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Original Nikon F
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Mar 13, 2018 11:47:27   #
burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC
 
rmalarz wrote:
I was unaware of that meter's existence. Thanks for the informative post.

BTW, here' my F. Been with me since Dec. 24, 1971.
--Bob


Hey, Bob, I have a 1971 FTn as well. It's chrome, though. It still works fine, although the meter is only accurate in the horizontal position, for some reason.

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Mar 13, 2018 11:49:47   #
radiojohn
 
I don't suppose you were at Brooks in 1971? I work at Discount Photo, a store run out of the front of a guy's house. Sold the standard Brooks gear cheaper than the two camera stores that had previously monopolized the market and fixed the prices for years.

Ever see the third-party 4x5 adapter for the F? Replaced the back and had an enlarging lens/mirror rig to increase the image size. I forget how many stops of light were lost.

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Mar 13, 2018 11:57:20   #
peterg Loc: Santa Rosa, CA
 
Paul J. Svetlik wrote:
Thank you guys for bringing up the years when Nikon was the king.
It makes me wonder now, which camera was on top before? Do you remember?
Perhaps Leica, Hasselblad, Exakta or Rollei?
All of the above. Used to borrow Leica's. Small & quiet. I just got my Rollei overhauled...now, almost good as new and will probably never use it.

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Mar 13, 2018 11:57:32   #
RickL Loc: Vail, Az
 
In 68 we were dirt poor, and I sold my photo lab and Nikormat to a Brooks Institute student so my family could have winter clothes. I now have a 20 year old Nikon and three twin reflex Rolleis. Still have film in foil rap for Rolleis

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Mar 13, 2018 11:59:05   #
Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak
 
When I got into photography in 1967, Nikon was king, and I felt unworthy of a Nikon F, but wanted one badly. Nikon was the workhorse of photo journalists and other professionals, and I wasn’t there. Pentax was my go to, though, and I loved my Spotmatic. I still have my Pentax MX and have considered reconditioning it and doing some film again. But that Nikon F was very alluring.

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Mar 13, 2018 12:02:44   #
peterg Loc: Santa Rosa, CA
 
Wingpilot wrote:
When I got into photography in 1967, Nikon was king, and I felt unworthy of a Nikon F, but wanted one badly. Nikon was the workhorse of photo journalists and other professionals, and I wasn’t there. Pentax was my go to, though, and I loved my Spotmatic. I still have my Pentax MX and have considered reconditioning it and doing some film again. But that Nikon F was very alluring.
I worked in a camera store and got my first Nikon F at cost. Also sold Bolex movie cameras; but that's another story.

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Mar 13, 2018 12:06:50   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
buckwheat wrote:
Most everyone knows what the iconic Nikon F looks like, and many know its history. But I have always wondered how many were aware that Nikon made a clip-on, but coupled light meter for the F. It clips on to the name plate, and couples with the shutter speed dial. This is one purpose for the raised pin on the dial.
This is my First Nikon. Serial number indicates it was made in 1960, as was the lens. The 58mm f1.4 was only made for a short time, when it was changed to the 50mm. This camera has served me well, and that's the original strap! A year at Brook's, two years in South East Asia...supported my family while I was in college, and off and on through out the years. Today, it's semi-retired.
I don't know if there is any collector's value to it, but it's not for sale, anyway.
If you want to forgive the softness of the focus, you may. Slow shutter speed and old age.
Most everyone knows what the iconic Nikon F looks ... (show quote)


Very cool. Answers why the meter lens coupler existed before the meter head.
Thank you for the information.
Does this fit all F models? If I finds one I mightily get one forced my F.

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Mar 13, 2018 12:13:26   #
kb6kgx Loc: Simi Valley, CA
 
Zootster wrote:
I loved my Nikon F. It was stolen almost 40 years ago and I still miss it.


Mine was stolen, too, in the 80s. My dad gave it to me when moved to a smaller and lighter FE. Loved that thing. Nikon’s way of wearing a brick around your neck. But nothing electronic. Manual everything. Auto nothing. You learned how to make every shot count.

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Mar 13, 2018 12:15:37   #
Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga
 
KEH has one of these...

https://www.keh.com/shop/nikon-manual-focus-f-exposure-meter-2-710710.html

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Mar 13, 2018 12:17:22   #
AZNikon Loc: Mesa, AZ
 

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Mar 13, 2018 12:46:46   #
GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City
 
peterg wrote:
I suggest you check your old Nikkor lenses to see if they at "Tick Mark" lenses, which are rare and worth considerably more than similar Nikkor lenses. See: http://www.cameraquest.com/nftick.htm .


Never knew that!
Thanks for the interesting tidbit.

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Mar 13, 2018 13:01:49   #
peterg Loc: Santa Rosa, CA
 
Architect1776 wrote:
Very cool. Answers why the meter lens coupler existed before the meter head.
Thank you for the information.
Does this fit all F models? If I finds one I mightily get one forced my F.
I think the clip-on meter fits on an unmodified Nikon F. However, to make the Photomic T head fit on my Nikon Fs made in 1959-1961, I had to file away some metal at the left rear of the viewfinder receptacle above the ground glass . The newer Nikon F (1967) did not have the excess metal so it accepted the head without modification.

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Mar 13, 2018 13:11:02   #
Architect1776 Loc: In my mind
 
peterg wrote:
I think the clip-on meter fits on an unmodified Nikon F. However, to make the Photomic T head fit on my Nikon Fs made in 1959-1961, I had to file away some metal at the left rear of the viewfinder receptacle above the ground glass . The newer Nikon F (1967) did not have the excess metal so it accepted the head without modification.


I have no idea what year mine is. It is a newer one as the head has TTL and not the little round meter window.

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Mar 13, 2018 13:17:12   #
Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga
 
I found this list of Nikon F production dates for you...
http://www.destoutz.ch/typ_production_data_f.html

Architect1776 wrote:
I have no idea what year mine is. It is a newer one as the head has TTL and not the little round meter window.

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Mar 13, 2018 13:19:23   #
appealnow Loc: Dallas, Texas
 
I was going through one of my closets the other day and found my Pentax H3v with the light meter on top. An old friend, circa 1963 or 1964, from high school and then college.

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