Nikon EL2

[sollumen]

Hello!

My first post here at APUG!

My questions are: Where can I find a rubber eyepiece for the EL2? Does anyone know the nikon number for it, and are there any alternatives? Where can I find a seal replacement for it? Any advice, adoration for the camera, sources of EL2 accessories and tips would be deeply appreciated.

I have an N-80 that I use mainly for slides, but I always was fascinated by those METAL cameras. I just took a chance and purchased a used EL2 on eBay after looking at the specs at the MIR photography site - it looked really good in the photos, and there is a refund policy in case it is a lemon (which I hope it's not).
This is my first manual camera and i'm looking forward to feeling the glide of the mechanical film advance lever lol I'll be using my existing lenses that I have (the kit 28-70, 50 1.8D and a 50-135 3.5 AIS - which i'll be able to meter with yayy!)

I love photography! What fired up my juices was when 2 out of 4 of my photos were runner-ups in a photography contest, and were displayed in a museum here in town. Needless to say, since then i've been learning everything I can. I wish I could afford a larger format, as i've seen some prints that were just superb from 4x5 and 8x10 view cameras, and i've had format-envy ever since. But for now it's 35mm, so 35mm is my friend! Sorry for the ramble, and I am looking forward to being an active participant at APUG!

 

[copake_ham]

Actually, the same place you found your camera, eBay, will have much of what you're looking for - particularly new seals (if you really need them).

Where in the world are you? If we know where you are - we can direct you to sources in your area that can do a "CLA" (i.e. clean, lubricate, adjust).

 

[sollumen]

Hi George

I live in Milwaukee, WI - I just edited my profile and my location should show up now.

Milwaukee seems almost too quiet on the photography front, but perhaps I haven't looked hard enough. The only camera outfit I know of in Downtown Milwaukee is Ritz, which is a shame as i'd love to look at and handle some of those cameras I see on the net. All ritz has is the fairly pedestrian digit*l offerings, and perhaps an N-75 or somesuch.

I went to eBay, but there do not seem to be any other eye-cups for the EL2 that i'm aware of, except for one which is at auction (i'm watching it now).

Robert

 

[dslater]

I have a Nikon EL2 and a Nikon F3 - the eyepieces for a Nikon F3 fit the EL2. I got mine on e-bay. Make sure you get one for an F3 not an F3HP.

Here's one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Nikon-Viewf...ryZ29968QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

 

[Richard Kelham]

I have a Nikon EL2 and a Nikon F3 - the eyepieces for a Nikon F3 fit the EL2. I got mine on e-bay. Make sure you get one for an F3 not an F3HP.

Here's one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Nikon-Viewf...ryZ29968QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

Good advice about not getting one intended for the F3HP. The article number is DK-4 I believe.

The eBay reference given above is for an eye-piece, not an eye-cup.



Richard

 

[sollumen]

Thank you for the replies thus far
I received the camera today and on first inspection it looks pretty good! The body is in excellent shape. The only thing I see that needs attention is that the foam needs replacing, as it is sticky. Is this a do-it-yourself kind of job? Also, it needs a battery - is it generally available in a camera shop/walgreens?
I know that I can still make exposures at 1/90 (am I correct that the sunny 16 rule applies at ISO 100 film at f16 @ 1/90 will result in a correct exposure?)
Need I say that i'm a fairly green photographer that is learning how to puzzle out the arcana of manual cameras after auto-everything cameras? lol

I did find a eyepiece/cup - thank you for the leads.

-Robert

 

[copake_ham]

Thank you for the replies thus far
I received the camera today and on first inspection it looks pretty good! The body is in excellent shape. The only thing I see that needs attention is that the foam needs replacing, as it is sticky. Is this a do-it-yourself kind of job? Also, it needs a battery - is it generally available in a camera shop/walgreens?
I know that I can still make exposures at 1/90 (am I correct that the sunny 16 rule applies at ISO 100 film at f16 @ 1/90 will result in a correct exposure?)
Need I say that i'm a fairly green photographer that is learning how to puzzle out the arcana of manual cameras after auto-everything cameras? lol

I did find a eyepiece/cup - thank you for the leads.

-Robert

Hi Robert,

Cannot advise about seals or foam beyond the eBay recommendation but you might want to shoot a roll or two before doing anything. BTW: I've never done it - but I do believe it is a D-I-Y kind of job.

As to batteries, it probably uses the 1.5v LR-44 (either one or two). I used to have one but don't remember.

The best thing to do is to get a user's manual - since it seems you don't have one. You can get one at:

http://www.craigcamera.com/

I have no connection with this nice fellow except as a satisfied customer.

BTW: Sunny 16 at 100 ISO would probably be best at 1/125.

 

[Lee L]

This should answer questions about the power switch and battery type.
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/cousins/cousins08-e.htm

The battery is equivalent to four 1.5V SR44 batteries in a stack, 6V total to run the electronics it used. Some alternate battery numbers might be:
A544 PX28 V4034PX L1325 GP476A 4LR44 4AG13

Lee

 

[copake_ham]

This should answer questions about the power switch and battery type.
http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/cousins/cousins08-e.htm

The battery is equivalent to four 1.5V SR44 batteries in a stack, 6V total to run the electronics it used. Some alternate battery numbers might be:
A544 PX28 V4034PX L1325 GP476A 4LR44 4AG13

Lee

Thanks Lee for coming in. I couldn't remember the nomenclature for the "better" batteries. SR44 is the longer lasting equivalent to the LR44. I don't find much of a big deal with using the LR's since they are cheaper than dirt on eBay.

As Lee indicates, if you use either one (SR-44 or LR-44) you will need to stack 4 of them in series (i.e. pos to neg). I think the other nomenclature, 4LR44 (and other with a "4" as the leading part of the number) is basically a kind of pre-made stack to give you a 6v battery!

Anyway, they are common - if not at your local drugstore - then at a Radio Shack (but just buy what you need for now - they are much, much cheaper if bought in bulk on eBay).

 

[MattKing]

The difference between the LR44 and SR44 batteries can be important, depending on the camera.

LR44's are generally alkaline batteries, while SR44s are Silver oxide.

The alkaline batteries have a voltage profile that changes as the batteries discharge. The Silver oxide batteries generally maintain a much more stable voltage over their life. Some cameras are susceptible to voltage changes, while others are not.

I do not know whether the Nikon EL2 is one of the cameras that suffers when the voltage isn't consistent. Reference to the user manual for the camera might help answer that question.

Matt

 

[Steve Smith]

BTW: Sunny 16 at 100 ISO would probably be best at 1/125.

I think 1/90 is the default speed with no battery fitted (or a flat battery). This is the case with my Nikon FG.


Steve.

 

[sollumen]

I did receive the user manual for the camera as well, but all it says about the battery is that it is a single six-volt, it didn't give a model type. Does the stacking of four batteries to take the place of one really work?

I was trying out the shutter speeds and was really starting to get worried when every shutter speed from 1/1000 to bulb was the same - then I remembered that there was no battery and the only shutter speed available with no battery was 1/90 according to the manual

Looking at the light seals, I think I could do at least the strips to the top of the mirror box and to the left & right of the rear cover, but I see that there is some foam in the recesses to the top and bottom that I will not be able to get at without disassembling the camera - a task I do not feel comfortable doing. So I believe a professional CLA is in order when I can afford it. The seals are are sticky but wont disintegrate unless I rub them, so at least I will be able to develop a test roll when I can find a battery to make sure the meter works, and that the shutter speeds are accurate.

 

[Lee L]

I did receive the user manual for the camera as well, but all it says about the battery is that it is a single six-volt, it didn't give a model type. Does the stacking of four batteries to take the place of one really work?

Yes. If you take apart one of these batteries, you'll find that it is a physical stack of four LR/SR44 batteries wrapped in a thin shell that holds them together. The versions I mentioned earlier still have pretty good availability. They were very common in the electronic shutter cameras of the time, such as the Canon AE/AT series. My Minolta spotmeter uses one of these as well, and I can find them at the local drugstore.

Many electronic cameras take a CR1/3N, 2L76, K58L or equivalent which is two of the SR/LR44 type batteries stacked, so you could also stack two of those to equal a 544, PX28, etc. Actually Sanyo's name for the 4 battery stack for the EL2 is the 2CR1/3N, indicating that they consider it 2 CR1/3Ns stacked.

There are lithium, alkaline, and silver oxide models of these batteries available, and some cameras may work better with a particular version as Matt has pointed out. AG13 and Eveready 357 are also equivalents to the SR/LR44 models. I tend to stick with the silver oxide or lithium versions.

Electronically controlled shutters like on the EL2 tend to stay pretty accurate over time. I had a '79 vintage electronic shutter checked a couple of years ago and it was within 10-15% (a small fraction of a stop) across the full range with no adjustments. Many electronic shutters of that vintage had a single mechanical speed in case of battery failure, most often in the 1/90, 1/100, 1/125 range with vertical running shutters. I think it may have been 1/250 on the Nikon FM/FE series. It was usually the flash sync speed.

This is all from memory, so double check me if it's critical.

Lee

 

[rosey]

I might add here another reason to prefer the silver or lithium batteries instead of the alkalines. And I speak from sad experience. I have seen cameras that have suffered severe leakage of the alkaline button batteries, ruining the camera or requiring repair beyond a simple cleaning. I have never seen a lithium or silver battery leak, even when forgotten and kept in a camera for years. Has anyone else?

 

[sollumen]

Yes. If you take apart one of these batteries, you'll find that it is a physical stack of four LR/SR44 batteries wrapped in a thin shell that holds them together. The versions I mentioned earlier still have pretty good availability. They were very common in the electronic shutter cameras of the time, such as the Canon AE/AT series. My Minolta spotmeter uses one of these as well, and I can find them at the local drugstore.

Many electronic cameras take a CR1/3N, 2L76, K58L or equivalent which is two of the SR/LR44 type batteries stacked, so you could also stack two of those to equal a 544, PX28, etc. Actually Sanyo's name for the 4 battery stack for the EL2 is the 2CR1/3N, indicating that they consider it 2 CR1/3Ns stacked.

There are lithium, alkaline, and silver oxide models of these batteries available, and some cameras may work better with a particular version as Matt has pointed out. AG13 and Eveready 357 are also equivalents to the SR/LR44 models. I tend to stick with the silver oxide or lithium versions.

Electronically controlled shutters like on the EL2 tend to stay pretty accurate over time. I had a '79 vintage electronic shutter checked a couple of years ago and it was within 10-15% (a small fraction of a stop) across the full range with no adjustments. Many electronic shutters of that vintage had a single mechanical speed in case of battery failure, most often in the 1/90, 1/100, 1/125 range with vertical running shutters. I think it may have been 1/250 on the Nikon FM/FE series. It was usually the flash sync speed.

This is all from memory, so double check me if it's critical.

Lee

Thanks Lee - The battery is the V28PX silver oxide. I will go to Ritz today to see if they carry this, if not, there is a Radio Shack down the street I can try also. I will try the SR44's if either of them do not carry the V28PX. It is critical I find something soon, as I only have a couple days left on the return period, and I have to expose a roll or two to see if things if the meter works, etc. (the body looks so good I would be surprised if it didn't). I'll post my progress later today

Kind regards to all the posters - and THANKS!

 

[copake_ham]

Thanks Lee - The battery is the V28PX silver oxide. I will go to Ritz today to see if they carry this, if not, there is a Radio Shack down the street I can try also. I will try the SR44's if either of them do not carry the V28PX. It is critical I find something soon, as I only have a couple days left on the return period, and I have to expose a roll or two to see if things if the meter works, etc. (the body looks so good I would be surprised if it didn't). I'll post my progress later today

Kind regards to all the posters - and THANKS!

I think you will be very pleased. The old Nikon "bricks" were built to last forever. I started with a Nikkormat FT-2 some thirty years ago - and it is still going strong (w/o ever replacing seals and foam!).

Have fun, shoot pics, upload some here!

 

[sollumen]

What a Day!

Wow, what a day! I left the forum here earlier on a quest to find a battery for the venerable little EL2, and came home tonight with plunder

To update on the battery search: I went to the local Ritz camera store, and lo and behold, they had one 6v PX28 left in stock. It was the Alkaline rather than the recommended Silver-Oxide, but the main objective was completed: to make sure that the meter and shutter speeds were functioning, and they were! The metering needle responded well to the changes in aperture and shutter speed, and I will have the test roll developed tomorrow.

Fast forward to 5:30 pm CST - I'm just browsing on eBay and I see this listing for an F100 + extras. Curious, I clicked on the link and saw that it was just listed as a 10-day auction with a BIN of 285.00
Believe me, I was tempted, but I passed on it because the buyer only had 7 feedbacks, but an hour later I was back and saw that someone had placed a bid on it already, but below the BIN (a bargain hunter methinks - I hope they aren't on this forum lol). To make a long story shorter, I decided to go for it, as I have wanted an F100 for sometime now, but the prices seemed a bit steep for me. Now for the kicker - turns out the seller was in Milwaukee - about a couple miles from me! Three hours later I had my F100 and about 60 rolls of various Color & B&W films, as well as a flash bracket - & the seller delivered it all to me in person! Turns out he is a professional wedding photographer who went digital, and this camera I bought was his back-up to the other F-100 he used, and the film I got as part of the deal was what he had left. The camera looks brand new with barely any marks on the body and pressure plate, has a nice clean and bright viewfinder and it just feels RIGHT in my hands, and is probably all I will need for a 35mm camera.

Whew - I can't tell you how happy this had made me today - I feel i'm going to expose those 60 odd rolls in no time Between the little EL2 and the F100 I think I did well for myself. The EL2 will be a good little street shooter & back-up.

My girlfriend - bless her heart, didn't raise an eyebrow at this impulsive act on my part, so I gave her my N80

 

[John Koehrer]

It seems as though your battery quandry has been solved. PX-28 is th ebattery the camera originally shipped with & indeedis made up of the LR/SR 44's.
The foam mess in the channels of the body can be removed with care.
I usually put a couple of drops of rubbing alcohol into the channel, let it dissolve the foam even more and then use the specialty tool available from KMart/grocery/dollar store etc.
The specialty tool is known at those stores as a bamboo skewer usually for a buck a dozen or so.
If you would like to obtain the more exotic version, I can whip up a label that calls 'em "Specialty photographic foam remover" these run about $29.95 ea. cus I have to run down to the dollar store to replenish my stock

 

[elekm]

I've never thought of the EL2 as a little camera. I guess when sitting next to the F100, it is little. But when it was on the market, it was seen as a normal size SLR. The FM and FE were smaller cameras, as Nikon, Pentax, Canon and others tried to respond to the popularity of the Olympus OM-1.

Either way, sounds like you got some great deals. I just bought an EL2 as well, but won't pick it up until next week. It should fit nicely between the F2A and the FE that I've owned since 1979.

 

[sollumen]

I got back the film today and all is well with the EL2 and F100

I had fun using the el2 with the 50 1.8 - spent most of the evening using up some of that film!

I just received the KEH catalog today and they have a coupon in back offering a CLA for $45, so I think I will send in both cameras to be cleaned, and have new light seals put in.

BTW - will a SB-28 speedlight work on the el2? I have one but I don't know if it will damage the camera or the speedlight itself, though I don't think it would. According to the SB-28 manual, it works with most of the older cameras, but the el2 isn't listed.

 

[toyotadesigner]

You can get seals here:

http://tinyurl.com/yvfs5c

It's a German ebay shop. The guy is very famous in Europe and delivers first class products. The seals are made of neoprene and very durable. I'm not sure if he has some seals for the EL2, but I think he'll be able to deliver those as well.

Good luck!