Comments on: Back to Basics with a Nikon F, 50mm f/2, and a roll of Tri-X

By: Nz

Nz — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 23:29:04 +0000

Lens shmenz gear shmear... any full frame digital with an equivalent nifty 50 can produce any such desired results... it's always the photo that matters.... why I bet you give a toy camera to a photog and he/she can knock your socks off 'neetyme!

By: Laura Arabian

Laura Arabian — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 13:00:46 +0000

Great read. I myself have returned to shooting with Nikon as I got a F3hp from my dad. Upon review I’m heading back to film as well. To where it all began for me as a child. I’m thinning out my gear as well and moving to shooting all film. A disclaimer, I have my iphone12promax which when used properly can deliver some nice shots. Yes an iPhone is not a film camera it’s digital. But my return to film came after going through literally hundreds of slides who at 94 still shoots(oh how I miss Kodachrome). Reviews are good, shooting with less that resonates is even better. Thanks

By: James Drake Stratakos

James Drake Stratakos — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 14:37:48 +0000

Wow, I read all the above thoughts on owning lots of cameras and equipment. I think it’s safe to say we all have a love for photography. And we all know, it’s not the camera that makes a a great photographer. But the camera is part of that love we all share. Our problem is there are so many great ones. So, over the years we sample, borrow, rent, and purchase different models, and brands in search of the holy grail. It’s all part of our journey. And sometimes we find a camera that feels so right in our hands, it become our main camera of use. I guess what I’m trying to say is don’t have feelings of remorse for having so much gear- think of it as part of the process, the love of photography. And, if you stay the course, you’ll become a better photographer!

By: Robert C

Robert C — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 13:47:23 +0000

In reply to Markus Larjomaa.

I ended up getting a Nikon s3 with the 50mm f1.4 lens. I am going to mention the good then the bad.

The good: the camera is pretty much what I thought it would be. I can see myself picking this up over the m3 and the nikon f2. (I am keeping both.) I also purchased the camera for a great deal with the lens at 590$ from a reputable camera store. To me the camera feels just as well made as the nikon F maybe even a little better. However this might be because the s3 is more compact. The viewfinder feels very much like the leica m6ttl with a .85 finder I had. Albeit the s3 shows all the frame lines at once. the 35mm lines are green witch is cool though.

Bad: I got the camera in the mail, I unboxed it attempted to fire some shots to check the speeds.The camera had developed an issue in shipping. the shutter and sprockets would not cock with the film advance. You could manually turn the sprockets and get the shutter cocked and make the shutter fire with the self timer. something broke in shipping. I ended up shipping the camera back to the store I purchased the camera from and they are going to attempt to fix it. I kept the lens as I have an Amedeo adapter from camera quest that I am going to use on my m10 and m3.

The rangfinderpatch I wouldn’t say is dim on mine but maybe harder to use because its fuzzy. in playing around with the camera I did not see it being an issue. Just gotta get accustom to it.

The focus wheel…. I love it for fine focus. I absolutely hate the focus lock. If the camera gets fixed I may try and disable this feature.

to sum up I think once its fixed (or I get another) I will love the camera. I really want to get the 35mm f2.5 lens for it. I have read this lens became the Nikonos standard lens. (a lens that I love! ) I think I would use and love this camera more than my f2 possibly.

By: Markus Larjomaa

Markus Larjomaa — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 12:20:29 +0000

I’m in the same camp with Robert here. I have (way too) many cameras, but two of them are near perfect. For me those are M2 and the original F (plain prism). I, too, thought that perhaps a Nikon rangefinder could combine the best of….no, not Leica M and Nikon SLR but M and LTM Leicas! So I got me a Nikon S2, which is… more modern than a Barnack but still a tad too archaic in use (I actually really love my old Leica II, but I use it with a totally different mindset so it being ancient and slow is a non-issue) to my taste. Yes, it has, on paper, a gorgeous 1:1 viewfinder – which is dimmer than any Leica and the RF patch is small and fuzzy-edged. And the shutter is really loud and its sound is ear-piercingly sharp. I mean, it is way louder than my Nikon F. The latter being made from a chunk of brass instead of sheets of aluminium sure helps in absorbing the shutter noise… So, to me, the S2 is kind of nice, but in the end its quirks annoy me a bit too much.

If they (Leica) could somehow fit a 0.72 or 0.85 combined VF/RF and lever winding in Barnack dimensions and weight, now that would be my dream camera! 😀

And before you ask about finder magnifications… Yes, 1:1 is wonderful for 50mm and short tele (85 to 105mm), but I find it overwhelmingly big for 35mm not to even mention wider angles (which I personally don’t use anyway). So… my dream camera should be available in two versions, I’d rather use two separate bodies that bot still have a nice combined VF/RF than use external viewfinders.

By: Robert C

Robert C — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 11:36:02 +0000

I find myself in a similar situation. I have many cameras and lenses that are my almost perfect camera. the only film cameras that come close are my nikon f2sb my leica m3. the f2sb is tough, reliable, has a fantastic meter, nice to use. and my m3 is beatiful to hold, does not get in the way of shooting, quiet, and the lenses you can get are amazing. I almost wish I could combine the two. I have been recently thinking about maybe replacing both for a nikon s3 rangefinder.