Let's talk Nikon F...

90s Photog · Jul 19, 2022

Paul Howell said:
I would get one of each, in most situations the non metered prism works well, but if shooting an action scene a metered finder speeds the process up.

And this is what I did. lol! With how cheap they are going for I figured why not.

reddesert · Jul 19, 2022

The meter in the metered prism finder is pretty good if it works; it is 60/40 heavily centerweighted (like most subsequent Nikon SLR meters) so if you know how to interpret that, it will give good results. However, many of them no longer work.

So then, the decision comes down to exterior matters, or more precisely, what does the camera say about you? Because we know that's the most important question, what are other people going to think?

The plain prism says, "I am a finely tuned individual who appreciates the clean-lined, sharp angled early-SLR-Brutalist aesthetics of my instrument. It goes with my crisp shirt collar." And the metered prism says, "I am hanging out the open door of a helicopter with someone holding my belt, to get the shot. Or I might be, if there was a helicopter nearby. My shirt's untucked and maybe not buttoned."

Paul Howell · Jul 19, 2022

I was the guy hanging out side the helicopter, I had a safety harness, then dropped a Government issued F in a rice paddy.

90s Photog · Jul 19, 2022

lol! I long ago stopped worrying about what other people thought of me. Part of the desire for an F is seeing pictures of it slug across PJs in the Vietnam war. If you don't own it, the photo book Requium is beyond outstanding. I wanted a piece of photojournalism history.

mshchem · Jul 19, 2022

Paul Howell said:
I was the guy hanging out side the helicopter, I had a safety harness, then dropped a Government issued F in a rice paddy.

Hell Yes! That's credibility. I managed to avoid situation.

I bought a F2S in 1973 new. Body only was just shy of $600. The S prism has LEDs, these use up batteries and serve no other purpose unless you want the auto EE amazing thing.

I've got most versions of the F and the F2. F2 is hard to beat. The F with the non-meter prism is a spectacularly beautiful camera/sculpture. Also the F is good Leica training, that is for being able to find the shutter release.

Cholentpot · Jul 19, 2022

Paul Howell said:
I was the guy hanging out side the helicopter, I had a safety harness, then dropped a Government issued F in a rice paddy.

The next year they had a bumper crop of Nikons.

JerseyDoug · Jul 20, 2022

mshchem said:
.... I've got most versions of the F and the F2. F2 is hard to beat. The F with the non-meter prism is a spectacularly beautiful camera/sculpture. Also the F is good Leica training, that is for being able to find the shutter release.

After years of using a Barnack Leica and a Nikon F (same shutter release location) I found that using an F2 cost me at least a full shutter stop of camera steadiness. I'm certain that for someone with a different hand size and facial structure the exact opposite would be true.

flavio81 · Jul 20, 2022

90s Photog said:
So I ordered a Nikon F2 Photomic, because everyone says that it is "the" Nikon F camera. I guess I'll find out in a few days when it arrives. Then I was like, "Well, I already own the F3HP, F4s and F5. I might as well get an original F to round out the "Actually Used By Photojournalist" cameras." So my questions is this... Which F do I want? The standard eye level finder or the Photomic? Thoughts and opinions?

I have the F2SB and have had the F2 with plain prism.

The F2 with plain prism is more ergonomic, no doubt about it, and lighter.

But the F2SB has not just an excellent LED meter (and very sensitive) but also an excellent display of shutter speed and aperture on the viewfinder, all arranged on the same part of the viewfinder (no need to move the eye around). Plus these numbers can be illuminated at night.

So it enhances the shooting experience making it a better camera than my Canon F-1 thanks solely to the viewfinder display.

outwest · Jul 20, 2022

My father-in-law gifted me an brand new F with the then just released Photomic TN finder (1967 was it?). I used it so much I wore out the strap lugs and he gave me his F which was just a year newer than mine. After more years went by I decided to try an F2 and although the F will always be the classic the F2 is arguably the better camera. Some day I may have to try an F3. Of course I still have the F just in case.

__Brian · Jul 20, 2022

Reading this made me think of a Favorite Nikon F story from ~2005. Took my Daughter to a Playground, brought my Nikon F to take some pictures. One Smug Dad with his DSLR looked over and said "Shooting Film, Huh. Living with the Dinosaurs?" I answered "One EMP and all your gear is dead, and pictures are gone". He replies- "Oh Yeah, well your battery will quit and your camera won't work either"- Stared at him, He had NO IDEA that there were such things as Mechanical Cameras that don't need batteries.

The F2 is improved on the F, the meters are improved, and the Batteries easy to find for the F2.
Glad I have both.

BLACKF by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr
(Photomic T)

nikonf_t_2 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Sometime ~1967 the NKJ Logo was replaced by "Nikon".

The Photomic Tn (1967) and T (1965) finders: you have to manually index the ASA dial to the aperture of the lens in use. Not necessary with the older "Bullseye" finder.

The Ftn finder, do the F5.6 Shuffle. Ftn head fits Bodies after SN69xxxxx. the Name Plate on the body is different, has notches for the Latch of the Photomic Meter Head. This prevents Photomic Fly-Away Syndrome.

Nikkor24_f28_1 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

madNbad · Jul 20, 2022

My favorite Nikkor lens, the 24 2.8. Love the floating element.

JerseyDoug · Jul 20, 2022

I never got on with a manual exposure camera with a built-in meter. Too much fiddling around with the aperture and/or shutter speed with the camera held up to my eye. I am much more comfortable using a separate light meter with an all-manual camera, or with an auto-everything camera. Hence my choice of a plain prism finder F and an F6. First and last of the best SLRs. (IMHO)

logan2z · Jul 20, 2022

I have to stop looking at this thread. I need another film camera like a third foot, but the plain-prism F is such a beautiful 'thing' I can't help but want one.

Cholentpot · Jul 20, 2022

Here's my F and my thumb.

And here it all all gussied up with a semi custom MD

By comparison here's my F3

In my opinion, as the era of the SLR closes for good, Nikon made the greatest SLRs.

abruzzi · Jul 20, 2022

JerseyDoug said:
I never got on with a manual exposure camera with a built-in meter. Too much fiddling around with the aperture and/or shutter speed with the camera held up to my eye. I am much more comfortable using a separate light meter with an all-manual camera, or with an auto-everything camera. Hence my choice of a plain prism finder F and an F6. First and last of the best SLRs. (IMHO)

That’s why the F2 and the Nikkormats (not sure about the F) allow you to see the meter readout from the top of the camera, without looking through the viewfinder.

__Brian · Jul 21, 2022

The meter readout is visible through the viewfinder with all of the Photomic Meters. The Photomic Ftn also has the shutter speed visible. The first 3 Photomic Meters- the aperture is seen through a window just above the viewfinder eyepiece.

GregY · Jul 21, 2022

Having used them all from Nikkormat to F (multiple) F2 all the way to F5. I favour the plain pentaprism F (ok or the F2 titan).
Apart from shooting wildlife with a 300 or longer, I don't see the need for a built-in meter. After years of using meterless. medium format camers or view cameras. If I'm taking photos, then i'm aware of the light and the exposure. Nothing worse than bringing the camera to the eye to take a photograph and then fiddling with exposure. Of course YMMV. A built in meter is simply a matter of convenience

Cholentpot · Jul 21, 2022

GregY said:
Having used them all from Nikkormat to F (multiple) F2 all the way to F5. I favour the plain pentaprism F (ok or the F2 titan).
Apart from shooting wildlife with a 300 or longer, I don't see the need for a built-in meter. After years of using meterless. medium format camers or view cameras. If I'm taking photos, then i'm aware of the light and the exposure. Nothing worse than bringing the camera to the eye to take a photograph and then fiddling with exposure. Of course YMMD.

I'm fine with this outdoors.

Indoors I need a meter.

GregY · Jul 21, 2022

Cholentpot said:
I'm fine with this outdoors.

Indoors I need a meter.

I still use a Pentax 1degree.....in that scenario or a Sekonic 308
An on-board meter is still after all just a convenience

Cholentpot · Jul 21, 2022

GregY said:
I still use a Pentax 1degree.....in that scenario or a Sekonic 308

2.8/1.8 and 1/30 - 1/60 if I have no meter.

Paul Howell · Jul 21, 2022

Memorizing the sunny 16 scale and learning to judge how deep a shadow is works rather well with black and white film. I shoot using both sunny 16 and meters, overall I get better results with a meter. You can train yourself to shoot sunny 16 with a digital camera set to manual, for black and white if the DC has a black and white mode set it, then practice using the back screen for feedback.

GregY · Jul 21, 2022

There's nothing wrong with using a meter rather than "Sunny16".... i just think that being aware of the light gets you better photos than trying to meter and shoot at the same time. I used both metered F and F2 & they lose something in the handling compared to the plain prism...i feel the same about Leicas with the MC/MR on top

Cholentpot · Jul 21, 2022

Paul Howell said:
Memorizing the sunny 16 scale and learning to judge how deep a shadow is works rather well with black and white film. I shoot using both sunny 16 and meters, overall I get better results with a meter. You can train yourself to shoot sunny 16 with a digital camera set to manual, for black and white if the DC has a black and white mode set it, then practice using the back screen for feedback.

Sunny 16 doesn't work indoors. Or near sunset. Or in odd lighting situations.

Don't get me wrong, I use Sunny 16 all the time and it's really never let me down. But there are many situations where a meter is greatly appreciated.

Sirius Glass · Jul 21, 2022

Cholentpot said:
Sunny 16 doesn't work indoors. Or near sunset. Or in odd lighting situations.

Don't get me wrong, I use Sunny 16 all the time and it's really never let me down. But there are many situations where a meter is greatly appreciated.

Sunny 16 does not work at night for available light photography either. It works well in the specified conditions.

Paul Howell · Jul 21, 2022

I agree, in the old days in time gone past I worked part time as a stringer for several local newspapers, in the 60s while in college, the staff photographers were WWII and Korea War vets who were trained by the Army or Navy to shoot without a meter. Indoors, outdoors, strange lighting. For indoors they used flash, flash bulbs and that new fangled electronic gizmo. I stared with a Spotmatic but upgraded to a Konica T, one of editors told me and the staff photographer that my negatives were frame to frame more contestant and easier to print. When I bought the Nikon F, used, it came with 3 finders, the plain, metered and waist level finder. I shot very little with anything but the metered finder. I still use sunny 16 when shooting my Argus C3, if a battery fails in Konica or Topcon auto 100, otherwise I use a meter.

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