Why did I buy a Nikon F2? (Rant)

[nickstreme]

I've used my F2 in throwing distance contests, to extinguish fires, haul boats etc. and it still works great.

 

[marcmarc]

Yes, I know there are a lot of you out there who have used your F2's for years without any problems. The trouble with selecting one is that unless you know the previous owner and how it was used, there's just no telling what issues it may (or may not) have. A body that looks clean and fantastic on the outside may have been sitting in a humid attic with the shutter cocked for the last ten years. It's crap shoot and I guess I may have crapped out with this one. It's just frustrating to put out this money and still not have it back and in reliable shooting condition.

 

[Pumal]

My F2 has been through 2 earquakes and 3 tsunamis. Even though i have tons of Nikopns (Nikon F, F3, F4, F100, N8008s, F90X) and tons of Canons( F-1, New F-1. A-1, EF, AE-1, AE-1 Program,etc) besides the MF; the one that travels most with me is the F2. (mine must have 50.000 shots)

 

[Pumal]

 

[marcmarc]

Nice portrait Pumalite. I'm taking a couple trips myself this year and hopefully will have reliable F2 to bring along.

 

[Vilk]

so baaaad... oh, the F2 is such a baaaaaaaaaaad camera... hmmm, sounds like sheep might appreciate it tho'... c'mon folks, help me out here, we need to get these prices down for a change!



marc, don't lose heart! let paprweights be paperweights, get yourself a good one, not a "great deal" or a "bargain", but an honest picture-taking machine--and never look back

best of luck

 

[Vincenzo Maielli]

I own both Nikon F2A chrome and F2AS black: are both absolutely reliable, built like PZKW Tiger, precise and mechanically unstoppable. Here are the main reasons why buying a Nikon F2, better if a F2A or F2AS.
Ciao.
Vincenzo

 

[kivis]

Sorry about your hassle. I have been a Nikon Manual body user since 1974. Never a problem that a CLA couldn't fix. I presently have 6 bodies. Last year I bit the bullet for a Leica M7, what a sweet rig when it was working. twice it was at Leica for 6 weeks doing repair, different each time. Able to sell it for what I paid for it ($2100). promptly went and fired up one of my 2 Nikkormat FTN's for a most enjoyable film session.

 

[Paul Goutiere]

I've got two F2As (one is a beater) and a F2. The oldest was made in 1971, the others '77 and '80. None has given me a lick of trouble other than a glitchy DP11 finder that was quickly sorted out.

I took my calculator out and did some higher math and discovered that my oldest camera the F2, the one made in 1971 is 39 years old! Next year it will be 40 years old! The DP-1 finder is accurate, the shutter speeds are pretty well dead on, everything works just as it should and I use it. I like to use it.

I hang out with a few other crusty old buzzards who still have their F2s and they will say the same thing. "Pry my F2 outa my cold dead hands!"

 

[Kisatchie]

..."Pry my F2 outa my cold dead hands!"

I feel the same way. I have 4 F2s. The serial #s start with 76, 77, 77, and 80. The shutters in all of them are completely reliable. Two of the meters are off (1 stop and 2/3 stop, which an ASA adjustment took care of), while the other two are spot on.

P.S. I love my F3HP bodies too.

 

[aluncrockford]

is this link of any use


http://apertureuk.com/nikon_manual_focus_cameras.html

 

[Les Sarile]

Was it to compare to another?

Why? Was it to complete a set?

I feel your pain. Even though the F2 was supposedly the last Nikon hand assembled camera and renowned for it's build and quality, there is certainly no accounting for its previous user(s).

 

[willrea]

My dad just gave me his F2 I learned originally on in high school, serial # 739xxxx. I gave me two Nikon 50/1.4's and a Vivitar 28-85

 

[Ric Trexell]

Won't Nikon repair it?

I went to National Camera's Repair School in Denver back in the late 70's and remember repairing a Nikon F. I cleaned it and when I put it back together the speeds didn't come into tolerance. I cleaned it again and once more the speeds were out. I told my instructor and he said to clean it again. After 3 cleanings the thing finally worked perfect. We would check the speeds by clicking the shutter 200 times or more. I'm surprised that problems started showing up the first roll of film or two. You can see problems but just taking a piece of card board and taping off the first mm of the shutter opening, then the center (with two pieces) and then the last mm of the shutter opening. If you see light through these you are probably ok, if one end doesn't show light, you have a problem. If they still do repairs, I would send it to Nikon. If not they will suggest a repairman in your area. I gave up on repairing long ago. I would think the F2 should be able to be fixed.

 

[elekm]

Is this happening at all speeds? Or just one speed?

And was the camera a beater? That is, in physically poor condition?

I have a Nikon F2A that I bought new in 1979, and I've never had a problem with it, and it's seen a lot of film.

 

[CGW]

Oh yeah I remember. I wanted to start shooting 135 again. I thought it would make a nice occasional break from my usual medium format shooting. I wanted a solid, mechanical SLR camera. The legendary Nikon F2 was one name that kept being suggested. After doing a bit of research I picked up a body at a local camera swap meet in Aug of '08. I bought into the reasoning that a camera with electronics would be toast if the electronics ever shorted out or somehow failed while a mechanical camera will always be repairable. I also got lucky with a good price on a DE-1 prism finder (I use a hand held meter).

So I picked up a body that appeared to be in decent shape for $200 and immediately sent to Sover Wong in the UK for an overhaul. I figured when the camera came back I'd have a great, sturdy camera that I could shoot worry free and maintenance free for a least several years given my shooting style and volume.

Well, it wasn't long before issues cropped up. I started seeing thin, well defined strips along the edges of some of my prints. It appeared that the density on my negs were a little thinner along an edge compared to the rest of the neg. Completely intermittent. I was still under warranty with Sover Wong but I really didn't want to shell out the high cost of international shipping once again. I was referred to a Nikon trained and authorized repair shop across town. Shutter bump was the term they told me was happening; it had something to do with part of the shutter moving too fast from it's starting point. So they fixed it and did another general cleaning. All seemed fine until about 5 months later when the same symptom reappeared. Luckily, it was (barely) still under warranty. They serviced it again no hassle. I take the camera out to try my new 35mm f2 ZF Distagon lens and to my surprise now I have random sections of my roll completely blank! Back to shop it goes with the roll I just described. This was in Nov. The camera is still in the shop. I called today and there's a problem now with the shutter break and they are having trouble locating parts and they will decide how to proceed.

About a month ago I ordered another F2 from KEH who I've purchased from many times. At least I'll have something to shoot with in the meantime I thought. I went with a bargain graded body for $99. I had to send the KEH body back because it showed signs of rust on the back hinges and on part of the lens release button. I'm awaiting the replacement.

So there you have it. If I didn't buy the $800 ZF lens, I would have just cut my losses and I'd have a nice F2 paperweight. Now I have one body that is in the shop more then it's in my hands being used. I have another on the way and I can only hope this one will not have any issues. All I wanted was a nice mechanical 35mm camera to shoot maybe 10 rolls a month with. This is costing about the same as the upkeep on my car and I just wonder how many bodies will I have to keep around for parts before I can be confident that whatever body I'm using will work correctly.

It also made me have another scary thought. Are any 35mm slrs even being made anymore? With so many manufactures stopping production of 35mm cameras and like Nikon not suporting the existing ones, I see the death of 135 film being the result of there simply not being any working cameras left to shoot with. All cameras eventually fail and need work. As I'm finding out with my first F2 (which by the way I absolutely loved shooting with) there comes a point of diminishing returns and I'm just not in a position to keep throwing money away on temporary repairs and spare bodies that may also need big $$ in upkeep.

The take home lesson is don't buy a relic unless you're willing and able to repair it. In 2011, it pays to buy the newest 35mm bodies possible. With Nikon, the late AF models like the F100 and even F5 are probably best. Slightly older bodies like the N90s/F90x are nice and very affordable now. An F or F2 would be near the bottom of my Nikon list.

 

[Clay2]

My F2AS has been going strong since the 1970's. Just broke a gear in the MD-2 Motor Drive after
all these years.New gears on order from Sover Wong. Sorry to hear of your problems, sounds like
some one put their thumb into the shutter curtains.

Best regards,

/Clay

 

[Jerevan]

The take home lesson is don't buy a relic unless you're willing and able to repair it. In 2011, it pays to buy the newest 35mm bodies possible.

You mean all those Nikon crap-o-matics with the hunt-and-peck AF and wonky electronics that breaks down in cold and rain? Go ahead, buy'em all. (yes, I am just kidding - each to his own!)

 

[Brian Legge]

I was just given a F2 by a family friend. The only issue with it is a big dent next to the film advance lever which makes keeps the lever from moving. The camera obviously took a pretty hard tumble at some point.

I'm hoping I can get the top plate off and hammer out the dent as the camera seems to in good working condition otherwise. Impressive all things considered.

 

[Black Dog]

Me too!

 

[CGW]

You mean all those Nikon crap-o-matics with the hunt-and-peck AF and wonky electronics that breaks down in cold and rain? Go ahead, buy'em all. (yes, I am just kidding - each to his own!)

Used as manual focus cameras they're hard to beat--more accurate/versatile metering, electronic rangefinders, automated advance all work for me. I've no desire to die of either hypothermia or drowning, so who gives two sneezes about battery issues or water repellency?

 

[Coffeehound]

I'll have to weigh in here also. As a young soldier in Germany in 1980 I got a F2a (black) (sn: 795xxxx) for $420 at the local Post Exchange. Then spent another $235 in Heidelberg for a Tamron 35-70 zoom. This set-up served me well for many years and I of course have added other lenses. I have used this as my go to beater camera for most of the 30+ years I've had it, going through 1000s of rolls. Each and every time I deployed I had film and the camera packed. In 1983 I packed the camera in my "ruck-sack" and off we went to Panama for jungle training. Upon arrival at the air force base in Panama City it was discovered that I had left the meter switch on and the battery was drained. Still continued to shoot film using the Sunny-16 rule until I could get to a store to get batteries. All the film I shot for two weeks came out. Then I double bagged the camera and in it went to the rucksack for a trip through the Chagres River. The camera has taken a beating and still I can take it out and get acceptable images. When I need to get the shot, without worrying about all the settings required with the N90s that I have, I pick up the F2a.
I've dropped this camera a number of times, there is a solid dent on the base plate, lots of wear on the DP-11 and around the top plate. The film plate does not show any wear.
So. As others have said, they will get my F2 only when they pry my dead cold fingers from it.

 

[mikebarger]

I have F's, a Nikkormat FTN, F2's, a EL2, F3HP's and a N90x; for the money I think the F3 HP's may be the most undervalued camera on the planet. In the next breath, the F2's would be the first I'd sell of the group above.

Mike

 

[2F/2F]

You bought it because it is one of the best cameras ever. All that is wrong is that you have ended up with a bad one, and not found a repair person who knows how to properly do his or her job. Finding a repair person who can do a proper job has been the hardest thing in recent years. It is just as bad as finding a good auto mechanic. Don't blame it on the camera, though.

Also, sending a $99 camera back for rust on the hinge seems ridiculous to me.

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

The take home lesson is don't buy a relic unless you're willing and able to repair it. In 2011, it pays to buy the newest 35mm bodies possible. With Nikon, the late AF models like the F100 and even F5 are probably best.

I totally disagree: age in itself plays a very small role (o.k., foam seals, etc., for those cameras which have them).

A mechanical camera can almost always be repaired by a good repairperson.

An electronic camera on the other hand, if some proprietary electronic component is no longer available, is simply a paperweight.

Also, auto-everything cameras have far more components which could go bad; AF motors, advance motors, LCD screens, many more electronic circuits, possibly lots of plastic, not to mention all the *necessary* extra "features", many of which could contribute to a catastrophic failure.