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Nikon F2 Question

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Steve Roberts

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Hi,
Whilst on holiday in Wales last week, I found a Nikon F2 with 50mm f1.4 Nikkor-S for sale in a photographic shop where everything else was d#####l. It was being sold on behalf of a client and whilst not a pocket-change bargain, was about half the eBay price. It's cosmetically in very good condition and hasn't had a professional lifestyle but has two issues. One is that the meter switch (advance lever stand-off) doesn't work, which I understand is a common fault and one that I'm sure I can cure. Holding the lever away from the body turns on the meter, which reads sensibly.

The second issue is the one which I'm seeking guidance on, being a total newcomer to Nikon technology. When installing the lens, I set it at f5.6 (indicated in the front window of the DP-1 finder when the sensing lever is at its mid-point). Twisting the lens anti-clockwise causes the 'rabbit's ears' to engage with the meter lever. I then turn the aperture ring to f1.4 but when I try to turn it to minimum aperture (f16) it will only turn as far as f5.6. The movement stops in a positive way, feeling as if it's something that's meant to happen rather than the result of something jamming or a fault in the metering head.

Before investigating this, i thought it worth asking the advice of any seasoned Nikon owners whether I should actually be looking for a fault or whether there's something I'm not doing correctly in installing the lens. Off the camera the lens aperture ring operates normally from max to min, so the issue would appear to be related to the finder/coupling, not to the lens.

Any information would be gratefully received.

Best wishes,

Steve
 
1) Nikon shuffle. I don't have a pre-AI camera but the engagement might be quirky, check also the prism is fit correctly.

2) If the lightmeter is not working I recommend to fix it, the DP1 circuit is very simple.
 
You might try moving the meter lever without a lens mounted to see if there is an obstruction, if there's an issue send it off to Sover.
 
Is he that much better than other Nikon techs.?
Surely there must be equally competent F2 reapirmen in the USA.?
Thank You
 
You can also try contacting Doug at Camera Clinic up near Seattle. He does great work with older Nikons and has lots of spare parts. He recently serviced and converted the voltage on my otherwise mint Nikon FTN meter head. Very quick turnaround and a really nice guy.
 
Thanks for all the replies so far. I'm in the UK, so if I were to go down the route of having the camera repaired professionally it would undoubtedly be with Sover. However, I'm happy performing basic repairs on cameras myself (primarily Pentaxes up to the M series) and my initial plan is simply to get the F2 working. Once that's done, then I may later go for a comprehensive service, calibration, etc. if I decide that I like it enough to warrant the cost.
My question is really along the lines of whether there's something obvious I'm missing. Having read up a bit about Nikons, they do seem to have a lot of mystique and quirks, e.g. to change shutter speeds after midnight, stand on one leg and do it with the camera held upside down whilst whistling Waltzing Matilda. OK, I exaggerate, but I'm sure you get my drift!

Best wishes,

Steve
 
I have an F2 with a DP-1 & when I mount my 50mm F1.4S on it I have to push the front of the finder down slightly to get the aperture ring to be able to move through the full range. Once it's spun I don't need to press it down any more & the lens works OK. Only the 50mm lens needs this. I have 3 other Pre AI Nikkors that I use with it & they all turn OK without needing to push the front of the finder down. Did think it might be the prongs on the lens slightly out of place but they don't seem to be. I can live with it.
 
You are putting the pin in the lever on the camera into the slot in the lens "rabbit ears" when mounting the lens, correct?
 
Yes. The prongs catch the pin OK. It turns OK to the larger apertures but won't turn the other way until I press down on the front of the finder lightly.
 
CMoore said:
Is he that much better than other Nikon techs.?
Surely there must be equally competent F2 reapirmen in the USA.?
Thank You
Click to expand...


Mr Sover Wong is the Dean of Nikon F2 repair persons. He's not cheap, but his work is meticulous, and he is the embodiment of integrity. He's done several of mine to date, with a few more (An F2A and a pair of F2ASs as well as four MD2s for brass re-gearing) on deck for when the Norther Peso breaks $0.85 USD. Turnaround for North America (my past experience) is less than three weeks. A Soverized F2 will perform as though new; a CLA from Sover is money well spent.
 
Ap507b said:
Yes. The prongs catch the pin OK. It turns OK to the larger apertures but won't turn the other way until I press down on the front of the finder lightly.
Click to expand...
Thanks - this sounds remarkably similar to the problem I'm having. I'll try what you suggest.
Best wishes,
Steve
 
If you look at the camera dead on there are two pins on the left and right. Take the prism off and move those in and out to see if there's a binding. I had an FTN that was sticky and they would barely move until cleaned and relubed. May help-may not but worth a look see.
 
Three things:
On the F all you needed to do was press the follower upwards to set it, I'm assuming that's what you're doing. Just glancing at the F2 manual, it doesn't mention doing this, just install and run the aperture open, then closed.
With the meter off will the follower go the both extremes of travel? It should.

Most importantly, whilst whistling Waltzing Matilda. which version? Australian or Tom Waits?
They're not the same you know.
 
Last edited:
Set you lens at the smallest aperture, f16 in this case I believe, before mounting it and I think your problem will go away
 
Sgore said:
Set you lens at the smallest aperture, f16 in this case I believe, before mounting it and I think your problem will go away
Click to expand...

Lens has to be set to f5.6 in order to mount it and have it connect to the camera's aperture "feeler."
 
The manual of my F2 Photomic makes no mention of this requirement at all. The illustration shows the lens being installed set to minimum aperture, and the text says:

"Mount the lens as shown previously. Turn the aperture ring all the way to the minimum aperture setting (largest f/number), then all the way in the opposite direction. This step automatically fits the coupling pin in the Photomic finder into the coupling prong on the lens and adjusts the meter to the maximum aperture of the lens."

I've done it exactly as described and have not had any problem so far. One thing the manual doesn't mention is that removing the lens when it's set to wide open or so will be forceful on the prong. I always stop it down to minimum aperture prior to removing it to reduce the strain on the coupling prong and pin.
 
It doesn't matter where the aperture is-just do the "Nikon Shuffle" as it was so lovingly called, and minimum-maximum aperture and you're all set.
 
jimjm said:
You can also try contacting Doug at Camera Clinic up near Seattle. He does great work with older Nikons and has lots of spare parts. He recently serviced and converted the voltage on my otherwise mint Nikon FTN meter head. Very quick turnaround and a really nice guy.
Click to expand...

After Doug screwed up my F2AS, while overhauling it, I won't use him if it's an F2. When I got the camera back, the problems with it still existed, and it had a chrome advance lever cap instead of the original black cap. Sent it to Sover Wong. What returned was an F2 that worked properly and didn't look like it had been kludged together with pieces from various cameras.

FE/FM, Nikkormat, etc, sure. Lower end and more modern bodies he's great with. Don't get me wrong, I've known him for 11 years and consider him to be one of the better techs in the PacNW, but, with something like an F2, none of the locals are that great.

-J
 
I have an F2S, and i have doubts about how Well/Accurate it is working. It is discouraging to think i need to send it across The Atlantic.
It is the only LED F2 i will ever (want to) own, and i really want to know it is straight. It seems like i read the name Sover 9 times out of 10. :wondering:
 
Steve Roberts said:
Hi,
When installing the lens, I set it at f5.6 (indicated in the front window of the DP-1 finder when the sensing lever is at its mid-point). Twisting the lens anti-clockwise causes the 'rabbit's ears' to engage with the meter lever. I then turn the aperture ring to f1.4 but when I try to turn it to minimum aperture (f16) it will only turn as far as f5.6. The movement stops in a positive way, feeling as if it's something that's meant to happen rather than the result of something jamming or a fault in the metering head.
Click to expand...

Just to confirm after mounting the lens set to 5.6 you do turn it to the minimum aperture first before returning it to f/1.4 ?

Ronnie
 
It doesn't matter.
 
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