Here is one of my all time favorite cameras! This is what I affectionately call my Beast. It is heavy, manual and completely mechanical except for the simple light meter. Made from 1971 through 1980 this camera was built for professional photographers. It went into war zones, civil conflict and children's graduation parties. It is brilliantly designed when function trumped fashion. It may be ugly but it works like a champ.
I purchased mine on Ebay after getting a Nikon F3 which I enjoyed. I purchased a very cheap copy for around USD 150 and it arrived showing the typical use of a camera that is 40 years old. Everything seemed to be working very well and after a few rolls of film I realized that I really loved shooting this wonderful camera. My Nikon F3 died on me during a trip to Melbourne and I began thinking that I should show this camera a little TLC in the form of a CLA.
After a bit of website searching I found the BEST person to take care of a Nikon F2, Mr. Sover Wong. This man is a magician with the F2 and he works ethically and is very professional. After saving a bit of money I contacted Mr. Wong and sent him my beloved Nikon F2. After six weeks (he warned me of the backlog) he contacted me to let me know he would start working on it. I had opted for his Standard Service but asked him to change the light meter cells to new ones (after 40 years I thought it was a good time for a change). He informed me that the camera was indeed dry and he cleaned it, lubricated it and tested/adjusted the shutter speeds. Here is the interesting thing...after 40 years the camera's shutter speeds were almost all within specs! Only some of the slowest speeds were off. He sent me pictures of the entire CLA process along with PDF of the manual and full repair booklet.
So after Mr Wong's hard work I now have a wonderfully maintained camera that works like a swiss clock!
The F2 has variable shutter speeds from 1 sec through 1/2000 sec including a BULB mode. Everything from 1/90th sec through 1/2000 sec is continuous which means that you have every shutter speed between those marked on the dial. The aperture is selected on the lens and the shutter speed, aperture and light meter can be seen through the viewfinder. The F2 can mount virtually any lens however it is designed to connect with the aperture prong.
There are a TON of accessories and different viewfinders you can get for the Nikon F2 however I keep mine simple. I typically use two lenses with it, a retrofitted Nikkor-S 35mm f/2.8 and a wonderful Nikkor 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5. These two lenses helps reduce the overall load when I carry it which is important considering the F2's bulk.
The Good:
Pure mechanical brilliance. It is ergonomic, robust and simple to use. The camera has never had a single problem and shoots just like new. The light meter is simple to understand and you can see all the important information straight through the viewfinder including aperture, shutter speed and light meter. Without taking my eye from the viewfinder I can see it all.
I like the light meter "ON" switch requires you to pull the film advance leaver out. This makes it quick and easy to turn on. The batteries are available anywhere and are only used for the light meter. The viewfinder is bright allowing easy focus.
The ISO (ASA) selection is wide. Many older cameras limit you to an ISO of 800 because film was much slower then these cameras were made. While easily adjusted fore I prefer the F2 wide range of ISO selection from 6 through 6400.
The Bad:
This thing is ugly and heavy. If you want a cool retro look save some money and your back and go for a Nikon EM. If you want a real workhorse of a camera that was built for war zones and weighs a fraction less than a tank go with the F2. It weighs 32oz or almost 900 g. That is it. The only bad thing about this camera.
Overall:
A great SLR camera and arguably one of the finest ever made. With a little care a Nikon F2 will last you a lifetime. I would highly recommend this as a daily shooter for anyone getting into film photography. It is not too expensive and if you save a bit and send it to Mr. Wong you will have a camera that is in perfect working order.
Price & Value:
If you are not a collector then do not get a collector edition camera! Pick up one that is functioning and get it for the lowest price possible. Save on the initial purchase and then send it to Mr. Wong. Overall you will spend a bit more than you would on a Nikon F3 but you will have a camera that will keep shooting long after the F3 has given up. Plan to spend a bit on a good strap as the weight of the camera will really hurt if you use a thin strap.
I purchased mine on Ebay after getting a Nikon F3 which I enjoyed. I purchased a very cheap copy for around USD 150 and it arrived showing the typical use of a camera that is 40 years old. Everything seemed to be working very well and after a few rolls of film I realized that I really loved shooting this wonderful camera. My Nikon F3 died on me during a trip to Melbourne and I began thinking that I should show this camera a little TLC in the form of a CLA.
After a bit of website searching I found the BEST person to take care of a Nikon F2, Mr. Sover Wong. This man is a magician with the F2 and he works ethically and is very professional. After saving a bit of money I contacted Mr. Wong and sent him my beloved Nikon F2. After six weeks (he warned me of the backlog) he contacted me to let me know he would start working on it. I had opted for his Standard Service but asked him to change the light meter cells to new ones (after 40 years I thought it was a good time for a change). He informed me that the camera was indeed dry and he cleaned it, lubricated it and tested/adjusted the shutter speeds. Here is the interesting thing...after 40 years the camera's shutter speeds were almost all within specs! Only some of the slowest speeds were off. He sent me pictures of the entire CLA process along with PDF of the manual and full repair booklet.
So after Mr Wong's hard work I now have a wonderfully maintained camera that works like a swiss clock!
The F2 has variable shutter speeds from 1 sec through 1/2000 sec including a BULB mode. Everything from 1/90th sec through 1/2000 sec is continuous which means that you have every shutter speed between those marked on the dial. The aperture is selected on the lens and the shutter speed, aperture and light meter can be seen through the viewfinder. The F2 can mount virtually any lens however it is designed to connect with the aperture prong.
There are a TON of accessories and different viewfinders you can get for the Nikon F2 however I keep mine simple. I typically use two lenses with it, a retrofitted Nikkor-S 35mm f/2.8 and a wonderful Nikkor 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5. These two lenses helps reduce the overall load when I carry it which is important considering the F2's bulk.
The Good:
Pure mechanical brilliance. It is ergonomic, robust and simple to use. The camera has never had a single problem and shoots just like new. The light meter is simple to understand and you can see all the important information straight through the viewfinder including aperture, shutter speed and light meter. Without taking my eye from the viewfinder I can see it all.
I like the light meter "ON" switch requires you to pull the film advance leaver out. This makes it quick and easy to turn on. The batteries are available anywhere and are only used for the light meter. The viewfinder is bright allowing easy focus.
The ISO (ASA) selection is wide. Many older cameras limit you to an ISO of 800 because film was much slower then these cameras were made. While easily adjusted fore I prefer the F2 wide range of ISO selection from 6 through 6400.
The Bad:
This thing is ugly and heavy. If you want a cool retro look save some money and your back and go for a Nikon EM. If you want a real workhorse of a camera that was built for war zones and weighs a fraction less than a tank go with the F2. It weighs 32oz or almost 900 g. That is it. The only bad thing about this camera.
Overall:
A great SLR camera and arguably one of the finest ever made. With a little care a Nikon F2 will last you a lifetime. I would highly recommend this as a daily shooter for anyone getting into film photography. It is not too expensive and if you save a bit and send it to Mr. Wong you will have a camera that is in perfect working order.
Price & Value:
If you are not a collector then do not get a collector edition camera! Pick up one that is functioning and get it for the lowest price possible. Save on the initial purchase and then send it to Mr. Wong. Overall you will spend a bit more than you would on a Nikon F3 but you will have a camera that will keep shooting long after the F3 has given up. Plan to spend a bit on a good strap as the weight of the camera will really hurt if you use a thin strap.
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