My Nikon F, Just Off The Workbench

[F4U]

Just buttoned up this little sweetie-pie about an hour ago. My 1970 Nikon F, I paid a pretty penny for a few months ago. I got it in very good working condition, but could see it had never been serviced. I did'nt want to go around shooting a motor drive on a dry camera. So I spent the last week giving it a total strip-down, clean, lube, and calibration. Seems like the action is smother and the shutter is right on the money. The finder was already perfect, so I left it alone. Someday down the road I'll open up the motor drive and see what needs lubrication, I'm proud of this job. Not one chewed-up or missing screw. I doubt a repair expert could tell if it had ever been opened. The motor drive and the body were mated from the factory. An F is not like an F2. On n F2 you can put an MD2 or MD3 on any F2. On the F, the body requires modification and specifically mated to its drive motor.

 

[Horatio]

Sweet!

 

[Paul Howell]

Great camera great job. Is the meter working? I have a couple of Fs that I inherited from a close friend who passed away, a silver and black on is from 1973, the other 1967. I need to to send them for service, the black body F from 1973 shows it,s use.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

I have an F that is an old warhorse. It has a ding in the shutter. Does that render it useless?

 

[F4U]

Great camera great job. Is the meter working? I have a couple of Fs that I inherited from a close friend who passed away, a silver and black on is from 1973, the other 1967. I need to to send them for service, the black body F from 1973 shows it,s use.

Yes the meter works fine. Wonder that that black '73 would look like once I got hold of it I'll take it if you have a mind to get rid of it.

I have an F that is an old warhorse. It has a ding in the shutter. Does that render it useless?

Not seeing the ding, it's hard to speculate. Ordinarily not a problem, as long as it's not rubbing on the film gate.

 

[chuckroast]

Just buttoned up this little sweetie-pie about an hour ago. My 1970 Nikon F, I paid a pretty penny for a few months ago. I got it in very good working condition, but could see it had never been serviced. I did'nt want to go around shooting a motor drive on a dry camera. So I spent the last week giving it a total strip-down, clean, lube, and calibration. Seems like the action is smother and the shutter is right on the money. The finder was already perfect, so I left it alone. Someday down the road I'll open up the motor drive and see what needs lubrication, I'm proud of this job. Not one chewed-up or missing screw. I doubt a repair expert could tell if it had ever been opened. The motor drive and the body were mated from the factory. An F is not like an F2. On n F2 you can put an MD2 or MD3 on any F2. On the F, the body requires modification and specifically mated to its drive motor.

Can you talk a bit about what is involved? I have a really nice Apollo F that needs the higher speeds brought into spec.

 

[F4U]

Can you talk a bit about what is involved? I have a really nice Apollo F that needs the higher speeds brought into spec.

After having a few of these under my belt I've noticed the higher speeds are off on all of them. 125 will be more like 1/95, 250 is more like 1/175, 500 is about 1/300, and 1000 is maybe 1/500. Typical. The lube has all dried up, and fabric shutter ribbons are stretched. That's my speculation. And springs get tired. No big deal. It just needs a good strip down, clean and lube. The videos from mikeinmo, I think was his name ,were thorough and helpful, but they don't mention a couple tricks that could cut hours. of angst and labor. Is not a job for the faint of heart. You better prepare yourself that somewhere along the way, you could lose the camera completely. My best advice is to send it to SPTS or somebody like that. I've spent my life repairing machinery and eletronics of all kinds. I know I don't give up, ever.

 

[Paul Howell]

Yes the meter works fine. Wonder that that black '73 would look like once I got hold of it I'll take it if you have a mind to get rid of it.

At this point sentimental value.

 

[F4U]

Can you talk a bit about what is involved? I have a really nice Apollo F that needs the higher speeds brought into spec.

I wish I could show you a few tricks I evolved, based on the Richard Haw and mikeno62 presentations I studied (and others). Excellent work. But with a near-fatal flaw in their disassembly methods. Unfortunately I have no way of making my own video with the kind of detail needed. There is no problem per se, in their methods. But what you don't see off-camera is the struggle you will be in for after reassembly in the post-service calibration work. Their methods can only lead you to a terrible fight to recover the pre-existing calibration. That is where you can easily blow the whole project. Without the preservation of the pre-existing calibration, it becomes a nightmare. How can you know where you're going when you've wiped out your starting point? This job can be quite easy, actually. But I disagree vehemently with any of the internet disassembly presentations I studied. Knowing what I know now. I would HIGHLY advise sending it to a professional. it's not really that expensive. Money well spent.