What is the best Nikon body for my AIS Nikkor 50mm 1.4?

[ishpop]

What did your father use ?

Good question, I found a box of camera gear, no bodies though. Many Vivitar Series 1 lenses, this Nikkor, lots of filters, etc...

🙂

Guessing whatever the standard model being sold in the early 80s was, maybe an EM or FG?

 

[former member]

What are your guys thoughts on using the Nikon F with a WLF?

The waste level finder is useful for copy work, bellows work, etc. It's not that useful as an outdoor finder. I've had two of them for decades. At $15, they were cheap. Even used them for copy work.

The Eye-level, non metering finder, goes for several times what they cost when new. Many of the Photomic meters still are accurate with negative film. Mine are serviced, and I would trust them with slide film.

The price of the Nikon F2's are down as well. Meters on the ones made after 1975 or so have improved metering electronics, changed the variable resistor ring. My 1971 F2 Photomic is still good.

Early 80s, with a Nikkor 50mm F1.4: Probably not an EM. If he went "high-end", could be a Nikon F3 or F3HP. If he liked small and compact, an FM2 or FE2. The Nikon FA and FG were also available. The FG would have usually been bought with an F1.8 lens.

SO: Prices on an F3HP will cost about the same as the eye-level finder for a Nikon F, then you still need the body. F2 with Photomic finder, runs more than an F3HP. Nikon F with Photomic Meter, about the same as an F3HP. Last year, I bought an F3HP from KEH in "BGN" condition for $89. Might be up a bit, but well worth looking at.

 

[ishpop]

Thanks for the info Calzone~

I asked about WLFs due to my enjoyable experiences with them on my Rolleiflex, Exakta and now Hasselblad. There is something about framing photos with a WLF that I have grown to love, and it is indeed very different than looking through a eye-level-viewfinder.

But if the focusing becomes too difficult, then benefits in framing or "seeing" the photo are washed out.

I just bought a DA-2 for my F3HP. The action finder, although differant has the same effect as the WLF in that it effects critical focusing in a bad way making it harder to focus. Seems that the enlarged image is magnified less. I'm not disappointed because for quick action it will serve its purpose.

Are you aware that the image will appear upside down and left and right will be inversed on a Nikon WLF? Not sure of your intended purpose? Street photograpy?

Confused? I'll explain by comparing the veiwfinders on my F2 and my F3 with HP viewfinder. The image on the HP viewfinder appears larger, but under dimm lighting it is easier and faster to focus on my F2. It is totally counterintuitive, but the enlarged image provided by the HP finder is dimmer because it is spread over a larger viewing area. The action finder exaggerates the effect of the HP. Of course this is not an issue with lots of light, but the F2 has a better viewfinder for low light.

I expect, that with a fast lens (F 1.4) you might be using it for low lighting and hand held photograpy. I would favor a F, or F2 over the newer Nikon professional cameras that all have adopted the HP style of viewing.

By way of explaination I would express that I perfer the Nikon Professional Cameras as being the F, F2, F3,F4,F5... all which display 100% of the image that will be exposed on the negitive.

Some of the non-professional cameras only display 92%. Right now there are a lot of old F's and F2's available because they have proven themselves durable and seem to never die. I wouldn't be so afraid of the size and weight. IMHO a heavy camera is a steady camera.

Calzone

 

[Bill58]

The F2 AS for low light use--the best meter in the whole F series and built like a tank.

 

[Freakscene]

An FA or FG has the same form factor as an FM(2)👎, FE, FE2 and FM3A and let you use program mode with Ai and AiS lenses. They meter in a _very_ interesting way with Ai (not AiS) lenses - the camera stops down and remeters with the lens stopped down. Very accurate.

Marty

 

[Leigh Youdale]

My Nikkormat FTn is a great camera and they cost little these days. TTL metering but fully manual in operation and DOF preview button make it a very useful unit. Now have a range of lenses for it from 20mm to 300mm. Just a bit heavy to carry all that but with the 50mm f2 or 85mm f2 it's really nice.

 

[ishpop]

The F2 AS for low light use--the best meter in the whole F series and built like a tank.

Not that I like the guy, but according to Ken Rockwell:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Viewfinder: Huge and unusually sharp! Unlike other Nikons, the finder is devoid of the usual geometric distortion. Nikon manual focus wide and 50mm f/1.4 lenses had about the same barrel distortion, and Nikon makes most of their finders with complementary pincushion distortion to hide that. The F2AS has no distortion. Interchangeable screens. Interchangeable finders. Viewfinder illumination: pull the switch on the top towards you.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]This intrigues me, as I am indeed a viewfinder anal-retentive user... Bad viewfinder for me equals bad experience altogether. This is why I had to sell what was otherwise a great camera in the Bessa T. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Of all the models mentioned in this thread, is Ken accurate in saying the F2AS maybe had the best viewfinder?[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]​

[/FONT]

 

[former member]

No. He is not. The Prisms at the heart of the photomic meters are the same. The DP-12 meter on the F2AS meters down to EV-2, which is its strong point. But the view through the finder itself is the same with all of the F2's.

I have eleven Nikon F2's covering the F2 with Eyelevel, F2 Photomic, F2S, F2SB, F2A, and F2AS. The view through the finder is equally good on all of them. The meters on the F2SB and F2AS are LED based, and use Silicon Photo Diodes. As long as the electronics in the finder stay good, it's the best to use. It is also the most expensive.

The prisms on the Nikon F's are usually very good, but watch for desilvering at the "prism roof". Through the finder, it looks like lines running through it. I have not had any of the 15 or so F2 prisms that I've owned do that. Several F prisms have.

 

[Chris101]

I have an FG and would recommend one. It is indeed the same size as the Olympus OM1, but a bit lighter. I have removed the little finger grip, and put the bottom to my Olympus never-ready case on it like a half case. It makes it a 'bad' looking camera.

 

[Al Kaplan]

Don't discard those Series 1 lenses! Vivitar didn't make lenses. They put their name on lenses by several makers. the Series 1 were as good as they get. The 90mmf/2.5 Macro is a real gem, one of the sharpest 90's ever made and it stays sharp (many lenses don't) from infinity to extreme close-up.

 

[jb17kx]

I suppose it really depends on what you like and want - as many have said before now, practically all the Nikon bodies, maybe apart from the EM, FG, and low-end AF bodies, will offer great performance, control (and that's where the EM and FG are excluded), and reliability.

But do you want a fully-mechanical body, or can you live with an electronic shutter if it gives you AE? Do you want the classic F-style body or do you prefer the better ergonomics of the newer bodies? What's your price range?

 

[John Bragg]

It is a fantastic lens and It needs a good reliable body. FM2n would be my choice.

 

[Spider67]

I use both an FG and an FM. The FG is definitely the smaller one and when you use the 1,4 5omm on it and you have a bit bigger fingers, then you'll need the fingergrip. It's not as rugged as the FM etc, it has some nice additional features but lacks the DOF button (so that I usedit with an M42 Helios lens for a while). It's a very handy combo with the 1,8 50mm series E lens , but larger lenses like the 35mm f 2 or the 85mm f2 make it a bit "top heavy". When using it with a zoom lens I use tzhe motordrive as a handgrip.
With the FM I would recommend a soft release button, especially if you want to use it for available light. The FM2 etc have better release buttons.

 

[Calzone]

Thanks for the info Calzone~

I asked about WLFs due to my enjoyable experiences with them on my Rolleiflex, Exakta and now Hasselblad. There is something about framing photos with a WLF that I have grown to love, and it is indeed very different than looking through a eye-level-viewfinder.

But if the focusing becomes too difficult, then benefits in framing or "seeing" the photo are washed out.

I was concerned that my text might be confusing, but I am glad that you got it.

The flexability of the Nikon action finders is still a nice asset and a future option.

An F3 is very compact and also provides aperature priority if needed. A very quick camera, but the F2AS is IMHO the best for low level lighting and hand held. These are my two picks.

Right now at B&H they have a F3T (titanium finder, top and bottom plate) for $499.00. Its condition is an 8. If I needed another body this is what I would get. Already have two F3's

Best of luck.

Calzone

 

[titrisol]

I like the FE/FE2 since it is light and fits all my needs.
if you want a more modern body the F3 works fine, and I believe the F5/6 can deal with AIs lenses properly

 

[ZeissFan]

F, F2, F3, F4 (not sure about this), EL, EL2, FT, FTn, FT2, FT3, FM, FM2 FM2A, FE, FE2.

Pretty much any Nikon body.

 

[ampguy]

I'm not familiar with many of these bodies being mentioned, but if you want to take advantage of the Auto AI, I think in the Nikomat line, you need to go to FT2 at least. I'd consider an F3 regular (DE) for film, or D40 for digital. You won't get metering with the digital, but you will with AI+ lenses on the F3.

 

[former member]

The Nikkormat FT2 uses the prong and requires the F5.6 shuffle.

The FT-3 is AI. They were not made for very long. The VF of the Nikkormat series is darker than the other cameras mentioned.

 

[gavinlg]

f3hp is my favorite nikon body by far. It's stunningly clunky, yet so very svelte. A real satisfying camera to use.
I also use an fm2n, and it's brilliant apart from something that bugs the absolute crap out of me during vertical shooting. The shutter is one of those ones that you have to pull the advance lever out about 7-15mm to "enable" the shutter and meter to work for a shot - even when the shutter is cocked. During vertical shooting I turn the camera so that the prism faces to my left, and the advance lever pokes my eye out. If I bring my face back a little bit to stop my eye from being gouged, I can't see the whole VF or the shutter speeds.

What a ****ty design.

 

[robert blu]

I bought the same lens a couple of years ago, without really know how good it was (is). I'm very happy to use it on my FM2 . Reliable, not to heavy, simple.
robert
PS this combo is now my best alternative to my m7...