Help identifying Nikon F camera and finders

Shakespeare · Jun 17, 2013

Okay, so I was in a "to good to pass it up even though I didn't know what I was getting" position. The guy I bought it from said that he bought it from someone who was constantly upgrading, so I think I may have the wrong boxes for this equipment. Can anyone in the know tell me if this is the case? (you're looking at two separate finders, by the way...one on the camera, one off)

S

Derrel · Jun 17, 2013

An F "eye level finder" is a pointy-topped, meterless prism. The Photomic Tn is the squareish one with the metering "eye" and the 840451 serial number. The one box does not appear to be the right one for either of these finders. I see an instruction manual there with the box--maybe that has some clues?

Shakespeare · Jun 17, 2013

This is the top of the 840451. This is the Photomic? Then which one is on the camera? (neither one is pointy or meterless, so do I have a box with no eye level finder?)

S

Derrel · Jun 18, 2013

Sorry, I posted earlier in a bit of haste. I'm not sure if the "eye level finder" box goes with either of those finders. The better angle for identifying these finders is the front view. "Photomic" meant a prism finder that had a light meter in it. The finder with the "eye", the round device, was the earlier finder. Go here, and see some photos and text regarding the Photomic finders. It does appear that you have a box for the PLAIN, meter-less, "eye level prism". The eye-level prism is quite small. I would wager that neither of these prisms will fit into that small box. If they do not fit, then the box is the wrong one.

Nikon F - Metering Prisms and Meters

Shakespeare · Jun 18, 2013

Okay, so I have an empty eye-level finder, an original on the camera, and a T off the camera (because it has no "N" next to the battery check.

Last two questions...what are these?

Derrel · Jun 18, 2013

The first two appear to be a flash shoe, which slides over the film rewind knob assembly. See how the collar around the film rewind crank has angled edges? That's where the "rails" on the accessory shoe would slide in. The F-series prisms had no shoes for flash or other shoe-mount accessories; the shoes were made by using accessories like those shown. Later shoes bore the name AS (accessory shoe), a dash, and then a model number.

I have no idea what the other device is.