Vics
Veteran
My pair of K1000 that I bought in '76 and '79 are just back from Eric Hendrickson (first CLA) and look and shoot great!
Best built mechanical SLR?
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Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Huss,
I lied. LOL.
A black F2 was my first camera. I will always be fond of the F2. It reminds me of art school and college days.
Can't tell you how many I've owned.
Cal
sevo
Fokutorendaburando
When I was jobbing at a pro camera rental in the mid eighties, we had amazingly high numbers of defective returns on our LX set, and the new ones we got from Pentax as replacements fared no better. That at a time when the first teething problems ought to have been long gone. I know they continued it forever, so they eventually must have fixed most issues (or sales dwindled to a fan base that had grown accustomed to avoiding its weak spots). By contrast, the lowly FE2/FM2 rarely returned broken from a client...
The New F1 is solid. Apparently in every aspect apart from the finder illumination (dead in all of mine) and the outer finish - there can't be any camera brassing even faster (except for fake black-paint-on-chrome Leicas). Oh, and losing the damn bottom caps.
David Hughes
David Hughes
Hi,
But - it's a big 'but' too - every SLR being discussed is now a second-hand one and there's no way anyone can forecast the future reliability of a secondhand camera, not even a one owner from new one...
It's just a matter of luck.
Regards, David
But - it's a big 'but' too - every SLR being discussed is now a second-hand one and there's no way anyone can forecast the future reliability of a secondhand camera, not even a one owner from new one...
It's just a matter of luck.
Regards, David
Wulfthari
Well-known
The LX remained in production for 20 years and to be honest I doubt it would have made for so long if it were a "weak" camera, in terms of sealing it was definitely more advanced than the F1N and the F3.
Now I'm abroad for work and this is my current setup:
Let's face it, F1s and F2s are great cameras but pigs for street photography, the LX is as small as a FM2 but as capable as a F3.
Dogman
Veteran
In my experience, nothing surpassed the several Nikon F & F2 cameras I used in the 70's and 80's. Not the Leicas nor the newer Nikon models that came after the F2. These cameras were hockey pucks although I did manage to destroy a couple of F2's on assignments over the years. I still have the first F2 I ever bought. I haven't used it in years but I will always hang onto it.
phofseth
Established
In my experience, the Alpas were thoroughly reliable.
I used them because they not only had superb "own label"optics, -i.e. Kern, Kinoptic, Angenieux, Kilfitt and Schneider, engraved with -Alpa- and tested at their factory in Ballaguies in Switzerland, but because their short lens-mount to film-plane distance made it possible to adapt all other SLR optics.
No idea of the beauty of their innards, which have been praised here, but my Alneas, the 9, 10 & 11 always kept working.
The last Leica Rs and the Kyocera Contax had brighter viewfinders (and also very good lenses) but were stuffed with more accident-prone electronics. Pignons avoided those by going broke at the right time to preserve their reputation the (surprisingly rare) japanese Alpas excepted.
p.
I used them because they not only had superb "own label"optics, -i.e. Kern, Kinoptic, Angenieux, Kilfitt and Schneider, engraved with -Alpa- and tested at their factory in Ballaguies in Switzerland, but because their short lens-mount to film-plane distance made it possible to adapt all other SLR optics.
No idea of the beauty of their innards, which have been praised here, but my Alneas, the 9, 10 & 11 always kept working.
The last Leica Rs and the Kyocera Contax had brighter viewfinders (and also very good lenses) but were stuffed with more accident-prone electronics. Pignons avoided those by going broke at the right time to preserve their reputation the (surprisingly rare) japanese Alpas excepted.
p.
steveyork
Well-known
I must be lucky. I've put 100's and 100's of rolls through several Leicaflex SL w/o problems. True, I got them serviced when first acquired back in circa 2008, but no problem since then.
Don't most Nikon Fs and F2 now have dead meters?
Pioneer
Veteran
Hard to say. The only meter I have ever used with my F is a Weston I carry in my pocket.
Not sure about the Nikons but I have 60 year old accessory meters for my Leicas that are still working just fine. I'm not sure why Nikon wouldn't be as reliable.
Wulfthari
Well-known
I think Sover Wong said the resistor of the DP11 in the case is red is indestructible, the others need servicing.
The CdS cells aren't eternal either:
http://soverf2repair.webs.com/Cds.htm
ornate_wrasse
Moderator
I must say it's been quite interesting reading this thread. Why is that? It's because I bought my very first SLR back in 1972 or 1973 and ended up making a bad decision :bang: My fiancé was in the army and he took me to the PX so I could buy an SLR at a reasonable price. I ended up buying the Mamiya Sekor 1000 DTL which I totally regret. Looking back, I really wish I would have bought the F or F2 (whichever model they had at the PX). The Mamiya turned out to have a problem with the meter and I'm guessing the F/F2 would have lasted a lot longer. The reason I did not buy the F/F2 at the PX was because I was a lowly government employee and could not afford the higher price of the Nikon and ended up settling for the Mamiya which seemed to be the best choice for my budget at the time.
Even though I did not purchase the Nikon back in the 1970's, much later I bought the FM2N and which, for the most part, has been problem free.
Even though I did not purchase the Nikon back in the 1970's, much later I bought the FM2N and which, for the most part, has been problem free.
Robert Lai
Well-known
DP-11 is the F2 meter prism to get
DP-11 is the F2 meter prism to get
The DP-11 has AIS coupling, and it has the wirewound resistor that will last several lifetimes. All the others have carbon tracks that will wear down.
Sover does have a new ceramic replacement for the resistor in the other F2 meters (e.g DP-12) which is virtually indestructable.
CdS cells can go bad, but Sover has new custom ordered CdS cells with the same properties and characteristics as the factory originals.
Finally, a very, very late production FTN meter also has the same wire-wound resistor as the F2 DP-11. I happened to get one from Japan. It was the first time Sover had ever seen such a thing.
DP-11 is the F2 meter prism to get
The DP-11 has AIS coupling, and it has the wirewound resistor that will last several lifetimes. All the others have carbon tracks that will wear down.
Sover does have a new ceramic replacement for the resistor in the other F2 meters (e.g DP-12) which is virtually indestructable.
CdS cells can go bad, but Sover has new custom ordered CdS cells with the same properties and characteristics as the factory originals.
Finally, a very, very late production FTN meter also has the same wire-wound resistor as the F2 DP-11. I happened to get one from Japan. It was the first time Sover had ever seen such a thing.
Wulfthari
Well-known
You mean FTn or FT3? I thought the FTn was long out of production when the DP-11 was introduced.
brennanphotoguy
Well-known
Based on the cameras I see on a regular basis and test before purchasing for a company I'd definitely say that I see far less issues with the Nikon F2 and FM cameras as well as the Canon F1s. Usually all the other mechanical SLRs I see come through need something to be repaired. I hardly ever evaluate a Nikkormat that has a functioning meter.
brennanphotoguy
Well-known
And my personal F1 that I got from my grandfather has never been serviced and is still ticking like a champ. It's getting a little brassy but I don't use it much unless I just feel like using it. It's my backup to my M3.
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
Chinon Memotron CE-II.
The only camera that is black paint over brass in a quality that resembles a Leica. And its top speed is 1/2000th. Meters wide open with all auto-M42 lenses. Fully manual and full aperture priority.
Built like a tank.
Wulfthari
Well-known
Chinon Memotron CE-II.
The only camera that is black paint over brass in a quality that resembles a Leica. And its top speed is 1/2000th. Meters wide open with all auto-M42 lenses. Fully manual and full aperture priority.
Built like a tank.
If I remember well the Chinon has the same shutter release of the Zenits, this means that about half of the throw you activate the lightmeter AND stop down the lens at the same time.
It's impossible to open meter a M42 lens unless:
1) It has electric connectors that transfer the aperture to the lightmer (Praktica)
2) It has a blade that couples the aperture and the camera (Pentax)
3) The lens has a pin that couple the lens as well (Fujica)
lxmike
M2 fan.
My vote would be for a Pentax Lx and slightly off topic but with superb build quality and smooth wind on the Minolta XE-1
johnf04
Well-known
The Chinon Memotron allowed aperture priority shooting with a standard M42 lens:
https://zorkiphoto.co.uk/2013/05/14/chinon-memotron-review/
barnwulf
Well-known
From my experience I would say the Nikon F since I have had one since 1967 and it's never been worked on and everything still works perfectly. I have had no need for a F2 since my F has always worked been a such a solid camera. I did have a F100 for a time and I loved that camera too. Mine never had a problem. - jim
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