Nikon F2 Repair Question

sissysphoto · Jun 12, 2018

I just bought a junky Nikon F2 from Biggs Camera in Charlotte, a store which is still dedicated and lively, and still does C-41, btw. Put them on your list. They're good people. Anyway, as junky as it is, it's still in operating condition. I just finished knocking a ding out of the sheet metal and cleaning it up. It's not really all that bad. Just used a lot. But the mirror troubles me. All the foam is gone, and the mirror doesn't appear to come up quite enough. Its plenty to do the job, but I think it needs to come up just a hair more. Is the only way I'm going to cure this to remove the mirror box? Thank you.
I have nothing to do with Biggs Camera, but put the name on your list. We can't let any more camera stores get away from us.

jimjm · Jun 12, 2018

I've got several F2's and the mirror foam in the front is about 2-3 mm thick on all of them. With the mirror locked-up, it compresses the foam no more than 1mm or so.
With no foam pad, if the gap is no more than a few mm, I'd just try installing the foam and see how it looks / works.

I have one black body with brassing and numerous dents all over (looks like someone took a ball peen hammer to it). I bought it as a parts camera and realized that it was 100% functional after cleaning it up. Shutter is accurate and winding is smmoth as can be.
These things were really built to take a beating.

sissysphoto · Jun 12, 2018

Here is a photo of it.

saman13 · Jun 13, 2018

That doesn’t look very far from normal to me. Maybe a little lower but it shouldn’t be a problem. I’d just refoam it and shoot away.

If you’re wondering where to get foam, I got mine from aki-asahi, along with a new covering for my Olympus pen. High quality products, great prices pretty quick shipping considering it comes from Japan.

sissysphoto · Jun 13, 2018

I reLizer it really doesn't matter, but I can repair cameras. I see every camera as something to work on to make right. I ve bought one F2 foam kit from sover Wong and installed it in my other mint F2. I'm spoiled now. That was a very high quality OE foam kit. If this junk F2 gets foam like that, I want it right too. I stil lthink the mirror is too low.

saman13 · Jun 13, 2018

I enjoy fixing cameras too, and I’ve completely torn down an F2 (even fixed the “ping”) so I know what you mean. But, for this one, I would put two strips of foam on it and call it a day.

sissysphoto · Jun 13, 2018

saman13 said:
I enjoy fixing cameras too, and I’ve completely torn down an F2 (even fixed the “ping”) so I know what you mean. But, for this one, I would put two strips of foam on it and call it a day.

So I will take that as a vote that it is indeed too low. If I just put in 2 strips as my remedy it would gall me to no end. I suppose I'm going to have to pull out the mirror box and bend whatever lever that lifts the mirror. I've already got another thread begging for a dp2 service manual and having no luck. The dp2 to this camera apparaappa has a broken string that keeps shutter speed from moving in it's window. I've already about resigned myself to just using the Dp1 manual and my ingenuity. This camera came with a nice 50 mm f/2 hc, a hot shoe and a soft release button for $99 at biggs. Not bad for a brick and mortar camera store. I'm going to make this camera right.

sissysphoto · Jun 13, 2018

Sorry. Cell phone spell check changes words.

BradS · Jun 13, 2018

sissysphoto said:
So I will take that as a vote that it is indeed too low. If I just put in 2 strips as my remedy it would gall me to no end. I suppose I'm going to have to pull out the mirror box and bend whatever lever that lifts the mirror. I've already got another thread begging for a dp2 service manual and having no luck. The dp2 to this camera apparaappa has a broken string that keeps shutter speed from moving in it's window. I've already about resigned myself to just using the Dp1 manual and my ingenuity. This camera came with a nice 50 mm f/2 hc, a hot shoe and a soft release button for $99 at biggs. Not bad for a brick and mortar camera store. I'm going to make this camera right.

Bending "whatever lever that lifts the mirror" is almost certainly not "making it right". If you haven't done so already, visit Sover' "repairers from hell" pages....

shutterfinger · Jun 13, 2018

sissysphoto said:
Sorry. Cell phone spell check changes words.

That's why I don't use pocketable stupid high speed switch machines with Alexander's nuisance device abilities . Firefox spell checker doesn't know photographic, mechanical, and other technical words either.

sissysphoto said:
I suppose I'm going to have to pull out the mirror box and bend whatever lever that lifts the mirror.

I don't bend anything, occasionally I have to reform a bent part to where its as near to its original shape as possible. Compensating for wear may necessitate reforming a lever or adding new material to the slot or similar to get the camera back to correct.
I have an Automat I'll have to make a finder latch for so sometimes its make a new part.

Robin Guymer · Jun 14, 2018

sissysphoto said:
............. The dp2 to this camera apparaappa has a broken string that keeps shutter speed from moving in it's window. ............

How to fix a broken string in an F2 Finder. https://www.photrio.com/forum/resou...dicator-string-replacement-in-dp1-finder.358/

Steve Roberts · Jun 14, 2018

Like the OP, I wouldn't be happy papering over the cracks with an additional strip of foam. I'd want to fix this but would put it to one side until the darker days of winter. Make the most of the summer to get out and about burning through some film! My repairs to my F2 have been limited to replacing the spring plate that holds the advance lever in the stand-off position (keeping the meter switched on), freeing the aperture sensing mechanism in the DP2 finder and replacing the ring resistor in the finder. Hence I'm not familiar with the mechanism of the mirror movement, but before suspecting a worn component I'd be looking for dried/gunky lubricant. It's the kind of fault that just might require no more than careful flushing with fag lighter fluid and a little careful re-lubrication.

Please let us know how you get on with the job. Good luck!

Steve

Nikon F2 Repair Question

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