Fair Price for Nikon F

[Disappointed_Horse]

Lately I've been GASing for a plain prism Nikon F. A black one popped up on Craigslist in a town not too far away (but far enough that I would probably want to see if the seller will ship). It looks to be in excellent cosmetic shape, with a hot shoe. The seller wants $500 for it, with an 85mm f/1.8 pre-AI lens.



This price seems a bit high to me, but I haven't researched pricing on these cameras. What would be a fair price for this camera and lens?

 

[markjwyatt]

I think the 85mm f1.8 lens may be worth a couple/few hundred, and the camera $150-200 based on condition. I am not an expert in Nikons, but I have stayed at Holiday Inn Express a number of times.

 

[KoNickon]

A black plain prism F with an 85/1.8? Jump on that for $500 -- seems a very fair price. How often do you see a black plain F?? And that's a great lens, by the way.

 

[markjwyatt]

A black plain prism F with an 85/1.8? Jump on that for $500 -- seems a very fair price. How often do you see a black plain F?? And that's a great lens, by the way.

True- I missed the "black" part. Add $50-$100 at least

 

[cjm]

In excellent cosmetic shape with the DE-1 prism and a 85/1.8. If everything works, that seems like a good deal, to me.

 

[madNbad]

It's the plain prism that raises the price. Late model black plain prisms (with the eyepiece threaded for corrections lenses or angle finders) in good condition can cost $250 or more. The 85 1.8 is also being sought out by vlogers. All film camera prices have risen steeply this year and something that would have ended up in a charity shop a few years ago are selling on the open market.

 

[markjwyatt]

Offer him $400 and see if he goes for it. Make sure it works. Have him send you some videos of the shutter activating, etc. You are taking a risk.

 

[keytarjunkie]

It completely depends on the condition, particularly of the prism (separation, fungus, and disintegration of the foam pieces between the shell and the prism that can remove the prism's paint if not maintained properly) but also the condition of the body and lens. $500 could be a reasonably good deal for the set, or a really lousy investment if there's a lot of problems.

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

Thanks everyone for the quick responses. I guess the good thing is anything wrong with an F should be repairable. I'll talk with the boss (a/k/a my wife) and see if I can get the necessary approvals.

I'm thinking I'll make an offer just for the camera, as I'm not entirely sure I want the lens. I'm sure the 85 f/1.8 is great but I think I would prefer an 85mm f/2 AI or AI-S for the smaller size. Also a bit leery about buying a lens sight unseen from an unknown seller as it can be difficult for a novice to spot fungus, haze, etc.

So, maybe offer $250 for the body and go up to $300 if needed?

 

[ray*j*gun]

A black plain prism F with an 85/1.8? Jump on that for $500 -- seems a very fair price. How often do you see a black plain F?? And that's a great lens, by the way.

If it is in good shape and runs ok its a steal. IMO.

 

[nikon_sam]

Man, I've been out of the loop concerning F body prices...
I bought a chrome F body years ago for next to nothing and traded a lens given to me for a plain prism finder...looks good, works great...and sooo quiet...
6465xxx Serial number
I hope this one is as good as advertised...

 

[Timmyjoe]

I'm with you Sam. Haven't bought a Nikon F in about five years. Picked up an chrome Apollo with working FTN meter in excellent condition for $89 dollars and a black plane prism (diopter version) in excellent mechanical condition, but user cosmetic condition, for $200.

Guess the market has changed.

Best,
-Tim

 

[Pentode]

A chrome F with an FTn or Tn prism (meter probably not working or not accurate) can be found easily and often for $100, more or less.

A black F is worth more. A plain prism is more still and the 85/1.8 is a really highly regarded lens. $500, provided everything works, doesn't sound like an unreasonable deal to me.

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Don't think I'm going to be able to buy this one right now so I thought I would post the link in case anyone else is interested (and you will be if you check ebay prices like I just did):

https://orlando.craigslist.org/pho/d/tavares-nikon/7240442662.html

I ran the serial number and it is a mid-'69 model.

If anyone here buys it, I get right of first refusal if you decide to sell it later on!

 

[KoNickon]

Someone here please snap this up!

 

[Pál_K]

All of my F2's have meters (Photomic heads), which I think makes the operation feel a bit clunky due to both the head-to-lens connection and the shutter speed dial connection. Still, that's mostly how the cameras were used by professionals.


For my F cameras, I decided to have a plain prism instead. It's simpler, cleaner looking, and fun to use.


The chrome F has an 85/1.8, the black F has a 50/1.4 lens.