I Found A New Baby, Tada, tada

<p>I had always secretly wanted a classic Nikon F, but had always found excuses not to take the plunge. Like always too expensive, the body may be cheap enough but the "right" lenses and accessories would always be priced out of sight, all the advertised ones would be very much used, etc, etc. <br>

Then I got lucky. On the great auction site, there was a Nikon F, one of those "estate sale" offerings. You know, "everything seems to click OK, don't have a battery so I can't check the meter" etc. I bid my personal limit on it and almost forgot about it, as they always seem to sell for 50% more tha I am willing to pay.<br>

Along comes an email stating that I had won the bid ! A few days later the package arrives and I was truly astounded. The body is really near mint, the lens is spotless and the meter even works !<br>

I made an adapter for two 1.4 v batteries and ventured forth on my island of residence.<br>

First the Camera</p>

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<p>Top shot</p><div></div>

<p>#1</p><div></div>

<p>Cotton Mill on the River</p><div></div>

<p>#3</p>

<p>Double post</p><div></div>

<p>#4</p>

<p>Forgot to save above as jpg.<br />Here's one of stuffed moose in combat. The remains of two moose who had inextricably locked antlers were found in the Maine woods, put back together and stuffed in an appropriate pose. On display in the LL Bean store in Freeport, Me</p><div></div>

<p>One more<br>

Running out of time, have to go to work.</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

<p>Roger,</p>

<p>You did good in both in purchase and in pictures. They say good things come to those who wait. It looks like your wait paid off.</p>

<p>I like it, I think I'll keep it. Lord knows I have enough cameras and they all do an adequate job, but this one knocks my socks off.</p>

<p>Great find, Roger. One with a working Photomic head is rare indeed.</p>

<p>Good job winning that auction. I won <a href="../classic-cameras-forum/00X3T6">a similarly gorgeous Nikon F2</a> on the auction site a couple of months ago that came with the same Nikkor-H 50mm f/2 that you have here.</p>

<p>The serial number on your camera, according to the data at destoutz.ch, indicates that it was made in the spring of 1971, so it's a fairly late-production F. The lens could be from a year or two earlier.</p>

<p>I particularly like the last picture for the dappling of sunlight and shade on the cottage.</p>

<p>Fabulous camera, I've had many, now have two: 1959 all original, 1967 F36(motordrive model) I especially like the cottage photo.</p>

<p>Excellent photos. I got a hankering awhile back to get a Nikon F with the plain prism and mistakenly thought they would be even cheaper than those with the photomic head, many of which are on the fritz now anyway. Wrong! Prices have taken off.</p>

<p>That level of mintification is hard to find. It appears to work as good as it looks. Good score! </p>

<p>Very nice. The mighty F claims another victim.....er....aficionado.</p>

<p>Great find, Roger,and from the pics it's in good hands. I must buy a Nikon, someday...</p>

<p>Oooh, pretty!</p>

<p>I'm kind of surprised to see that the ISO dial goes to 6400 on a camera of that age.</p>

<p>I think ISO went very high on Photomic meters to accommodate Polaroid film, for which special backs were available for the F.</p>

<p>The camera is from near the end of the F production run, which likely explains the 6400 ISO capability. </p>

<p>I have my late fathers F, he bought it in 1969 shortly before I was born. It is a black F with the FTn meter finder. He used it to shoot Kodachrome slides until 1984 when he bought a new black FE2 to replace it. The FE2 was much smaller and lighter than the F. Currently I have his F at my friends camera repair shop having a complete restoration being done, it had never been worked on before and the meter no longer worked. I can't wait to get it back from the shop and shoot a roll of slides through it!! In the meantime I found a 1968 F on ebay for less than $100 and added my black standard prism and 28mm f3.5 H-C lens to it. I just love the Nikon F.<br>

<img src="http://hull534.smugmug.com/photos/849242096_ZPTvj-L.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Wonderful find and pictures. I congratulate you on your luck. Now enjoy the beast that survived the jungles of Vietnam and Cambodia, and also recorded the 1970 world cup in Mexico.</p>

<p>I was given a Nikon F, looks like the one just above. I had it cla'd but I think the guy didn't really do anything as the film advance was and remains sticky and it's not really transporting the film correctly. I'm in Southern California do you good people have a good place to have it brought up to snuff? BTW, that's a great find, looks great and obviously is working great.</p>

<p>Barry, call Glen at Alpine Camera in Spokane, WA. He's been a repair tech running his own business since 1988. A very nice guy and an excellent technician, I've known him since he opened up. Prices are reasonable and service is fast. 1-877-892-6645.</p>