The Nikon F!!!

[mxbianco]

Most of my Nikon Fs too were "for parts" or "as is" models, which were brought back to life and operativity, with an eye on period correctness of the parts used to restore the cameras themselves.

Some collectors do collect MINT models that have never been used and have no scratches whatsoever, I have no interest in those, I prefer models which have HAD A LIFE, maybe the social security number of previous owner engraved on the back, or an astronomy club address (for example on Questar modified models). One of my motor drive models is marked Chicago Tribune.

I looked up my notes, I was wrong: I don't have 59 Nikon Fs, they are 60...

Ciao from Massimo

[richardHaw]

I love the mighty F, and have four,  but I'm likely the opposite of mxbianco and Mr. Destoutz (though I find his website fun).  Mine are all users, and at least one is an utter Franken-F, courtesy of KEH's "as is" sale: a latish black body, which came without prism, screen, lens, or back.  It's really beat up, with chips where the back was inserted, and shows signs of having been sent back for repair at a date late enough to have gotten anachronistic reinforced lugs and an "Apollo" style winder.  It now has the chrome FTn prism, back and screen off another similarly late F that ingested a fatal dose of moisture.  If you were to go by sound alone you'd swear the thing was new.  It sounds better than any of my others. I'm guessing some photojournalist used this one and had it professionally refurbished.

One of my others is a black body plain prism 65xxxx one with a bad flash contact, but otherwise working though a bit shabby, which I got from a $5.00 bin at a now defunct store.  I put a lens on and took a roll. My kind of collection! I could probably fix the flash contact, as I know there's miles of room in there, but haven't bothered. 

I should mention that I opened up and partly disposed of parts from the fatally corroded F mentioned above, and holy ****!  What beautiful construction.  I mean, aside from details like the microscopic ball bearings and functional layout, every part of this, whether it needs it or not, appears to have been finished as if it were on the front of the camera.  I get the impression that once upon a time, at least, the Nikon folks were like some other engineers we rarely now see, who did things not because they had to but because they ought to.

somebody admonished me for my Canon 7 articles calling that camera dinky, etc. Well, it's not a Nikon 
Nikons were built to a different standards

[richardHaw]

https://richardhaw.com/2020/05/17/repair-nikon-f-part-2/

part 2

[MEPER]

How do you wipe the mirror with e.g. alcohol?
I have only once tried to clean a mirror by first blowing with air and then use a very soft brush. But I found out that the brush had left very fine traces / scratches. Not something that I could see in the viewfinder but since then I have only used a blower.

If an old Nikon-F can't hold the mirror at the T-setting but flips back when trigger is released (like B-setting). Do you know what could cause this?    probably something that would cause a disassemble to fix I guess.

[John Geerts]

Forget Nikon lenses, instead think Pentax Takamur

This great lens, the Asahi Opt. Co.  Super-Takumar  55mm  f/1.8    here on the Nikon Z6

[richardHaw]

How do you wipe the mirror with e.g. alcohol?
I have only once tried to clean a mirror by first blowing with air and then use a very soft brush. But I found out that the brush had left very fine traces / scratches. Not something that I could see in the viewfinder but since then I have only used a blower.

If an old Nikon-F can't hold the mirror at the T-setting but flips back when trigger is released (like B-setting). Do you know what could cause this?    probably something that would cause a disassemble to fix I guess.

Some stains will only react with naphtha
or your breath

the T setting can be tricky to adjust on an F because it's covered, it's not an easy task to fix if the position of the stand is off by a lot

[MEPER]

The mirror flips back faster on B-setting than on T-setting so I think it is very close to be able to hold the mirror on T-setting. I have no idea how the T-settings is made mechanically in camera. Not something I would do myself even if I may have the repair manual from Nikon. I don't use the camera but I like to have my old equipment in working order :-)   

It is not no. 6400001    …...but a high 64xxxxx   ...but always fun to have a 64xxxxx body.

Is naphtha same as lighter fluid?

When naphtha is applied to mirror do you just use air to blow it clean?    …..you don't wipe mirror with micro fiber or alike?

[richardHaw]

yes, its lighter fluid. I just wipe it with lens tissue. be careful as you may scratch it

some of the causes for your problem:

• incorrect tension for the shutter
• incorrect adjustment of the slow lever arm
• unlikely, the position of the stand for T

2 is most likely

[mxbianco]

Generally I prefer isopropyl alcohol.
It's what we use in IT to clean the mirrors and glass surfaces of scanners and photocopiers. (and fingerprints from LCD screens, too)
Pure ispopropyl alcohol leaves no stains when evaporating, safer for humans than methanol.
I buy it in 1-liter bottles or 5-liter tanks.

Ciao from Massimo

[MEPER]

yes, its lighter fluid. I just wipe it with lens tissue. be careful as you may scratch it

some of the causes for your problem:

• incorrect tension for the shutter
• incorrect adjustment of the slow lever arm
• unlikely, the position of the stand for T

2 is most likely

Is 299/299A the slow lever arm in this exploded view?

[mxbianco]

...
It is not no. 6400001    …...but a high 64xxxxx   ...but always fun to have a 64xxxxx body.

These are my lowest and highest numbered Fs, and Nikon's highest documented Nikon F (-not mine- aside from spare part number plates)

Transitional models are interesting too, for example the Red Dot series when they changed the Photomic finder couplings, and models with a red dot are models that had been factory converted to be compatible with the new Photomic finder. Or the transition to the Apollo series.
I have a non-Apollo with a very high serial number, very low Frankenstein level (that is correct in all pieces with respect to the non-Apollo series, not an Apollo to which an old winding lever was applied). My sample is numbered 7428513 (non-Apollo). There exists a higher numbered non-Apollo (#7452434), but it's a Frankenstein!
I also have a very low serial # Apollo F (very low Frankenstein too): #7318562 (lowest documented Apollo existing)

Ciao from Massimo

[MEPER]

Why does my Nikon F has such a high number but still all metal winding lever and "Nippon Kogaku" branded?
Your has lower number but "Nikon" branded and with plastic on winding lever...….strange…..

[mxbianco]

Why does my Nikon F has such a high number but still all metal winding lever and "Nippon Kogaku" branded?
Your has lower number but "Nikon" branded and with plastic on winding lever...….strange…..

Please look again, I posted three photos:
#6404226,  approximate production date march 1959 to jan 1960. I assure you this is a Nippon Kogaku too
(your model is marked 6471774, which is 67458 higher than mine; production date approx. jun to dec 1962)
They made the switch from Nippon Kogaku to Nikon logo in july 1966, around serial # 676xxxx, 200000 cameras later
#7421834,  approximate production date april to july 1973. This is 950 thousand cameras later! (not really, there is a gap between 6602xxx and 6700001, so only 940K cameras later )
and another model which is not mine, and does not enter this discussion.

There's at least 6 types of frame advance lever (maybe more, De Stoutz is continuing his research), the oldest cameras have a hollow underside. Your sample appears to have a type 3  frame advance lever, with a hollow underside lever (see https://www.destoutz.ch/typ_wind-levers.html) and a straight tip (vs types 2 and 4, which have a diagonal tip). Your sample is a borderline model with respect to the frame advance lever, there is an overlap between type 3 and type 4 advance lever models.
According to De Stoutz, the highest numbered model with a type 3 advance lever is #6474376, and the lowest numbered model with a type 4 advance lever is #6473326
According to myself (De Stoutz extensions), the highest numbered model with a type 3 advance lever is #6474793 (see attached photo), and the lowest numbered model with a type 4 advance lever is #6466982 (see attached photo).

In my Nikon F photo archive, I have a Nikon F with a serial # that's very close to yours, only 16 numbers lower. See attached photo of #6471758. Robertscamera sold it approximately 5 years ago. Advance lever-wise, it's a De Stoutz' extension (type 4, lower than De Stoutz' lowest, but not the lowest)

I own two Nikon Fs which are only 11 numbers apart, and two more which are 19 numbers apart. Very different stories for all four cameras, bought from different persons in different countries, and then reunited...

Ciao from Massimo

[MEPER]

Ok.....now I see…..74xxxxx and not 64xxxxx.

I looked at my lever (6471774). I is not solid......I was sure it was solid so good I checked :-) ) It came with a Photomic but that did not look that pretty so I found a Nippon Kogaku finder for it. The Photomic needs some restoration. It is the one with the "eye" and on/off lever with red dot and square viewfinder. I don't know if it is time typical for the body (1962). I read that there was a tele attachment for the "eye" …..selenium cell?

I like the simple prism finder best. But I find a nice F-prism finder quite expensive.
Once it was my goal to get a chrome F-body in each serial number serie. I know that in one of the 6xxxxxx number serie not many was produced and I missed such a body long time ago at a very reasonable price (normal F-body price level so maybe they are not priced higher and I can still get one).     

[MEPER]

This is how the lever looks on my high number 64xxxxx body...….non-solid.