Nikon F2
| Nikon F2 | |
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| Type: | Professional 35mm - single lens reflex camera with attachable motor and mechanically controlled focal plane shutter. |
| Production period: | 1972-1980 |
| Lens connection : | Nikon F bayonet , |
| Film format : | 35 mm (small picture) |
| Recording format : | 24 mm × 36 mm |
| Viewfinder : | SLR |
| Viewfinder field: | 100% |
| Enlargement: | 0.75 times |
| Finder Ads: | Time, aperture, exposure, flash readiness (certain viewfinders) |
| Film transport: | manual or motorized |
| Frame rate : | 4.5 fps |
| Auto focus (AF) : | no autofocus |
| Exposure metering : | TTL open aperture measurement
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| Measuring range: | LW 0-19 |
| Correction : | ± 2 EV |
| Closure : | horizontal focal plane shutter with two titanium foils |
| Shutter speed : | 1/2000 - 10 s, bulb long exposure |
| Control: | mechanically |
| Flash control: | no |
| Lightning connection : | X, special hot shoe |
| Synchronization : | 1/80 s |
| Weight: | 750 g |
| Additions: | Interchangeable viewfinder , Assign preview , mirror lock |
The Nikon F2 is a small picture - SLR , as successor to the Nikon F , the dominance of the Nikon continued to expand -Konzerns in the field of SLR cameras. She is considered by many as the best mechanical camera and takes its place among the legendary cameras like the Nikon SP , the Nikon F, the Hasselblad 500 C / M or the Leica M one.
The Nikon F2 was introduced in 1971 and 1980 by the Nikon F3 replaced, the success of the Japanese manufacturer Nikon was able to continue in professional miniature sector until the top position in the 1990s after the introduction of the Nikon F4 to the company Canon went.
Although the Nikon F2 was only a gradual further development compared to the F, it simplified operation compared to this, especially when used with motor drives, mirror lock-up and the attachment of back panels, and offered exposure times of up to 1/2000 s and up to 10 s (Nikon F: 1-1 / 1000 s). Various parts are also compatible with the Nikon F, such as the focusing screens, the viewfinder connection and the lightning contact around the film rewind crank. The motor automatically rewound the exposed film into the film cassette. Film changes at lightning speed are possible.
Even after decades, the Nikon F2 can be used without any problems. The basic equipment with a simple prism viewfinder without exposure meter looks simple for today's conditions, but it works, and most current lenses with the F bayonet can still be used (exception: AF-G lenses without aperture ring, DX lenses for digital cameras with a smaller image circle and APS lenses). Exposure measurement with "photomic viewfinders" is only possible with lenses that have the coupling fork on the bezel ring or can be retrofitted with it, with the later "AI models" of the F2 (F2A and F2AS) from 1977 onwards the AI cam on the aperture ring of the lens is necessary for this.
prehistory
In the family tree of their own company, it is technically based on the Nikon F single-lens reflex camera , which today can be considered a collector's item. You can probably see it as a reaction to the Canon F-1 , which appeared in spring 1971 and was more modern compared to the Nikon F. The development task was not so much a major technical advance as a removal of the minor problems that had arisen when using the Nikon F.
Modular construction
The important parts of the F2 are interchangeable - were available interchangeable lenses , interchangeable viewfinder , alternating matte discs , removable back cover , attachable motor drives including a variety of battery parts, an attachable motor. F-number control, flash connection, viewfinder thread for accessories (such Dioptrenausgleichslinsen, Illuminator, viewfinder) etc The only missing feature that distinguished it from medium format cameras and some 35mm cameras (Zeiss Ikon Contarex, Rolleiflex SL2000 / 3003 ) was a changeable film magazine (there was, however, a Polaroid back from another supplier).
Motor and feature film cartridges
There were a total of four motor drives for the Nikon F2 , the slightly simpler MD-3, the MD-1 intended for commercial users and its successor the MD-2. The MD-3 creates a maximum frame rate of 2.5 or 4 frames per second , depending on the type of battery used . The MD-1 and MD-2 achieved 5 frames per second and had a battery control display and motorized film rewind.
The fourth motor drive, the MD-100, could only be used sensibly with the Nikon F2H - the high-speed version of the F2 (see picture below). With it, series of pictures with 10 pictures per second were possible. However, a particularly large battery pack, the MB-100, was required for operation. There was space for either 20 AA batteries or four special MN-1 batteries.
The battery pack MB-1 took 10 AA batteries, but could also be equipped with the rechargeable batteries MN-1, the MB-2 took 8 batteries. As a further motor accessory there was a connection cable "MC-7" for a separate storage of the battery part (for example in very cold weather), as well as a cable release.
In contrast to the Nikon F, there was no special motor for the long film magazines MF-1 (250 exposures) and MF-2 (750 exposures), because they could be operated with a normal MD-1 or MD-2.
Back wall
In contrast to the Nikon F, the motor does not have its own camera back, but is simply screwed under the camera (into the mount of the tripod thread). The Nikon F2 has a standard, removable back panel that can be exchanged for the above-mentioned long film magazines. For the use of data backplanes, however, special versions, the "data" models, are required. There is also a special rear panel for use with the motor drives MD-2 and MD-1, which terminates the motorized film rewind via a contact before the film has been completely drawn into the film cartridge .
Change viewfinder and aperture control
The system of interchangeable viewfinders is characteristic and adopted from the F series . For the F2 there were prism, light shaft (DW-1) and photomic viewfinder as well as magnifying glass (DW-2) and sports viewfinder (DA-1) for special user groups.
To change the viewfinder, there is a somewhat difficult-to-use, small release button on the back of the camera housing, as well as another lever on the viewfinder on the Photomic models. It was not until 1980 that the lock was released significantly better in the successor model F3.
The basic version had a prism viewfinder , which shows an upright and laterally correct image. Another viewfinder was the light well , useful for macro and microphotography. The light shaft has a fold-away magnifying glass (5 ×).
The photomic viewfinder allow exposure measurement and aperture / time comparison. They contain a measuring cell (CdS or silicon) and are linked to the shutter speed button via a ring and to the lens aperture ring via a slide. Moving the shutter speed ring or the aperture ring changes a display in the viewfinder that shows correct exposure or overexposure and underexposure. There were five models in total. First the DP-1 (with measuring needle) and the DP-2 (with LED display), later its further development, the DP-3 with silicon diodes. The DP-11 and DP-12 were the last viewfinder models: With these, the previous, somewhat cumbersome coupling of the lenses to the viewfinder has been simplified by a cam on the aperture ring that connects to the viewfinder. Only with the successor model F3 did the exposure meter move into the housing of the camera itself.
For the Photomicsucher DP-2, DP-3 and DP-12 also had iris controls available. These are placed in front of the camera (slide onto the accessory shoe on the rewind crank) and couple electrically with the viewfinder and mechanically with the aperture ring of the lens. Controlled by the viewfinder, the iris control adjusts the iris by motor so that the camera can be converted into an automatic iris. There are three models, DS-1, DS-2 (additional flash connector) and DS-12 (for the DP-12).
In terms of its area of application, the magnifying glass viewfinder is a “better light shaft viewfinder” for macro and microphotography. It consists of an elaborately designed six times magnifying glass and is therefore better than the folding magnifying glass of the simple light shaft finder.
The sports prism viewfinder enables the photographer to see the entire viewfinder image when wearing a helmet or (protective) glasses (e.g. when skydiving or on a motorcycle ). The sports viewfinder is indispensable for special underwater housings. Sports seeker does not mean the "normal" sports photographer, but the sports photographer.
The interchangeable viewfinder and focusing screens of the Nikon F2 also fit the model F. When attaching the F2 viewfinder, only the front nameplate has to be removed from the "F", which is uncomplicated, the screws are visible on the outside. The photomic viewfinder of the "F2" do not work on the "F", however , because they expect a power supply from the camera.
Adjusting washers
The Nikon F2 allows you to quickly switch to different focusing screens. The focusing screen supplied had a cross-sectional center with a measuring circle and Fresnel lens . It can be used universally. 19 different models allow optimal focus for every use (macro, architectural, aerial photography). Other manufacturers also offer adjustment screens. Since the light passes through the lens before the exposure measurement and the measurement is influenced in this way, the time / aperture combinations must be corrected for many lenses after the change.
mechanics
Since the Nikon F2 is a purely mechanical camera, the shutter is controlled "imprecisely" by today's standards (no quartz crystal "counts" the duration of 1/2000 second).
An extremely durable titanium roller blind is used as the shutter on the Nikon F2 , and it does its job even after decades. The shortest shutter speed is 1/2000 second, the flash sync speed is 1/80 s, for which a separate detent is provided on the speed dial.
trigger
The Leica bell , which is no longer common today, is still used for the cable release connection. But there are adapters for "normal" cable releases. The release button has a finger protection ring, which is also used to lock the release and to set long exposure times ("T", see below), which are then preselected using the self-timer lever.
A line in a window in the middle of the speed dial rotates with each shot in order to control the film transport.
Mirror lock-up / lock-up
The Nikon F2 has mirror lock-up , another feature for the professional class. This is better solved than with the Nikon F and allows the mirror to be swiveled up immediately by turning a lever.
The ability to fold up the mirror was necessary in order to be able to use the “fisheye lenses” (1: 5.6 / 6 mm; 220 °, 1: 5.6 / 7.5 mm; 180 °; 1: 8/8 mm; 180 ° ; and 1: 5.6 / 10 mm; 180 °), the lens construction of which protruded deep into the camera body. Only later was it possible for Nikon to use a retrofocus design to produce corresponding wide-angle lenses in such a way that they no longer protruded into the camera body.
In certain markets, for example Great Britain , the manufacturer Cosina has recently started offering adaptations of its two wide-angle lenses of the type "Heliar" from the Voigtländer brand as 1: 5.6 / 12 mm and 1: 4.5 / 15 mm with Nikon bayonet can be used with the mirror folded up. There is also a "blind viewfinder" which is attached instead of the normal F2 viewfinder and which has a mount for the optical viewfinder of the lenses.
In addition, the mirror lock is necessary when the motor is running at 5 frames per second, as the mirror cannot swing back and forth quickly enough. Finally, the shutter release noise and vibrations when the mirror is up are reduced.
Self timer
As mentioned above, the F2 has a self-timer . This is not started via the normal trigger, but has its own small trigger button that is exposed when the lever is turned. A number scale on the frame made it possible to read and set lead times. The lever was also used to set exposure times between 2 and 10 s in connection with the “T” setting of the shutter release.
Spring shutter
As a modern camera, the Nikon F2, together with the lenses built for it, has a snap-action aperture function that takes effect at the same time as the shutter is closed.
In addition, the older type of lenses “communicate” with the light meter in the photomic viewfinder. The typical Nikon (and no longer used) "fork" on the aperture ring is used for this . Each time the lens was changed, the aperture ring first had to be set to the smallest value in order to adjust the photomic viewfinder. After the introduction of the Ai lenses in 1977 and the F2A and F2AS, this procedure became obsolete.
Further development in history
All these features are still part of today's standard for professional SLR cameras. Improvements in the further development of the camera industry were essentially only the shutter control by microcomputers (and thus the more precise adherence to the times and enabling the automatic exposure ), the shortening of the minimum shutter speed (currently 1/8000 sec), and the TTL flash exposure measurement. Other newer techniques are primarily used for the convenience of the photographer or to compensate for their inability.
Models
- F2
- also "F2 Eyelevel", is the basic model with a simple prism finder DE-1, released in 1971.
- F2 Photomic
- Model variant that was equipped with the photomic viewfinder DP-1 with exposure metering and needle display and also appeared in 1971.
- F2S Photomic
- In this version, the F2 was factory-fitted with a DP-2 photomicrography viewfinder, which had an LED measurement display and a connection for controlling the automatic shutter DS-1 and which had an extended measuring range compared to the DP-1. Produced from 1973.
- F2SB
- This variant, produced from 1976, was equipped with a DP-3 viewfinder as the successor to the DP-2. This viewfinder had a faster silicon diode, a modified viewfinder display and a connection for the aperture controls DS-1 and DS-2.
- F2A
- The F2A, introduced in 1977, was equipped with the DP-11 viewfinder as a successor to the DP-1, which was intended for use with the AI Nikkoren introduced at the same time. With this new type of transmission of the aperture set on the lens, it is no longer necessary to move the aperture ring back and forth after attaching a new lens.
- F2AS
- As the successor to the F2SB, the F2AS was equipped with the viewfinder DP-12, a further development of the DP-3, but with an AI diaphragm coupling. It was also introduced in 1977. This viewfinder variant could be equipped with the automatic aperture control DS-12. The older controllers DS-1 and DS-2 do not fit the DP-12 viewfinder.
- F2 titanium
- In this variant, released in 1979, the housing, and not just the viewfinder, was modified for the first time: the front plate, rear wall, floor, viewfinder bridge and prismatic roof of the DE-1 supplied were made of titanium sheet, which gave the camera a particularly long service life. Even used, these models are still very expensive. There was a variant with and one without the "Titan" lettering.
- F2 high speed
- In this variant of the F2 in a titanium case, which could take up to 10 pictures per second, a partially transparent, non-movable mirror was installed instead of the normal oscillating mirror, and a special MD-100 motor based on an MD-1, but with two battery parts . The camera could also be used without a motor, as the modularity principle was retained here as well. The MD-100 motor is often incorrectly referred to as a variant of the MD-2. In contrast to the MD-100, the MD-2 has the connection for the film stop rear wall MF-3 (contacts on the right on the back). This connection is missing on the MD-1 and MD-100 motors. - It was produced in at least two variants: One with a B shutter speed and one without a B shutter speed. There are some other special features, such as the 2000th and 2 to 10 seconds exposure time and a pre-drive for the self-timer and the dimming button works the other way around: Pressing the button opens the lens, which is normally dimmed to the working aperture.
- F2 Data
- It was developed to imprint additional information in the image. This was provided with corresponding data backs MF-10 (for 36 exposures) and MF-11 (for 250 exposures).
The data was imprinted with a flash unit built into the back wall, which brought an image of either a small clock, a counter, or handwritten notes onto the film.
Specific accessories
Nikon (see also above)
- MF-1 large capacity magazine 250 slots
- MF-2 large capacity magazine 750 slots
- MZ-1 film cassette 250 exposures
- MZ-2 film cassette 750 exposures
- SB-7E flash unit
- BC-7 flashlight unit
- SB-6 strobe flash unit with mains / battery pack LD-1
- AH-1 hand strap
- AR-2 cable release with Leica bell
- MC-7 connection cable from motor to battery pack
- DF-1 fisheye finder to attach to hot shoe
- 21 mm viewfinder to attach to hot shoe
- DH-1 iris control charger
- DB-1 cold bag for batteries of the aperture control
- DB-2 antifreeze pack for camera battery
- MH-1 battery charger for MN-1 batteries for motor drive
- AR-1 soft trigger
- MR-2 additional release for motor drive
- MC-1 motor extension cable (between MD-1 / MD-2 and release SC1)
- AR-10 double wire release for bellows and camera motor
- MW-1, MW-2, ML-2 radio remote controls
- DL-1 Illuminator for illuminating the viewfinder displays
Third-party accessories (selection)
- Polaroid back wall "Pro Back II", from the company
- Polaroid back wall "Speed Magny" with full format thanks to deflection optics
- Voigtländer wide-angle lenses with viewfinder adapter for F2 (is plugged in instead of the standard interchangeable viewfinder)
- 12 mm F5.6 Ultra Wide Heliar with viewfinder
- 15 mm F4.5 heliar with viewfinder
- Vivitar "Series 1" lenses with built-in autofocus function
- 28-70 mm; 1: 4
- 75-200 mm, 1: 4
- 200 mm, 1: 3.5
- Brighter focusing screens from various providers ("Intenscreen")
- Carl Zeiss manual focus lenses type ZF:
- Planar T * 1.4 / 50 mm ZF
- Planar T * 1.4 / 85 mm ZF
- Distagon T * 2.0 / 35 mm ZF
- Distagon T * 2.8 / 25 mm ZF
- Macro-Planar T * 2/50 mm ZF
- Macro-Planar T * 2/100 mm ZF
- Distagon T * 2/28 mm ZF
Collectible and today's use
Since many photographers still prefer manual setting of the image parameters sharpness and exposure, the Nikon F2 can still be seen as a contemporary camera that can also achieve a high degree of automation with motor drive, aperture control and autofocus lenses. Since coreless micromotors were not yet available at the time of publication, an appropriately upgraded Nikon F2 is a heavy and unwieldy camera. Without the extensions, however, lighter than some of the successors and also quite quiet thanks to manual film transport. The (always possible) manual film rewinding as an alternative to motorized rewinding allows film to be removed even in problematic cases. For this reason, such a manual rewind option can be found in the Nikon professional cameras up to the current Nikon F6.
There have been dramatic advances in the field of flash control, e.g. B. Flash sync times up to 1/250 s, flashes down to the shortest shutter speed, multi-field flash control, etc., where the F2 cannot keep up.
A solution for digital photography with the F2, for example via a digitally converted rear wall, is currently not in sight, even if the Leica R 8/9 has shown that such retrofitting is in principle possible.
Age determination
The year of manufacture of a Nikon F2 can be determined relatively precisely from the first two digits of the serial number of the top cap. If the top cap has been changed, it no longer says anything about the year of manufacture of the camera.
Functional test
The Nikon F2 is extremely robust. A weak point are the ring resistors used in the photomic viewfinders, which are swept over by a contact when the exposure time or aperture is adjusted. These resistors can wear out or become dirty, which can be recognized by a “jumping” needle on the exposure display. In the MD-2 and MD-3 motors, but not in the MD-1, plastic gears were used - presumably for reasons of noise - which today are often worn out or simply break. However, there is an option to convert to brass gears.
Since the operation of the F2 is very clear, a mechanical function check is quickly done by "visual inspection". If the shutter release can be released softly, the titanium roller blind of the shutter has no dents or holes and no lens wobbles on it, then you only have to check with the inserted film whether it adheres to the shutter speed fairly evenly. If you already have Nikon lenses or those from other manufacturers with an F bayonet, you can use them all. Check whether the automatic diaphragm works. For this, pressing the dimming button should be enough.
Used market
The F2 was offered in both black and chrome . The black cases are now quite worn, and an undamaged and not brushed paint can usually only be found on specimens that move from the showcase to the showcase. The functionality of the black F2 is not affected by abrasion of the paint, and the more damaged the paint, the less the seller can charge for it. The brass of the upper housing cap, the viewfinder and the base plate, which is visible underneath, gives it a patina that the photographer might want . However, severe wear and tear indicates intensive use of the camera (e.g. by a professional photographer) and thus also a correspondingly heavy wear and tear on the internal components.
Despite their high number (about 900,000 copies) and then spread even after enforcement of digital photography , the used prices fairly constant. Copies with a photomic viewfinder can cost more than those without it (ie only in the basic configuration with prism viewfinder as a “pure” Nikon F2 ). The last F2AS model in particular, in good condition, still reaches prices that correspond to the new prices at the time.
Compatibility with flash units
Like its predecessor F and the successor model Nikon F3 , it does not have a normal hot shoe , but a special flash connection above the rewind crank, which was typical for the F models of the time . In addition to specially designed flash units, there was an adapter ("AS-1") for connecting normal flash units. This purely mechanical camera does not offer automatic flash. Studio and handheld flash units can be triggered via the cable connection (with screw thread).
literature
- Heiner Henniges: Nikon F-2. Yesterday's cameras for today's users . 1992, ISBN 3-87467-500-9 .
- Peter Braczko: The Nikon manual. 3rd, greatly expanded edition. 2004, ISBN 3-88984-112-0 .
