Nikon F, F2 noise comparisons with other members?

Eagle Blue · Sep 17, 2017

I'm re-addressing 2 cameras that I have posted threads on before. This time I'm asking for reports from other forum members to compare with. I have never paid much attention to any discussion about camera noise, other than equating it with possible accompanying vibration levels. But right now, I have a huge discrepency between my Nikon F and F2. They are both "Photomic" finder equipped, for the purposes of the discussion. But my F2 is VERY much louder than my F. Both have good foam, and both are in excellent+ condition. But the F is so much quieter. And when I put it in mirror lock, the F shutter is quiet as an iris shutter or a "Leica", although I've never touched a Leica, but headr about them. On the other hand, my F2 is CLACK-CLACK!!!. Even in mirror lockup it is almost as loud. When I put the F2 in B, I notice the first curtain is quieter, but the closing curtain is CLACK!.
Don't these cameras have basically the same shutter? Why is my F2 so dadgum loud? and for the biggie: wouldn't this also translate to more vibration? I just wonder what others have to report about their models. It's hard to describe in words for discussions like this, but put it this way. If I put the back of the F2 directly against my ear and trip it, any more noise would cause hearing problems, like a gunshot might. Thank you.

Les Sarile · Sep 17, 2017

My F2 is louder louder than my F. If you are not grossly exaggerating that the F2 is loud as a gunshot then I guess there is something very wrong with it. Since I haven't opened either, I am guessing the main difference in the two shutters is the introduction of the 1/2000 speed that must be contributing to the louder sound.

BTW, nobody ever shoots with their ear to the back of the camera . . .

mshchem · Sep 17, 2017

mshchem · Sep 17, 2017

Even BETTER! MD100 High Speed

BrianVS · Sep 17, 2017

My Nikon SP with Titanium Foil curtains is louder than that with cloth curtains. It's the material.
The S2 is louder than the SP: it is the shutter braking mechanism.
The F is louder than the SP: it is the mirror.
The F2 is louder than The F. It is the higher Sync Speed of 1/80th vs 1/60th.

chip j · Sep 17, 2017

My F2 made a loud "ping" when the mirror came down--I sold it for peanuts.

Theo Sulphate · Sep 17, 2017

My F2's (with metering heads) are a little louder than my plain-prism F. However, it seems to me the lens that's mounted also affects the sound. That big 85/1.8 on my F makes it sound wonderful.

My Barrett 82A1 in .50BMG, my CZ550 in .416 Rigby, Ruger No.1H in .375 H&H, and even my Sako in .222 are all louder than the Nikon F2.

MultiFormat Shooter · Sep 17, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
...and even my Sako in .222 are all louder than the Nikon F2.

Is the Sako .222 Remington or .222 Remington Magnum? The latter is a pretty rare caliber, but I know Sako made them.

Theo Sulphate · Sep 17, 2017

MultiFormat Shooter said:
Is the Sako .222 Remington or .222 Remington Magnum? The latter is a pretty rare caliber, but I know Sako made them.

Sako 75 Varmint in .222 Remington. Bought it new in 1998. Leupold Mk. IV 16x scope with mil dot reticle by Premier.

As for the F2, can anyone vouch for a Soverized one being quieter?

The OP mentioned foam - I, too, have seen cameras like a K1000 with perfect foam yet were very loud. I think a lot of this sound comes from the mirror damping or return mechanism.

Eagle Blue · Sep 17, 2017

Well, after experimenting today to see which I'm most likely to use continuously, and realizing you can only use one camera at the time, and that I'm no news photographer in a warzone with 3 or 4 Nikons hanging around my neck banging each other up, it still comes back to my Nikkormat FTn. It shoots with just a dull muffled sound that doesn't give me a start each time I trip it. I shoot with my left eye, so that means more of the camera is in contact with my face, and the sound is in my left ear, and the sharp CLACK just is unsettling to me. Very much as if you shot a cap pistol. I think you all know what I mean. The Nikkormat's meter cuts off below 1/8 at 250 speed film, and the meter needle is hard to see if it is over a dark area of the scene, but those are little things. And whatever sound volume there is is dull in comparison. I just don't know what the Nikons can give in the form of the photo itself that is one bit better. Funny how you can use something so long and just want someting newer and nicer, and then end up going right back to it. The Nikkormat is really a nice camera over all. Just remember to jam a folded piece of paper under the self timer lever so you don't accidentally move it. Because once you move it even a hair, the next shot is going to have a time delay and not a thing you can do about it.

Theo Sulphate · Sep 17, 2017

Many of us have attenuated high-frequency hearing. If your hearing is very good at the high frequencies, this may be what you're hearing from the F2 that others don't.

Still, I wonder whether the mirror damping or return mechanisms are the source of the loud sound and whether a CLA would solve it.

Another possibility, if you still want to give the F2 a chance, is to try it with a half-case and see if that helps.

MultiFormat Shooter · Sep 17, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
Sako 75 Varmint in .222 Remington. Bought it new in 1999. Leupold Mk. IV 16x scope with mil dot reticle by Premier.

Nice rig!

LeftCoastKid · Sep 17, 2017

Theo Sulphate said:
Sako 75 Varmint in .222 Remington. Bought it new in 1999. Leupold Mk. IV 16x scope with mil dot reticle by Premier.

View attachment 186909

As for the F2, can anyone vouch for a Soverized one being quieter? ]Snip]

The OP mentioned foam - I, too, have seen cameras like a K1000 with perfect foam yet were very loud. I think a lot of this sound comes from the mirror damping or return mechanism.

[Snip]

Just checked three of my F2AS bodies: Unless my ears deceive, the two Soverized bodies are somewhat quieter. Refoaming was done when the two were serviced by Mr Wong three years ago.

Theo Sulphate · Sep 18, 2017

OK - just did a test. Yes, the F2's have a louder higher frequency ping that the F does not. I can understand how this would annoy a left-eyed photographer.

My Nikkormat FT2 is quieter than even the F - but remember that it has the Copal Square shutter.

BrianVS · Sep 18, 2017

"Several decades ago" I replaced the deteriorating mirror foam of a couple of my Nikon F's and F2's with material from an engine gasket, rubber/cork composite with adhesive backing. The owner of Mora Camera liked my solution, made me feel pretty good. The material has lasted, and is better and quieting the mirror slap than the original foam. If the sound bothers you- try a better dampening material in place of the foam.

CMoore · Sep 18, 2017

Cameras make noise, some make more noise than others.
I must have 7-8-9 different SLR. I THINK my Minolta XD-11 is the most quiet of them all.
But so what.....does somebody need a silent camera.?
I would say if the camera is so loud that you think about it during use..... There is something, physically, wrong with the camera...which is entirely possible circa 2017..... or somebody suffers from some kind of OCD.......I Never Notice or think about the "noise" that my camera makes when i am using it.
I have to Try to hear the noise(s).. With the routine of Focus, Composition, Reciprocity Possibilities, Different Angels, Bracketing, etc etc......i really do not even notice or particularly care what the Shutter/Mirror sounds like.

BrianVS · Sep 18, 2017

There are many events in which you want a quiet camera, Wedding Photographers shoot during a ceremony is an example. For a piano recital, I'd bring my Leica M3 in an ever-ready case. That is quiet. In general, an ever-ready case will dampen camera noise. The cases for the Nikon F and F2 are metal with velvet and leather over it. There is also the "Blimp case" for the F2 for shooting on-stage where quiet was required..
I can think of some events where the "ping" of an F2 can be heard around me. At an Airshow- no problem.

OlyMan · Sep 18, 2017

This is where rangefinders have the edge. And some digital cameras have an even bigger edge with no moving parts at all so potentially zero noise. Unless you live somewhere like China, where apparently it's illegal for a digital camera to have a silent mode, even a smartphone, I can only assume because they had/have some kind of voyeurism epidemic...

Don't forget as well these cameras are decades old now, and the original damping materials are likely to have either deteriorated or gone hard.It's possible the F2 used different materials to the F which haven't withstood the test of time quite as well.

BrianVS · Sep 18, 2017

The F2 was always louder than the F. I bought my F2a brand-new in 1978, it was louder than my Nikon F Photomic Bullseye, bought used.

Too Funny- buy a brand-new Nikon F2a and hand it to a 9-year old to use.

Panatomic-X, Nikon F, Circa 1978 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

Picture taken with the Nikon F Bullseye, 43_86/3.5 Ai, Panatomic-X in Microdol 1:1.

I still have both cameras. Will have to look at the foam on the F2a. I used the gasket material on the Photomic F Bullseye. Somewhere I have the original Test reports on the Nikon F2, which includes measures of the sound made.

E. von Hoegh · Sep 18, 2017

Eagle Blue said:
I'm re-addressing 2 cameras that I have posted threads on before. This time I'm asking for reports from other forum members to compare with. I have never paid much attention to any discussion about camera noise, other than equating it with possible accompanying vibration levels. But right now, I have a huge discrepency between my Nikon F and F2. They are both "Photomic" finder equipped, for the purposes of the discussion. But my F2 is VERY much louder than my F. Both have good foam, and both are in excellent+ condition. But the F is so much quieter. And when I put it in mirror lock, the F shutter is quiet as an iris shutter or a "Leica", although I've never touched a Leica, but headr about them. On the other hand, my F2 is CLACK-CLACK!!!. Even in mirror lockup it is almost as loud. When I put the F2 in B, I notice the first curtain is quieter, but the closing curtain is CLACK!.
Don't these cameras have basically the same shutter? Why is my F2 so dadgum loud? and for the biggie: wouldn't this also translate to more vibration? I just wonder what others have to report about their models. It's hard to describe in words for discussions like this, but put it this way. If I put the back of the F2 directly against my ear and trip it, any more noise would cause hearing problems, like a gunshot might. Thank you.

"If I put the back of the F2 directly against my ear and trip it, any more noise would cause hearing problems, like a gunshot might. Thank you"

Ummm, yeah. Have you tried putting film in it?.
"...the F shutter is quiet as an iris shutter or a "Leica", although I've never touched a Leica, but heard about them...?

Maybe you should get one, Leica that is.

The shutters in the F and F2 are not the same at all. The curtain travel in the F2 is significantly faster, ergo more noise, and the curtain brake is different. Mirror mechanism is revised as well for faster motor drive work. Faster synch speed, faster top speed.

The shutters in the Nikkormats are different yet, being vertical travel metal blinds.

You should also try a prewar Contax, that shutter sounds really strange - various "thuks" "wizzes" and so on depending on the speed you select.

Seriously though, stop making these threads and go take some pictures.

BrianVS · Sep 18, 2017

The sound that a camera makes is important to some people, and can make a difference in use. Being loaded with film does little to dampen the sound. Using an Ever-ready case makes a big difference, I would suggest one of the CH series cases. The CH-1 and CH-2 have built in straps, the CH-4 and CH-5 have cut-outs to use the straps on the bodies. The CH-2 and CH-5 allow use of a 43~86 zoom.

I just check my "bought new" F2a. After almost 40 years, the mirror bumper foam is intact, no need to replace. Sounds the same as it did almost 40 years ago.

My most quiet Nikon is the S3-2000.

E. von Hoegh · Sep 18, 2017

BrianVS said:
The sound that a camera makes is important to some people, and can make a difference in use. Being loaded with film does little to dampen the sound. Using an Ever-ready case makes a big difference, I would suggest one of the CH series cases. The CH-1 and CH-2 have built in straps, the CH-4 and CH-5 have cut-outs to use the straps on the bodies. The CH-2 and CH-5 allow use of a 43~86 zoom.

I just check my "bought new" F2a. After almost 40 years, the mirror bumper foam is intact, no need to replace. Sounds the same as it did almost 40 years ago.

My most quiet Nikon is the S3-2000.

Yes, but unless the OP posts a sound file,recorded under strict conditions, this thread is kinda pointless, although that F2 "ping" thread was worse.

Different cameras sound different, two of the same cameras can sound different - I have a pair of Canon IIbs that sound like different cameras because one is properly lubricated and has new curtains and the other is dry as dust and sounds pretty rattly in comparison, even though both have seen little use.
If the OP had two F2s that sounded different, we could make some better guesses - but they'd still be only guesses.
Come to think of it, an oscilloscope trace would be better than a sound recording. But without either it's pretty pointless, sounds being as subjective as they are.

BrianVS · Sep 18, 2017

I have 10 Nikon F2's, including two from the test production batch.

They sound pretty much the same. If a camera is way out of spec, or has been improperly CLA'd, it might sound different. Putting too much tension on the shutter rather than properly removing old lubricants, cleaning the parts, and relubing will increase noise. Sending a camera into a good repair facility is like sending it to the Spa, comes back rested and ready for action.

Fastest way to reduce noise:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-CH-4-...175397?hash=item5d757e61e5:g:E5kAAOSwaIRZuBEg

I've bought a lot from Robert's. My F2a has been in a CH-4 since 1980.

If the thread is so pointless to you, go out and take some pictures. There are things that can be done to reduce the sound that a camera makes even when brand new. I learned that when the F2 was still new and the F3 was a few years off.

Eagle Blue · Sep 18, 2017

E. von Hoegh said:
"If I put the back of the F2 directly against my ear and trip it, any more noise would cause hearing problems, like a gunshot might. Thank you"

Ummm, yeah. Have you tried putting film in it?.
"...the F shutter is quiet as an iris shutter or a "Leica", although I've never touched a Leica, but heard about them...?

Maybe you should get one, Leica that is.

The shutters in the F and F2 are not the same at all. The curtain travel in the F2 is significantly faster, ergo more noise, and the curtain brake is different. Mirror mechanism is revised as well for faster motor drive work. Faster synch speed, faster top speed.

The shutters in the Nikkormats are different yet, being vertical travel metal blinds.

You should also try a prewar Contax, that shutter sounds really strange - various "thuks" "wizzes" and so on depending on the speed you select.

Seriously though, stop making these threads and go take some pictures.

Thank you. I'm not going to get snippy over that crack because you can't have known my foot has been broken for a month. About all I can do is sit around here and play with my new toys. But I'm telling you, I shoot with my left eye, and with that F2 pressed up against my nose and cheekbone, it makes me flinch a bit every time it goes off. And the foam is fine, and it doesn't need service any more than all the others out there. The Nikkormat goes off with a much duller sound and besides that has a shorter throw on the wind. I've always wondered if Nikon hadn't undermined themselves when they invented it. Although now that I've worked on several, they are rather simplistic in construction compared to the flagship Nikons. And in MLU, the F is quiet as a pin drop in a barnyard. As far as who else doesn't like camera noise I don't care. And I'm not enough of a masochist to shoot weddings.

BrianVS · Sep 18, 2017

The F2 with my gasket material for a mirror bumper is quiter than one made in the same batch with the regular foam rubber.

As long as you are stuck inside, and have taken apart cameras before- why not see what can be done to quiet it down. Mirror bumper is obvious. There is also empty space under the Serial Number plate- you could probably make some rubber cutouts to further dampen the noise.I'm tempted- have an F2 that needs some work, and I have the factory repair manual in PDF format.

Nikon F, F2 noise comparisons with other members?

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