Pros
Rugged, reliable, mechanical, precise, heavy (balances well with big lenses), exchangeable finders prisms
Cons
Some say the non standard hot shoe but once you have the hot shoe adapter...
The Bottom Line
Buy one even if as a spare camera only. It'll make you a better photographer by making you think more before shooting
Full Review
Those who ever put their hands on an F2 body will never forget its balance, weight, solid feeling. Those who use it know how reliable, precise, durable, strong it is. Combined with the DP12 viewfinder it becomes the F2AS, Nikon's top camera ever.
Basically, all one'll ever need to let its imagination create great pictures. It's clearly a camera from days when photographers knew what they were doing - even without batteries.
The last hand built Nikon is rugged like a tank, has a sensible and precise metering, it's a precision instrument made to be used and abused should conditions require. The sound of its shutter and mirror mechanism is unique. With minimum maintenance it'll outlive you and other generations.
Its weight balances well with any lens and is great for a more stable low light shooting. With the big ones I have (85/1.4D, 180/2.8ED, 300/4.5 EDIF), it becomes a single thing, not falling forward or backward. With the smaller ones (24/2.8, 50/1.4), it makes you forget about the lens' weight, feeling only the body. The lighter F3 balances well only with smaller lenses.
It's easy to handle, buttons are where they should be. There's depth of field preview, mirror lock, T (time) exposure, multiple exposures, viewfinder curtain, ASA settings, rewind knob, lock, viewfinder screens to exchange, prisms too, flash X synch contact, a back opening mechanism that looks, locks and feel like a safe to open. Exposure is a simple three leds business: + o - (plus, zero and minus signs).
There's no way to compare it to today's plastic cameras. It doesn't have the electronic add ons like auto this, auto all et all BUT if you know what you're doing, if you understand the principles of photography, you're done. That's all you and your son and your grandson will ever need.
I had a Canon T90 - great camera, loved it BUT had to change its shutter twice... Now I have one F2AS, one F2A and an F3. The only maintenance until now on the F2s was a cleaning, lubrication and calibration when I bought them, used of course, just to be sure 1/60 was really 1/60. You never know how the previous owner really used it. And the F2A looks like it was what I call a "wardrobe camera" - it looks new! The F2AS was used, a photographer's camera, there's some brassing, but this only means someone had a lot of pleasure with it before me.
Should you ever meet one, hold it, play with it. It's a feeling you won't forget and may make you wonder how much do you really need all this automation. And also, probably the images you saw that started your liking photography were made with a camera like this.
I specially like mechanical cameras and prime lenses for they make you concentrate more on what you're doing. You have to move closer or farther from the subject and metering and changing speeds or apertures, believe me, become so natural you really don't even notice it.
The greatest thing about this amazing precision instrument is that it was meant to be used. On the street, a studio, a muddy pond under crossfire, out of this world (there were many versions for NASA), underwater, everywhere. It becomes kind of a companion. It's not a collector's instrument like Leicas more and more have become.
Pick one and have fun! You'll probably only regret they're not built anymore.
Jose zevedo
Recommended
Yes
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