look like a Nikon F. Had smoother edges. That kind of thing. Beautiful camera.