Vintage Nikon that needs a CLA.

[Nikon 2]

P.s just send it out and be done w it. The longer you wait, the longer you will be waiting.

Will do...!

 

[Nikon 2]

Will do...!

This just in:

Just about to send the F2 to Dean when I received my last roll of film from Process One.
I couldn't believe how beautiful the prints looked, especially those shot at 500 speed!
The lens I used was the Nikkor 35mm F2 O.C. There is one shot that David was concerned with
but I know it`s a character of the lens, flare, and was only in one shot.
By the way, my other concerns about shutter speeds being off was not the fault of the F2 but the photomic meter giving false readings because of its age...!

 

[Nikon 2]

You can clearly see what David was concerned with...!

 

[Huss]

By the way, my other concerns about shutter speeds being off was not the fault of the F2 but the photomic meter giving false readings because of its age...!

Pretty much all Photomic meters are like that now unless they have been rebuilt. My DP11 head seems to work, then gives a totally screwy reading. So I don't use it. My DP12 (the most modern one) used to be all jumpy, then Sover Wong repaired it with his new resistor ring. Lots of DP12 (F2As) that I have seen are failing like that.

Interestingly, my Minolta XK (which is the same age as the F2) which has AE metering (something that Nikon didn't bring out professionally until the F3) works perfectly.

 

[Yashica]

Interestingly, my Minolta XK (which is the same age as the F2) which has AE metering (something that Nikon didn't bring out professionally until the F3) works perfectly.

The Minolta XK was miles ahead, when it was being released, way before Nikon, which was the Market Leader, back into those old, glorious days....
Great you have one into working condition. I've shot my F60 today, waiting for my Nikkor 35/F2D to mount on the F80, or F100 here.

 

[Nikon 2]

Pretty much all Photomic meters are like that now unless they have been rebuilt. My DP11 head seems to work, then gives a totally screwy reading. So I don't use it. My DP12 (the most modern one) used to be all jumpy, then Sover Wong repaired it with his new resistor ring. Lots of DP12 (F2As) that I have seen are failing like that.

Interestingly, my Minolta XK (which is the same age as the F2) which has AE metering (something that Nikon didn't bring out professionally until the F3) works perfectly.

Pretty much all Photomic meters are like that now unless they have been rebuilt. My DP11 head seems to work, then gives a totally screwy reading. So I don't use it. My DP12 (the most modern one) used to be all jumpy, then Sover Wong repaired it with his new resistor ring. Lots of DP12 (F2As) that I have seen are failing like that.

Interestingly, my Minolta XK (which is the same age as the F2) which has AE metering (something that Nikon didn't bring out professionally until the F3) works perfectly.

 

[Nikon 2]

I use this iPhone app called mylightmeter, pro version.
It`s very accurate.
You need the pro version because the F2 is a pro camera...!

 

[Nikon 2]

 

[CMoore]

There is a BIG difference between "broke" and "operating to spec".
I sent 3 F2s to Sover Wong.
They were all "working"............. want to guess how much stuff he found wrong with them.?

Anyway.................I have had very good results with Zacks.... an APUG participant.

Zacks Camera Repair – Zacks Camera Repair Website

 

[Nikon 2]

There is a BIG difference between "broke" and "operating to spec".
I sent 3 F2s to Sover Wong.
They were all "working"............. want to guess how much stuff he found wrong with them.?

Anyway.................I have had very good results with Zacks.... an APUG participant.

Zacks Camera Repair – Zacks Camera Repair Website

Dean was asking $395.00 for CLA and I believe includes an overhaul...!

 

[CMoore]

Dean was asking $395.00 for CLA and I believe includes an overhaul...!

If you plan on keeping that camera, i would have no problem paying it.

 

[Nikon 2]

If you plan on keeping that camera, i would have no problem paying it.

 

[Nikon 2]

If you plan on keeping that camera, i would have no problem paying it.

Really…?

 

[GregY]

Really…?

You can't expect repair techs to work for the same hourly rate as a kid at the window in a fast food drive in.....can you? What would you expect to pay a plumber, auto-mechanic and other repair people?

 

[ymc226]

You can't expect repair techs to work for the same hourly rate as a kid at the window in a fast food drive in.....can you? What would you expect to pay a plumber, auto-mechanic and other repair people?

I completely agree. Over the years, I bought many F and F2s “fo display” while I used my new Leica MPs and CLA’d M2s, M3 and M4. I finally dropped off a total of 12 F and F2s, all but 2 with metered prisms with Dean. Still working on the last 4 cameras but he is rebuilding both the cameras and heads completely and replacing photo cells and resistors as needed. The only prism he could not fix was a DP 2. Each camera/prism rebuild was significantly more than what Nikon 2 stated (some almost twice) but it is worth it bringing each back to like new specs. On my trip to Japan and Korea next summer, I plan on taking one of Dean’s rebuilt F2s along with a 50mm Nikkors as my only camera. I’m all but done with digital except for digital scanning and a few rangefinders.

 

[Don_ih]

Really…?

It's actually amazing any camera repair can be cheaper than that, given how much time it can take to get at what needs work. If the repair person is reliable, what you get back may not need to be fixed again for 20 years. That's a pretty good deal if you're not gonna just go buy another camera in a week,

The problem right now is that it's always tempting to just go buy another camera.

 

[Nikon 2]

Really…?

Even if it takes great pictures...?

 

[BrianShaw]

If you plan on keeping that camera, i would have no problem paying it.

Me neither. Really…!

 

[Don_ih]

Even if it takes great pictures...?

If it's going to be your one-and-only, the camera you enter into a monogamous, 'til death-do-you-part, relationship, it's a minor additional expense. It would almost certainly be the last amount you ever spend on the camera.

Just don't get a mistress ... another camera.

 

[Nikon 2]

You`ll never believe what Dean said to me after I told him that my last roll of film was the best ever using the iPhone app.
He said you don`t need any service and just use the phone app, it`s much more reliable and technologically advanced than
the phonemic meter.
Dean said also the results on film is more forgiving than with slide film. Film will tend to have better results with less critical exposure.
Slide film would show much more of a shutter problem than film...!

 

[btaylor]

You can't expect repair techs to work for the same hourly rate as a kid at the window in a fast food drive in.....can you? What would you expect to pay a plumber, auto-mechanic and other repair people?

In my area I find that licensed, qualified auto repair, plumber businesses etc are about $300/hour. If we expect to see anyone to continue to work in the camera repair field it is not reasonable to expect $150 CLA's.
One way I look at it is what did this camera cost new, adjusted for inflation? I have a Contax IIa. Adjusted for inflation it would be about $5000 today. So I think $500 for an overhaul is a pretty good deal.

 

[GregY]

In my area I find that licensed, qualified auto repair, plumber businesses etc are about $300/hour. If we expect to see anyone to continue to work in the camera repair field it is not reasonable to expect $150 CLA's.
One way I look at it is what did this camera cost new, adjusted for inflation? I have a Contax IIa. Adjusted for inflation it would be about $5000 today. So I think $500 for an overhaul is a pretty good deal.

That would be about the same for an F2 photomic w/ 50mm 1.4 ($660 in 1972).....adjusted = $4700.

 

[MattKing]

It is best not to measure the value of a CLA against the price of a non CLA'd camera.
It is best to measure the value of a CLA against the value to you of having a Cleaned, Lubricated and Adjusted camera to work with.
By the way, as nifty as the light meter apps are, it is kind of difficult to use them for TTL metering!

 

[Don_ih]

By the way, as nifty as the light meter apps are, it is kind of difficult to use them for TTL metering!

Not if you take the lens off the camera and stick it over the cell-phone camera lens. Geeeeeee, come on....

 

[GregY]

N2, If you have an F2 with an unreliable meterhead..... it's not working to spec. I'd follow Matt's advice.