Nikon F

<p>I got hold of another Nikon F body for very little money. One of the reasons for the low price the meter is dead, no big deal, I have a prism. The other thing is the name plate on the front of the camera that spells Nikon is missing. Ebay supplied another name plate but I don't have the two retaining screws and worse, don't know what size fastener I need. Any F owners have any idea of the size required? </p>

<p>Dave Easterwood might help. He might even have the screws you're looking for.<br>

dave@davescamera.net<br>

Robert Decker can fix the meter.<br>

drwyn@aol.com</p>

<p>SID</p>

<p>There's considerably more than one type of nameplate ( http://www.destoutz.ch/typ_name-plates.html ). If you are a purist (a.k.a "stitch counter") you may want to get one that is the same period as your body.<br /> On the other hand, many of us follow the dictum "good enough for government work".</p>

<p>The camera is infinitely better looking without the meter head. With modern negative films (as opposed to narrow latitude slide films of the past), a meter is not really necessary anyhow IMHO</p>

<p>Last I looked, non-meter finders were more rare, and more expensive, than (maybe not working) meter finders. </p>

<p>I have two non-working meter finders, maybe I can make a working one out of those.</p>

<p>Has anyone tried soldering 1N5711 diodes inside, for the mercury battery replacement? I now have the data sheet for it, and might order some next time I order enough to get above the minimum order.</p>

<p>Thanks for the email address Sid, sent an email off and can now only cross my fingers. As for the plate, I couldn't care less what type, it's black like the camera which has a 67....... serial number indicating it is a 1966 build. The plate I ordered is off a later model. This is not a collector camera so it doesn't matter. The broken meter is no problem, heavy and clunky it won't be missed. </p>

<p>I'm about to leave on an extended trip, but will try to look in my bin for the correct screws. I might have even the right ones, having disassembled a water damaged F. If not the correct ones, I'm sure I can find something close. If I find them, I'll be in the air for a day or two, then will have some email possibility, and will try to stick them in an envelope that can be mailed from Georgia.</p>

<p>If you find you need the screws, look up my email and I'll try to get them to you. </p>

<p>Glenn, check around the internet for instructions on recalibrating the meter for modern cells. It's one of the easier ones to do, and can be done with fair accuracy. I have three FTn meters, and all were readjusted to run on silver oxide cells, with results good enough for slides. Nowadays the full size silver cells are hard to find, but alkalines still exist and will serve pretty well if you keep an eye on the battery indicator. If you use smaller silver cells, you must use either foil or a metal ring, rather than an O-ring, but it can be done too. </p>

<p>Update: I could not find the front plate or the two screws from it. I think I took it off and was planning to send it to someone, and though I don't recall doing so, it is hiding for a while. I did, however, find some screws that fit the threads and work. I've got them taped to a card. I'm heading for Georgia tomorrow, but will land, I hope, some time in the evening and will have, I hope, interntet access. So if you still need the screws, get my email from here, send me a PO address, and I will send the screws in an plain old first class envelope.</p>

<p>I have some actual S625PX, which I got from Exell. I also bought batteries for some flash guns, and other cameras from them. </p>

<p>My other cameras have 675 or similar alkaline cells, and usually without even the O-ring. But as you note, that won't work the the F Photomic finder. </p>

<p>Bite the bullet and buy couple of the Wein cells. When the batteries poop out, they can be pressed out of the adapter ring and 675's inserted. Your 625's are 1.5 V which is higher than the original PX13 @ 1.35 V</p>