What is the most rugged F and why?

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Dec 9, 2020

The most rugged Nikon is the second one you have when the first one will have failed.

Fun fact: I used to shoot a Spotmatic F, but I dropped my 28mm from a relatively low height on an average floor, and the weight made it so that the focus ring just got bent. I switched to Nikon in part because their lens construction seemed to be smarter (that and the wide basin of available gear, etc.)

I absolutely adore my Nikon F from an aesthetic point of view; I'm sure it's not too shabby either in terms of impact resistance, but I wouldn't bet on it just because it's heavy.

narsuitus · Dec 9, 2020

For decades, I used a Pentax Spotmatic and a Nikon EM as a backup for my Nikon F2.

For decades, I used an auto focus Nikon N70 as a backup for my auto focus Nikon F4.

To date, I have not had to use my backup cameras as backups.

Steve@f8 · Dec 9, 2020

The FM3a is probably off the scale when it comes to ruggedness, but I love it!

blockend · Dec 9, 2020

Nikkormat. No removeable prism.

Alan Gales · Dec 9, 2020

Personally, I prefer the F2.

jimjm · Dec 9, 2020

RalphLambrecht said:
oh my gosh; never seen suc an abused camera. I always treat mine like ladies.

Yeah, and what's strange is the damage is all cosmetic, dents and brassing, etc. All functions are perfect and the camera's very clean inside. No signs of interior corrosion, dirt or other abuse. The aperture stop-down lever has a lot of wear, so it appears to have taken a lot of photos.
I'd like to think this F2 was carried around the world and used hard by a working photojournalist, then sent in for professional service every six months.

RLangham · Dec 9, 2020

jimjm said:
Yeah, and what's strange is the damage is all cosmetic, dents and brassing, etc. All functions are perfect and the camera's very clean inside. No signs of interior corrosion, dirt or other abuse. The aperture stop-down lever has a lot of wear, so it appears to have taken a lot of photos.
I'd like to think this F2 was carried around the world and used hard by a working photojournalist, then sent in for professional service every six months.

From what I've heard the best techs of the old days blow most of our modern guys out if the water. I talked to several when I was trying to get a broken OM-2 fixed.
One guy in particular who came very recommended told me some fishy stuff--he advertised CLA's, but it became clear from his emails that his CLA was extremely minimal and did not involve enough disassembly to clean, lubricate and adjust the interior of most shutters. And he charges more for his "CLA" than Mike Trost does for actual remedial services, on the order of 140 US dollars, iirc!

Compare this to the old technicians working during the mid film era, and a lot of modern techs are a joke!

Paul Howell · Dec 9, 2020

jimjm said:
Yeah, and what's strange is the damage is all cosmetic, dents and brassing, etc. All functions are perfect and the camera's very clean inside. No signs of interior corrosion, dirt or other abuse. The aperture stop-down lever has a lot of wear, so it appears to have taken a lot of photos.
I'd like to think this F2 was carried around the world and used hard by a working photojournalist, then sent in for professional service every six months.

My F and F2 were pretty beaten up when I traded them in, the F for the F2 and F2 for a F3P, I only used the F3 for a couple years before I was medically retired. I bought the F used in 1971, it was really worn, still the shutter and meter were spot on. I had my cameras CLA once a year, pro level gear is designed to used daily.

NB23 · Dec 9, 2020

Exactly!!

Back then, when the repair techs released a camera back into the shooting game, they knew the camera would be taking a beating. And by a beating, I mean normal shooting. Remember back then, every mom had a camera and each and every household had a closet full of photographs.
Cameras had to be working!

Nowadays the techs know that any given camera won’t last more than a few months before getting sold on ebay, the moment which they become totally free of their “work”. A few drops of oil here and there and “voila, the camera functions as was intended”.

RLangham said:
From what I've heard the best techs of the old days blow most of our modern guys out if the water. I talked to several when I was trying to get a broken OM-2 fixed.
One guy in particular who came very recommended told me some fishy stuff--he advertised CLA's, but it became clear from his emails that his CLA was extremely minimal and did not involve enough disassembly to clean, lubricate and adjust the interior of most shutters. And he charges more for his "CLA" than Mike Trost does for actual remedial services, on the order of 140 US dollars, iirc!

Compare this to the old technicians working during the mid film era, and a lot of modern techs are a joke!

tomkatf · Dec 9, 2020

RalphLambrecht said:
oh my gosh; never seen suc an abused camera. I always treat mine like ladies.

Hold my beer, bitte!!! (Not sure if that expression is used in Germany!)

tomkatf · Dec 9, 2020

Colin Corneau said:
I'd have to second the F2 for all the points mentioned already.

Although I have to think the toughest Nikon F was the one that stopped a sniper's bullet from killing Don McCullin.

Taizo Ichinose's F...

RLangham · Dec 9, 2020

tomkatf said:
Hold my beer, bitte!!! (Not sure if that expression is used in Germany!)

View attachment 261258

Ah, a very nice looking camera. I've never seen one in person. Is the body casting similar to that of the F-series Nikkormats? I know it corresponds to the body casting of the later Nikon rangefinders.

Huss · Dec 9, 2020

None of my Fs can take the abuse my R8 has.

Here my Zenit gazes upon it in awe

Paul Howell · Dec 9, 2020

The R8 is known for high build quality, the only SLR that can think of that exceeds the R8 or R9 was the Swiss Alpa, I was loaned a 11e, built, better than any of my Nikons or Leica's I've used. Of all the years I was in the field, I only saw one Alpa,

RLangham · Dec 9, 2020

Huss said:
None of my Fs can take the abuse my R8 has.

Here my Zenit gazes upon it in awe

Although some of the early Zenits were probably pretty resilient too. I'd put my money on my Zenit S surviving a lot if it didn't get moisture inside.

mshchem · Dec 9, 2020

I'm not sure what this proves if anything. The older stuff was built like a tank.

mshchem · Dec 9, 2020

One thing about all these old cameras, they didn't need a frigging *#*#!! Firmware update!

Sirius Glass · Dec 9, 2020

mshchem said:
One thing about all these old cameras, they didn't need a frigging *#*#!! Firmware update!

My Hasselblad 503 CW and 903 SWC don't need no stinkin' firmware updates! Nor my Pacemaker Speed Graphic nor the Graflex Model D!

mshchem · Dec 9, 2020

Sirius Glass said:
My Hasselblad 503 CW and 903 SWC don't need no stinkin' firmware updates! Nor my Pacemaker Speed Graphic nor the Graflex Model D!

Mine either. Digital is great but I hate sitting in front of a computer.

Ariston · Dec 9, 2020

mshchem said:
...I hate sitting in front of a computer.

This is probably the biggest reason I am back to film. Computer = Work (like my job), for me. On the other hand, Film = Fun.

logan2z · Dec 9, 2020

Ariston said:
This is probably the biggest reason I am back to film. Computer = Work (like my job), for me. On the other hand, Film = Fun.

+1, I spend all day in front of a computer. The last thing I feel like doing in my leisure time is more of that. Film and darkroom work has set me free

Huss · Dec 10, 2020

logan2z said:
+1, I spend all day in front of a computer. The last thing I feel like doing in my leisure time is more of that. ..

And yet, here we are!

logan2z · Dec 10, 2020

Huss said:
And yet, here we are!

That's true, I guess I'm fooling myself

Ariston · Dec 10, 2020

Huss said:
And yet, here we are!

Good point! I catch the forum on my tablet, so it's not the same for me. Though I am getting tired of the tablet, too...

Sirius Glass · Dec 10, 2020

Huss said:
And yet, here we are!

It is not worth the health risks to go out and shoot film. So I would rather help other people with photography until things get better. People helped men in the past and now it is time for me to help others.

What is the most rugged F and why?

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