Nikon F2 Review
This review was written some time ago but never published on focalplane.com.
Summary
A timeless camera body, still sought after by students of photography as an all round introduction to the artform.
Positives
Light, responsive and accurate with a relatively quiet shutter action. Has all the basics of a quality camera without too many bells and whistles. Not dependent upon batteries.
Negatives
Other than it's 30 years old (and all that that entails) there are no negatives (pardon the pun).
Main Review
This is a classic Nikon camera body. It works as well today as when I bought it new in 1975. But owning an F5 as well means I don't actually use it that much any more, except when I don't want to use the F5.
Well engineered, the F2 has a metal body that has withstood all manner of hard treatment over the years. I have used it for geological fieldwork in Indonesia and Tunisia (one place hot and humid, the other cold and dusty) and in the process it has rolled about on the floor of a jeep, been banged against cliffs while scrambling up an outcrop, dunked in a river and so on. It still works just as well as it did when I bought it in Singapore in 1975 (the shop has gone but the camera carries on!)
As someone once said, a camera body is simply a lightproof box that puts the right amount of light onto the film surface. For this to happen the shutter must work, the film plane must be flat and the lens mount must be accurately positioned with respect to the film surface. The F2 provides all this and more.
The film advance is manual and film loading and rewind are also accomplished using simple levers and cranks. Accessory winders are available on the second hand market if that is needed.
The shutter is a metal focal plane device that offers speeds up to 1/2000 of a second and, in conjunction with the self timer, accurate exposures up to 10 seconds can be achieved. Longer exposures are easy using the B setting (easier than on an F5 for really long exposures as there is no battery to drain!). The shutter release accomodates a unique shutter release cable (a possible drawback as this may be hard to find today).
An aperture preview button is available to stop down for checking depth of field. A lever associated with the preview button provides a mirror lock device (a feature lacking on many modern SLRs).
The lens release button is located by the lens mounting ring. The F2 takes just about any Nikkor lens ever made (there may be a few that don't work but they are very few!) though the non-autofocus lenses work best as their focusing rings tend to have a more manual feel. Lens mounting and dismounting is easy and straightforward.
My camera has a Photomic DP-12 pentaprism light meter. This is powered by two small batteries that last a long time (but I still carry spares!) and is the only part of the camera that requires battery power. The head is completely removable for changing out focuing screens as well as general cleaning. The meter is still accurate today. Aperture and shutter speed are visible in the viewfinder, along with + and - indicators for setting the correct exposure using a combination of shutter speed selector and aperture ring on the lens. The viewfinder gives nearly 100% of the actual film area.
The feel and use of the F2 is classic 1970s. That is to say it is not particularly ergonomic but the controls seem to be in the right place. This applies to portrait as well as landscape orientation. With a period (metal) lens and the DP-12 the cameras weighs in at around 2.5 lbs (over a kilo) which is quite heavy for what is a compact SLR camera. Put this down to the metal construction. It seems to help in holding the camera steady and straight.
The F2 can take excellent photos - it is a perfect tool for an aspiring photographer (student, semi-pro, etc.) who wants to learn photography from basics.
Recommended
Yes, if you can find one that has been cared for and doesn't cost too much. It may even be a collector's item!
Summary
A timeless camera body, still sought after by students of photography as an all round introduction to the artform.
Positives
Light, responsive and accurate with a relatively quiet shutter action. Has all the basics of a quality camera without too many bells and whistles. Not dependent upon batteries.
Negatives
Other than it's 30 years old (and all that that entails) there are no negatives (pardon the pun).
Main Review
This is a classic Nikon camera body. It works as well today as when I bought it new in 1975. But owning an F5 as well means I don't actually use it that much any more, except when I don't want to use the F5.
Well engineered, the F2 has a metal body that has withstood all manner of hard treatment over the years. I have used it for geological fieldwork in Indonesia and Tunisia (one place hot and humid, the other cold and dusty) and in the process it has rolled about on the floor of a jeep, been banged against cliffs while scrambling up an outcrop, dunked in a river and so on. It still works just as well as it did when I bought it in Singapore in 1975 (the shop has gone but the camera carries on!)
As someone once said, a camera body is simply a lightproof box that puts the right amount of light onto the film surface. For this to happen the shutter must work, the film plane must be flat and the lens mount must be accurately positioned with respect to the film surface. The F2 provides all this and more.
The film advance is manual and film loading and rewind are also accomplished using simple levers and cranks. Accessory winders are available on the second hand market if that is needed.
The shutter is a metal focal plane device that offers speeds up to 1/2000 of a second and, in conjunction with the self timer, accurate exposures up to 10 seconds can be achieved. Longer exposures are easy using the B setting (easier than on an F5 for really long exposures as there is no battery to drain!). The shutter release accomodates a unique shutter release cable (a possible drawback as this may be hard to find today).
An aperture preview button is available to stop down for checking depth of field. A lever associated with the preview button provides a mirror lock device (a feature lacking on many modern SLRs).
The lens release button is located by the lens mounting ring. The F2 takes just about any Nikkor lens ever made (there may be a few that don't work but they are very few!) though the non-autofocus lenses work best as their focusing rings tend to have a more manual feel. Lens mounting and dismounting is easy and straightforward.
My camera has a Photomic DP-12 pentaprism light meter. This is powered by two small batteries that last a long time (but I still carry spares!) and is the only part of the camera that requires battery power. The head is completely removable for changing out focuing screens as well as general cleaning. The meter is still accurate today. Aperture and shutter speed are visible in the viewfinder, along with + and - indicators for setting the correct exposure using a combination of shutter speed selector and aperture ring on the lens. The viewfinder gives nearly 100% of the actual film area.
The feel and use of the F2 is classic 1970s. That is to say it is not particularly ergonomic but the controls seem to be in the right place. This applies to portrait as well as landscape orientation. With a period (metal) lens and the DP-12 the cameras weighs in at around 2.5 lbs (over a kilo) which is quite heavy for what is a compact SLR camera. Put this down to the metal construction. It seems to help in holding the camera steady and straight.
The F2 can take excellent photos - it is a perfect tool for an aspiring photographer (student, semi-pro, etc.) who wants to learn photography from basics.
Recommended
Yes, if you can find one that has been cared for and doesn't cost too much. It may even be a collector's item!
posted by Focalplane at 9:53 AM
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