F2 Help

On most of my manual cameras with a shutter speed dial on the top plate the shutter speed faces the prism. I'm looking at a Nikkormat EL that is configured that way. On my F2 there is a very small black line against the prism but the larger gray line about 45 degrees between that and the back of the camera. I feel silly for asking this but which line indicates the shutter speed? Most all on line info is dedicated to the AE prism models.

 

Have my F2 on my desk - it appears you have the un metered plain prism model. On my camera the line ithe center of the knob and the one on the camera top plate face each other and form a nearly straight line. In any case, the inner one one the top plate works.

The line beside the "4" is the one that indicates shutter speed. The line in the middle of the knob provides confirmation that the film is advancing, it should rotate when you wind the film lever.

it should rotate when you wind the film lever.

Dunno about that, since I have the metered version, but the rewind knob & lever sure will rotate to confirm that the film is advancing.

The shutter in the picture is set to 1/4 of a second. The camera is not wound on - when you operate the film advance, the line in the centre should rotate to point to the "4" also. You can confirm this by setting it to "B".

OK I have been doing it right. Thanks so much folks.

I just got my F2as out put a lens on it. On the back of the prism meter viewfinder is a white dot that that is near the tip film advance lever. When I align the shutter sped dial on the prism indicates the shutter speed. It is hard to see but to the left of center of the bottom is a shutter speed indicator that appears at the bottom of the frame. It is hard to see but if it shows on your F2 you may be able to see where on the top of the camera to set your shutter speed. Hope it works out for you.

As said, that's the wound/unwound indicator. The F has a similar set-up, but it went away on the F3.

 

Most folks don't notice it since most folks have metered prisms that hide it :) .

 

Incidentally, AFAIK all Nikons with a shutter speed dial use a line next to the prism(on the body itself) to indicate the set shutter speed. Doing otherwise would throw anyone for a loop when switching bodies as you're use to looking there to see the shutter speed when you look straight down. Again, though, many F and F2 users will be use to looking at the back of the camera, as that's where the shutter speed on metered prisms is read.

back of the camera

You likely mean bottom dial at back of the meter (or bottom edge of view thru the finder.)

Ok so the line in the window drops to the position as seen in the above photo after the photo is taken letting you know that frame has been exposed. When you advance the film and cock the shutter the line in the window rotates to the side of the prism aligning with the set shutter speed. Thanks again for all the help.

On F and F2 cameras with plain non-metering prisms, the engraved dot on the top deck between prism and shutter dial indicates the set speed, and as others have mentioned the line in the center of the shutter dial rotates to line up with the dot and set shutter speed when the camera is cocked and ready to shoot.

 

F and F2 cameras with meter prisms have an ASA setting dial that blocks the top of the camera body shutter dial. A small internal catch in the ASA dial locks onto the little silver pin on the body shutter dial, so turning the meter ASA dial changes the shutter speed. Since the top of the shutter dial is covered, the meter prisms have their own separate index line and horizontal shutter speed numbers facing directly toward you on the rear of the camera. The shutter speed number lined up with the rear-facing index will be the speed used, it is also indicated in all the meter prism viewfinders (at bottom of frame in the F2 meters, top in the F meters).