Nikon F2 Price ?

Greetings,

 

I happen to browse at a local camera store and discover a very clean

and no scratch-or-dent Nikon F2 with DP-1 for 270.00 USD.

 

Just wondering if this is a good price to buy ? I cannot find any

reference as to price wise on the Net.

 

The serial number I think was 746xxxx, not quite sure.

 

Apppreciated for any insights.

 

Stan

Stanley

 

They go on ebay for less,but you do not have the camera in your hand to see what kind of shape they may be in. Its a crap shoot .I see prices for F2 to be around $100 to $250 dollars on Ebay/.

Hi Stan:

Yeah, that's a good price assuming everything on the body is in working order. Lately it seems F-2 bodies are running anywhere between $250 and $350. If you buy the one you're looking at, assuming the store offers you a 30 day warranty, take it out and shoot a roll or two and have it processed. One of the biggest problems with old F-2's (I have four of them) is the meters go kaputsky. Parts are difficult, but not impossible to find. Nikon doesn't repair these any more.

 

Other things you should check out are the shutter curtain to ensure it doesn't have any holes in it; that the film advance works smoothly without jamming or binding; that the mirror return works properly at all shutter speeds, and that the gaskets you can see without disassembling the body aren't crumbling. Just thought I'd mention those things. Otherwise, the F-2 is a real workhorse. Built like a hockey puck and some say you can use them to pound fence posts with although I wouldn't recommend it.

 

BTW, KEH.com has a pretty good selection of used AIS lenses and other stuff for the F-2 that's pretty reasonably priced as well.

Take it light.

Mark

If the camera is in very good condition AND the store will warranty the camera for 30-60 days, the $270 price is decent. As Mark notes, the camera would not be worth the $$$ if the meter in the DP-1 finder is broken, as these meters can't be economically repaired.

Good point Gents.

 

I did not think of testing the meter yet , I guess I will visit the store again.

 

Thanks...

At that price, this F2 is a good buy if it's a chrome body, and a steal if it's a black body. This <a href="http://www.mir.com.my/~michaeliu/f2/f2questions.html#F2val">page has good information</a> on pricing, and issues like meter repair.

If it's clean and working, that's a really good price. I prefer silver because the black stuff wears off easily. In Vancouver (CAN Dollars), they go from anywhere from $800 to $1400. I rip, in my opinion. ;-)

I remember I bought my F2AS in 1979 with a 50m f/1.4 for HK$2350 (~US $300). I still use it once in a while, it's a classic mechanical camera.

Stanley, you are talking about a Nikon F2 "Photomic" camera.

 

If the camera is very clean with no dings, dents and scratches, and in good meechanical condition, US$270.00 is a great price, there is people all over the world willing to pay much more than that for a clean F2 "Photomic" because that camera is, and it will continue to be, a classic camera.

 

I haven't seen a clean one like the one you describe selling at eBay for $100.00 as some here have said. I've seen "Mint" and "EXC +" go for as much as US$1500.00, believe it or not.

Regarding the meter, another common problem with F2's lie in the battery box, especially if a battery was left in it for an extended period of time. If the needle is jumpy the resistor strips in the meter head need to be cleaned or, in a worst case scenario, need to be replaced. F2 meter heads can be repair by Robert Decker- look him up on the 'net. He's probably the best F2 meter head specialist tech out there today. There are other specialists who repair F2 bodies- check out Stephen Gandy's site called Cameraquest.com in the "repairs" section. He also works on meter head although I have no first-hand experiences with him. Mr. Decker fixed a DP-11 (F2A) meter head for me and it worked like new when I got it back.

 

The price you mention is probably a good starting point for a fully working F2 Photomic (DP-1 meter head). Later models in good working condition will go up in price from there. Once they are in good working order F2's, if used regularly, could very possibly outlive you and me.

Yes, Decker can repair the meters: "(Robert Decker asks) for a flat rate of $100 to repair the (DP-1) meter, and $125 to repair the DP-2, DP-3 and DP-12 meters.":

 

 

http://hometown.aol.com/drwyn/myhomepage/

 

 

Decker's prices aren't outlandish. However, in the context of the original question, if you add an extra $100 to the price of a clean F2 with a DP-1 finder, at $370, you've now clearly paid more than the camera is worth- at least in the U.S., where $$$ are the currency.

True, but past experience has taught me if you buy a used camera like an F2 today, you eventually do wind up having some type of service performed unless you buy one that's just been serviced, and it's usually the prism thats what is in need of servicing- the shutter and advance system seems to be able to run forever. In shopping for one of these I am more likely to buy one and pay a premium if I can find one that has been recently serviced, which isn't unlike what you do when you buy from a a seller like KEH who sells most everything at a premium, but with a warranty.

Greg, when I get the occasional good-condition chrome F2 at my store, typically with the 50mm f/1.4 the original owner bought with the lens, I sell it for $275. And, we give a 60-day warranty. If I were buying retail, I wouldn't pay KEH's prices for anything.

 

 

If you want to pay $270 for an F2 body and pay $100 to have the meter serviced, so be it. But if you go to sell the camera, you'll do so at a loss. F2's that are not in perfect condition simply aren't in that great a demand any more.

Yes, that is a weakness of mine. Fortunately I've never been in a position to have to make money selling my equipment- I would have never made it.

Hi everybody.

I have two F2AS bodies. I would like to exchange one body for a good used F100 or a F90X Pro. My F2AS body is in good working condition, but the battery contact needs to be fixed - the contact strip got damaged while I was cleaning the battery compartment. I'm in Pondicherry, South India.

Manikoth