I'd do some pretty sketchy stuff...

[ChristopherCoy]

...I never liked the LED display in the S models...

From what little research I've done thus far, it seems that most everything surrounding the F2 "advancements" IN THE F2/F2A/F2B/F2CDEFG was marketing. The camera didn't change, but the meter prism changed from needles to LED's, and one cell to another, and none of these changes seem to be particularly earth shattering.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

There are probably thousands of "unused" F2s in the hands of collectors. In some cases, not even taken out of the box. They'll dribble onto the market slowly as these collectors see another shiny toy they have to clutch in their non-photographer fingers. Just be patient.

I got mine. No need for patience anymore!

 

[SchwinnParamount]

I got mine. No need for patience anymore!

But you've only got one! Like the collectors on this site, you should have at least a dozen. And a fancy glass display case to show them off. Of course, if you put film into them and actually fire the shutter a couple of times, they're practically worthless. Cameras are not tools, they are baubles to be enjoyed from a safe distance.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Oh no... no, no, no... BTDT. I had TWO glass cases. I want only a few working cameras, that actually get used, and aren't afraid to get dirty. Save the glass cases for the good china.

 

[mshchem]

From what little research I've done thus far, it seems that most everything surrounding the F2 "advancements" was marketing. The camera didn't change, but the meter prism changed from needles to LED's, and one cell to another, and none of these changes seem to be particularly earth shattering.

The F2 or F2A Photomic fixed the complaints of the F. Moved the shutter release forward, hinged, removable back battery power for light meter installed in body. User could install motor drives and bulk film backs easily. F2 has improved fully mechanical shutter , stepped from 10 seconds to 1/80th, 1/80 to 1/2000th infinitely variable by cam. The F2 was fully mechanical, many pros opted for the non metered prism, no battery at all.
F3 was fully electronic, surely less expensive to manufacture than the F or F2. The F3 is a beautiful camera, slimmed down and sleek. Where the F2 with a md-2 motor drive is a badass chopper the F3 is a refined very much a perfect manual focus camera. I had a F3P it's an interesting variant, it's cool because you could mount a flash on top, but no ttl otf flash.
All things considered a F3 makes an affordable, used by NASA on early shuttle flights,that's .

 

[ChristopherCoy]

The F2 or F2A Photomic fixed the complaints of the F. Moved the shutter release forward, hinged, removable back battery power for light meter installed in body. User could install motor drives and bulk film backs easily. F2 has improved fully mechanical shutter , stepped from 10 seconds to 1/80th, 1/80 to 1/2000th infinitely variable by cam. The F2 was fully mechanical, many pros opted for the non metered prism, no battery at all.
F3 was fully electronic, surely less expensive to manufacture than the F or F2. The F3 is a beautiful camera, slimmed down and sleek. Where the F2 with a md-2 motor drive is a badass chopper the F3 is a refined very much a perfect manual focus camera. I had a F3P it's an interesting variant, it's cool because you could mount a flash on top, but no ttl otf flash.
All things considered a F3 makes an affordable, used by NASA on early shuttle flights,that's .

I was referring to all the "changes" between F2 models. F2/F2A/F2B/F2HP/F2JKLMNOP. All of the bodies were the same, only the prisms changed.

 

[RLangham]

They're quite well made. I dropped 320 USD on a 1977 f2sb when I had a higher paying job, and more recently I paid 100 and shipping for an f2s with a better body. I usually shoot the 73 body with the 77 finder and a 1960 Nikkor-S Auto 5cm f:2.
Honestly, I found that if you're persistent, you'll eventually find a good deal on just about any specific body. F2 market prices are quite reasonable for a high-end cameras of the '70s and you can sometimes find one that's been discounted.

 

[RLangham]

From what little research I've done thus far, it seems that most everything surrounding the F2 "advancements" was marketing. The camera didn't change, but the meter prism changed from needles to LED's, and one cell to another, and none of these changes seem to be particularly earth shattering.

Absolutely not true. virtually everything that was primitive or ungainly about the Nikon F was altered in the F2. The metered finders no longer have to have a special place for the battery, as it is stowed in the camera body. The back is hinged, as somebody already mentioned. The curtains would no longer burn through if left with the mirror up in sunlight with a lens mounted and set to infinity. And owing to the corrugated metal foil construction they could achieve twice the top speed of the F.

Moreover, each metered finder was individually better than the best finder for the F, and each was better than the last, with one exception. They all show aperture and speed in the viewfinder, for one thing,

The DP-3 finder introduced silicone blue cells, more sensitive and much faster than CdS, and a three segment exposure display that is very intuitive to use. The DP-12 is a redesign of this unit for the new AI lenses, which no Nikon F finder had native support for. All previous finders would have to use an AI lens as a pre-ai lens, which requires an adapter shoe to be mounted, usually at the factory, and which conveys none of the benefits of the AI system.

The F2 is a very natural evolution of the F, and it generally doesn't have any brand new and technologically cutting-edge features for the time, but it was a superior camera in almost every regard. I think it's frivolous to say that it was basically an F.

 

[dmtnkl]

They are my favorite 35mm body. Everything is placed perfectly, saying that. I sold all my f2’s and shoot a f3hp for my slide film. I no longer even try to shoot 35mm black and white anymore, its always a let down looking at prints.

Could you elaborate on this? Is it that bw prints are not in general attractive for you, or that labs in your area do not produce good quality prints?

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Absolutely not true. virtually everything that was primitive or ungainly about the Nikon F was altered in the F2. The metered finders no longer have to have a special place for the battery, as it is stowed in the camera body. The back is hinged, as somebody already mentioned. The curtains would no longer burn through if left with the mirror up in sunlight with a lens mounted and set to infinity. And owing to the corrugated metal foil construction they could achieve twice the top speed of the F.

Moreover, each metered finder was individually better than the best finder for the F, and each was better than the last, with one exception. They all show aperture and speed in the viewfinder, for one thing,

The DP-3 finder introduced silicone blue cells, more sensitive and much faster than CdS, and a three segment exposure display that is very intuitive to use. The DP-12 is a redesign of this unit for the new AI lenses, which no Nikon F finder had native support for. All previous finders would have to use an AI lens as a pre-ai lens, which requires an adapter shoe to be mounted, usually at the factory, and which conveys none of the benefits of the AI system.

The F2 is a very natural evolution of the F, and it generally doesn't have any brand new and technologically cutting-edge features for the time, but it was a superior camera in almost every regard. I think it's frivolous to say that it was basically an F.

READ WHAT I WROTE! I wasn't talking aboht the F to the F2. I was talking about the different variants of the F2. You know, F2/F2A/F2B/F2LMNOP... I've only posted this three or four times by now.

 

[reddesert]

I was referring to all the "changes" between F2 models. F2/F2A/F2B/F2HP/F2JKLMNOP. All of the bodies were the same, only the prisms changed.

One of the advances was AI indexing versus non-AI, and the other advance was SPD photodiodes vs CdS photocells. The SPDs are more sensitive, have less of a memory effect, etc. By the late 70s or so, most 35mm cameras were moving to SPD meters and they were considered a significant feature at the time.

It's totally possible to use the older F2 prisms now and deal with these issues, but for the professional users of that day, these would have been significant advances at the time, not just marketing. It doesn't justify the excessive collector's premium of an F2AS today, but that is the collector's market, which doesn't price on use value (like how black versions of some cameras are more expensive just because rarer).

 

[cjbecker]

Could you elaborate on this? Is it that bw prints are not in general attractive for you, or that labs in your area do not produce good quality prints?

Only 35mm b&w prints. I do all my own black and white printing in the darkroom, and no matter what I do, I prefer b&w prints from medium format and 4x5. Even small 5x7 prints, I can’t get the same feel as I get with medium and large format. The convenience I get from 35mm is not worth the final print I get from the smaller negative. So I went back to shooting all 6x6 and 4x5 for my b&w images.

 

[mshchem]

I've got plain non metered prisms on my "Apollo" F, this had the NASA upgrade that sports the F2 advance lever with the offset and the black plastic thumb thingy, I love chrome, so I paid a significant price for a mint F plain prism. IMHO it's the prettiest SLR ever made. And of course it's gotta have the P focusing screen also referred to as the Apollo screen. I have the Photomic FTn finder that came on the Apollo F. I would never desecrate it, but it would be fun to have a tribute NASA Apollo camera made. But without the fluorite UV nikkor lens it wouldn't be cool.
I have a plain prism for my F2 as well, still not as ironic as the F. The only film camera that I use the built-in meter is my F5, it's pretty good. If I'm shooting slides I use the auto bracketing feature so a 36 exposure roll basically works out to 12 good exposures.

 

[MattKing]

The evolution of the various prisms for the F2 were all that was necessary at the time to improve the camera to "cutting edge". Nikon made the decision to market the camera by changing the designation, rather than marketing it over the years as an F2 with X finder, then F2 with Y finder, then F2 with Z finder, etc.
There really was no need to change the camera body over those years - at least not enough to merit a new model number - because all the improvements were happening in the interchangeable finders.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

Nah... it's more like finding a never driven classic corvette in a barn. You'd have to change the tires, and belts, and spark plugs, and put oil in it.... but when it does finally fire up and the rubber meets the road.....

bah......Corvette......dime a dozen. 1969 Camaro Z28 DZ302. There's a find.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

bah......Corvette......dime a dozen. 1969 Camaro Z28 DZ302. There's a find.

Well, at least you didn't play the Mustang card.....

 

[MartinCrabtree]

Ford!!!??? How dare you mention that....that...thing.

 

[George Mann]

Nah... it's more like finding a never driven classic corvette in a barn. You'd have to change the tires, and belts, and spark plugs, and put oil in it.... but when it does finally fire up and the rubber meets the road.....

There isn't likely to be anything left of the rubber!

 

[George Mann]

The curtains would no longer burn through if left with the mirror up in sunlight with a lens mounted and set to infinity. And owing to the corrugated metal foil construction they could achieve twice the top speed of the F.

Outside of the first 100 F's, both the F and F2 employed the same Titanium shutter curtains.

 

[Chan Tran]

The F2AS was my first camera and I bought it new in 1977. I liked it a lot but I didn't have anything else to compare it to. It was stolen from me in 1984 but my favorite is the F3HP. When I bought the F3HP I thought it was a lesser camera than the F2AS (and in fact the price was lower too) but it has grown on me. I like it more and more over the years.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

The F2AS was my first camera and I bought it new in 1977. I liked it a lot but I didn't have anything else to compare it to. It was stolen from me in 1984 but my favorite is the F3HP. When I bought the F3HP I thought it was a lesser camera than the F2AS (and in fact the price was lower too) but it has grown on me. I like it more and more over the years.

I hear a lot about the F3HP. I don't want this to sound flippant, but what's so great about it?

 

[Craig]

I never liked the F2. It my mind it was old, big, heavy and clunky. The F3 was a much more capable camera to me, and I've shot one plenty in cold weather and never had battery problems. Give me the accuracy of an electronicly controlled shutter over a mechanical one that goes out of calibration in the cold when the grease turns to glue any day.

 

[Craig]

I hear a lot about the F3HP. I don't want this to sound flippant, but what's so great about it?

A bit of a "Goldielocks" camera - everything was just right. Rugged, dependable, not too big or heavy, versatile with all the accessories available it could do virtually anything. The film wind lever is the smoothest I have ever used, including Leicas in that comparison. The HP finder made it easy to see 100% of the viewfinder with glasses on.

I'd call it the ultimate "traditional" SLR, as opposed to the modern F4 and subsequent cameras. You could make an argument that the Canon F-1 was more versatile, with it's different metering patterns and shutter priority AE, but it doesn't have the smoothness and intangible "rightness" about it. I have had both, and prefer the F3.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

A bit of a "Goldielocks" camera - everything was just right. Rugged, dependable, not too big or heavy, versatile with all the accessories available it could do virtually anything.

So it's the D700 of Nikon's film line.

 

[George Mann]

when the grease turns to glue any day.

Any recently serviced camera is likely to have synthetic lubricants that shouldn't harden with age.