Nikon F2: Mini Sover Wong Treatment...

F4U · Mar 20, 2025

The F2 is without peer in 35mm cameras. And mine is in absolute mint condition. But actually I've been finding myself partial to the 1970 F with complete motor drive and plain finder I recently picked up for a song. This F has a strange charm with that motor drive and battery pack that looks like a jury-rigged factory after thought. Although I have to carry it in my hand to keep the strap rings from worming out the eyelets. Besides, with those eyelets sticking out the ends of the body, even if you used the strap, it would just keep flipping over frontwards. and how 'bout that shutter release on the BACK of the camera, forcing to to curl your finger? A strange bird, bu a legacy work horse for sure. The F2 is refined to a perfection no other camera even came close to.

ic-racer · Mar 20, 2025

To complete my little collection I just got an all black "Apollo" F. I know you know, but for the others, the so-called "Apollo" version was made at the same time the F2 was available and had a plastic tip on the wind lever and the timer lever. Also, stainless reinforced strap lungs (though still in the same cumbersome location). I'll probably start a little thread on that one too.

F4U said:
The F2 is without peer in 35mm cameras. And mine is in absolute mint condition. But actually I've been finding myself partial to the 1970 F with complete motor drive and plain finder I recently picked up for a song. This F has a strange charm with that motor drive and battery pack that looks like a jury-rigged factory after thought. Although I have to carry it in my hand to keep the strap rings from worming out the eyelets. Besides, with those eyelets sticking out the ends of the body, even if you used the strap, it would just keep flipping over frontwards. and how 'bout that shutter release on the BACK of the camera, forcing to to curl your finger? A strange bird, bu a legacy work horse for sure. The F2 is refined to a perfection no other camera even came close to.

ic-racer · Mar 20, 2025

Another F2 thread on Photrio that should be mentioned:

Nikon F2 - DIY Repairs & Maintenance

I eBay purchased an old beat up F2 for less than a carton of beer. It was jammed, the Finder dismantled, shutter crinkled, rusty, dusty, no power to the finder - basically a basket case. So a good project to see if I could get it working again, which I did and successfully. Unable to find much...

www.photrio.com

F4U · Mar 20, 2025

I have 3 F's and 1 F2 Mint with MD2 and MD3, and plenty of good old non-AI lenses. No more. Besides, Nikon went out of business when they dropped F2 and Nikkormat. Once you've manufactured perfection and it ran its course, there is no way but down.

ic-racer · Mar 20, 2025

F4U said:
I have 3 F's and 1 F2 Mint with MD2 and MD3, and plenty of good old non-AI lenses. No more. Besides, Nikon went out of business when they dropped F2 and Nikkormat. Once you've manufactured perfection and it ran its course, there is no way but down.

Your favorite pre-AI lenses?

I'm starting a little collection of pre-AI lenses with the intent of keeping them pre-AI for the DP-1 camera in this thread and for the F.

F4U · Mar 20, 2025

Most of my life I was a normal 50mm man. But in later years I've just kept an old banged up 35mm f/2 on the one I'm using at the time. Picked that lens up back in the 70's from Adger Smythe Camera up in Charlotte.

Chuck1 · Mar 20, 2025

I just got a 55 1.2 cheap

AnselMortensen · Mar 21, 2025

ic-racer said:
Your favorite pre-AI lenses?

I'm starting a little collection of pre-AI lenses with the intent of keeping them pre-AI for the DP-1 camera in this thread and for the F.

85mm f1.8 Non-AI for the win.

Andreas Thaler · Mar 21, 2025

@ic-racer I'm impressed by your activity and electromechanical expertise.

Where do your patients come from?

Andreas Thaler · Mar 21, 2025

ic-racer said:
Another F2 thread on Photrio that should be mentioned:

Nikon F2 - DIY Repairs & Maintenance

I eBay purchased an old beat up F2 for less than a carton of beer. It was jammed, the Finder dismantled, shutter crinkled, rusty, dusty, no power to the finder - basically a basket case. So a good project to see if I could get it working again, which I did and successfully. Unable to find much...

www.photrio.com

I think this might interest you:

https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/rl/00593/00593.pdf

Pacific Rim Camera Reference Library

F4U · Mar 21, 2025

Andreas Thaler said:
@ic-racer I'm impressed by your activity and electromechanical expertise.

Where do your patients come from?

I didn't mean to hijack is excellent thread, but if I may answer that question, it may or may not speak for him. "Where does the patience come from"? 1) You've got to want it. 2) And once started, quitting is not acceptable. Once you've opened it up you're committed and you have to see it through. I'm not sure that's "patience" or not. It's more of a feedback loop you've trapped yourself in, which brings you back to #1. Number 3 is that poor work is unacceptable and excellent work is all that is allowed. Nowhere in that is it expressed or implied that you always know what you're doing, which often means doing it over, as many times as it takes. Patience be damned.

Andreas Thaler · Mar 21, 2025

F4U said:
I didn't mean to hijack is excellent thread, but if I may answer that question, it may or may not speak for him. "Where does the patience come from"? 1) You've got to want it. 2) And once started, quitting is not acceptable. Once you've opened it up you're committed and you have to see it through. I'm not sure that's "patience" or not. It's more of a feedback loop you've trapped yourself in, which brings you back to #1. Number 3 is that poor work is unacceptable and excellent work is all that is allowed. Nowhere in that is it expressed or implied that you always know what you're doing, which often means doing it over, as many times as it takes. Patience be damned.

Patients in the meaning of sick persons.

Translated, @ic-racer where do you get the F2s for your repairs.

ic-racer · Mar 21, 2025

All comments welcome here.

Over Christmas I downloaded as much material on F and F2 I could find. That got me ready to tackle some mechanical Nikon repairs.

Since November last year I have been using on-line auction sites, placing lots of low bids on just about anything NIKON that was 'untested' or obviously in need of repair. Probably 90% of the auctions were lost, but I did get some cameras and equipment. Yes, a lot if it needed work, but there were a few lucky wins. Like the F3 and F.

However, not a single S, S2 or SP, in multiple tries. People are bidding just way too much for those. My maximum bid for those is less then $100 USD.
For example I was a sub $100 bidder on this camera that a couple crazies bit over $4000. But I'm still trying.

Fujicaman1957 · Mar 22, 2025

IC...you showed the inside with the base plate off. Can you tell me which color wire is the negative wire up to the contact for the meter prism?

Hassasin · Mar 22, 2025

F4U said:
The F2 is without peer in 35mm cameras. And mine is in absolute mint condition. But actually I've been finding myself partial to the 1970 F with complete motor drive and plain finder I recently picked up for a song. This F has a strange charm with that motor drive and battery pack that looks like a jury-rigged factory after thought. Although I have to carry it in my hand to keep the strap rings from worming out the eyelets. Besides, with those eyelets sticking out the ends of the body, even if you used the strap, it would just keep flipping over frontwards. and how 'bout that shutter release on the BACK of the camera, forcing to to curl your finger? A strange bird, bu a legacy work horse for sure. The F2 is refined to a perfection no other camera even came close to.

Clearly you have never used Canon F1, any version.

chuckroast · Mar 22, 2025

ic-racer said:
To complete my little collection I just got an all black "Apollo" F. I know you know, but for the others, the so-called "Apollo" version was made at the same time the F2 was available and had a plastic tip on the wind lever and the timer lever. Also, stainless reinforced strap lungs (though still in the same cumbersome location). I'll probably start a little thread on that one too.

I have a black Apollo F with both a plain and FtN prism (that works) as well as an F2 with the original Photomic head. Both a terrific shooters. The F2 clearly is an evolution of the F rather than a different camera like the F3 is (which I also own).

I recently saw and NIB chrome Apollo F offered on FleaBay which was sooooo tempting, but I don't buy cameras to collect them so I passed.

F4U · Mar 22, 2025

Hassasin said:
Clearly you have never used Canon F1, any version.

Actually I've always admired the original F1, but never used one. But the original F1 indeed had a brawny beauty about it.. But an internal meter all these years later puts it out of contention. An F or F2 can always have another meter slapped on it. Or a plain prism. A Canon F1 with a dead meter cell is a permanently broken camera. And Canon could never make up their mind on a lens mount for the ages. Every so often a manufacturer makes a product that can never be beaten. Revox with their A77. Nikon with their F2...

awty · Mar 22, 2025

Nice work (again). Thanks

Hassasin · Mar 22, 2025

F4U said:
Actually I've always admired the original F1, but never used one. But the original F1 indeed had a brawny beauty about it.. But an internal meter all these years later puts it out of contention. An F or F2 can always have another meter slapped on it. Or a plain prism. A Canon F1 with a dead meter cell is a permanently broken camera. And Canon could never make up their mind on a lens mount for the ages. Every so often a manufacturer makes a product that can never be beaten. Revox with their A77. Nikon with their F2...

We always find ways to explain the unexplainable. None of your points have anything to do how one camera compares to the other.

Olympus 4T had bar far best metering logic of anything ever made in 35 mm world, yet mechanically it feels second class. if only F1 ever had its guts, oh well.

Holding and operating Nikons then the the F1s there is objectively no comparison. They simply feel made by a different class of mechanical engineering.

Andreas Thaler · Mar 22, 2025

Hassasin said:
Olympus 4T had bar far best metering logic of anything ever made in 35 mm world, yet mechanically it feels second class. if only F1 ever had its guts, oh well.

Holding and operating Nikons then the the F1s there is objectively no comparison. They simply feel made by a different class of mechanical engineering.

Did you look inside all of the cameras mentioned to make these statements?

Hassasin · Mar 22, 2025

Andreas Thaler said:
Did you look inside all of the cameras mentioned to make these statements?

I don’t think I need to, the film advance, how finders and screens fit, how shutter responds is enough to hear and feel the difference of intervals. I never knock down Nikons, they made great cameras. Calling F2 as one without peers is simply indicative how public is swayed by advertising and hear say,

Andreas Thaler · Mar 22, 2025

This is my F2 family, including a Nikon F Photomic Tn Apollo.

All of them were at Sover Wong years ago, including the finders and the MD-2 and MD-3 motor drives. They all work like they've been dipped in warm butter

My problem is that I as DIY repairer have nothing to do here and I couldn't service a mechanical camera anyway, especially not to Sover's standard. I'm considering selling everything. But it's a beautiful collection, including the DS-12 aperture control, and it would be a shame to lose it.

Sover's service is second to none, both in terms of performance and processing.

I was almost there firsthand and had a say in what was done. Sover provides a detailed workshop report for every device. You get real value for your money and know exactly what work was done, including the condition the items were in beforehand. As far as I know, the waiting time at Sover is currently several months.

Nikon F2 Repair/Overhaul Service

And when I look at the work from @ic-racer from a distance, I recognize the same level

Andreas Thaler · Mar 22, 2025

Hassasin said:
I don’t think I need to, the film advance, how finders and screens fit, how shutter responds is enough to hear and feel the difference of intervals. I never knock down Nikons, they made great cameras. Calling F2 as one without peers is simply indicative how public is swayed by advertising and hear say,

I think if you open up the SLRs and compare the mechanics, you'll see only first-class solutions and material quality. These cameras were built for rigorous, continuous use; no one is better or worse than the other; this is the top league.

Hassasin · Mar 22, 2025

Andreas Thaler said:
I think if you open up the SLRs and compare the mechanics, you'll see only first-class solutions and material quality. These cameras were built for rigorous, continuous use; no one is better or worse than the other; this is the top league.

No point of gong further. If one cannot feel& hear the difference between mechanics of F1 and F2 then that is end of the road. F2 finders almost feel loose by comparison, screens same thing, film advance is clearly tighter mechanically on the F1, even the back door gives different tactile feedback.

As I said before, Nikons made great cameras, and they clearly lasted as long as anyone would have wished for, subjected to pro rigours just like F1 line up. Canon may have failed some audience with some design solutions, but it is highly debatable whether Canon's approach to in camera metering was a disadvantage to Nikon's finder only. I'd argue otherwise, whether or not 30+ focusing screens were necessary to cover all aspects of photography. It's a moot argument as it does not cover the actual mechanics of these cameras.

If it makes any difference to anyone, Canon and Nikon both made great quality pro level cameras. When one sticks to a brand it's hard to think of the other, especially if it's impossible to be dissatisfied with what Nikon offered. Still I stand behind what I said on the mechanics, different class of precision engineering, perhaps in some areas that were immaterial to a lasting functional quality.

Andreas Thaler · Mar 22, 2025

Hassasin said:
No point of gong further. If one cannot feel& hear the difference between mechanics of F1 and F2 then that is end of the road. F2 finders almost feel loose by comparison, screens same thing, film advance is clearly tighter mechanically on the F1, even the back door gives different tactile feedback.

As I said before, Nikons made great cameras, and they clearly lasted as long as anyone would have wished for, subjected to pro rigours just like F1 line up. Canon may have failed some audience with some design solutions, but it is highly debatable whether Canon's approach to in camera metering was a disadvantage to Nikon's finder only. I'd argue otherwise, whether or not 30+ focusing screens were necessary to cover all aspects of photography. It's a moot argument as it does not cover the actual mechanics of these cameras.

If it makes any difference to anyone, Canon and Nikon both made great quality pro level cameras. When one sticks to a brand it's hard to think of the other, especially if it's impossible to be dissatisfied with what Nikon offered. Still I stand behind what I said on the mechanics, different class of precision engineering, perhaps in some areas that were immaterial to a lasting functional quality.

I speak from experience, as I also have the Canon F-1(n) in my collection. It's a robust, solid SLR, and it's no less impressive than the F2. They're in the same league.

As for the viewfinders, neither model is designed for hammering nails.

That the F2 has proven itself in professional use is beyond question. Canon has already taken the market lead with the EF series.

I don't consider anything else objective; it doesn't do justice to the facts.

Nikon F2: Mini Sover Wong Treatment...

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency