How many Nikons?

Theo Sulphate · Sep 21, 2017

ozmoose said:
...
All my D lenses fit any of my Nikons, unfortunately my pre-AI glass doesn't cross over to the DSLRs ...

On your D700 and D90 that's correct, but you can use pre-AI lenses on a Nikon Df if you're inclined to buy one. It has nice external controls like an F4.

MontanaJay · Sep 21, 2017

I have two Fs, two Nikkormat Ftns, and an FM2, all heavily used and abused in a 30-year newspaper career.
The only casualty is one of the Ftns, where the soft-shutter release caught on something and ripped the mechanism out of the camera. I kept it for parts.
The others all still work fine, though they don't get much use these days.

blockend · Sep 22, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
On your D700 and D90 that's correct, but you can use pre-AI lenses on a Nikon Df if you're inclined to buy one. It has nice external controls like an F4.

I'm quite tempted by a Df for the reasons you gave. It's an ugly sow of a camera, and reputed to be off the pace technologically, but it would be fun to put my 1960s glass on it.

E. von Hoegh · Sep 22, 2017

E. von Hoegh said:
Nikkormats Ft and Ftn, both with good meters.
F, plain prism plus Ftn finder for macro.
F2 (early 72) with dp11 finder.
One 50 f:2 Nikkor H for each body, plus Nikkors from 20 to 135mm.
Also a 13.5 f:3.5 Nikkor H C for my Contax II.

Aargh.
13.5cm Nikkor Q-C. "C" for Contax. Possibly an FM? in the near future.

grumpy1 · Sep 22, 2017

fe.
em x 2
f70 x 2
f75
f65
d3100
d50

pthornto · Sep 22, 2017

F
F2 x 2
EM

Currently keeping the F and an overhauled F2 in rotation with 50mm 2.0 and 105mm 2.5 mounted.

P.

rrusso · Sep 22, 2017

FE2 (newest addition to the family)
F100
F4S
D750

They all get used.

A decent collection of Nikkor glass...again, all of it gets used, even if it's only a couple times per year. I dislike spending on stuff just to sit and look at on a shelf.

I also have an N70, but it's broken. I can't bring myself to toss it, because I bought it new in the mid 90's (kit), and IIRC it was somewhere just shy of $600.00. KEH has one right now for $15.00, lol.

I really wanted an N90s back then, but just couldn't justify it.

Chan Tran · Sep 23, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
On your D700 and D90 that's correct, but you can use pre-AI lenses on a Nikon Df if you're inclined to buy one. It has nice external controls like an F4.

I have both the F4 and the Df. I love one and hate the other. I don't think they are similar at all.

BrianVS · Sep 23, 2017

Using the Non-Ai lenses with the Df is very similar to using lenses without Bunny Rabbit Ears with a Photomic "Bullseye", T, or Tn. Meter with the lens wide-open, and "dial in" the F-Stop that you intend to use. With the Photomic Meters- use the slide bar up front to bring up the F-Stop in the window on the back of the meter. With the Df, use the front dial to bring up the F-stop in use in the finder. The control layout of the Df is close to the F3, with a little F2 for laying your finger across to get to the shutter release.

guangong · Sep 23, 2017

Still have and use Nikon F from mid 1960s plus one black and one silver one bought used in late 1970s. Only use prism finders. Also a nikkormat EL, my bad weather SLR.

Theo Sulphate · Sep 23, 2017

Chan Tran said:
I have both the F4 and the Df. I love one and hate the other. I don't think they are similar at all.

To me, the similarities are:

- external shutter speed dial
- usable with lenses having an aperture ring (including pre-AI)
- P, A, S, M dial
- external selector for drive controls (S, Cl, Ch, ...)
- exposure compensation dial
- external selector for metering pattern
- external selector for ISO
- external selector for autofocus mode (S, M, ...)

Other than Fuji X series, no other d-camera has those external controls that I'm aware of.

Sorry to hear that the F4 or Df is not to your liking.

John_Nikon_F · Sep 24, 2017

Chan Tran said:
I want an F2AS to replace my very first camera stolen in 84 but I can't bring myself to paying the same price as when I bought it new for a 40 years old camera.

Considering that the $460-$550 for a good F2AS is about 1/3 the cost when inflation is accounted for, I'd go ahead and get one. KEH had one recently on their kehoutlet eBay store that had been serviced by Sover Wong. I think it was going for $499 with free shipping. It's not listed now, but if it pops back up, I'd get it.

Anyway, with respect to the Nikon camera count, I'm now down to three. One of them being the black F2AS I purchased in September 2011.

rayonline_nz · Sep 24, 2017

Since this is the analog section. I have 2 Nikon film bodies. F100 and Fm2n - both second hand some years ago. I find I use the Fm2n most the F100 for low light is good cos the shutter is up to 30 seconds tripod work etc. and easier to focus at night. I don't really want to get more, just takes up space etc. I see them as tools. I wouldn't mind having a F3 and a F5 but nah .... I am also moving more and more to medium format film, I might now just shoot b/w with the Nikons, if I am going to bust myself with a tripod, slowly meter the scene and with slide film (low ASA) I might as well use medium format.

Chan Tran · Sep 24, 2017

John_Nikon_F said:
Considering that the $460-$550 for a good F2AS is about 1/3 the cost when inflation is accounted for, I'd go ahead and get one. KEH had one recently on their kehoutlet eBay store that had been serviced by Sover Wong. I think it was going for $499 with free shipping. It's not listed now, but if it pops back up, I'd get it.

Anyway, with respect to the Nikon camera count, I'm now down to three. One of them being the black F2AS I purchased in September 2011.

Yes John, But the camera many said it's the best MF camera Nikon ever made can be had for 1/20 of the original price with inflation accounted for. What it mean is that I picked the right first camera to buy because the camera i picked then retains its value very well. But it also make a bad deal if I want to buy one now. For the F4 it's much better for me to buy one now.

BrianVS · Sep 24, 2017

It's a toss up.

DSC00004 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

One thing for sure- the $7000 price of the Nikon E3 in 1997 did not hold long. Picked up the one used to take this shot over 10 years ago at $200, in a heavy-duty transit case. The case was worth about as much as the camera..

E. von Hoegh · Sep 25, 2017

Was just given a black F2a, late 79. Minor bassing, accurate meter, Intenscreen, dusty, gummy mirror buffer and bash on the right upper end that should massage out pretty well.
So that makes 5, six if you count the unmentionable one.

narsuitus · Sep 25, 2017

@BrianVS

You had me confused. I finally figured out that the Nikon E3 was the digital camera that took the photo ... not one of the cameras in the photo.

MartinCrabtree · Sep 25, 2017

Cool. At least I wasn't the only one who had to look that up.

BrianVS · Sep 25, 2017

Sorry for the confusion! The E3 still works, after 20 years as does the Kodak DCS200ir- even older. The DCS200ir uses the N8008s. The DCS200 the first one-piece DSLR with built in disk rather than a suitcase-sized lug-around. The E3 uses a relay lens to shoot full-frame images on a much smaller CCD. The digital equivalent of a Speed-Magny Back. They made "maybe" 100 of the E3, and just a couple DCS200ir's. The latter was over $12000 for the body, in 1993.

Neither is choice for best Nikon, just digital of the 20th century. They would be in the same category as the 80mm F4.5 AF-Nikkor for the Nikon F, circa 1970 and the auto-exposure DS-1 servo-motor for the F2.

Kevin Ekstrom · Sep 26, 2017

I have a fairly good list of Nikon's:
N70
N2020
FTN
EL
FA
FE2
FG
EM
F4

I need to get pics of the FA and EM, I didn't own the cameras when I shot this series.

Sewin · Sep 28, 2017

Just one F65 and two (D50's). Sold a couple a few years ago.
Rarely if ever use them,( gave one D50 to the wife who uses it for her business).

benjiboy · Sep 29, 2017

I have a no Nikon Cameras

cooltouch · Oct 3, 2017

The OP asks, "Anyway, if i wanted to buy every Nikon 35mm, how many would i have to buy?"

I probably could arrive at an accurate number, but I don't feel like it. Instead, I'll do as others are doing, and mention those Nikons that I have bothered to accumulate for my own collection. In no particular order:

Nikon F, originally with non-metered prism finder. Later I bought the original non-TTL Photomic head for it. Why? Because I think it looks cool.
Nikon F2, originally with non-metered DE-1 finder. Later, I bought the DP-1 finder for it (F2 Photomic).
Nikon F2 Photomic S. Makes the camera look top-heavy. First F2 with LED meter readout, first F2 that meters down to 10 seconds.
Nikkormat FT3 Latest and greatest mechanical Nikkormat
Nikon EL-2: Version 2 of the Nikkormat EL, basically an FE heavyweight. Functionally the equivalent to the FE, just much more massively built.
Nikon F3 HP I've always thought the F3 was a very elegant, very sexy camera. The meter readout basically sux though.
Nikon F4S Big and heavy, yet still feels good in my hands.
Nikon FE Great Av camera, love the match-needle metering. Can still use pre-AI lenses
Nikon FE2 Ditto above but with 1/4000 sec top shutter speed, 1/250 flash sync, but can't use pre-AI lenses
Nikon FG Under-rated little camera, extremely accurate shutter.
Nikon N80 A very lightweight and very excellent and very cheap camera.

Incidentally, I come up with 51 Nikon 35mm interchangeable lens cameras.

Theo Sulphate · Oct 5, 2017

How many Nikon 35mm cameras would the OP have to buy?

Happy counting:

http://imaging.nikon.com/history/chronicle/

M. Axel Wikstrom · Oct 5, 2017

My FM2n and F100 are enough. My only other small format cameras are rangefinder or viewfinder designs.

How many Nikons?

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