Not getting on with the Nikon F

Have Fs, F2s, and F3s - no issue using any of them in exactly the same way, except for that in the case of the F3, I can use aperture priority, and in the case of F, film loading is slightly different.

Other than that, they're not really hugely different in use and extremely reliable.

What exactly is the issue that has you running back to other cameras? It's a straight up mechanical SLR and that's all it ever claimed to be. Nothing vintage about it.
 
My Nikon F is one of the cameras which I will never sell. I have sold Leicas, Rolleis, and Nikon S cameras, but the F is one of those things which I have become attachd to.

Though the Nikon F and Nikon S are designed similarly, the F is far more rugged, and nowhere near as smooth. The Nikon F is the 1-ton truck of SLR cameras, and it goes on for decade after decade, never requiring service or adjustment. It is a camera I can take anywhere and never have to worry about it failing on me. I recently let go of my FM3A, good as it was, but I won't sell my F.
 
I felt the same way about the Leicaflex SL which I got about two years ago. As much as I wanted to connect with it, it just didn't "speak" to me.

I got a Nikon FM2 (NOS) about the same time and it immediately became my favorite SLR. Sometimes it's just a matter of what works for you and what doesn't.
 
What works for one person may not work for another. I love the Nikon F and having used one for forty years. For me using one is second nature and just a pleasure to use. Others find it dated.
 
I recently bought a Nikon F with plain prism, to find out what the originator of the Nikon F SLR line was like. It's nice, but I prefer my autoexposure F3 or Leica M7 for faster shooting.

However, its durability and reliability are legendary, so I may just keep it.
 
Love the Nikon F, love it's heft that aid in steadying it when shooting with existing light, using hand held long exposures. Love the mechanical sounds it makes also. Never have to look for the controls or be concerned with battery failure. Then on those days when I want to go with a little more modern set-up I grab the F2SB. Between these two cameras, I know I can get the shot because I know these tools & that's what really matters to me when things heat up.
One of my past employers once made me privy to an observation of his which went something like this: "...if ever you see someone struggling to accomplish their work, it can usually be attributed to one of these two things: they either do not know what they are doing or they have the wrong tools for the job."
 
I would love to love the FE/FM series for their size, but with my glasses, the F/F2 eye relief is so much better.
 
F is still a great choice.

F is still a great choice.

Nikon F was THE press camera of the 1960's and early 1970's. All its successors just added a few features (like M3 is original and other M's just added a few features). The thing is a tank. Other SLR's are smaller, lighter, and perhaps more refined but if I had to take one film camera to war, it would be a F.

Nikon had the right engineering at the right time.
 
Comparing an M3 with an F is not really fair, the F is far more technoligically advanced than the Leica M film cameras. The F focuses faster, and allows you to see exactly what will come out on film. The F never requires rangefinder adjustments or shutter curtain replacement (unless you are one of those who can't keep your fingers out of things). In fact, the two F cameras I have used have seen 50 years of regular use with no adjustment or service whatsoever.

I have several Leica M cameras which I shoot and love. But during the time I have owned them, I have gotten to know the names of Youxin Yi, and Sherry Krauter, because I and others have sent our cameras to these folks to be CLA'd. These names are household words here at RFF. I have no idea who I would send a Nikon F to for service, as I have never had one which has required it.

My Nikon S cameras are as reliable as the F models. I have never had to send any of them in for any type of service. I prefer the Leica M to the Nikon S cameras simply because of the M's ergonomics and viewfinder, the Nikon S is an otherwise better camera. The F adds the superior viewfinder and quicker focusing, but retains the poor ergonomics. Still, I love it.
 
The FE is a nice camera with great meter...the FM I have I haven't used enough to form a real honest opinion but I do like the feel of it...
The F is a real treat to use...mine is an early 6465xxx with a plain prism...it's very smooth in every way...the mirror and shutter are as smooth and balanced as my F5...I've own it for about six months now and am very happy with the results so far...I was given several non-Ai lenses and they go well with it too...for a 50 year old camera it shows how well it was made...
 
I'm in the process of getting rid of my older Nikon SLRs just keeping the Fs and have just bought another two, maybe the reason I like them is because they do feel dated and are completely different from modern cameras in the way they feel.
 
The F is one of the world's great 35mm SLR cameras, but it's not perfect. Changing film is a royal pain (what do you do with the back?), plus I hate changing view screens. The little button on my F is a bit sticky and requires a lot of pressure to press in. Then i have to turn the camera upside down so the screen will (hopefully) fall into my hand. The Canon F-1 has it all over the Nikon F in this regard. Much easier to change film with the F-1 as well as view screens. Not surprising I guess, considering that the F-1 was designed to one-up the F.

Jim B.
 
I've only recently purchased a like-new Nikon FM2n, but seriously considered a Nikon F or F2. If the FM2n in such good condition hadn't come up, I would likely have bough one of the old classics - with full realization that I would be buying a piece of photographic history, not an ergonomic wonder. If I wanted features, it wouldn't be a contender; those classics are bought for other reasons. I'm very happy with the FM2n as the built-in meter is a luxury alongside a meterless M, but for nostalgic shooting, an old F would have been great.

Steve
 
Frontman said:
My Nikon F is one of the cameras which I will never sell. I have sold Leicas, Rolleis, and Nikon S cameras, but the F is one of those things which I have become attachd to.

Though the Nikon F and Nikon S are designed similarly, the F is far more rugged, and nowhere near as smooth. The Nikon F is the 1-ton truck of SLR cameras, and it goes on for decade after decade, never requiring service or adjustment. It is a camera I can take anywhere and never have to worry about it failing on me. I recently let go of my FM3A, good as it was, but I won't sell my F.
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Almost my exact words.
 
mynikonf2 said:
It's not! How can looking through the taking lens be more dated than viewing an approximate area of composition through an optical viewfinder?
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In the same way using an M can feel better than a current dSLR.

It can look and feel and seem more modern because the camera's fit in with the modern design aesthetic. They aren't big blocky behemoths as much as little machines, with very little to get in the way of anything.
 
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