Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Results from December's SFTC Camera, the Nikon F2 - in B&W

For my final Skeletons From The Closet selection for 2013, I used the awesome Nikon F2. I purchased this one from KEH for ~$120 in EX condition. It's actually unbelievably close to like new in condition, and I believe an incredible bargain.
 
Here are some of the shots I made with the F2 in December, all on Kodak TMax 400 black and white film. I've noted the lens used where I'm sure I remember it correctly.
 
First, a few from a walk in Washington, DC:
 
 
Made With Nikkor 50mm f1.4 pre-AI Lens
 
Made with the Nikkor 28mm f3.5 pre-AI Lens.
 
 
December was a busy (at work) and cold month here in Virginia, but I did get out for a couple of hikes. The remainder of the images in this post were made on two separate hikes nearby home.
 
 
The preceding four images were made with the 200mm f4 pre-AI lens. I purchased that lens from Camera West for $75 in absolutely beautiful condition.
 
 
 
And finally, a shot I made at a Buddhist temple in Warrenton, Virginia.
Incense, by Reed A. George
Nikon F2, Nikkor 50mm f1.4 pre-AI Lens
 
It is terribly fun to use the F2. I have two of them now, both with the first photomic viewer and meter, the DP-1. I've found that the meter can be a bit unpredictable (and slow to react), so I usually carry a lightmeter along, in my pocket. However, I realized a great improvement in meter performance when I switched to Duracell DL1/3NBPK Ultra Photo Lithium/Manganese Dioxide batteries (see link to purchase them at Amazon below). These batteries are designed for camera systems, and really seem to put out a more consistent voltage than alkalines, especially as they age.
 
The F2 handles like a dream to me. I love using manual focus lenses. Since the F2 is designed for pre-AI lenses, I've gotten to explore several inexpensive yet well-preserved lenses for very low cost. And the results are spectacular in my opinion.
 
I do find myself considering the purchase of the new Nikon Df, which will work with essentially all of the historic Nikon lenses, including Pre-AI. However, similar to my Monochrom(e) experiments using the Leica M4-2 film camera, I have plenty to shoot with the F2. I'll keep using this camera into 2014.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 

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