Which older nikon?

[micah_mayo]

A friend of mine has asked me to help her pick out an older Nikon body

and lens, but there are so many to choose from, so I thought I'd ask

the gurus at photo.net -- here is what she is looking for:

 

An older NonAF body and lens with the ability to shoot completely

manually with some kind of metering, a 50mm fast prime(f1.4-2.8 area).

Any additional features like bracketing or anything like that is a

plus, but it's important for her to be able to shoot manually. She has

been using an older canon that is borrowed and likes the old style

metering where you have a bar inside the viewfinder and as you adjustg

the fstop an "eye" comes over the bar to set your exposure. What

reccomendations do you guys have?

 

Micah

[errol young]

Look at some Nikkormats. sturdy, reliable and many still have years of service. Usually come with a 50mm 2.0 or 1.8. I have 3, 2 work, 1 even has a meter working

 

errol

[tri-x1]

Nikon FE, FE2 or the Nikkormat FT3. FT3 is heavier but uses modern batteries. Older Nikkormats were built for now illegal mercury batteries. The Zinc Air replacement cells are a joke. (high cost, short life). You can invest about $20 for an adapter that allows you to use modern batteries. Then the Nikkormat is OK.

[User_1172872]

It doesn't exactly fit you criteria (Non-AF) but I'd recommend the N8008s. Meters with manual lenses. Runs on AA batteries. Autowind, power rewind, DX coding, ttl flash metering. And it has a spot meter - which is why I recommended the 8008s, not the plain 8008. No manual focus nikon has a spot meter! The metering display in the finder covers two stops. I'm fairly certain it's actually smaller than a Nikkormat and it has DOF preview. Is mirror lockup important? Missing on the 8008s. And you need some kind of special connctor for a cable release. At today's prices, who knows, it may not be more money than a Nikkormat.

[harris_goldstein]

Some comments on the older Nikons and Nikormats:

 

Any older body is likely to need the seals replaced. An inexpensive DIY operation.

 

Many of the earlier Nikormats (FTN, FT2) used a mercury battery that is not longer available. That size battery is available in alkaline, but with different voltage and discharge charactoristics. There are adapters available. I won't get into a debate about practical impact, but you may want to stick with an FT3 or later.

 

F2s are like tanks, with the exception of the ring resister in the meter. Stick with a DP11 or DP12 prism if you go with an F2 or budget for repair.

 

F3s are fine if you can find one in good condition. 90-some % (my estimate) were used professionally and used hard. For whatever reason, it seems that everyone I've seen for sale falls in that category.

 

FM2s and FE2s are perhaps the most desirable (in my opinion) in terms of quality, capability, and size. FE2 gives you an auto-exposure option. FM2 is all manual. The FE and FM are also good, but had some issues resolved in the later models.

 

If size is an issue (if it's going to be carried all day or lots of travel), you may want to avoid the Nikormats and F2s.

 

There is also the issue of AI and non-AI (Auto Indexing) lenses. An AI lens (assuming it has the meter prong) will work with all the above models. Non-AI lens will not work on later models except in stop down metering mode (and may not mounnt on very later ones at all).

 

But why just consider an older Nikon (unless she has existing Nikon mount lenses)? Nikon's not a bad choice, but there are also excellent cameras and optics from Canon and Olympus (among others). Just be aware that the battery issue impacts other models (not just Nikon) as well (try http://www.butkus.org/chinon/camera_batteries.htm for older battery info).

[doug herr]

"<I>Many of the earlier Nikormats (FTN, FT2) used a mercury battery that is not longer available</I>"

<P>

The Nikkormat FT2 uses a common silver-oxide battery.

[douglas_green1]

If automatic exposure is desired, the best choices are an FE2, or an FE or an FG. Unless she can afford $500 for a new FM3a.

 

If metered manual is all she needs, than an FM2n, FM2, or FM will all do the trick. The FE2 and FM2n are the best of these (other than the FM3a), while the FE, FM, and FG will be less expensive choices that are still quite good. Personally, I really love the ergonomics of the FG.

[scott_cullen]

Harris Goldstein wrote:

 

"F2s are like tanks, with the exception of the ring resister in the meter. Stick with a DP11 or DP12 prism if you go with an F2 or budget for repair."

 

I was going to say bricks. I bought an F2A new 25 years ago. My first and only SLR. I still use it. Dependable as can be. Not much to go wrong. I did find a web site that said they can and will repair the ring resistor in the meter if it goes bad, but sorry do not have the link.

 

Scott Cullen

[johnw63]

The possibility of geting the camera repaired might enter into the equation. Of the older

MF Nikons, I believe the FM2 series was made the longest and was discontinued not that

long ago, so parts are probably more obtainable than some of the others.

 

Now, I like the FG because it is smaller, has TTL flash, program modes, and a row of LEDs

in the finder to relate your exposure. That last one is very nice for low light stuff. What I

wish it had was a little faster shutter ( It tops out at 1/1000 ) and Depth of Field preview.

You can pick these up all the time for under $100 now. Which is good because parts are

probably hard to find. It wasn't made for that many years.

 

I think you'll need to show her a comparison of the FM2 and other NIkons to help her find

the camera with the features she wants. Try these links:

 

 

http://www.nikonlinks.com/equipment_film_manual_slr.htm

 

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonfmseries/index.htm

 

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonfeseries/index.htm

 

And because they are so inexpensive...

 

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/emfgfg20/fg/index.htm

[klix]

You didn't mention a budget. My personal preference:

 

Option 1 -- Manual, and not so old: FM3A

 

Option 2 -- Manual, smaller older and works w/o batteries: FM2N

 

Option 3 -- Manual, w/ AE, smaller, older: FE2

 

Option 4 -- Manual, older, larger: F3

 

KL

[jon_goodman1]

If you go with any of the FM series, FE series, Nikkormat FT3 or EL, I can offer you a pdf file for the re-sealing of it, complete with instructions and plenty of images. In the Nikons with interchangeable focus screens, I also include some directions/images for that (ie, FM2, FM2n, FE, Nikkormat EL, Nikon EM & similar). Very often I find these cameras only need a good cleaning and re-sealing to be just fine. If you need re-sealing material, I can help you there, too. Please look on E-Bay for the seller "Interslice." A $6 kit will re-seal 6 typical Nikon SLRs. Good luck.

 

Jon

[vivek iyer]

The cheapest and the lightest of all...

 

Get an EM with a 50/1.8 AIS E-series lens. There were even other light weight prime lense made for this camera: 28mm, 35mm and 100mm.

 

Then there are zoom options: 36-72/3.5 and the 75-150/3.5

 

Totally under rated camera, IMO.

[EricM]

"F3s are fine if you can find one in good condition. 90-some % (my estimate) were used professionally and used hard. For whatever reason, it seems that everyone I've seen for sale falls in that category."

 

except mine, has less than 20 rolls through it. bought it for nostalgic reasons with the intent to use it for street and lend to my gf and such. haven't even looked at it in three years now.

 

for sale if you wish Micah, may as well. non HP though. comes with a mint md-4 as well.

[User_502260]

All of my Nikon mount bodies are either Nikkormats or Nikomats. I have seven in all. They are all earlier than the FT3. The FT2 bodies do not run on mercury cells or replacements for them. They run on MS-76 or A-76 batteries which are still readily available. The FT2 is made for non-AI lenses but will work with full aperture metering even with AI or AIS lenses. The exceptions would be the last AIS lenses which were made without metering prongs. These can still be used but in stop-down mode only.

 

The non-AI or pre-AI lenses are often very reasonably priced. The headache with an FT2 or earlier non-AI camera is that you must remember to index each lens when you put it on. A good repair facility will charge about $100 to completely overhaul an FT2. In most cases their meters are working but the wiring must be checked out and everything in that area has to be cleaned.

 

I have had good luck using either a Wein cell or an MR-9 adapter to get aroud the mercury battery problem but I have had less luck getting a meter recalibrated to 1.5 volts. For this reason I prefer the FT2 to the older Nikkormat bodies. The FT3 is essentially the same camera but made for AI lenses so it doesn't require indexing of the AI or AIS lenses each time they are mounted. As long as you are not shooting in very low light an FT2 or FT3 can be fine. If you want to shoot in lower light you will need a newer camera with a more sensitive meter and it will cost more.

 

What's nice about the Nikkormats? They have reliable Copal Square vertical metal shutters, the FT2 and FT3 can run on non-mercury cells, they have a flash synch speed of 1/125, they have a depth of field preview button, they have mirror lock-up, they have a meter read-out on the top plate, they accept many fine Nikkor lenses which sell for reasonable prices, they don't cost very much and they are fairly easily repaired. I recommend Essex Camera Service in Carlstadt, NJ for the overhaul.

[rjm photo]

Why not get an F with the FTN finder? You'd have a rugged and reliable camera with pretty accurate metering. Most of the FTN finders CAN be repaired if they are inoperable. I had the FTN finder on one of my original F's repaired last year and now it meters very close to what the F4s indicates (F4s selector in the centerweighted position). You should be able to pick up an F with FTN meter for $125 (with meter probably not working) and pay $100 or less to get the meter fixed (the repair shop will probably convert to regular batteries at the same time for no additional cost). Most Nikkormats I have seen advertised have non working meters also. You may as well spend a few dollars more than the Nikkormat and own a piece of history. Recently I went through several boxes of pictures taken over the last three and a half decades with my F and the exposures are surprisingly good for what some consider a "primitive" meter system.

[douglas_green1]

An FM is infinitely more practical than an F with a Photomic FTn finder. Also cheaper and far lighter to carry.

[astral]

I'd suggest Nikkormat FT2/3 or FE2 - these have needle type metering that enables you to easily and reliably select any degree of under/over exposure (within c.2stops). The l.e.d. display cameras (FM/2/3 ...) are less Precise, but the meters are more Sensitive and Accurate (per se). Not recommended for night photography.

 

 

FA - great camera but not a wonderful viewfinder display. However, the multimode functions are absolutely fine AND it has matrix metering with "almost all" AI and later Nikkor lenses (except those 'G'-things). Good at night.

 

 

Otherwise F4 + multifunction back (brill!) - the best ever manual focus camera, with matrix (& AF as a bonus): a few fiddly issues like the annoying switches, but gimmick free and it will accomodate a VERY wide range of Nikon lenses - Oh yes big viewfinder c.99-ish percent! Doesn't like 'G' toy lenses. Brilliant all the time, develops your muscles too. Can go to 6 frame per second -- gooood for sport but could become eexxppensive at that speed.

 

 

My choice: Nikkormat FT2 (for day trips) FA (for a weekend trip) or F4 (for world tour) ... Oh yes, FM2-thingy when my conscience pricks me to use it - rare event.