I bought another F2.

marcmarc · Jul 9, 2018

Well, somewhat against my better judgement I picked up another Nikon F2 today. I really wasn't looking for one as I have two bodies already which I've complained several times about the troubles I've had keeping them in reliable condition. Anyhow, I saw one today that is probably the cleanest looking one I've seen. Shutter seems accurate (I'll run a test roll anyway) film advance is smooth as is the rewind mechanism. If going by the condition of the pressure plate, it looks like this camera has seen very little use but maybe those can be replaced. Light seals look OK but I may have to replace the foam for the mirror bumper before too long. All in all I had a good feeling about it so I went and bought it. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed I don't have trouble getting it repaired and maintained down the road like my others.

sissysphoto · Jul 9, 2018

That's OK. You didn't do the wrong thing. Buying an F2 is never the wrong thing to do.

mshchem · Jul 9, 2018

I have been trying to get rid of "extra" F2 bodies. The camera fits my hand perfectly. Hard to pass up reasonable ,nice examples . I put non meter plain prisms on 2 . Very cool. Only 1 problem (other than foam) in 45 years of F2 cameras . Recently I found a body that had low voltage on top of the body where the contacts supply power to the meter prism. Something about corrosion in the meter switch. Camera still worked fine. I gave it to a young man, he was overjoyed .
F and F3 are nice too.

Theo Sulphate · Jul 9, 2018

Back in.the 1990's I bought five of the things because I couldn't resist an excellent-plus condition F2. I felt I had to "save" or "rescue" it. I finally stopped when I realized I had enough and should let someone else have the opportunity to get one.

Here's an old photo of them. I still have them and have actually used all of them recently. I've never had any functional problem with them in over 20 years.

oneANT · Jul 9, 2018

just so you know Theo ..I am available for adoption.
They look to be well stored too. caps off, all clean, all uncocked I expect too.
Lovely mate, they are in good hands.
ant

semi-ambivalent · Jul 9, 2018

sissysphoto said:
That's OK. You didn't do the wrong thing. Buying an F2 is never the wrong thing to do.

Marty Forscher said they were the best F ever. Tough as a hockey puck and so modular one could almost repair it in the field.

marcmarc · Jul 9, 2018

Yes, when I first started shooting the F2, it became clear why it has such a well deserved reputation. Still, I just have bad luck with older mechanical cameras so being this one looks so nice I'm hoping to get many years of use from it with minimal fuss. If not, well, then I will have three paper weights! ;-)

Kino · Jul 9, 2018

You can never have too many F2's...

flavio81 · Jul 9, 2018

Kino said:
You can never have too many F2's...

I was just going to post this...

Sirius Glass · Jul 9, 2018

I am sure that you will enjoy it.

chip j · Jul 9, 2018

Marty Forscher was a bummer--he ruined the mint condition of my black F w/meter after 4 attempts to fix it. He never did fix it--it was in worse shape after I got it back the last time than when I sent it in!!!

macfred · Jul 9, 2018

Kino said:
You can never have too many F2's...

flavio81 said:
I was just going to post this...

This !
I have three F2 by now (2x F2 Photomic DP-1 finder; 1x F2 DE-1 eye-level prism) - a F2SB Photomic (DP-3 finder) would also be nice ...

macfred · Jul 9, 2018

Theo Sulphate said:
Back in.the 1990's I bought five of the things...

Here's an old photo of them ...

View attachment 203838

DE-1 plain-prism is still missing ...

Sirius Glass · Jul 9, 2018

macfred said:
DE-1 plain-prism is still missing ...

I like the Thanks.

Theo Sulphate · Jul 9, 2018

macfred said:
DE-1 plain-prism is still missing ...

Cannot find the bloody things. Well, the only ones I've encountered seem to have been hit with a shovel.

flavio81 · Jul 9, 2018

Theo Sulphate said:
Cannot find the bloody things. Well, the only ones I've encountered seem to have been hit with a shovel.

I use my Nikon F plain prism on the F2 occasionally. It looks fine there.

Theo Sulphate · Jul 10, 2018

flavio81 said:
I use my Nikon F plain prism on the F2 occasionally. It looks fine there.

I know that can be done, but my internal sense of what's proper for me won't permit that choice.

I will have to find either a sixth F2 with the DE-1 or will have to get a DE-1 separately and then find an F2 body without a finder. I cannot disrupt my current configuration of F2's. I know this sounds like some sort of mental illness, but it is what it is.

elmontanero · Jul 10, 2018

I've got an F2 and recently found a Waist Level Finder for an F. Wish it was the F2 correct one... it works but I'm a nutter for matching.
Got the F2 and three lenses in trade as the body wasn't working and traded for an insignificant working body from another brand and a pair of zooms.
Took me a little time to get the F2 fixed but not that much. Great camera!

cooltouch · Jul 10, 2018

Kino said:
You can never have too many F2's...

flavio81 said:
I was just going to post this...

Yep. Took the words right outa my mouth . . er, fingers.

saman13 · Jul 10, 2018

Happens to the best of us. I have a harder time saying no to an F2 than any other camera.

resummerfield · Jul 10, 2018

I always considered the F2 to be the finest SLR, and I now have 3. I don't need another, but if a nice, clean model showed up, I'd probably grab it! You just can't have too many!

TheRook · Jul 11, 2018

Kino said:
You can never have too many F2's...

I disagree. Anymore than two is simply a form of "hording". Cameras are meant to be used, not idling away on shelves or in boxes.

cooltouch · Jul 11, 2018

Well, now, some folks probably have their F2s in rotation, the way fountain pen collectors make sure their pens get used.

Kino · Jul 11, 2018

TheRook said:
I disagree. Anymore than two is simply a form of "hording". Cameras are meant to be used, not idling away on shelves or in boxes.

Yes, the "hoarders" kept these cameras safe to be reintroduced to people who value them, while the digital fan boys dumped them in the garbage by the thousands.

Of course, facts can get in the way of a constipated viewpoint...

marcmarc · Jul 11, 2018

cooltouch said:
Well, now, some folks probably have their F2s in rotation, the way fountain pen collectors make sure their pens get used.

Well, when I head out to shoot I like to carry two bodies, one with HP5 for indoors and the other body with a slow or medium speed for outdoors. However, with the issues I've had in the past I tend to lean towards having an extra body or two as back ups that I can use whenever one of the bodies I generally use needs service. I do rotate them out and about too so that the lube inside doesn't gum up. The sad fact of life is that these F2's and F3's are no longer made so at some point the quantity of reliable bodies are going top become minuscule. That's why even though I swore off the F2 when I saw this amazingly clean and new looking body (and the price was right imo) I snapped it up.

I bought another F2.

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency