Who's the Greatest

[cuthbert]

A lot more F3's in better shape and less costly to maintain.

I think most F2s like Canon F-1Ns were used for the "tough work" back in the day.

 

[Les Sarile]

I think most F2s like Canon F-1Ns were used for the "tough work" back in the day.

Most of these expensive cameras were likely kept in their neveready cases. Of course this is great for us today . . .

 

[mdarnton]

Any camera that costs me a cent more or adds a gram of weight. or a square mm of size for a feature I will never use is a camera that can't possibly be the Greatest. By that measure, all of the top Nikons fail by quite a bit. I'm not sure what the greatest is, but I know it's not some huge expensive brick. I'm inclined more towards the "non-professional" Nikons, since they were all I ever needed as a professional.

 

[flavio81]

That's true, there were lots of PJ who did not trust the F3, for that matter the Canon T90. My second body was a Leica IIIG or Canon 7S, I was living in Southern Italy and had an assingment and needed to travel light I left my rangefinders at home, well guess what was not there when I returned. I ordered a FA with winder, but the sales guy sold it when I did did show the very next pay to pick it up, and it was paid for, this was in London. To make up for it they gave me my money back and at cost a FG, the only compact body they had in stock with the motor drive and the matching TTL flash. I thought I would use until I could get a FA. Although it had a lower flash syn than i wanted the FG was nice little camera, the motor drive at 3.5 FPS was respectable. Not pro build quality but the price was right and next year my body let me know that my days as a PJ were over I had not upgraded. My son still the FG and a few lens.

The Nikon FG is a sweet little camera. I think that since it does not pretend to be a "pro" machine, I can get along with it happily. Very small, very light, and with a nice set of features.

 

[flavio81]

All this "Nikon F2 versus F3" observations set aside the Nikon F, and i think the original F deserves some consideration.

I like my F a lot. Mine has the plain prism. I'd say that, over the F2 it offers the following advantages:

- Quieter (significantly less noise than the F2 and also than the Canon F-1 original)
- Feels more solid in the hands (i dare to say it has higher build quality than the F2)
- Probably even sturdier than the F2.

 

[Les Sarile]

The Nikon FG is a sweet little camera. I think that since it does not pretend to be a "pro" machine, I can get along with it happily. Very small, very light, and with a nice set of features.

The FG - as well as EM and FG20, were not all that much smaller but the weight difference can be noticeable if you are carrying it around your neck awhile.

 

[Les Sarile]

All this "Nikon F2 versus F3" observations set aside the Nikon F, and i think the original F deserves some consideration.

I like my F a lot. Mine has the plain prism. I'd say that, over the F2 it offers the following advantages:

- Quieter (significantly less noise than the F2 and also than the Canon F-1 original)
- Feels more solid in the hands (i dare to say it has higher build quality than the F2)
- Probably even sturdier than the F2.

Nikon details the F2 release -> Debut of Nikon F2

The tensioning for the higher shutter speed likely contributed to the perception of noise. This is offset by the more straightforward MLU on the F2.
The hinged back likely contributed to the perception of the F being more solid in the hands.

 

[flavio81]

Nikon details the F2 release -> Debut of Nikon F2

The tensioning for the higher shutter speed likely contributed to the perception of noise. This is offset by the more straightforward MLU on the F2.
The hinged back likely contributed to the perception of the F being more solid in the hands.

Not only the hinged back.

The top plate is significantly more rigid in the Nikon F than the F2.
The Canon F-1 top plate is also significantly more rigid than in the F2 as well.
The Canon F-1 has a hinged back and when squeezing the camera from back to front it feels more rigid than my F2.

As for the noise, your assessment may be the key, since the F has 1/1000 top speed, and the noisier Canon F-1 and Nikon F2 have 1/2000 top speed. All of them have metal shutter curtains.

 

[Les Sarile]

Not only the hinged back.

The top plate is significantly more rigid in the Nikon F than the F2.
The Canon F-1 top plate is also significantly more rigid than in the F2 as well.
The Canon F-1 has a hinged back and when squeezing the camera from back to front it feels more rigid than my F2.

Have you actually checked the thickness?
Nikon F with plain prism weighs 694g while the Nikon F2 with plain prism weighs more at 724g.

Too bad the Nikon F2 with plain prism doesn't have a meter.

The Canon New F-1 with AE finder is 838g and the Canon F-1 is 830g. I expected as much since they are both larger than the Nikons.

 

[ColColt]

I have two FTN's and of course they have the metered prism but, I'd still like to have the plain prism. Good ones seem to command a high price for reasons unknown to me. F build quality better than the F2? Not in this lifetime(IMHO).

 

[Les Sarile]

I have two FTN's and of course they have the metered prism but, I'd still like to have the plain prism. Good ones seem to command a high price for reasons unknown to me.

You know why, they look good that way . . .

 

[ColColt]

Yep, I can't disagree...pure sex.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

You know why, they look good that way . . .

Indeed they do - and it could be said plain-prism F's and F2's both look better than ones with metering heads.

However, I think there are two other reasons: one is that the plain-prism is rarer, both for the F and F2, and the other reason is "The Appeal of Simplicity (tm)". That is, you have less to think about and worry about. You've decided on your exposure, so just focus, compose, and trip the shutter. No meter reading to look at, no batteries to think about, no worrying whether the meter is accurate or even working or will fail in the future

"You never have to repair or replace what you leave out of the design." -William Lear

 

[Les Sarile]

Indeed they do - and it could be said plain-prism F's and F2's both look better than ones with metering heads.

And with the latitude of today's films, you can really wing metering particularly in daylight.

AFAIK, the Pentax LX was the last clean prism SLR while having an unequaled meter. Where there any others that came after the LX?

 

[Paul Howell]

And with the latitude of today's films, you can really wing metering particularly in daylight.

AFAIK, the Pentax LX was the last clean prism SLR while having an unequaled meter. Where there any others that came after the LX?

By clean you mean no hot shoe? Then the Pentax SF1 and PZ1 had the hot shoe off to the side. MZ S returned the hot shoe to the prism.

 

[ColColt]

I saw a Ricoh among that group. I had forgotten about that one.

 

[cuthbert]

Indeed they do - and it could be said plain-prism F's and F2's both look better than ones with metering heads.
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To be honest I prefer the DP-12 on the F2.

The LX looks great without hotshoe but it's also uncomfortable because it doesn't show the lens opening inside the finder, plus the hotshoe is well merged into the lines of the standard prism.

 

[ColColt]

To be honest I prefer the DP-12 on the F2.

Agreed-the F2AS was the nicest and most professional Nikon made.

 

[Les Sarile]

To be honest I prefer the DP-12 on the F2.

The LX looks great without hotshoe but it's also uncomfortable because it doesn't show the lens opening inside the finder, plus the hotshoe is well merged into the lines of the standard prism.

OTOH the F2 is completely meterless with the plain prism while the LX meter is the only one useable even without a viewfinder.

 

[Les Sarile]

I saw a Ricoh among that group. I had forgotten about that one.

The Ricoh Singlex was a modified Nikon mount with opening "A" wider than that on a Nikon lens "B". You cannot mount a Nikon lens on it but it's lenses can mount on a Nikon body.

 

[Les Sarile]

By clean you mean no hot shoe? Then the Pentax SF1 and PZ1 had the hot shoe off to the side. MZ S returned the hot shoe to the prism.

Forgot about those "flat tops" but instead of a hotshoe they actually now have built-in flash.

 

[Paul Howell]

Forgot about those "flat tops" but instead of a hotshoe they actually now have built-in flash.

They have both, a hot shoe off to the side and pop up flash. The of the prism is the LCD information panel on a slant the thinking that it is easy to read without tilting the camera.