Nikon F early and later

Xmas · May 15, 2015

darkosaric said:
F6 is a beast! But my question is: if you go on Arctic and in Sahara, and you can take only one camera --> which one goes with you: F or F6 ?

Tom Smith (Smmithy) only gets a one sentence mention.
He was told to be on a boat and issued with two cameras so he spent the whole war looking after button cells cause the cameras were F3s.

Dead Link Removed

He attended several hot situations eg being pinned down in the final attract on Mount Langdon targeted for effect by 'Argy' mortars with no cover.

His para 'escort' of the day personality was changed, so the link is abstract on that point, lots of the intelligence was 'public' during the war, but the gutter press went rabid...

mweintraub · May 15, 2015

darkosaric said:
F6 is a beast! But my question is: if you go on Arctic and in Sahara, and you can take only one camera --> which one goes with you: F or F6 ?

To answer your question: F. But to shoot my kid or dogs running around, F6.

Les Sarile · May 24, 2015

When looking for a plain prism F2 I found another perfect plain prism F. I was going to use it to trade for the F2 but didn't need to so now I still have them with no plans except to continue using them.

Sirius Glass · May 24, 2015

250swb said:
Nikon F's are so cheap that unless you are destitute keep both, one for B&W and one for colour.

Steve

That is what I do with two newer model Nikons.

Alan Klein · May 24, 2015

I bought a Nikon F Photomic T in 1965 while stationed in Japan. A few years later after being discharged, I lost it on a NYC subway.

You didn't find it, did you?

Sirius Glass · May 24, 2015

Alan Klein said:
I bought a Nikon F Photomic T in 1965 while stationed in Japan. A few years later after being discharged, I lost it on a NYC subway.

You didn't find it, did you?

I did not, sorry.

cuthbert · May 24, 2015

mweintraub said:
Ha

I just bought a realllly later Nikon today.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sell the one in the back, keep the one in the front.

Autofocus is overrated, for instance this pic:

has been taken with this camera:

Sirius Glass · May 24, 2015

cuthbert said:
Sell the one in the back, keep the one in the front.

Autofocus is overrated, for instance this pic:

has been taken with this camera:

The problem is not auto focus. The problems are camera motion [blur of the tent and trees] and too slow choice of shutter speed [even more blur of the people].

blockend · May 25, 2015

darkosaric said:
Keep both, they are beautiful cameras. I had 2 F's - sold one and I regret it.

Yes my mint, plain prism, early number F is the only camera I regret selling.

cooltouch · May 27, 2015

I have an early F, 64xxxx, with the early non-TTL Photomic finder -- the one with the big round window in the front? I've always thought they looked cool. Mine's the first version too, with the semaphore instead of the on-off switch. The meter actually works in mine, and it's accurate. Sometime after buying it -- about five years ago, I picked up a plain non-metered prism for it. I've got that one mounted to the camera at the moment. Recently I've started getting the urge to buy a late model F with the Photomic FTN finder. Just for the sake of completeness, I guess. I own two F2s, an F3, and an F4 -- so, yeah, just for the sake of completeness. And because I like those old mechanical beasties.

cuthbert · May 27, 2015

cooltouch said:
I have an early F, 64xxxx, with the early non-TTL Photomic finder -- the one with the big round window in the front? I've always thought they looked cool. Mine's the first version too, with the semaphore instead of the on-off switch. The meter actually works in mine, and it's accurate. Sometime after buying it -- about five years ago, I picked up a plain non-metered prism for it. I've got that one mounted to the camera at the moment. Recently I've started getting the urge to buy a late model F with the Photomic FTN finder. Just for the sake of completeness, I guess. I own two F2s, an F3, and an F4 -- so, yeah, just for the sake of completeness. And because I like those old mechanical beasties.

Pics of the camera or it didn't happen!

I'm not familiar with early Fs but I know that in Antonioni's blowup they look very cool!

resummerfield · May 27, 2015

This thread prompted me to visit my Nikon F collection. This particular model from 72 appears to be an anomaly (and I have not manipulated this photo). Has anyone ever noticed another Nikon F nameplate without the dot on the i?

cooltouch · May 28, 2015

cuthbert said:
Pics of the camera or it didn't happen!

I'm not familiar with early Fs but I know that in Antonioni's blowup they look very cool!

Okay, okay, here ya go. And you're not gonna get any earlier than this one:

Complete with angle of acceptance restrictor and incident light filter (under the restrictor) -- that tube sticking out of the side of the finder.

ColColt · May 28, 2015

Yep, that one's even older than mine.

cuthbert · May 28, 2015

cooltouch said:
Okay, okay, here ya go. And you're not gonna get any earlier than this one:

Complete with angle of acceptance restrictor and incident light filter (under the restrictor) -- that tube sticking out of the side of the finder.

ColColt said:
Yep, that one's even older than mine.

These cameras make me think about this scene:

Theo Sulphate · May 28, 2015

ColColt said:
Yep, that one's even older than mine.

You have a type 6 self timer lever, which came near the end of the Nikon F production run. So, one of the newer ones, actually.

http://www.destoutz.ch/typ_self-timer-levers.html#type6

cooltouch · May 31, 2015

Theo Sulphate said:
You have a type 6 self timer lever, which came near the end of the Nikon F production run. So, one of the newer ones, actually.

http://www.destoutz.ch/typ_self-timer-levers.html#type6

Yeah, that one's often nicknamed the "Apollo," isn't it?

cooltouch · May 31, 2015

cuthbert said:
These cameras make me think about this scene:

They make me think of this one (Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now):

Theo Sulphate · May 31, 2015

cooltouch said:
Yeah, that one's often nicknamed the "Apollo," isn't it?

Yes: https://www.cameraquest.com/nfapol.htm

cuthbert · May 31, 2015

cooltouch said:
They make me think of this one (Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now):

I thought that Hopper already used F2s in that movie, however I prefer the model of Blow Up to Mad Marlon of Apocalypse Now.

mweintraub · May 31, 2015

Theo Sulphate said:
You have a type 6 self timer lever, which came near the end of the Nikon F production run. So, one of the newer ones, actually.

http://www.destoutz.ch/typ_self-timer-levers.html#type6

There's more on his sight about each and every difference between the F changes. Does anyone have that main page?

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jimjm · May 31, 2015

Right here:

http://www.destoutz.ch/nikon-f.html

As you drill down and select Bodies, then a specific example, the details on the right side are links to another page which lists all the variations for that feature, say self-timer levers or rewind knobs.

Or you can also start from this page:

http://www.destoutz.ch/typology_body_parts.html

mweintraub · Jun 1, 2015

jimjm said:
Right here:

http://www.destoutz.ch/nikon-f.html

As you drill down and select Bodies, then a specific example, the details on the right side are links to another page which lists all the variations for that feature, say self-timer levers or rewind knobs.

Or you can also start from this page:

http://www.destoutz.ch/typology_body_parts.html

Thanks. Yeah, I've been here before looking for the "list", so I probably just over looked it! Thanks.

cuthbert · Jun 1, 2015

jimjm said:
Right here:

http://www.destoutz.ch/nikon-f.html

As you drill down and select Bodies, then a specific example, the details on the right side are links to another page which lists all the variations for that feature, say self-timer levers or rewind knobs.

Or you can also start from this page:

http://www.destoutz.ch/typology_body_parts.html

Very informative website but I also noticed that my '74 F2 does have a different locking mechanism in comparison to my '78 one and this is not reported there.

Nikon F early and later

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