1970s Photojournalist's Dream(Nikon F2 Content)

I've mentioned to my local camera shop more than once that I'd really like an F2AS. I walked in today and after some teasing and subtle hints, let's just say that he delivered in spades.

 

As can be seen, this is an F2AS in chrome with an MD-2 motor drive(and the AA battery pack). I didn't realize until after I'd bought it, though, that the serial number starts in "80." Although it's not exact, the first two digits of an F2's serial number roughly correlate with the year made, and 80 is significant as that was the last year for the camera.

 

The lens on the camera is a 50mm 1.4 AI-s-I actually picked that one up last week for a little of nothing due to a bent aperture tab that kept it from stopping down all the way. I really should have stuck the 35mm 1.4 on it to make it the "ultimate" PJ's camera, but I figured this was close enough :)

 

Was my "dream" camera when I started out with photography in the late 70s - played numerous times with one in the store where I eventually purchased my first camera (FM). Store was an hour drive from where I lived and I only got to visit when we where in town (usually doctor's visit and shopping). Never owned an F2AS and nowadays have no interest in any film camera anymore. Not sure what an F2AS goes for these days, but when digital became popular, the F2AS was one camera that commanded a rather high price especially when in excellent condition.

Dieter,

 

Probably the two most common F2 variations are the F2 Photomic(DP-1) and F2A(DP-11). Both of those meters are effectively the same and use the same center-the-needle galvanometer output. The key difference, of course, is that the DP-1 needs "forked" lenses and has semi-auto aperture indexing, while of course the F2A is auto-indexing.

 

Depending on condition, those can run from next to nothing to ~$200. With the exception of an F2A on the way, all of mine have come from the same store. A chrome Photomic cost me $50, and a somewhat more beat-up black one(with some other positive attributes, like one the gray staps I show here that I really like) cost me $75. A near perfect F2A was $175, and I have one sight-unseen but is probably excellent(I've done business with the seller a lot) that was $130.

 

The less common and/or more desirable variants are still up there. You can probably tack on an extra $100 for an F2S(DP-2 prism, same as the DP-1 but with LED read-outs) or for a standard eye level. The F2sb(DP-3), which has the same photocell as the DP-12(F2AS) but uses the forked/semi auto indexing metering also brings strong prices. If I'm not mistaken, I think it may even use the same LED read-out as the F2AS(+ 0 - , as opposed to +> and <- with both lit indicating correct exposure on the F2s) Needless to say, if you want to use unmodified AI lenses, the F2sb is the one to have.

 

The F2AS is definitely in a class of its own price wise, though. I'll go out on a limb and say that it is the most expensive of the common standard production Nikon film bodies, FM3A excepted(from what I've seen, FM3A prices on par if not higher than F2AS prices). Of course, I'm leaving "special editions" like the FM2T or F3T out of that(although I could probably get an FM2T for less than an F2AS on Ebay).

 

I bought this one right and am a good enough customer of the shop that I probably paid less than what the shelf price would have been on it. Of course, black ones do bring a premium over chrome in this model.

 

This certainly isn't a new trend, either. Ken Rockwell talks about paying more for his F2AS in the early 1980s than he'd have paid for a new F3.

 

One last thing-silicon metering cells are great in that, among other things, they're a lot more responsive than CdS esp. under low light. I just wish that Nikon had made a finder with a silicon cell and a needle read-out. Canon did that in the New F-1(and also built in an illuminator for it)-one needle shows the actual set aperture and the other shows what the camera thinks you should set. With Nikon, you only get a needle+silicon in the FE2 and I think the FM3a(one needle for the set shutter speed and one for what the camera thinks). The humble FG has the right idea with using LEDs to indicate set vs. metered shutter speed. Of course, the 3 LED system does show you if you're 1/2 off in either direction, which is about what you get from a Nikon "center the needle" meter, but still it's nice to see more of a range in the viewfinder.

With Nikon, you only get a needle+silicon in the FE2

EL2 and FE as well. Needle indicators where never my favorite; probably one reason I never owned an FE, FE2 or FM3A. While two FM2 were my main cameras for nearly two decades, the FM3A arrived too late to the scene to even be considered. By that time, my wife had purchased an F100, a camera that drove home quite effectively how noisy and outdated my FM2/MD-12 had become.

Now that's what I call a camera...Well done, Ben, it looks as if you've scored a superb example. I look forward to seeing some work from it.

Great example. I also look forward to seeing some images from it.

EL2 and FE as well. Needle indicators where never my favorite; probably one reason I never owned an FE, FE2 or FM3A.

 

I guess I didn't realize the FE was silicon, despite having two of them. I forgot about the EL/EL2 also...there are more SLR bodies I need to fill out my collection.

 

I guess needles vs. LEDs are one of those arguments that will never be settled. I'd still rather use an FM or FM2(granted all I have is an FM2n). I think that my preference for needles vs. LEDs goes back to my days of using F-1s pretty extensively and liking the way the meter reading is conveyed in them.

 

I do still prefer the "lollipop" in the F-1s(and other Canon match-needle cameras). The ring is one stop wide, so aligning the fine needle at either edge rather than the center is 1/2 over and under. I don't know how wide the green "flag" needle is on the FE series cameras is-having it associated with shutter speeds(rather than apertures) makes it a bit more cramped than on an F-1 or any similar Canon read-out. Of course, the FE2 is even worse since you have up to 1/4000 and down to several seconds.

 

Granted one down-side to the Nikon implementation is that you need a decent amount of light in the frame to see the needles. Canon put them to the side of the frame, put a translucent panel for illumination, and on the New F-1 put an illuminator in the panel(I was playing with one at the shop yesterday, and the guy behind the counter said he never knew it was there). For the Nikon DP-1 and DP-11, I have a little accessory lamp that screws into the eyepiece and lights the meter read-out as well as all the others on(except the ADR on the F2A).

 

All of that aside, I'm anxious to get this one out and try it. Unfortunately, when I was playing with it last night, it developed a problem where sometimes it will "hang" when the shutter is released and the mirror about 3/4 of the way up. Tapping the DOF preview button lets it complete the cycle, which makes me think the stop-down lever is fouling just a bit(you don't even have to push the button all the way to get it proceed). It did this with no lens mounted. I'll have to take a look and see if there's something obvious or if I should send it off for repair.

 

The motor may or may not stay mounted, as it weighs a bunch even without the 10 AAs in it. I definitely want to try with the motor, though.

 

One last thing-the next time I hear of someone going to Japan, I'm going to get them to bring back a bunch of 100 yen coins for me :) . A US nickel is close, but not quite right, and I'm always afraid of deforming the slots on high condition cameras. 100 Yen is what's shown in all the manuals, so I assume that's the correct coin.

I forgot about the EL/EL2 also

Just to make sure: the EL does not have a silicon photodiode, the EL2 does. And AFAIK, the FM is the only one with a GaAsP diode; the FM2 and Fm3A used silicon.

100 Yen is what's shown in all the manuals, so I assume that's the correct coin.

I use a quarter - it's diameter is 24.26mm vs 22.6 for the 100 yen coin; a nickel is 21.21mm. Of the three, the nickel is the thickest and the 100 yen coin the thinnest.

Never paid much attention to whether or not the slot got marred - but then, I am not a camera collector.

I got in the newspaper business in 1976, age 17. I lusted after and sooner rather than later bought a black F2/DP-1, MD-2, 55/1.2 and a 135/3.5. A ton of $$ then for a high school senior. I must have run miles of film through that rig over the years. Now I have some DP-1's, F2A's, an AFS with an MD-2 and I think 3 MD-3's. I still enjoy using them as much as ever, they work and they don't get in the way of the work. I still say it is the best film camera ever made and probably the best camera of any kind.

 

Rick H,

I'm always afraid of deforming the slots on high condition cameras.

 

Plastic tiddlywinks discs?

I'm always afraid of deforming the slots on high condition cameras. 100 Yen

Have used U.S. coins for decades - no issue. Will have to see if there is a 100 ¥ in my coin box!

I got this loaded up with 10 AAs.

 

It really is a sight to see it under "full steam" but it also makes you appreciate just how far things had come by the time "high speed" motor drives were built into cameras like the T90 and F4.

 

Nikon claims 4 fps with alkalines at 1/125 or faster AND the mirror locked up(you only get 3.5fps with mirror return). It really sounds like the camera and motor are working hard to get to that frame rate, too-it's not like the buttery smooth 8fps of the F5.

 

By the way, I pulled up a serial table and it seems as though the 803xxxx block was made in 1978. You need to go to 807xxxx to get a 1980 camera. I was looking over the "not for sale" display collection in a different local shop on Friday(before I even knew about this camera) and commented on the "80" F2 that was turned such that its serial number was clearly visible(sitting right between the 50th anniversary F5 and gold plated FA). I commented to one of the folks in the shop that I guess the owner was showing that one off for the serial number. I remember noting it as 807. This store has been in business for ~60 years and it wouldn't surprise me if the camera in the case was held back from the last shipment of F2s they received.

803xxxx block was made in 1978

11/78 to 3/79 according to what I found.

you only get 3.5fps with mirror return

Quite astonishing that the FM with MD-12 (or the older MD-11) managed 3.2-3.5fps with "only" 8 AA batteries (same max speed with the MD-14 (EM, FG, FG-20) and MD-15 (FA). Made quite a racket doing it though. The MD-4 for the F3 did 3.8fps (with mirror-return) and 8 AA batteries; it needed a special Ni-Cd battery pack to achieve 5.5fps (or 6fps with the mirror locked up).

I have an f2sb that I’d like fire up. What do you guys recommend for batteries?

I have an f2sb that I’d like fire up. What do you guys recommend for batteries?

 

I use Duracell MS76 batteries (76S printed on the card) in all my Nikons.

Cripes man! That probably weighs more than my entire Olympus Pen F film kit, a Pen F body and 4 primes. Bet that rips through a 36exp. roll in no time.

Okay, just had to weigh my Pen F kit in it's small Tamrac bag, total including 2 extra rolls of film and other dobobs, 4lbs-6.5oz. or 2kg.

Bet that rips through a 36exp. roll in no time.

 

Heavy indeed.

 

I'll say it was fast by 1970s standard, but by the 1990s pretty much everything had been tweaked and massaged to the point where pretty much everything in the camera-from the shutter, mirror, other mechanical stuff, and of course motors could just run faster.

 

A standard F2/MD-2 maxes at 4fps with the mirror locked. I think that an F3 ups that to 4.5 or so with mirror return. The F5 can run all day at 8fps provided that you're using a high enough shutter speed(1/250 or faster) and have good batteries in it. That's under 5 seconds to shoot a 36ex. roll.

 

For folks who routinely needed to do that and also didn't need super high quality(i.e. just enough for it to look good in half tone in the newspaper) it's easy to see why cameras like the Nikon D1 took off like crazy. You could get the same 8fps but with a 40 frame buffer depth. With a fast enough card(granted the camera more so than the card is the limit) you can often get 50+ shots before you have to stop and let the buffer clear-generally a process that's faster than rewinding and reloading film.

Not to be a party-pooper - I can sure understand the attraction of having this PJ kit - but am I the only one to think these winders make pretty lovely cameras just look incredibly clunky? Probably they're still a dream to handle (or better?) and sure there is something great about the complete package, but well.... aesthetically they're not my cup of tea....

That said, it looks a lovely good sample of a great camera. And yes, it needs that 35mm f/1.4!

Not to be a party-pooper - I can sure understand the attraction of having this PJ kit - but am I the only one to think these winders make pretty lovely cameras just look incredibly clunky? Probably they're still a dream to handle (or better?) and sure there is something great about the complete package, but well.... aesthetically they're not my cup of tea....

That said, it looks a lovely good sample of a great camera. And yes, it needs that 35mm f/1.4!

No, not the only one Wouter. I once bought a winder, not even motor drive, just a winder for my OM-1n. (It was used and cheap) I'll tell you, the novelty wore off about halfway through the first roll. It sat in my camera junk box for years until I gave it away. Not a total loss though, Some previous owner had forgot the MD cover in it's storage clip in the battery compartment, so I got an extra MD cover out of the deal.

Congratulations on that find Ben.

 

"Granted one down-side to the Nikon implementation is that you need a decent amount of light in the frame to see the needles."

 

- Nikon thought of that. What you need is a DL-1 photomic illuminator - a little box with a battery holder, switch and lilliput lamp that clips under the eyepiece cover of the DP-1 or DP-11. It looks something like a miniature speedlight. I'd post a picture, but I've mislaid mine due to its small size, and, to be honest, I rarely use it.

 

BTW. I wouldn't hold your breath on finding one. They're close to hen's teeth in rarity. I think I've only ever seen two of them, and I bought the first one.

Edited November 17, 2017 by rodeo_joe|1

I bought a mint F3 HP with a 50mm 1.4 and a MD 4 at an auction for $45.00. It is a really nice camera but the motor drive just added weight and screwed up the handling for me. I would think that if you were a news or sports photographer the motor dive would come in handy but it does nothing for me but it does look pretty cool. I always thought that the film companies must have loved motor dives. You can really burn some film very fast. If anyone is looking for a mint MD 4 let me know. I will even throw in the 8 AA batteries.

- Nikon thought of that. What you need is a DL-1 photomic illuminator - a little box with a battery holder, switch and lilliput lamp that clips under the eyepiece cover of the DP-1 or DP-11. It looks something like a miniature speedlight. I'd post a picture, but I've mislaid mine due to its small size, and, to be honest, I rarely use it.

 

I have one-it was offered to me by another member here, and we actually had trouble coming to a price on it since it's so uncommon that it was hard to find pricing data.

 

Since I got it, it has mostly been on and off the F2/DP-1 that I use most often-a pretty battle-worn example that works great. The only issue I've run into with it is that it can block the light enough in daylight to make the needle hard to see, but doesn't illuminate it enough to compensate for that.

 

Indoors with an F2 Photomic or F2A, though, it's worth its weight in gold.

Hey Ben, just a minor quibble regarding something you wrote in a message on the previous page. You wrote, "You can probably tack on an extra $100 for an F2S(DP-2 prism, same as the DP-1 but with LED read-outs) or for a standard eye level."

 

Actually, the DP-2 (F2S) finder is the first one that has the ability to meter down to 10 seconds. The F2SB and AS finders also have this capability. The DP-2 is unique in appearance of the F2 finders. It's physically the largest with that big hump on top. And its LEDs are unique as well.

 

Oh, and clean eye-level finders (the DE-1) for the F2 have reached crazy heights. I'm glad I got mine when you could pick 'em up for $40 or so. These days it's cheaper to buy an F2 with DE-1 than it is to buy a DE-1 by itself.

The F2AS was my first camera. I bought mine in black back in 1977 with the intention of buying the MD-2, MB-1 and MN-1 batteries. I never bought the motor drive. In 1982 I bought the F3HP with the MD-4 and the MN-2 battery pack for less than the cost of the MD-2/MB-1 combo and used it as my motor driven camera.

At the time I liked the F2AS better than the F3HP but at time goes by the F3 became my favorite.

I bought my black F2-AS four years ago for 200 Euro in mint-condition only for nostalgic reason.

In 1979 I couldn't afford one (bought a FM instead) but I absolutely love the sound of the shutter.