The Nikon F2 is my favorite.
On a whim coupled with a good deal, I picked up a beater Nikon F2 black paint body last Saturday. It was well aged with dings and scratches and nicks and brass all over the place. In one word, it was beautiful. But the next day when I loaded it with film I found out that the back door would not stay shut– there was something wrong with the latch inside the camera body that was not working right. Luckily the shop where I bought the camera, Camera Box in Shinjuku, had no problem at all with letting me exchange it (and even better for them, paying a little more towards a new camera) and so I left the store with another black Nikon F2 Photomic body, this time with a photomic finder which works. I bought my first F2 in 2001, and that silver camera can be seen above. Wait- techincally that was my second F2. The first one got traded for an FM setup. Does this matter? No, it does not.
The F2 is just about as perfect of a camera as I can imagine. Solid, well balanced, and simple. I prefer the Photomic finder because of the needle type light meter read out. You can take a reading both through the viewfinder and also by checking the meter window located in the top of the prism, which is something that I wish more cameras had. I have had an F, currently own an F3P, and once had an F4. All are great machines but the F2 is the one that feels the best to me. I did not really like the F’s removable back (But after owning a leica it would not bother me now I bet), and the F4 had more capabilties than I needed so it seemed like a waste to keep. If there is one function that I like a camera to have (other than the basic aperture and shutter speed dial adjustment), it would be Auto Exposure. Which I can do with my F3P.
This is also a great camera, and the motor drive makes it feel like you are holding a solid square of metal in your hands, which you are when you hold it.
Time for sleep. Maybe I will write more nerd talk tomorrow. But for now, this was just an excuse to put up three pictures of cameras.
good night.
p.s. For those who ask me concerning a good beginner 35mm SLR body, I always first suggest a New FM3a, or a used FE2, or a used F3. Or an FM. Or an OM1.
ok now I can’t keep my eyes open
out of curiosity, why isn’t an F2 on your list of recommended cameras?
i’ve been thinking about picking up an F2 as well, even though my current 35mm lens investment is in the m42 screwmount. but it does look beautiful, all clunky/boxy and mean. especially the ones in black paint.
doesn’t the needle-type readout make it difficult to meter in low light?
Comment by nihraguk — 1/26/2006 @ 12:06 am
Good question- Part of the answer was that I was tired when I wrote that post, but the better answer is that a lot of the people who have asked me about what camera to get are female, and most of them were put off by the F2’s weight and over all size. If weight is an issue, I suggest to them smaller cameras, particularly ones with AE. If someone told me that they want an easy to use take-with-me-everywhere first SLR, I would show them an FE2 or an FM2. But for those who like cameras and want another one for reasons of style, clunk (is this like “crunk” rap guys talk about?) and mean-ness, the F2 is hard to beat. The Canon F1 also looks good.
I mostly use the F2 for outdoor stuff– but yeah the needle can be hard to see in a darker room. If I know I will be shooting in a darker area I will use my Leica because of the CV 28mm 1.9 lens that I have mounted on it. Don’t get me wrong, the Leica is not a back up camera or anything, like the F2 it is another tool that I can choose to fit my mood.
Interestingly, I just read that Araki sorts his photographs not by subject matter, but by the cameras he took them with.
Comment by John — 1/26/2006 @ 7:17 am
I have yet to pick up an F2 - even to lift one up at the store and look through it. I guess I’m afraid that it will have some niceness about it that will make me want to buy one…
I use a couple of F bodies, one Photomic and one plain prism, the latter getting a lot more use these days, since I gave up on built-in meters.
I dropped my F3 during the snowstorm when my hands got too cold, breaking off the rewind crank, so I’ve got to take it to the Nikon place in Shinjuku and convince them to just sell me the parts, rather than giving it up for an expensive repair. I agree about the feel of the F3 - with the winder, it’s like a block of pig iron. Love it.
For a lightweight beginner body, I often recommend an FE - light and simple and pretty well-made. Using it is almost exactly like using the FM3a, with the match-needle meter, but can often be had for 12,000 yen or so, with a 50mm lens. (It can accept most any lens, too, even the Pre-AI beauties that can be had for a song around town.
Comment by Jim O'Connell — 1/30/2006 @ 3:51 pm
Hey cool like me you are only one more model short of having half of the Nikon F series–!
When I went back to Camera Box they were very close to selling me a nice F eye level prism camera with the usual 50mm 1.4 nikkor lens. I went with that black F2 though, even though it was the same price.
Actually, I suggested an FE to a friend tonight and thats what they went home with.
The Pre-Ai lenses are indeed beauties- I love that knurled(?) lens barrel styling that they share. I saw an 85mm one that looked mighty fine.
Comment by John — 1/30/2006 @ 10:35 pm