Nikon F

[richardHaw]

I love my Nikon F's so much, I like using them more than my F2's. 

just recently overhauled the earliest one in my collections (6428371) which probably came out in 1960 according to Richard Destoutz's website.

I just can't get enough of these and I will prep myself for specializing on the F and S repairs as my retirement plan (OK, mayabe add in a few Contax RF's)

they're not perfect but they certainly will last long after everyone in this group is gone, maybe another 100 years?

[JohnBrew]

Damn fine camera.

[richardHaw]

i have been shooting with a Nicca 3S that I repaired here:
https://richardhaw.com/2018/02/11/repair-nicca-3s-1-2/

along with pre-war and post war Contax rangefinders and Nikon RFs for a couple of months now and going back to the SLR is a big revelation 
I now understand much more on how much the F made an impact in 1959

as the saying goes: "You dont know what you got til its gone" 

the fact that I cleaned this inside and out made it more satisfying to use. the camera and I have formed a special connection.

[Matthew Currie]

Being an old F guy, I of course agree.  I used an F pretty much exclusively until fairly recently, and still love them even though I rarely use them any more.  I fell in love with the F not long after it came out.  I was about 12 when I saw one in the real world around 1960 and it made me almost dizzy.  It took me until 1970 actually to get one, and I may have to have a nice beat up black one in my grave when I die.  What else can you think of that might survive the flames of hell?

[Ashlandish]

What else can you think of that might survive the flames of hell?

...or make the flames of hell so heavenly.

[richardHaw]

I agree. the F is so tough that it's not very difficult to get a junk to work properly with just normal CLA using benzene, oil and plenty of Q-tips 

there are some weak parts on the body casting but that's already asking for too much...

[David H. Hartman]

My first "real" camera was a Nikkormat F with a 55/3.5 Micro Nikkor-P but I did most of my early learning with a Nikon F, 55/3.5 Micro and 105/2.5 Nikkor-P. The Nikon F had no meter so I bought a Gossen Pilot but soon replaced it with a Gossen LunaPro.

I wish I'd bought a black Nikon F when they were reasonably priced. 

Dave Hartman

[Matthew Currie]

.....
I wish I'd bought a black Nikon F when they were reasonably priced. 

Dave Hartman

A few years ago I was rummaging in the discount bin at a camera store, where most of the stuff was odd broken junk, and there staring up at me was a black, plain prism F.  Complete.  It had a loos prism in the finder, and a little wrinkle in the shutter curtain, and it was pretty beat up but not too bad.  I determined that the shutter worked, the prism was tightenable and not too bad, and the X sync contact was, and still is, no good.  I put some film in it and it worked just fine.  Here it is, with a 50/1.4 lens on it.  That is one I got in 1970, but I have another like it that I got from another bargain and it's actually in better shape than this one, but for this picture I used the wrong one.  Total cost?  $5.00 for the camera, $5.00 for the lens. 

e.t.a. the camera itself is a 65xxxxx serial number, nothing special, won't send my grandkids through college or anything, just mighty nice.

I'll ask Beelzebub to smile for the birdie.

[pluton]

I had several Nikon Fs, and later an F2. Always with the "plain prism", preferably with the round eyepiece.  I got pretty good at working without any meter, even with Kodachrome 25.   I only stopped using Fs and F2's when I developed the need for the high eyepoint of the F3 later on.
The F remains the original, true heavy duty professional 35mm SLR.

[richardHaw]

such a lovely camera 

I got a black FTN last week from the junk shop. not the find of the decade but the price is reasonable. I am currently overhauling it.

[richardHaw]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGd_wdVTwgk

part of my very extensive Nikon F article
will be out in June!