How do you... or How does one...

David Nebenzahl wrote:

Speaking of Fs and loading and such, I once upon a time had a Nikon F
(this was back in the early 1970s), but it had an attached back. So when
did they do away with the removeable back?

They didn't: A hinged back appeared with the F2 model (1971/72, the
Nikkormats already had one).

Like the OP, I have an "Apollo" F, the last ones made, which used some
parts from the F2, but no sign of a hinged back....
(mine has a "74" SN)

Are you sure yours wasn't an F2 or maybe some specially modified version F?

On 3/4/2009 10:44 PM Rol_Lei Nut spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

Speaking of Fs and loading and such, I once upon a time had a Nikon F
(this was back in the early 1970s), but it had an attached back. So when
did they do away with the removeable back?

They didn't: A hinged back appeared with the F2 model (1971/72, the
Nikkormats already had one).

Like the OP, I have an "Apollo" F, the last ones made, which used some
parts from the F2, but no sign of a hinged back....
(mine has a "74" SN)

Are you sure yours wasn't an F2 or maybe some specially modified version F?

I'm not sure at all what it was. It did have the Photomic F meter; does
that tell you anything?

All I can remember is that it was truly a great camera, and I wish I
hadn't let it get ripped off (completely due to my own stupidity and
negligence, I'm sorry to say).


--
Made From Pears: Pretty good chance that the product is at least
mostly pears.
Made With Pears: Pretty good chance that pears will be detectable in
the product.
Contains Pears: One pear seed per multiple tons of product.

(with apologies to Dorothy L. Sayers)

David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 3/4/2009 10:44 PM Rol_Lei Nut spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

Speaking of Fs and loading and such, I once upon a time had a Nikon F
(this was back in the early 1970s), but it had an attached back. So
when did they do away with the removeable back?

They didn't: A hinged back appeared with the F2 model (1971/72, the
Nikkormats already had one).

Like the OP, I have an "Apollo" F, the last ones made, which used some
parts from the F2, but no sign of a hinged back....
(mine has a "74" SN)

Are you sure yours wasn't an F2 or maybe some specially modified
version F?

I'm not sure at all what it was. It did have the Photomic F meter; does
that tell you anything?

Photomic + hinged back = F2

All I can remember is that it was truly a great camera, and I wish I
hadn't let it get ripped off (completely due to my own stupidity and
negligence, I'm sorry to say).


You can pick up another quite cheaply now.

I'm planning to sell my F2 + MD2, but hanging on to the F though....

On 2009-03-04, David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 3/4/2009 12:41 PM Rol_Lei Nut spake thus:

Bill Graham wrote:

On my F5, I put the end in the take up spool first, then play out film
until the cassette can be dropped into it's "hole".....

Actually, that would probably work: Insert film tongue, flip the takeup
reel a couple times, play out film across rails and drop the cassette
into place. All while holding the camera (upside down) so that the
cassette doesn't fall out. Probably easier to do that than with a
*normal* camera that requires one lift the rewind mechanism to insert
the cassette.

Just like I load my Rolleiflexes and Leica Rs. In the case of my M6, I
drop the cassette into the bottom of the camera...

And then you're glad that you know better than to try to load the damn
thing without stripping some off the side of the leader so that it
doesn't catch and jam on the sprockets... And you drop the cassette in
at the same time you drop in the take-up spool and then jiggle it all
until the take-up spool falls into the dogs that wind it... Or am I
thinking of some other camera?

BUT!

Jeez! Please read and UNDERSTAND the previous posts before commenting!
Hint: The F is NOT like the F5 (or Leicas or Rolleiflexes)

Right; Basic Comprehension 101.

Speaking of Fs and loading and such, I once upon a time had a Nikon F
(this was back in the early 1970s), but it had an attached back. So when
did they do away with the removeable back? Gawd, that must be a pain in
the butt: like all of my SovCams (Zorkis and FEDs and such), which I
otherwise love.

Are you sure that wasn't an F2 that you remember? That's when they did
away with the completely detachable back and base. So far as I know,
the F was never offered with an attached back; doesn't mean that someone
didn't cobble one together that worked like an F2.

Did you all know that successfully loading a bottom loader while not
having to pay attention to what you are doing is the sine qua non of the
monied elite? Usually, one assumes that such facility is the province
of the young fellow who has known nothing but his Leica, his Patek and
his battered Bugatti beater. Didn't know that? That's part of the
Leica mystique...

Me? I'm happy with my Electro-35.

Longfellow

Rol_Lei Nut wrote:
David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 3/4/2009 10:44 PM Rol_Lei Nut spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

Speaking of Fs and loading and such, I once upon a time had a Nikon
F (this was back in the early 1970s), but it had an attached back.
So when did they do away with the removeable back?

They didn't: A hinged back appeared with the F2 model (1971/72, the
Nikkormats already had one).

Like the OP, I have an "Apollo" F, the last ones made, which used
some parts from the F2, but no sign of a hinged back....
(mine has a "74" SN)

Are you sure yours wasn't an F2 or maybe some specially modified
version F?

I'm not sure at all what it was. It did have the Photomic F meter;
does that tell you anything?

Photomic + hinged back = F2


PS: You "can" use an F Photomic on an F2, but it won't be attached as
securely.

Some people have even put a battery compartment in their F2 photomics
and used them on their F (AI metering!)

Longfellow wrote:
On 2009-03-04, David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 3/4/2009 12:41 PM Rol_Lei Nut spake thus:

Bill Graham wrote:

On my F5, I put the end in the take up spool first, then play out film
until the cassette can be dropped into it's "hole".....

Actually, that would probably work: Insert film tongue, flip the takeup
reel a couple times, play out film across rails and drop the cassette
into place. All while holding the camera (upside down) so that the
cassette doesn't fall out. Probably easier to do that than with a
*normal* camera that requires one lift the rewind mechanism to insert
the cassette.

You "can" do it that way, maneuvering (not dropping!) the cassette into
place, but it's akward because of the rewind knob and there is a risk of
kinking or tearing the film.

BTW: When the cassette is properly in place, it will stay there, even if
the camera is held completely upright.


Just like I load my Rolleiflexes and Leica Rs. In the case of my M6, I
drop the cassette into the bottom of the camera...

And then you're glad that you know better than to try to load the damn
thing without stripping some off the side of the leader so that it
doesn't catch and jam on the sprockets... And you drop the cassette in
at the same time you drop in the take-up spool and then jiggle it all
until the take-up spool falls into the dogs that wind it... Or am I
thinking of some other camera?

Definitely thinking of other cameras (thread-mount Leicas and their
Soviet clones).

Loading the M6 is extremely simple (apart from holding the bottom in
your mouth... ;-) )


It would be useful if people who have actually used a given camera gave
an answer: Armchair theorists usually get it wrong.

On 3/4/2009 11:47 PM Rol_Lei Nut spake thus:

David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 3/4/2009 10:44 PM Rol_Lei Nut spake thus:

Are you sure yours wasn't an F2 or maybe some specially modified
version F?

I'm not sure at all what it was. It did have the Photomic F meter; does
that tell you anything?

Photomic + hinged back = F2

All I can remember is that it was truly a great camera, and I wish I
hadn't let it get ripped off (completely due to my own stupidity and
negligence, I'm sorry to say).

You can pick up another quite cheaply now.

Yeah, amazing, isn't it? All the stuff I lusted after in my youth but
was too broke to think about buying: Nikons, Empire turntables,
Macintoshes ... wait, those still go for a fortune ... all that other
stuff on eBay.

All you have to do is wait until a technology approaches, if not
obsolescence, at least senescence ...


--
Made From Pears: Pretty good chance that the product is at least
mostly pears.
Made With Pears: Pretty good chance that pears will be detectable in
the product.
Contains Pears: One pear seed per multiple tons of product.

(with apologies to Dorothy L. Sayers)

On 2009-03-05, Rol_Lei Nut wrote:

snip
cassette doesn't fall out. Probably easier to do that than with a
*normal* camera that requires one lift the rewind mechanism to insert
the cassette.

You "can" do it that way, maneuvering (not dropping!) the cassette into
place, but it's akward because of the rewind knob and there is a risk of
kinking or tearing the film.

BTW: When the cassette is properly in place, it will stay there, even if
the camera is held completely upright.

Well, you are correct. I've been gathering this stuff, but have not had
the opportunity to go and play with any of it. So I just sat down and
pulled out an F and a cassette, and damned if the thing doesn't just
stay right there. I can see how that works now. Basically, then, the F
loads just like any other mechanical 35mm camera.

In any case, I'm looking forward to finding out just how good Nikon
optics were back then. I've got the Nikkor S-C 50/1.4, the Nikkor P-C
105/2.5, and a Nikkor N 24/2.8. This last lens looks uncoated from the
front, but not from the rear, so don't know what to expect from it. I'm
not disposed to amass period Nikon optics (N-AI), at least at this
point, so I figure that the above will give me a decent chance to
discover what they can do.

Or am I missing something here? If so, what?

Usenet: Gotta love it!

Longfellow