Will the real best manual Nikon SLR please stand up?

[sevo]

I think you're missing the point. The question is really asking why do some people today state that the F2 is/was the best ever, when the overwhelming number of pros did not agree just by the fact that they moved on to the FM series.

What overwhelming number of pros moved on to the FM? Most that I knew (and all the newspaper or agency issued cameras) switched from F2 to F3. The FM and more so the FE (as a AE camera) mostly replaced the second line Nikkormats.

 

[sevo]

Page 37 in the F2 owner's manual:

On the other hand they sold the majority in a configuration that made sure the shutter was permanently cocked. And overall there is no evidence of a corresponding number of F2 having suffered from that...

 

[Frontman]

Well, or not. Almost every professionally used F2 never had had its shutter uncocked for more than 0.3s, a side effect of them almost inevitably being used with a motor drive. I have yet to see a F2 with weakened spring - or a shutter that has de-synchronised for reasons other than stripped gears...

True enough. My F2 has had it's shutter left cocked for weeks at a time over a period of many years. I have an optical shutter tester which I use to adjust my cameras when necessary, the F2's shutter speeds are still spot-on.

The ultimate Nikon SLR to me would be the F2 Titan. It has all the strengths of the F2 in a much more durable body. Mine has been dropped numerous times, slapped against other cameras hanging from my neck, and bumped into walls, rocks, and other things. Much of the paint has been worn off, but no dents yet. The only work it has needed is a replacement mirror, when the silvering was rubbed off the original. Being an F2, replacing the mirror was as easy as loading a roll of film.

 

[Fraser]

Page 37 in the F2 owner's manual:

One of my near perfect condition F2s has issues with the 1/2000 speed that Sover said was because the previous owner most prob left the camera's shutter cocked for too long.

FYI the FM2 owner's manual has no such warning.

That's not just a f2 thing s3 manual says the same thing which has the the same shutter as the f.

 

[briansilcox]

Hmmm. I did all my years of serious Kodachrome shooting with a Canon F-1 and F-1n. It did require annual servicing. I also had a Nikkormat FT, and liked it enough that I recently bought a near mint FT3. So far I am seriously impressed with this camera, especially since I am only shooting b/w and do not need a drive attached for this work. Its a nice companion to my S3.

 

[Fraser]

I think you're missing the point. The question is really asking why do some people today state that the F2 is/was the best ever, when the overwhelming number of pros did not agree just by the fact that they moved on to the FM series.

I use them all, and I love the way my Fs and F2s feel and look but sheepishly admit to myself that my Fm2 is better and easier to use. It's just not as cool!

I don't believe pros moved onto the fm instead of the f2, much more likely to have had an nikkormat as a second body to the f or f2.
It also depends on what pros you are talking about just like today (in the U.K anyway) depends who you work for as in very few photographers will have the latest bodies only when a camera has become broken or obsolete will it be replaced. The big agency's are normally the first to get the newest camera the likes of Getty or Reuters as they have deals with the manufacturers.

 

[ktmrider]

What Pro's Switched?

What Pro's Switched?

I was a journalism student starting in 1970 and worked a couple years full time for a newspaper in the mid 1970's. I have and had many friends who were working photojournalists at that time.

Honestly, I do not know anyone who used the FM series professionally. We were all excited about the new F2 as it refined what I believe is still the best manual SLR ever made, the F.

So, I have to ask what photojournalists switched to the FM series. Most used them as a second or more likely third body.

 

[dtcls100]

Well, or not. Almost every professionally used F2 never had had its shutter uncocked for more than 0.3s, a side effect of them almost inevitably being used with a motor drive. I have yet to see a F2 with weakened spring - or a shutter that has de-synchronised for reasons other than stripped gears...

How many F2 cameras have you seen? I haven't seen many, but I would bet that Sover Wong has seen alot more F2 cameras than you. Take a gander at Sover's website and his link on the right side of his home page titled "When Not to Cock the Shutter."

He states: "Many people have asked me if it is harmful to store the F2 with the shutter cocked or not. (Cocked is when the shutter is advanced in the ready to shoot position.) My answer is always yes, and that Nikon stated in every instruction manual not to leave the shutter cocked overnight. The reason is because there are two very fine precision springs inside the F2 that pull the shutter curtains. When the shutter is cocked, these springs are wound and tensioned. (When the shutter is released, these springs are unwound and untensioned.) The tensions of these two springs are carefully calibrated so that travel times of the two shutter curtains across the frame window are precisely matched. If these springs are left in the wound position for too long, then their tensions would degrade and when released they would pull the shutter curtains slower. Quite often, these two springs degrade differently, resulting in different first and second shutter curtains traval times and hence producing uneven exposures or total blackouts at very fast shutter speeds. Therefore users must break their old habit of cocking the shutter after every shot. Also, they must remember to manually trigger the shutter for the last shot when the F2 is mounted on a motor drive, as the MD automatically advances the film and cocks the shutter after every release."

Sover also warns against using the F2 in "light rain" due to corrosion issues in the link "Rust and corrosion inside the F2." The pics in the link are pretty surprising as to the amount of corrosion some rain can wreak on the F2.

That said, I continue to be tempted to get myself an F2 one of these days. (I have never been interested in the Nikon F, as the ergonomics of the weird placement of the shutter release and non-hinged back have always been very off-putting to me). The F2 with the Photomic head has always just looked so cool to me.

 

[WJJ3]

having owned and used a FM2n and a FE, I prefer the FE. And having handled a FM3a, I would still rather use a FE. Swap out the focusing screen with one from a FM2/3 and it's a more preferable camera 🙂 It works without batteries so it counts as a mechanical camera 😉

 

[css9450]

I think you're missing the point. The question is really asking why do some people today state that the F2 is/was the best ever, when the overwhelming number of pros did not agree just by the fact that they moved on to the FM series.

I really can't imagine very many pros did that. They moved on to the F3 instead.

 

[KM-25]

I was a journalism student starting in 1970 and worked a couple years full time for a newspaper in the mid 1970's. I have and had many friends who were working photojournalists at that time.

Honestly, I do not know anyone who used the FM series professionally. We were all excited about the new F2 as it refined what I believe is still the best manual SLR ever made, the F.

So, I have to ask what photojournalists switched to the FM series. Most used them as a second or more likely third body.

Plenty at Nat Geo did because they were much better in terms their weight and bulk when it came to things like mountaineering, etc.

My last two years at a newspaper were spent with an F100 and FM3A of which I still have both of and by far my choice for this topic is the FM3A, just an amazing camera with amazing ability and really tough build.

 

[splitimageview]

Yet another thread about 'pros' and their gear. 🙂

These are 35-45 year old cameras (except for the FM3a), pick one that you like!

They are all good.

 

[rajmohan-fotograf]

Yet another thread about 'pros' and their gear. 🙂

These are 35-45 year old cameras (except for the FM3a), pick one that you like!

They are all good.

+1 🙂

 

[Robert Lai]

Sover has serviced hundreds (maybe thousands) of F2 cameras, so he should know. He adjusts the shutter speeds to be within 1/4 f/stop of the marked speeds. His advice to keep the shutter uncocked is meant to keep the speeds within tolerances for as long as possible.

I shot with a motor driven F3 for over 25 years, even though I'm not a pro. The MD-4 feeds power to the F3, and it's very useful in cold weather. I always made it a habit to turn off the motor (they have off switches, you know), and fire the last shot without it.

Sover has overhauled my F and two F2A cameras for me. They are all within spec, and I plan to keep them that way.

Finally, you should note that Nikon stated for years that their shutter springs were wound from Swedish steel piano wire. This is for their hardness and resiliency. It's not for their rustproof qualities. You don't put your Steinway grand piano into the rain, don't do it to your Nikon either.

 

[Noserider]

Ok yes some working pro's did go to the FM/FE chassis for the faster top shutter speed and mostly for the faster flash sync speed. I know I had and shot an FM2n for that reason; a regular quicky way to do a dramatic 'environmental portrait' was an FM2 with a 28 or 35mm lens; f/8 and 1/250 with a Vivitar 283 set on Blue held off camera. The faster flash sync and the strong pop of the flash shot close made a easy to print negative which made my deadlines easier. The use of the F2 and very quickly the F3 was all about the Motor Drive; the FM series had the horrendous MD-11 (don't even try) and the widely hated MD-12 which was 'slightly' improved. The vapor of a sneeze 3 tables over would kill those motors. The only good thing was that Nikon made it possible to manually wind if the motor truly was dead; you'd see guys on a big play feel the motor go and wind on with the thumb quick thinking. Except when the motor *did* come back to life and in the heat of the shot attempt to wind with the thumb along with the motor. Then for certain something would break.
Yes; the MD-11/12 was a strong reason pros didn't always trust that camera.

Now; any sports shooter wanted and needed the fantastic MD-4 which came with the F3 as far as lots of shooters were concerned. The hard core F2 guys moaned about those awful little button cells (waaa! if those guys could see the amount of batteries the pros carry now *for Everything*) and that fact that at any time the camera could be bricked by loss of power. Oh except that one mechanical speed (two if you count bulb and I do) but who would need that (surprisingly me once! nobody else I knew) . Well the fine design of the MD-4 made the F3 a standard in the bag for some shooters a decade of day in day out deadline shooting. Change the batteries out when it sounded slow; use the MN-2 for an extra frame per second (and more wink) the solidity and reliability matched and enhanced the F3.

Which leads me to my last ramble; the reason the F5 didn't have many purchasers of other viewfinders and focussing screens was due to the fact that the AF worked well enough for pros to use. One secret in the Pre-AF era to maximize a shooters performance particularly in low light sports action was to understand and use the finder and screen combinations with certain lenses. Certain combinations were kept a secret.

 

[Pioneer]

Not a big Nikon fanboy but at this point I have to vote fm2n since my f died recently.

But, to be completely truthful, I would chose the F6 anytime. I know it is not one of the metal, manual monsters but that doesn't seem to bother it in the least. It doesn't get a huge diet of film but every roll it does get fed is dispatched quietly and efficiently.

 

[narsuitus]

I cannot speak for others who may have moved on to FM/FM2. I can only speak for myself. I have never used Nikkormats or any of the FM or FE series but have used Nikon EM and N70 as backups. During my professional careers, I have relied on the rugged and dependable Nikon F, F2, F3, and F4 because I needed 100% viewfinder accuracy and interchangeable viewfinders. All features I have missed in digital SLRs.


Nikon F2 by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[Contarama]

How about McCurry who shot Afghan Girl with a FM2? Or Rowell who often shot with a FM10?

 

[David Murphy]

Most people grow out of asking "What is the best _____" sometime around puberty, when they realize that "best" in one context may not be "best" in another. You want to stop bullets? Try an F. A design icon and arguably the most important SLR in history? F again. You want a lightweight, easy-to-use snapshot camera that allows the use of F-mount lenses? Try an EM. I have both and they're both "best" for different values of "best".

Cheers,

R.

Full agreement on the F. It may not have the very best viewinder compared to more modern SLR's, and the metering prisms are really sort of a mess (I avoid them), but I personally find an F with an eye-level prism with Nikon lenses not only has a great feel, but is dead-to-nuts reliable producing top-drawer results over and over again.

 

[ruby.monkey]

Yet another thread about 'pros' and their gear. 🙂

These are 35-45 year old cameras (except for the FM3a), pick one that you like!

They are all good.

I had an FM3a. Nice enough camera but the F2's (F2A in my case) finder and shutter release feel just blew it out of the water (so did the F's but that still had its shutter release in the wrong place).

The FM3a got traded away for a medium-format camera; the F2 is still with me.