kshapero
South Florida Man
Made in '63, bought used in '74, Major prism dent in '82, new Griptac covering in 2005, CLA and shutter mod in 2008.
Nikon F --- All it's cracked up to be?
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Made in '63, bought used in '74, Major prism dent in '82, new Griptac covering in 2005, CLA and shutter mod in 2008.
nikon_sam
Shooter of Film...
The F5 viewfinder is like magic...it's big, bright and a pleasure to look through...
Tom A
RFF Sponsor
One of my old Nikon F's. This one I have had for about 20 year - not the longest in my possession - still holds up well. The lens is a remake of the classic Nokton 58mm f1.4 that Voigtlander made some years ago.Most likely the best 'standard" lens for the Nikon SLR. It also has electronic contacts that enables it to talk to modern DSLR Nikons - though the old F doesn't care.
In the early 60's - the camera to have was the F. You could get lenses for every purpose, from ultra wides to super tele's - and macro/bellows set ups. Yes, M cameras were the standard for press work - but when you needed wide or long - or precise framing - out came the F's.
I agree, the F36 might not be the ergonomic wonder - and it was noisy. Fun to use at press scrums. You fired a burst close to the sound man of the TV crew and watched him jump! Admittedly, the F3 os smoother, quieter and the MD4 emits a quite "burp" when advancing film - but in my mind. the F reign's supreme as a classic SLR.
Fraser
Well-known
aizan
Veteran
huh? the de-1 is for the f2.
i know there was an old myth that the prism from an ftn finder could be used to replace the one in an eye-level finder, but i've never heard about this transplant.
aizan
Veteran
they're plagued by separation and desilvering.
kshapero
South Florida Man
Thinking of living with only my F for a year with the help of my 3 Nikon lenses: 28/2, 50/1.4, and 105/2.5. Am I crazy? Oh and a whole bunch of Tri-X.
Dektol Dan
Well-known
"F" ing Olden Days
"F" ing Olden Days
My old man bought an F when I was still in high school, and a Bessler Topcon too. He fell in love with Nikons at that point, and they were the camera that introduced me to my first M, an M2R.
I used his various F iterations a lot, but they were just to damn bulky and clunky to a kid who rode a Triumph Bonneville to get around. But, if it weren't for the F I wouldn't have my Olympus OM and Leica collection.
"F" ing Olden Days
My old man bought an F when I was still in high school, and a Bessler Topcon too. He fell in love with Nikons at that point, and they were the camera that introduced me to my first M, an M2R.
I used his various F iterations a lot, but they were just to damn bulky and clunky to a kid who rode a Triumph Bonneville to get around. But, if it weren't for the F I wouldn't have my Olympus OM and Leica collection.
Paulbe
Well-known
Akiva--nope! Not crazy--go for it and congrats--will be a very freeing experience--
Paul
Paul
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If it wasn't Tri-X yes, but as it is you are on the good side of the line for Crazy or not.
Myself I'd go with the 28/2.8 AI-S, but I'm crazy.
B2 (;->
tunalegs
Pretended Artist
People complaining about prism problems should try the waist level finders. I'll never understand the people who brag about the flexibility of the F system, but then never take advantage of it - live a little, try something different.
Timmyjoe
Veteran
Don't know about "for a year", but I like to take my F with 35mm OC and 105mm f2.5 on adventures. And lately I've been partial to Eastman Double-X.
Huss
Veteran
That's too easy. It's essentially a full kit from back in the day. Pick just one lens..
🙂
Crazy is one camera and either a telephoto lens, or a super wide angle.
Robert Lai
Well-known
The eyepiece doublet on my F plain prism decemented. Luckily Authorized Photo Service in Morton Grove, IL still had NOS replacements.
The foam packaged around the prism eats the silver off.
Most of the F prisms that I've seen today have desilvering problems. All of my prisms for the F and F2 have been "defoamed" and new foam seals placed at the appropriate points by Sover Wong. Most repair people don't tackle the old deteriorating internal foam. Sover does.
BTW, the deteriorating foam is great fungus food.
Keeping your F prisms in plastic bags is a great way to go mushroom farming. Sover had to clean off a lot of internal fungus that was growing on the internal foams, some of which had started to eat away at the black protective paint over the silver coating of the prism.
The foam packaged around the prism eats the silver off.
Most of the F prisms that I've seen today have desilvering problems. All of my prisms for the F and F2 have been "defoamed" and new foam seals placed at the appropriate points by Sover Wong. Most repair people don't tackle the old deteriorating internal foam. Sover does.
BTW, the deteriorating foam is great fungus food.
Keeping your F prisms in plastic bags is a great way to go mushroom farming. Sover had to clean off a lot of internal fungus that was growing on the internal foams, some of which had started to eat away at the black protective paint over the silver coating of the prism.
raid
Dad Photographer
I owned once one Nikon F with FTN finder, and I sold them many years ago.
ray*j*gun
Veteran
Does anyone know of a tech in the States that would do the foam update on the F prism?
Thanks
dasuess
Nikon Freak
You should save yourself some dollars and do it yourself. Contact Jon Goodman for a kit (JGood21967@aol.com). I did it a year or so ago and the kit was about $8, maybe $10. Jon dropped the kit in the mail even before he received my payment. The process is pretty easy - you just need to make sure you remove all the previous foam/goo before installing the new seals. Jon provides very good instructions.
ray*j*gun
Veteran
dasuess, I am referring to the foam in the Finder Prism... are we on the same page here?
Thanks
Thanks
Livesteamer
Well-known
There's a guy in Nevada or Utah that does FTN repair. $85 for an average repair and he can fit replacement prisms if needed. I'll try to find his name and address. Joe
ray*j*gun
Veteran
Great thanks Joe!!!!
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