Nikon F4 Serial numbers - importance of?

<p>Hi,<br>

I hope that someone can shed some light on this for me - I was perusing this very thorough and informative page (after a link from Ken Rockwell's page)</p>

<p>http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/users/j/jnwall/html/purchase.htm</p>

<p>...where I came across these paragraphs (I hope I am not committing any kind of copyright infringement!) :</p>

 

<p ><em>"When purchasing a used F4 body, one might well look for one with a serial number starting with 24, 25, or 26, if possible. A really clean one with a 23 serial number would also be OK. <strong>These later bodies give you most of the really important upgrades Nikon implemented during production of the F4.</strong></em></p>

<p ><em>This is not to say that an earlier production body would not give good service; this body is tough enough to give years of great service. <strong>But one would want to get one that had at least some of the modifications Nikon made to the body that would be important to you.</strong>"</em></p>

<p > </p>

<p >What "modifications" are these? Is there a list, a compendium of sorts? How do I know if they are of any consequence to someone like me? Are they reliability upgrades? "Recalls" of sorts? Are these added features? What would I miss out with an earlier SN#? </p>

<p >I would like to know as I am quite smitten with this camera and have been for some time, and would like to make an educated decision when purchasing one.</p>

<p >I hope this information is not blatantly obvious and I just overlooked it... I really tried searching for it but came up dry.</p>

<p >Thanks in advance,</p>

<p > </p>

<p >Peter</p>

<p>Go here and read through the discussion of F4 production. You will find a list of modifications made during production.</p>

<p>http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/users/j/jnwall/html/Production.htm</p>

<p>Glad to hear Ken Rockwell still has a link to this compendium of information I put together some years ago.</p>

<p>You might want to review the whole site. JNW</p>

<p>Nikon made a number of minor improvements during the production of the F4. Back then, a friend of mine bought one around 1988/1989 shortly after it was introduced (prior to the 1988 Souel Olympics). I bought mine in 1990 and then his was stolen in 1991 so that he bought a second, newer one. After comparing those three different F4 bodies, this guy wrote down a number of those improvements, such as the viewfinder had two click stops before you can completely remove it instead of just one click stop; therefore, it is harder to accidentally drop it.</p>

<p>Those differences are so minor that I wouldn't be too concerned about it.</p>

<P>

I would rather pay attention to the condition of the particular camera. After about 10 years, the electronics in my F4 eventually failed; it does not switch on any more. In some 30+ years using Nikon cameras, that is the only total failure among my Nikons.

</P>

<p>I have an earlier version of the F4s and can agree with Shun that you must be careful about loosing the prism finder. I inadvertently dropped mine on a trail and didn't realize it until I had walked over a mile. Fortunately, I was able to find it only a little bit worse for the wear.<br>

I particularly like the F4 in that if even the display in the viewfinder fails, you still have all the settings topside for viewing.</p>

<p>John, <br>

I honestly thought I read everything on your site, but I must have missed some things (obviously lol), I have to confess to devoting way too much time to it over a couple really late nights, and I think therein may lay the culprit. Thank you so much for chiming in, and thank you for compiling the website, I really enjoy perusing it.</p>

<p>Shun,</p>

<p>I've had lemons among gear (not just photo related) that have been lauded as "indestructible", etc., I imagine my use of the camera would be far from the mileage it got as a working camera in the hands of a pro. Thanks for your input, I really appreciate it.</p>

<p>Alex,</p>

<p>That must have been a heart stopper - but still a good testimony to the robust nature of the camera, if not the "click stops" ;) Cheers, and thanks for chiming in.</p>

<p>And a big Homer Simpson "DOH!" on my behalf, John, I don't know how I could have missed that - thank you!</p>

<p>My F4s is one of the later ones (#2602xxx). I bought it a couple of years ago (FleaBay) from someone who had apparently bought it to admire it in a display cabinet (it even had little felt disks stuck to the base to stop it getting scratched). When I sold the 105/2.5 AI-s that came with it, it ended up costing me ~$250, which isn't a bad price for a late-model mintish F4S. A couple of things, though - it appears to be an import (no "US" engraved in front of the serial#) and the MB-21 battery pack NiCad setting is labeled "KR-AA", suggesting that it is older than the camera body itself (apparently, the label switched from "KR-AA" to "Ni-Cd" around #22xxxxxx). All in all, though, it's the Wurlitzer of 35mm SLR's IMO.</p>

<p>David,<br>

I have been a Canon guy, not out of religious beliefs or anything ;) mainly because the FD lenses were such a bang for the buck and as a kid I always wanted an NewF1 (one of those total boyhood crushes). Then I picked up an F4 a few years ago in a camera store... and it was love at first feel - the thing is a tank! And it does all those magical techno-tricks but still has KNOBS!!! I mean, the way the shutter speed dial knob sticks out of the body just evokes a T72 turret covered with ERA... And it felt like you could bludgeon someone to death with it even if you had to use the camera to knock down their front door first...and then take pictures of your handiwork with that same camera.<br>

But... sanity prevailed. I had no <em>need</em> for another 35 camera, much less another system... But I keep seeing them on eBay for ridiculously low prices... thinking some day, but always asking myself "what will this give me that my current system can not?" <br>

Then a little Nikon FG made its way into my hands from a garage sale... then some lenses... then a F75 that a friend got (I kid you not) from a "3 for $45" bin... then some more Nikon odds and ends... And those low prices.. And the back and forth lens compatibility...<br>

Now I am told I need a video capable dSLR... I have no interest in pixelography, but a higher power dictates that I get one... I figured, it might as well be a Nikon... I realized I was making this decision as a round about way of justifying an F4...<br>

I think its the terminal stages of a very specific case of GAS... :D<br>

Thanks so much for the input everyone - I really appreciate it.</p>