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Nikon F was developed in 1959, right in the middle of Japan's high economic growth period, in this factory in Ohi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo.
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Unlike today's fully automated production line, most of the production processes depended on the sensitive hand works of the employees.
(1:17-)
The mechanisms of automatic aperture driving system, quick return mirror, titanium foil focal plane shutter, interchangeable viewfinders of 100% field of view...Nikon F, though it was the first Nikon SLR ever, satisfied all these requirements for an SLR. Thus many pro photogs are still using the F bodies for their jobs. The footage of the factory looks really outdated, but the cameras themselves are still alive.
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The initial retail price of Nikon F was 67,000 JPY. At that time, the initial salary of a university degree government worker of a higher rank was 10,200 JPY. Thus the camera was not immediately affordable, but many people were fascinated by its functionality and bite the bullet to buy one.
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Another reason for the popularity of Nikon F was its rich accessory system. Right after the camera had hit the market, the system offered many interchangeable lenses. Nikon even offered the dedicated motor drive a year after the camera had been released.
What made Nikon develop the SLR, when it was not the mainstream of the camera industry?
(2:36-)
Before F was born, Nikon had already had SP, the pinnacle of the world of rangefinder cameras. In fact, the basic construction of F was the SP cut to the left and right halves and a mirror box put between them. That means, the basic design had already been completed.
(3:00-)
The toughness of Nikon F is a well known fact among the pro photogs. So, how durable the inner mechanism is? Here's a comment of a technician at the maintenance company officially acknowledged by Nikon (the company is called "Kiitos".):
"The bayonet mount of Nikon F made of stainless steel is very durable. For example, if a customer mounted a super-tele lens on an F body and hit the lens against something or dropped the combo, the mount would be rarely bent. Even if it is bent, it can be easily replaced. I've been repairing Nikon products for forty years, but even in that case, I've never seen the die-cast base of the mount had been damaged, so far as I remember."