Nikon F parts: please help ID

[ymc226]

I am going through my extensive Nikon F series parts and have 2 that I cannot ID. Can anyone identify the following parts? One is a back that has a thumb rest and an electrical contact. The flash adapter is uncharacteristically grey and seems to have the F3 type connection on the bottom but has a classic Nikon "F" moulded into the top left corner.

 

[madNbad]

Can’t answer about the removable back but the grey adapter slides over the rewind crank to attach a flash or accessory finder.

 

[nhchen]

The back is a Nikon f2 MF3 back. It’s supposed to be used with a motor drive. I’ve got one on my F2 and would like to find a regular back for it instead.
Nathan

 

[nikon_sam]

The Film Door is for the Nikon F2 with a motordrive...it prevents the film from completely winding back into the film canister...works with the MD-2 only...

 

[lxmike]

the door is as said a F2 door to be used with the motor drive and the other is a flash accessary

 

[Dwig]

... The flash adapter is uncharacteristically grey and seems to have the F3 type connection on the bottom but has a classic Nikon "F" moulded into the top left corner.

The grey is perfectly "in character" for the vintage.

The first Nikon "hot shoe" was a proprietary design, long before standardization of such things. It is found on the later S-series RFs. At that time, and into the mid-60s, Nikons flashes were grey and this adapter followed that convention. This adapter allowed a "hot" connection between the older RF flash units and the then new F, which had its own proprietary hot shoe arrangement. It was later replaced by an improved design that had an ISO standard shoe on the top, a rotating collar to secure it, and a change to the "new" color standard, black. Also, the later F2 had the same proprietary hot shoe as the F. The original removable flash shoe for the Nikkormat FS, FT, & FTn would accept any of the F/F2 flashes and adapters but didn't provide a "hot" electrical contact.

 

[ymc226]

Thanks for all of the responses. I will update my catalog now.

 

[farlymac]

The main reason Nikon had the flash mount around the rewind lever on the F and F2 is they didn't think the finder meter heads would be strong enough to support a flash unit.

The original SLR mount adapters were for the use of bulb flashes made for the rangefinder cameras. Various adapters could also accommodate an off brand flash with a different connector arrangement than a Nikon model, or to use an F3 flash unit on an F2.

PF