Speedlight for Nikon F

[LINVS]

What you fellas recommend for a speedlight for a Nikon F? As you can tell from my post count, I'm new to photography. I know there are the types of flash that take bulbs - I don't want to replace hard to find bulbs, so I'm looking for an electronic flash if possible. I also have a Nikon F3. Would flashes made for F3 work on the older Nikon Fs? What Nikon flashes do you recommend?

 

[Dave442]

My grandfather used the Nikon Ftn's from '60 to '69. I do remember him using an electronic flash that he plugged into the side of the camera.

The difference from my Minolta SRT was that the Nikon F did not have the two sync plugs (one for flash bulbs and one for electronic flash) it only had one plug and then with the shutter speed selector you can raise that and select the FX option that is for Electronic Flash with colors of the shutter speed matching to show the highest sync speed.

I would just use a bracket to hold the flash off to the side of the camera and the sync cord between camera and flash. A flash for the F3 should work fine with the earlier F models.

 

[compur]

What you fellas recommend for a speedlight for a Nikon F? As you can tell from my post count, I'm new to photography. I know there are the types of flash that take bulbs - I don't want to replace hard to find bulbs, so I'm looking for an electronic flash if possible. I also have a Nikon F3. Would flashes made for F3 work on the older Nikon Fs? What Nikon flashes do you recommend?

Nikon F and F2 models can use the same flash units directly.

But, the F3 body flash mount is not the same as the one on the F/F2 so it can't use the same flash units without an adapter.

Nikon made adapters to allow using flash units on the F/F2/F3 cameras and there is a list of them here:
Nikon Flash Couplers AS-1, AS-2, AS-3, AS-4, AS-5, AS-6, AS-7

A popular flash that was specifically made for the F3 was the SB16A & SB16B and, with the appropriate adapter, can also be used on the F/F2 as well. You can read about it here:
Nikon F3 with SB-16A

 

[LINVS]

Thank You!

 

[jcdeboever]

I use a SB15 on mine with the adapter. It is compact and does a good job.

 

[LINVS]

Do you use the AS-1 adapter? Another noob question, would I need a cord to connect it to the camera? Or, does it operate without one?

 

[jcdeboever]

Do you use the AS-1 adapter? Another noob question, would I need a cord to connect it to the camera? Or, does it operate without one?

Yes it's an AS-1. No cord. Couples. Here is a link.

Nikon Flash Couplers AS-1, AS-2, AS-3, AS-4, AS-5, AS-6, AS-7