The mighty Nikon F2

Peeb · Sep 15, 2020

Ebay find. I wanted to find one on the cheap, and spend more on a good CLA, but this was was just just off a CLA, so two birds with one stone. It's cosmetically rough in spots (I've circled the spot on the back where some etching was sanded off all the way down to the brass! Why????), but mechanically in good shape.

I added the AS-1 hotshot that slips over the top of the winder spool (opposite of the shutter side), and the photos show it paired with my Nikkor f/1.4.

I've posted a few iphone pics of it, along with a few off my first roll. (PS- new avatar!!)

Here are a (very) few shots (1) Riley puppy; (2) selfie; (3) color test of fuji film
:

Overall- SOOO happy. I love the thunk of a mechanical shutter, and the confidence that I can shoot without a battery, if need be! Lots of fun. (PS, the selfie might be with the 105 f/2.5- another great lens!).

compur · Sep 15, 2020

Nice camera.

Peeb said:
... some etching was sanded off all the way down to the brass! Why????

Back in the 1950s-70s it was not uncommon for some people to engrave ID information (SS#, etc) onto expensive items thinking it would deter theft or help get them back if stolen. It was usualy crudely done by hand with a sharp tool. (It didn't seem to occur to these owners that they were ruining the value of the items they engraved.)

Later it dawned on some of them that it wasn't a good idea to have SS numbers and such on their stuff so they then obliterated the engraving, usually in the crudest and ugliest way possible.

Since the top plate of the F2 is in 2 sections, it wouldn't be difficult to replace the damaged part.

Dean_Gretsch · Sep 16, 2020

Congrats, Peeb. Definitely a way to stay engaged in this hobby. I expect to see more of those great Oklahoma landscapes!

mjcmt · Sep 16, 2020

My first camera was a F2 in that kind of condition. A real workhorse. Also had that lens at a later date for a F3.

Derrel · Sep 16, 2020

I still have two f-2s from the 1980s, and only one of them has a working light meter which is in my f2a, the a standing for automatic aperture indexing period the other camera is a standard f2 photomic. At one point I had one of the rarest f2 variants the f2asb which used a silicon blue metering system and a match diode metering display. I sold that camera in 1986 to Paul Carter a photographer from the Eugene Oregon register guard newspaper.

(Edited to remove erroneous information regarding the location of the serial number on the f2. The serial numbers on later FM, FE, and FM-2 and Fe-2 cameras was located near the film advance thumbtab.)

Pixeldawg1 · Sep 16, 2020

compur said:
Nice camera.

Peeb said:

... some etching was sanded off all the way down to the brass! Why????

Click to expand...

Back in the 1950s-70s it was not uncommon for some people to engrave ID information (SS#, etc) onto expensive items thinking it would deter theft or help get them back if stolen. It was usualy crudely done by hand with a sharp tool. (It didn't seem to occur to these owners that they were ruining the value of the items they engraved.)

Later it dawned on some of them that it wasn't a good idea to have SS numbers and such on their stuff so they then obliterated the engraving, usually in the crudest and ugliest way possible.

Since the top plate of the F2 is in 2 sections, it wouldn't be difficult to replace the damaged part.

The F2 was actually produced from 1971 to 1980, and even then, many photographers engraved their cameras. I did something a bit more cosmetic and took a fingernail file and made a distinctive etching on the frame window inside the camera, so that when an image was made, it recorded the etching on each frame. If there was ever a question about the camera or who shot the negatives, this detail would clearly identify the camera and the photographer. In the camera shown, horrible that they did this. The F2 is a magnificent camera though and you will love it if you can use it.

webestang64 · Sep 17, 2020

I miss my F2.....great camera.

JBPhotog · Sep 18, 2020

Derrel said:
Yes sometimes the grind off was to erase a driver's license number or a social security number but it is also in your case fully eliminating the serial number, which was common in stolen cameras.

Sorry, the serial number is not located on the film advance side, it is on the top cover to the left of the finder. In the OP photo it can be seen and this body was manufactured in 1971.

Peeb · Sep 18, 2020

1971

JBPhotog said:
Derrel said:

Yes sometimes the grind off was to erase a driver's license number or a social security number but it is also in your case fully eliminating the serial number, which was common in stolen cameras.

Click to expand...

Sorry, the serial number is not located on the film advance side, it is on the top cover to the left of the finder. In the OP photo it can be seen and this body was manufactured in 1971.

1971! That’s good to know- thanks.