orsetto

Aaarrggghh! Just realized my attempt to help you with the ASA dial adjustment went off the rails: in trying to visualize the steps, I mis-stated what to do somewhere in the middle. Sorry for the error: ignore my earlier post and start again from here. First, re-assemble everything you had taken apart, try to reposition the black ASA indicator cap to more-or-less its original position (red arrow on 100, with ASA 6400 upside down on the right, parallel to the camera front edge). Take reading with your known-good reference camera at ASA 100 (just an example, it can be any ASA you want). Note the settings the good camera suggests, say 1/250th at f/4. Now, set your F2 ASA, aperture and shutter speed to match your good camera (i.e. 1/250th and f/4 at ASA 100). If your F2 meter disagrees significantly (needle display is not in the center notch), keep the F2 to your eye while lifting up the ASA collar against spring tension, and turn it in either direction until your F2 meter needle centers in the notch. Release the collar, and the mechanics of your F2 prism baseline ASA index are now adjusted to match the ASA of your reference camera. However the red indicator arrow of your F2 ASA collar will now be pointing at an "incorrect" ASA number. So you must now loosen the collar grub screws to defeat the collar's engagement with the actual ASA setting: this will let you turn it freely until the arrow points toward the original ASA you were comparing with your reference camera (i.e., 100). Tighten the grub screws, and your DP1 meter prism ASA/shutter speed assembly and meter readout should now be in agreement with any other known-good camera you compare it with. Of course if there is a more significant defect in your DP1 like a bad CdS cell or bald patch in ring resistor, you'll still encounter intermittent problems. In that case, have the prism professionally serviced or buy a replacement meter prism. Note there is unavoidable wiggle room in the F2 meter prism shutter knob/ASA assembly, due to somewhat loose tolerances required by Nikon's early interchangeable prism design. This results in no two F2 cameras having exactly the same reading, or reading exactly and consistently the same as a modern electronic reference camera. The needle (or LED) display will shift up to a 1/3rd stop in either direction just from touching the shutter/ASA knob. Long time F2 users learn to incorporate this loose tolerance in their exposure measurements, it wasn't much of an issue with most films aside from Kodachrome. While disconcerting in operation, it should have a negligible effect with todays common negative films. As long as your F2 reads within a half stop of your reference camera when you wiggle the shutter knob, don't worry about it.

When you refer to "cover", do you mean the little round black cap with the ASA numbers printed on it? If so, that should not have been removed: you should calibrate the ASA setting with it in place. The "home position" will have red arrow on ASA 100, with the numbers for ASA 6400 showing upside down, adjacent to the shutter release button at right, and parallel with the front edge of the camera top plate. You might simply have got off on the wrong foot: put everything back together, and start again as follows. Use another known-good reference camera to meter a static scene. Note the aperture/shutter settings it indicates at a reference ISO/ASA like 100 or 400. Aim your faulty F2 at the same scene using the same ASA/ISO setting, the same or similar focal length lens and the same framing. Note the aperture/shutter setting suggested by the F2 meter. Calculate how many stops deviation is shown. Say your reference camera reads 1/250th at f/4 and ISO 100 but your F2 reads 1/60th at f/4 and ISO 100: means your F2 mechanical ASA setting is overexposing by two stops. This means you must pull up on the silver collar against spring tension, turn it so the red arrow points to ASA 25 instead of 100, and drop the collar back down to its locked position. The meter is then mechanically reset to match your reference camera, now all you need to do is correct the cosmetic dial indicator position by loosening the grub screws and turning the collar (without lifting) so the now-disconnected red arrow points to ASA 100 instead of ASA 25. Tighten the grub screws to reconnect the ASA collar to the spring-loaded ring resistor.. Your F2 meter should closely follow the readings of your reference camera at all ASA settings, unless the F2 has a significant defect impacting some part of its meter range (dead spot in resistor ring, failed CdS cell). While this trick of altering the ASA indicator position is technically a quick n dirty hack that is frowned upon by professional repair techs, it generally works well as a long-term fix (I calibrated all of the F2 cameras I acquired between 1992 and 2012 in this manner, and they're all still spot-on). A professional tech might be more inclined to deeper adjustments like the trim pots under the prism leather: I do not recommend this route for DIY, as the trim pots are simply another ring resistor disaster waiting to happen. Tiny fragile carbon pots that haven't been moved for nearly 50 years should not be touched today: unless your F2 meter is off by an insane amount like six or seven stops that runs up against the hard limits of the ASA collar setting range, the collar indicator repositioning hack is far less risky and easily reversible.

The needle-readout CdS meter prisms for the Nikon F and F2 were sturdy and reliable during their original expected service lifetime of about ten years, but over the ensuing decades many have developed stubborn problems which can be increasingly difficult to resolve without spending significant money with a competent technician. Most of the F meter prisms are now in their final death throes (if they even turn on at all), the DP1 and DP11 for F2 have held up much better but many have become twitchy or have range issues at the low end. When brand new, the DP1/DP11 could give reliable readings down to around EV1 (f/1.4 at 1 sec at ISO 100), tho that was really pushing it: EV2 was the practical limit unless you had a really perfect specimen.. By the 1990s, they had aged to the point where the very bottom end developed inconsistencies, with a realistic new low end limit of roughly EV3. By the mid-2000s, many became flakier still: depending on condition of the ring resistor and CdS cells, the low end could fall out entirely. The classic Nikon/Nikkormat meter design employed a pair of CdS cells flanking the eyepiece and aimed at the focus screen: it is not uncommon for one of the two CdS cells to expire, which can give the appearance of a still-functioning meter (hiding some problems). The ring resistor can sometimes be revived with a good cleaning, but if badly worn it may need to be replaced. Dead CdS cells must be replaced. Unfortunately spare parts have long since been depleted: a malfunctioning DP1 or DP11 effectively becomes a non-metering prism for most owners. If you're willing to spend the money and have patience for a long repair wait, a handful of dedicated boutique Nikon technicians have had small batches of custom new ring resistors and CdS cells manufactured so they can restore a DP1/DP11 to fully operational condition. Whether its worth the expense is another question: some of us found it more practical and cost-effective to move on to the newer DP3 or DP12 prisms with modern silicon blue meter cells. Their LED readout is not as classic as ye olde needle display, but it gets the job done and is visible even in a pitch black cave. Helpful, since these prisms can quickly/accurately read down to available darkness (EV -2, i.e. 8 seconds at F/1.4 at ISO 100). The DP3/DP12 can develop electronics or ring resistor issues different from the DP1/DP11, but that isn't common so you are much more likely to find a good working example of DP3/DP12. You will almost always pay a lower price if you look for the complete camera (F2SB for a DP3, F2AS for a DP12): sellers ask almost as much money for the meter prisms by themselves.

Hasselblad price lists, 1961 and 1971. The lens selection was pretty sparse the first few years!

Another Nikon curiosity: very early 1971 introductory F2 brochure, showing the prototypes of the DP2 (F2S) prism and DS-1 EE Aperture Servo (neither of which would become available until 1973). Note the smooth featureless paint-only finish: no leatherette or ribbing, and a smaller hump on the DP2. This might have been the only time Nikon featured a prototype in dealer marketing materials.

This might be better posted to a "cameras in movies" thread, but its a fairly obscure ad that might also qualify as ephemera. I've been hunting for this old Nikon ad for years, and was beginning to wonder if I'd imagined it, when I finally found it again today in the July 1978 issue of Camera 35 magazine. Which may be the only time/place Nikon ran the ad, since the movie instantly bombed into cult camp classic status (instead of being the glamorous Hollywood tie-in Nikon expected). The ad inanely promotes a camera model (F2A) that was not featured in the movie. Laura Mars almost exclusively shoots the then-brand-new FM with MD-11 motor drive and 35mm f/2.0 AI lens. A couple times in her enormous studio she rocks a Hasselblad. Decades later there was a hypnotic museum roadshow installation by Anne Collier called "Woman With A Camera" that was basically just a room with a slide projector very slowly flipping thru iconic frames of Laura Mars becoming unhinged while composing thru her Nikon FM. Isolated from the movie, it was an oddly compelling exhibit that invoked several themes.

Nikon's most fun toy ever: the DS servo units that convert manual exposure F2 bodies to shutter-priority AE. Notoriously clumsy, heavy and slow, but they do actually work to mechanically turn the lens aperture ring to follow signals from the meter prism, essentially automating the process of match-LED manual metering. Had this one for years, bought on whim back when collectors briefly forgot about them and they were affordable. Got a new custom rechargeable battery from F2 guru Sover Wong, but quickly resold it along with the DH-1 charger. These servo units are only occasionally useful today, so maintaining a rechargeable battery is dificult. Much easier to run the thing off a common 28L 6v lithium battery.

The Nikon F3 was churned out in such volume, and the design/mfrg perfected so long ago, that even today a great majority of them remain fully functional (despite the abundance of electronics they contain). While I'm in the minority of Nikon enthusiasts who cannot stand using the F3, it was probably the most popular beloved model in the professional F series. Like any other camera (esp those used by pros), more than a few examples have defects and problems, but overall your chances of finding a problem-free F3 vs the earlier F or F2 are much greater. Yes, there can be issues with the electronics of an old F3, but most of the ones I've seen with issues suffer from impact damage vs strictly electronic gremlins. I.E., the rewind knob/flash shoe assembly contains the "heart" of the F3 control system: this is akin to the Death Star ventilator shaft exploited by Luke Skywalker in Star Wars (generally protected, but if hit in just the right spot with just the right amount of force it will destroy the F3 operationally). The great advantage of the F3 over the F/F2 when used with waist level finder is full retention of the meter/AE feature in the F3. Older F/F2 can only meter with an eye level prism. The later F4 can meter with WLF, but only in narrow spot mode, and the percentage of defective F4 cameras on the market today outnumbers problematic F3s by a considerable margin. The F5 will meter with WLF, but is a larger more expensive motorized camera whose optional DW-30 WLF costs as much or more as the F3 WLF. FWIW, see pics below of my 35mm SLRs with WLF. The Nikon F with early WLF is not much fun to use because it lacks a fully enclosed hood: like many early WLFs, the two sides are rather short and there is no rear flap, so stray light can easily reflect off the focus screen. But for half the price of the F3/WLF combo, its a great deal. There is a later version of F WLF with more enclosed construction, often sold together with a good Nikon F body for under $200 today. This more-enclosed F WLF is near identical to the later Nikon F2 DW-1 WLF, which will fit the Nikon F with some modification, but is priced close to the F3 WLF so not the same bargain as the F version. Nikon F is an incredibly sturdy reliable camera, but many are quite old now and it is becoming common for them to develop glitches at the faster shutter speeds (easily repaired). For an example of the view into the "better" version F/F2 WLF, see this Tumblr page. My Exakta VXIIa has a nice fully enclosed WLF, and a brighter focus screen than the F (although you can easily switch out the independent screen of the F for another brighter type). The disadvantage of Exakta is its archaic control layout: I've owned it for a decade but still need to refer to the instruction manual before setting a slow shutter speed (do it wrong, and you'll get trapped in self timer mode). Not likely to be an issue in the outdoors daylight situations where a WLF is likely to be used, but it can be annoying. Exaktas are sturdy (if primitive) cameras whose Achilles Heel is their shutter curtain material: it can develop pinholes. Exakta/Exa cameras were very inexpensive until recently, when they began getting snapped up for their German lenses (that people want to mount on their digital mirrorless cams). Look for a body with WLF but no lens, and some bargains can still be found. Tons of inexpensive lenses were made in Exakta/Exa/Topcon mount: avoid brands like Zeiss or Steinheil and you won't get gouged. I'd mentioned Miranda previously as a budget option for 35mm WLF SLR, but a quick price check showed me they aren't so cheap anymore: people are asking Exakta money for them now. Given comparable pricing, I think the best price/performance/lens availability deal would be the Nikon F with either of its WLFs.

Their description might be layman's shorthand for "the shutter self-caps at all speeds above 1/60th." If you're looking thru the shutter at a bright lamp for a rough eyeball check of speeds, and every speed setting above 1/60th seems either totally black or gives only the barest glimmer of light coming thru, the shutter is capping like crazy or stuck on 1/2000. Or perhaps both: the F3 isn't known for dramatic shutter failures, but maybe the ones that do fail go all the way with it. Two of my six F2 bodies cap/don't open at 1/2000, everything below that is fine. One of my F bodies shows this F3 symptom of all speeds above 1/60th barely opening. Of course the F and F2 are mechanical, the F3 in question may have an electronic issue.

The F3 has no electronics in any finder, including the prism: meter is buried behind the reflex mirror. The uncommon F3AF has electronic contacts in its bespoke AF prism, but thats an arcane exception. The standard F3 was designed to answer pro criticism that the F and F2 lost metering when the popular speed finder was attached, body based meter in the F3 works with any finder attached. WLF for F and F2 aren't in particular demand: easy to find and not outrageously expensive (the F2 version is more collectible, however). The meter prisms for F2 are compact, take modern batteries, often still work, and if they malfunction they can be repaired (at a price). Most F2 users want the F2 with meter finder, F2 with plain prism isn't especially desirable to people who actually shoot the things (as opposed to collectors or jewelry fanciers). In its day the F2 was heavily promoted by Nikon featuring a meter prism on it, thats its iconic "zebra" look. The stunted round humped plain prism actually looks kinda odd mounted on the F2: Nikon perhaps went a bit too far with their curvy updates on that piece. The original F is a whole other ball of string. The meter prisms are huge, bulky, clumsy, tricky to adapt for modern batteries and typically dead on arrival. Today, both collectors and users of the F vastly prefer the plain meterless prism it debuted with. Its more organic to the camera and has the iconic appearance everyone now associates with the Nikon F. Unfortunately the plain prisms were plagued with primitive, terrible foam liners that decay and eat away the silver coating. The majority of plain F prisms are unpleasant to use now due to desilvering blobs and vertical shadow lines. The F2 plain prism is slightly less prone to this and can be adapted to the F, which has spiked renewed demand for the plain F2 prisms. I think I've seen more F bodies in the wild sporting F2 plain prisms than I've ever seen F2 bodies with plain prism.

Thanks for the explanation! That makes sense, in a "only on social media" sort of way. I couldn't imagine how enough people could possibly need a folding WLF for an F3 so bad that there was actually a thriving market for 3D printed knockoffs. It does have a logic to it, I suppose: if you're going to do such a thing, it might as well be with a camera model that retains its auto exposure features with a WLF. That pretty much limits you to a Nikon F3, F4 or F5. The F3 is white hot as a cult camera that many already bought for their film experiments, so adding a WLF to that would be a simple solution. The F4 isn't nearly as popular, and I believe is limited to spot metering without a prism finder attached, so not as much fun. F5 probably isn't even on their radar as an option. In 35 years shooting with my Nikon F2 cameras, I think I've only ever needed the direct view feature once. Debbie Harry performed a free outdoor concert in a park, and loads of people in front of me blocked a clear line of sight to her. I took off the meter prism, held the F2 above my head and framed by eyeballing the bare focus screen. It worked, but I discovered the F and F2 may not be the best camera choice for such improv use. The focus screen fell out on the third frame, thankfully onto grass but it narrowly missed asphalt. The spring tension holding the screen in place isn't always strong enough to defy gravity: you need a finder mounted to fully secure the screen. Anyone who wants to do this type of Instagram or TikTok should definitely look into an Exakta VXII camera. It has the brightest WLF I've ever used, with a large split image focus circle that doesn't black out easily. The Exakta WLF consists of the entire optical block: screen, condenser glass and folding WLF lift out as one piece. Probably helps boost the brightness: should be easy to shoot cell phone video off of it.

For curiosity, I just now checked recent sales price history data for the Nikon F3 waist level finder. Apparently its in demand (for no reason I can imagine), so given the limited supply it alone now sells for close to the price of a used F3 body. And as with almost all interesting film gear today, most F3 WLFs for sale are located in Japan. So the minimum one can expect to pay for a good working Nikon F3 body + WLF will be in the range of $450-$500 USD, unless you stumble across a cheaper domestic F3 that already has the WLF mounted on it. If you don't need metering or AE, probablypasta, you might consider the original non-electronic Nikon F instead of F3. These are fairly common to find with WLF included, for less than half the cost of a similar F3. Alternatively, you can just use an F3 with no finder attached at all: the WLF puts a nice cosmetic cover over the top of the focus screen, but it would function just as well with a cardboard tube held against it. If you're not a stickler for authenticity, there are even vendors selling 3D printed plastic knockoffs of the F3 WLF for half the price of the genuine article. Another option would be looking at other brands of camera that have no "curb appeal" to the hipsters now driving up prices on all the popular classic well-known camera models. There are loads of Exacta VXII bodies that include WLF, the WLF is also easy to find separately. The Exacta is not the most intuitive camera to operate, but its affordable and there are lots of nifty lens options. Other possibilities would be older '60s-era Miranda Sensorex bodies, which also have inexpensive WLFs available. Not the most reliable camera or greatest lens line, but you can still find good ones at decent prices.

You really haven't had much luck with your Nikon purchases over the past weeks... 😉 The FM/FE bodies can be a little weird sometimes: on the one hand, they are very well made, on the other some elements can feel tinny and crap in operation despite the nice build. Wind-on feel can vary from one example to the next, some are like butter while others are wiggly and grindy. As long as the body seems to be working reliably and frame spacing is totally consistent roll to roll, I wouldn't worry about slightly grungy wind feel unless it seems unusually poor. When hunting for manual exposure gear today, beware the apparent "bargains" - there aren't any. If its going for cheap, something is off with it. That something could be a minor "feel" issue, or it could run deeper. Repair service can be costly, so if in any doubt about a recent purchase its probably best to return it within your trial window.

Could be operator error by the employee casually testing that F3. This model overrides the shutter speed setting and forces a default speed until the frame counter reads 1 or higher. With an open back, the counter won't move, and shutter will lock at one speed. With no film and door closed, this can also happen. If that isn't the issue, its likely to be electronic, not something you can casually adjust in the curtains. Either a speed circuit needs its pot adjusted or a replacement part, or the FRE resistance ring under the rewind knob (the ISO/exposure compensation mechanism) is worn/damaged. The circuit adjustments are under the front left covering, the FRE requires disassembly of the top plate. I'd probably pass on this F3 unless the price is a steal and you can return for refund if the problem proves to be anything other than store error in testing. Note also, this F3 is described by the dealer as missing its bottom motor drive cover: that means you cannot use it without fogging film until you obtain a replacement cover. This missing cap is a red flag: its possible this body was driven hard over the years by a motor drive, beating up the shutter. Nikon F series is tough but not indestructible or invincible.

Glad you found my posts somewhat helpful! Please note my "negativity" is based on current market conditions, not necessarily anything intrinsic to the Hasselblad itself. Fifteen years ago, there was a glut of medium format pro gear for sale so it was a buyers market: lots to choose from at varying conditions and price points (I snapped up most of my Hassy kit then). There was a greater chance of scoring a Hasselblad outfit in good working order that would remain in good working order so you could enjoy it a year or two before getting pulled into a repair/overhaul. Today, not so much. Its a sellers market, most of the better-grade items have been picked over, so whats left is either sold from Japan and/or more prone to break down sooner and require an expensive service. Rolleiflex is much the same now: dwindling supply on the open market of choice examples at reasonable cost. You're more likely to acquire something that needs repair. And unfortunately, anything designed and mfrd in Europe circa late '50s or early '60s is a ticking time bomb: German leaf shutter + complicated reflex engineering = repair money pit waiting to happen. As-found Hasselblad in todays distorted marketplace can be more risky than it was years ago., thats all I meant to convey, so budgeting extra for repairs would be wise. The good news is, once overhauled by a competent tech, a Hasselblad should remain in good shape for several years minimum under typical enthusiast use. The best thing you can do is keep using it: the Hasselblad mechanics don't tolerate sitting idly on a shelf, they need frequent exercise. The more you use it, the longer it will go between service intervals, possibly a decade or more. Just be aware that an initial outlay for service will likely be necessary in the near future for currently-available random 'blad gear, just as a randomly-sourced Rolleiflex will likely need some work done. Unless you purchase from a specialist dealer or tech who pre-services the items they sell and offers a warranty.

You might also want to consider being more strategic in your Hasselblad investment, so it complements (rather then duplicates) your Rolleiflex TLR. Aside from the more accurate SLR viewing/framing and ability to switch film types or formats midroll, a Hasselblad with 80mm Planar offers no particular advantage or distinction in film results over a Rolleiflex with its built in Planar. Since genuine bargains in Hasselblad are thin on the ground these days, it may be of more benefit to purchase a body/back and lens separately instead of the usual bundle with 80mm Planar. Perhaps exploit the Hasselblad more fully for the options it offers you over the Rolleiflex: focal length choice. Instead of the 80mm Planar, consider the 60mm f/3.5 Distagon: this is an underappreciated lens with superbly sharp performance. A versatile AOV for street, groups of people, travel: the 'blad equivalent of a Leica M2 with 35mm Summicron. Wide enough to be a distinct alternative to your Rolleiflex Planar, while still close enough to "normal" to avoid exaggerated wide angle perspective. More daring would be the 50mm CF-FLE Distagon: noticeably wide angle, yet very well corrected (and a fraction of the cost of a RolleiWide TLR with 55mm Distagon). Pair the 60mm with the 120mm Makro, and you have an extremely flexible two-lens kit that encompasses everything from landscape and street to portraits/events to flowers/nature/closeup work. If you don't think you need the specialized closeup optimization of the 120mm Makro, the justifiably classic 150mm Sonnar is half the cost, gives a bit more reach and is better at infinity for landscape. With a short extension tube, it can double quite effectively for close work if you don't need the exacting performance of the Makro.

Short version: condition is EVERYTHING with Hasselblad. If the seller isn't an owner/user or can't answer detailed questions about operating condition, move on to another example. Trust, but verify: make sure they have a good return/exchange policy. Long version: As with Mamiya RB/RZ, Pentax 67, and other classic medium format systems post-pandemic, great condition Hasselblad has mostly vanished from the USA market at sane pricing. Much of whats easily available is either obviously someone else's overpriced headache, or is too good to be true (again, someone else's overpriced headache). I'd recommend spending a little more with a known-good used camera dealer that has honest listings and exchange/refund/repair support, because chances are good you will need it. Hasselblads require periodic servicing to function at their best (or even properly): since service is expensive, most casual third or fourth owners neglect this until something breaks, then put the item up for sale. You then unknowingly buy it and "voila!", a big repair invoice magically appears in your future. Outward appearance of the camera/lens/film back tells you nothing about the operating condition. There's a lot of beautiful-looking Hassy gear floating around at prices you would assume indicate mint condition inside and out. But 'blads are tricky beasts: outside can look brand new while inside is utterly DOA. The gear also has an infuriating tendency to work fine for six or seven weeks after purchase, then crap out just after your return/exchange window has closed. Unlike Rolleiflex TLR, which gets overhauled once in toto and then should be good to go for several years, Hasselblad is modular (and the leaf shutter/aperture mechanism in each lens is far more complex than TLR). At any point, any of the three major parts can tank on you (lens, body, film back). By far the most common failures are the lens shutter and/or diaphragm, followed by body mechanics, and lastly the film backs. The lenses can be excruciatingly expensive to service: depending on whats wrong and the tech you choose, you'll spend as much overhauling just the 80mm Planar as you would overhauling your entire Rolleiflex TLR. If the problem is shutter-specific, cost is less, but often an intermittent diaphragm issue comes along for the ride (requiring deeper disassembly and higher repair fees). The Hasselblad bodies are much less prone to failure than the lenses, but a preventative overhaul is worth doing just to be sure the critical mechanical timing is in perfect sync. On all Hasselblads with the original mirror design (500cm, cx series), watch out for focus errors due to rotten foam between the mirror and the plate it flips on: this often needs replacing on perfect-looking bodies that haven't seen active use in years. Film backs can develop spacing issues and mechanical drag, probably the easiest issue to service. The slot for the dark slide has a foam/mylar seal that should be replaced if you see streaks on your film: this is fairly easy to DIY as needed. As long as you are fully prepared to pay for an unexpected overhaul, the system itself is wonderful, with Zeiss lens rendering comparable to your familiar Rolleiflex. There are some differences between the Rolleiflex and Hasselblad Planars, due to more retrofocal optics and pentagonal aperture in the Hassy lens, but they are close. The mirror action makes the camera much noisier than a TLR, and a bit more difficult to hold steady at slower speeds. As with Rolleiflex TLR, viewing and focusing ease is determined by the screen installed. Older ground glass screens with thick black cross bars or large microprism spot are most common and most easy to focus in good outdoor light, but can be difficult to use indoors. Acute Matte screens are much brighter but can be tricky to focus accurately until you get the hang of them. The lenses and film backs come in several different revisions, with the newest being most expensive. At minimum you'll probably want the A12 film back as opposed to the older C12 (or just plain 12) back. A12 has the little built-in winding crank that auto-stops winding when you reach the first frame of a film load, older back requires you peep thru a rear window. Nothing wrong with the older backs aside from slower loading and age: condition and service history is everything. A12 comes as "V button", "12 button", "black button", and various film box tab holder styles. Newest versions with built-in factory original dark slide holder are twice the price of more common "V button" backs: its usually a better value to buy the less expensive older back and have it overhauled to like-new condition. The 80mm f/2.8 Planar had multiple revisions: chrome barrel C single coated, chrome barrel CT* multicoated, black barrel CT* multicoated, CF, New C, CB, CFe. The newest are the most expensive, all but the CB have identical optics (CB has one less element). The all-metal chrome or black lenses have that great vintage appearance, but many find them more difficult to use (serrated metal focus ring, heavy focus drag, coupled EV system for shutter/aperture). They also have the older Compur shutter design, which tends to need service more often. The CF and newer lenses with rubber focus rings have newer Prontor shutters, with more intuitive separate uncoupled shutter/aperture rings. The CB-CFe-CFi lenses are even more comfortable, with the most modern smooth focus feel. If you can find one, the oddball "New C" 80mm Planar has the look of the CF with the lighter focus ring action of CB/CFe at more reasonable pricing (very nice indeed). The CFe lenses are the only ones with electronic coupling to the rare, expensive auto-exposure bodies: these lenses are the priciest by a considerable margin (unless you pick one up in a nice package deal with the body/finder/back). Waist level finders come in two common versions: older has silver button clasp with manual folding side flaps and non-interchangeable square magnifier. Newer nicer WLF has a wide black plastic lift-open tab, with auto-ercting side panels and interchangeable circular magnifier. Both work great, but the newer is more comfortable if you wear eyeglasses and like to put your eye to the magnifier to check fine focus.

The model PS-100-G electronic flash was offered for the FTL, but like all flash units of the era it was a simple (non-dedicated) affair no different from any other generic bar-shaped shoe-mount vintage electronic flash. It may or may not have been a carry over from previous Olympus camera offerings (Pen F system, amateur rangefinders). Attractive looking in a "Jetsons" sort of way, chrome trimmed with fussy techy styling. You can find pictures of it in eBay listings, it isn't considered scarce or very collectible. A couple small pics of it mounted on an FTL camera can currently be viewed at the UK WorthPoint site.

Given that timeframe and wild gyrations in the market, your ability to pull such a stunning Contax collection together is incredibly impressive. If I wore a hat, I'd absolutely doff it in respect. What beautiful, complete systems you've assembled: thanks for sharing!

Re the SWC vs 40m CT*: yes, I have indeed borrowed a SWC/M a few times over the years from a generous overly-trusting retired pro. I didn't own the 40mm CT* during that period, so couldn't make a direct comparison other than casually confirm the obvious lore everyone knows (the 38mm Biogon is the superior lens in that focal length range for film use). The 40mm C gets a bad rap vs the later CF-CLE and CFE-IF versions, but its actually quite good if used correctly (stopped down, not too close, not backlit by the orb of the sun). It was a remarkable achievement for Zeiss in the 1960s: the humongous size and weight were required for reasonable distortion correction and f/4.0 aperture within the design constraints of the era. Today most 'blad shooters will find the CF-FLE much more manageable, with the digital-optimized CFE-IF the best (pricey!) choice for use with a digital back. In use the SWC/M was fun but not my cup of tea: I'm very much a reflex-viewfinder addict. The SWC is a fantastically convenient size, and of course the lens is impeccable, but the simplistic non-focusing optical viewfinder always gives me pause. The only non-reflex system I've ever come close to bonding with is the Mamiya Press Universal with 65mm f/6.3 lens, and thats really only for the 6x9 real estate and non-jarring shutter release (the rangefinder patch is less usable than the one in a Ricoh 500G or Canonet).

Absolutely agree: esp in today's hyperventilating classic camera market, never sell any lens you remotely think you'll want to use again someday. Replacing it with another clean example at what you'd consider a reasonable price may not be possible. Look what happened when every pretentious wealthy amateur videographer with a Gold card decided they couldn't possibly make their tedious derivative creations without Leica R or Zeiss C/Y glass hanging off their Sony, Canon or Red camera. Prices of those overlooked gems skyrocketed overnight to ridiculous levels compared to where they'd been for 20 years prior. Most of them are now effectively removed from the market, many have been hacked at and "rehoused" for video, so good luck replacing one if you were foolish enough to sell it. Re my 40mm Distagon-C, I don't regret selling it when I did: it was an impulse purchase I never expected to acquire in the first place (amazingly I was the only bidder when it was auctioned on eBay at a low starting price). It was perhaps the finest example of 40mm C T* anyone's seen in years, so I doubled my money when I resold it. I do sometimes miss the pleasure of simply owning such an exotic antique in such perfect condition (so utterly mint that it still reeked of "new German lens" smell), and it looked rad displayed on a 500cm or ELM. But its a wildly impractical lens as a user: woefully clumsy, heavy and slow to operate (and a lethal threat to nearly any tripod you'd care to mount it on). I learned pretty quickly that I don't have the compositional instinct for 40mm AOV on 6x6, so it would never get the use it deserved. And it was much too valuable to just keep on a shelf as a prized collectible. So, off it went to a thrilled new owner, and the proceeds from the sale went to overhauling the Hassy lenses I do use often.

Leave it to Nikon to go completely contrarian with this lens' physical engineering: as a bargain optic intended as an el-cheapo kit lens back in the day, you'd assume it would be fairly simplistic to disassemble. Unfortunately no: instead its the most convoluted Nikkor to service this side of an old pre-AI tele with "screwless" bayonet. Based on what you've posted here (and Richard Haw's repair site), theres no way into the 50mm pancake glass package without a total teardown. This runs counter to nearly every other manual focus Nikkor I've owned: most of them have access slots on the rear element block allowing it to be unscrewed and removed without any barrel disassembly (use the proper tool or modify a drafting compass). With the rear block removed, you have easy access to clean haze-dust-fungus on that rear block. You can also open the exposed aperture blades to gain access to the inside front element block. Most fungus or filth is found here in the exposed midpoint between front and rear groups. If you need to go deeper, the rear block is already removed making it more easy to open. But if something is trapped between the front elements you'd need to do the whole tedious front disassembly you accomplished here: if you're pretty sure thats the case don't bother unscrewing the rear group. Just go straight thru the front: with many common non-pancake non-floating-element manual Nikkors, the entire optical block cylinder containing front/rear groups and diaphragm lifts out in one piece from the front, leaving the helicoid undisturbed. I've only needed to remove the rear bayonet when I wanted to update a pre-AI lens with a factory-original AI aperture ring conversion. Aperture ring swap is a pretty easy operation on the smaller lenses but can be a huge pain with the teles: I was confronted with an unexpectedly long and tricky aperture actuation lever/spring assembly when I updated my two Nikkor QC 135mm f/2.8 lenses. The rear bayonet screws are often the biggest hurdle to clear on manual focus Nikkors. They're usually superglued to death, extremely resistant to loosening, and the heads will strip into uselessness within seconds if you don't have a perfectly matched JIS screwdriver. Even with the right screwdriver, that thread glue is a nightmare to break thru, esp if the screws are the older slot head instead of the newer cross head. The cross head screws will eventually give way with the right screwdriver, but you are guaranteed to ruin at least one of the slot heads because nearly no screwdriver out there is a perfect fit for the damn shallow soft proprietary Nikkor slot heads. After a lot of trial and error, I settled on one of the "Husky" brand mini screwdriver sets with bits stored in the handle. One of the Husky cross bits is extremely close to Nikkor JIS spec, and one of the flat bits is a remarkably good fit for the shallow Nikkor slot heads (proper JIS cross drivers are available from Vessel etc but there doesn't seem to be an official JIS match for the Nikkor slot heads short of taking a time machine back to a Nikon factory circa 1971).

While its an overall problem at some point for many SLR camera prisms, the odds of getting hit with it as a dealbreaker defect increase greatly with certain camera models. Leicaflex and Olympus OM-1, OM-2 come to mind, but if one can afford the parts and repair cost they at least have a long-term cure available. Leica being Leica, there are still stocks of replacement prisms techs can draw from. Olympus fans benefit from Y. Maitani using the same prism across OM-1/OM-2, and a half dozen amateur OM models: most of the amateur OMs are barely used, unpopular bodies whose clean prisms can be harvested inexpensively and swapped into the more desirable OM-1/OM-2 (my OM-1 was fixed this way). Depending on camera model and tech advice, after clean prism is installed the foam is either not replaced, or replaced with a protective shield under it. As opposed to the reigning all-time champ of irreparable lost causes: the highly sought after plain unmetered prism for the original Nikon F. The foam in these seems deadlier than usual, causes more damage, and strikes a higher percentage than just about any other model you could sample. Storage conditions are a factor in decay rate for some camera foams, but the foam chemistry and positioning in the Nikon F plain prisms overrrides that: its awful, no matter what the storage environment. Its been an ongoing problem for years now, and gets worse as more time passes (I've been badly bit by this myself). Transplant repair is out of the question: check the dozens of current eBay listings and you won't find a single unafflicted plain F prism, at any price. At this point, the more expensive ones just net you better external cosmetics for shelf display: the optics in all of them have foam desilvering damage. Considering the plain F prisms are in such high demand with revival of Nikon F use, its very unfortunate theres no practical repair option. The actual glass prism inside them was unique and not re-used in any comparable Photomic meter prisms or the Nikkormat line: they can only be found in other unmetered F prisms, most of which are now decayed. The only viable alternative is swapping to the more common ungainly Photomic FTn meter prism. Optics of these (and F2 meter prisms) seem to age much better with less incidence (yet) of desilvering foam damage. Too bad the meter in most FTn prisms is dead: it would be a more appealing swap if a functional TTL meter was part of the tradeoff. Some owners swap to an F2 plain DE-1 prism instead, these will fit an F with some modification, but that looks weird (and optically perfect F2 plain prisms aren't growing on trees either). Foam decay sometimes affects unexpected invisible camera functions: i.e. the Nikon F2 has a foam pad glued to its mirror box on the internal (inaccessible) side. This acts to damp the mirror box from ringing loudly when the shutter is tripped: it often decays to a fine powder, leaving many F2 bodies perfectly functional but obnoxiously loud in operation. I'd like to find a repair tech who knows enough about this damping pad to repair it long term: half my F2 cameras are quiet, but half of them ring like a church bell.

In sympathy with NHSN's 50mm Nikkor stash, heres a twofer pic: all my Nikkormat FTn/FT3 bodies, doubling up with all my 35mm Nikkor lenses (AIS, OC-AI'd, and AI-K f/2.0, and AIS f/1.4).

There is a lot of conflicting and sometimes outdated "reliability" lore re the various Nikon F2 meter prisms scattered all over the web. The pros and cons listed by their owners need to be considered in the context of their personal experience, vs if/how that experience relates to your own (or your expected use of each prism). I purchased my first second-hand F2 Photomic in 1990, had several dozen more of each F2 + Prism variation pass thru my hands over the ensuing decades, and compared my findings with many other F2 photographers over that time. So here's my take on them FWIW: Short version, get the DP-3 or DP-12 with Silicon Blue cells and 3-LED display. More reliable by far, more likely to be accurate as-found, least likely to need repair. While all the F2 meter prisms utilize a tiny string and pulley for some features, its rarely a point of failure (far, far less failure prone than the similar setup used in the Olympus OM-1). Due to their optical aperture display in viewfinder, DP-11/DP-12 are that much less dependent on the pulley/string/disc feature. ALL the F2 meter prisms are somewhat imprecise due to play in the prism/shutter dial fitting, and can be off by as much as a 2/3 stop if not operated with care. Don't expect the perfection of the bar graph readout and computer shutter/aperture interface of an F5 or F100: you have to put your own spin into each F2 reading. LONG version (TL; DR): These things are all OLD. Full stop. The youngest F2 meter prism just hit its 45th birthday, most are closer to 50. In-camera TTL meters, esp CdS, generally don't survive that long in perfectly functional condition (if they made it to 20 years, we old timers considered ourselves lucky). Nikon has a worse history with this in their pro F/F2 meter prisms than their amateur Nikkormat series: chances of finding a working Nikkormat meter are much better despite similar circuits and mechanics vs F/F2 examples of comparable age/wear (the electronic AE shuttered EL being the exception- ugh). The DP-11 and DP-12 (AI-optimized) tend to be more mechanically robust than the pre-AI DP-1, DP2 and DP-3. This is due to the somewhat simplified and more modular lens coupling system. Most of the AI coupling mechanism is contained on a single neatly-constructed pantagraph assembly, which is easily removed, serviced or replaced without needing to disassemble the entire prism (take off the nameplate, pop two screws, done). On very rare occasions the tiny AI tab can get bent or snap off if hit by another camera around your neck, but the circumstances allowing that to happen are near impossible. Since the DP-11 and DP-12 get their in-finder aperture display via optical reflection, that is also one less mechanical failure point. The pre-AI coupling system is more complex, with more and larger springs, more convoluted mechanics, a lens pin and tracking bar that can be yanked out of place by the clumsy, and a spring-catch return-to-zero requirement for each and every lens mounting that sometimes breaks down, throwing off maximum aperture detection. Being the newest and rarest pre-AI meter prism, the DP-3 (SB) is markedly less prone to mechanical issues than the older more common DP-1 and DP-2. One of my DP-3 prisms was the single most worn-looking piece of Nikon gear I ever owned: it worked flawlessly. As mentioned by previous posters, the biggest difference lies in the basic metering circuits. The DP-1, DP-2, and DP-11 use CdS cells, which tend to age really badly in the original F meter prisms as well as the F2 prisms. I've almost never seen an F prism with a fully reliable meter, they're hopeless at this point. The F2 DP-1, DP-2 and DP-11 fare a little better in that they usually at least still operate, but reading accuracy is a problem with many due to CdS failure. The other huge difference is in the resistor rings and wiper arms. The CdS F Photomic, F2 DP-1, DP-2, DP-11 employ the notorious carbon ring resistor. This gets dirty corroded or worn very easily: combined with the flaky aging CdS cells its a recipe for jittery readings and dead spots in aperture, shutter and ISO settings. Later DP-1s and the DP-11 have an upgraded wire-clad ring, but (surprise) it can also fail and you're still stuck with the same dying CdS cells regardless. The galvanometer needle movement itself is actually way more sturdy than you'd think: problems are almost always due to aging CdS or ring resistor. The DP-2 with its two-LED display running off CdS is a special case: in some ways a one-off, bespoke design that was problematic to begin with and never quite perfected despite several circuit revisions. When it works, its great: wide range into available darkness, huge bright LED display readable in any light (and automatically lights the in-finder shutter/aperture readout in bright red). But most of 'em are funky now as they approach their 50th birthday, and the electronics can be hard to repair. The electronics and meter cells in the later DP-3 and DP-12 hold up significantly better than earlier F/F2 prisms. The Silicon Blue cells are basically unkillable, the electronics pretty robust (I've never encountered a totally dead DP-3 out of nine I owned, and only one DP-12 out of sixteen). The main failure point of DP-3/DP-12 is their gold plated FRE resistor ring: if this gets really REALLY worn you'll have glaring dead spots in the coupling of aperture/shutter/ISO. However, reports of the gold FRE "fragility" are sometimes greatly misconstrued. The DP-3 (F2SB) is so uncommon that most have barely seen any wear or use, and a large percentage of DP-12 (F2AS) were bought by wealthy amateurs who gave them light use. F2AS was not a huge seller in the pro beater segment, they much preferred the galvanometer readout of DP-1/DP-11. Esteemed F2 repair guru Sover Wong has been emphatic about DP-3/DP-12 gold resistor failure rates, but one should bear in mind the context: he has handled hundreds or thousands of F2 cameras sent from all over the world. This is a highly concentrated sample range encountered by one person, as opposed to you or me buying a single random F2AS. Sover Wong is legendary, I've been thrilled with the work he's done for me, but some of his statistics can be scary if taken out of context. Its also worth remembering Nikon continued using this gold resistor FRE ring in the FM/FE/FA series as well as the vaunted F3: you don't hear many complaints about those because nobody specializes in repairing just one of them to the exclusion of any other camera. Over the past forty years I've never personally experienced FRE failure in a DP-3 or DP-12, nor has any other owner I've consulted. If anything, I've heard way more horror stories about broken or cracked FRE in the F3, due to its unprotected location under the rewind knob in that camera model.