Nikon F - all shutter speeds operate at same speed

[mervyn_wilmington]

<p>My early Nikon F has a fault. Regardless of the chosen speed, the camera operates at the same speed. I've taken off the photomic head, and set the speeds 'directly' but it makes no difference. Is it a known fault?</p>

<p>Before I decide to send it to a repairer, any ideas please?</p>

[Sandy Vongries]

<p>If it is an F model with the battery in the meter, you will likely need a repair. If you have a model with the battery in the camera body, when the battery is dead, I believe they default to a 60th. I'd check battery and terminals if that is the case. Good Luck!</p>

[john_silvester1]

<p>Hi Mervyn. Your early F is unlikely to suffer battery probs as it will be fully mechanical. The battery if any, will power the meter only, so a trip to the repairer is needed to sort out the clockwork. I would say that this fault sounds unusual, as those cameras were built like tanks. Try to get advice, then an estimate? Bodies in working order here are not expensive,unless very early or rare. Good luck!</p>

 

[mervyn_wilmington]

<p>I'm quite sure this is not a battery/electrical fault. The F is entirely mechanical so far as shutter and speeds are concerned.</p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<p>What is the speed it's running at - slow or fast or shutter fully open?</p>

[christopher_ward2]

<p>is the ring around the shutter release set to T?</p>

[robert_bowring]

<p>That is a weird problem. My experience with these cameras is that they either work or they don't work at all. The Nikon F is completely mechanical so the battery will have nothing to do with your problem. I have seen them jam where you can't trip the shutter or advance the film but never seen one work at only one shutter speed. Do you know which shutter speed is working? If you figure out what the problem is please post it here. I would really like to know. Thanks and good luck.</p>

[mervyn_wilmington]

<p>Thanks for the comments.</p>

<p>I am a silly-billy. I actually have a Bowens shutter speed tester. I've used that this afternoon.</p>

<p>Speeds 1/30th and faster are fairly accurate. All the slower speeds are about 1/25th. I had assumed all the speeds had gone crazy because the slower speeds had been working properly before.</p>

<p>Does this say anything to those who know rather more than I do!?</p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<blockquote>

<p>All the slower speeds are about 1/25th</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Seems to point to a problem with the slow speed escapement located below the mirror box - nearly full disassembly of the camera required to get to it. Before you do that, you may want to try the adjustments described in the Nikon F repair manual that can be found here: http://arcticwolfs.net/</p>

[glen_h]

<p>Use high-speed film, and you will rarely need speeds slower than 1/30.</p>

<p>I have a Canon P which I believe has the same problem. </p>

[mervyn_wilmington]

<p>Thanks for the advice, etc, especially to Dieter for the repairs link. I'm not sure I am brave enough nowadays! Or steady enough for that matter. I first repaired a shutter (leaf, much easier) in 1959. I had to fashion small screwdrivers from darning needles over a gas flame and work and file them into the necessary shape!</p>

[johne37179]

<p>I used (and abused ) Nikon Fs for years. They were like a truck, but for the titanium curtain shutter. Every thousand exposures or so I would have the bodies in the shot to have the shutters calibrated. Interestingly the copal shutter on the Nikkormat was much better! If you are using an F, plan on regular shutter maintenance. When working professionally with the F, I had about a half dozen bodies at any time, so that I could always have one or two in the short -- kind of like Jaguars!</p>