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>I have a Nikon F body, SN 6443938 with the standard non-meter prism. The
>body itself is in decent shape, but the foam cushin for the reflex mirror
>is rotted away and the top 2 shutter speeds (1/500 and 1/1000) have been
>reported as being slow. Is it worth fixing this camera up? I currently
>have no external meter, so would it be a better idea to get a handheld or
>search out a Photomic prism? I would like a built in meter, but I have
>heard those are hard to find and break easily. Also, I have read that
>bodies with that serial # have to be modified to work with a Photomic
>prisim. Any truth to this?
I don't know the answer to the last question, but good "F" prisms go for
a remarkable amount of money, since people seek them out to replace
non-functional (and rather large) meter heads. I would get an inexpensive
hand meter (I used a couple of F's with prisms with a Weston Master II
for years - works great, and you will know more about exposure than most
users of modern cameras). If you are careful, you can pull out the bad
foam along the front, and replace it with thin, cut-down sticky-back
(grey is OK) insulation strip from the local hardware store (I would cut
the piece before removing the foam to make sure that you can do it). Clean
up the mirror with Windex-dampened Q-Tips LIGHTLY twirled on the surface,
followed by dry Q-Tips after breathing UP (to avoid spit spots) on the
mirror (remove the prism and screen before doing any of this). If the
exposures are uniform across the frame at 1/500th and 1/1000th, I would
leave them alone, and test for actual speed values, using those with the
hand meter (it is normal for top speeds in mechanical shutters to be slow,
and you will probably find that the 1/15th second speed is also slightly
out). I think it is better to know your equipment than to keep running to
a service shop, unless it fails to function adequately.
>Now to the lenses. I currently have a 35 f2.8, 50 f1.8, 105 f2.5, and a
>135 f3.5. The 35, 105, and 135 are all vintage lenses, 1960's era, with
>the silver barrels and non-AI prong. The 50 is an E series lens. Would it
>be a good idea to have these lenses fitted with the AI coupling for use
>with my EM body? Right now I am stuck turning the lenses to stop them down
>every time I use them, but I wonder if it is worth fitting them (or if it
>is possible). Oh, also, the 135 seems to have leaked some oil onto the
>aperature blades. It was quite bad at first, but I have worked it and the
>oil seems to be going away... Any tips to help this?
I would not have them modified - their value used is not a lot more than the cost of a good job of modification. DO NOT use any but your E lens on the EM
- you may already have broken off the AI coupling tab on the body by having put them on the EM. If so, you will need to partially unbayonette ALL lenses when using the EM to close the diaphram (stop-down metering of an awkward sort) for metering. Oil on the diaphram requires (compared with the used
value of the lens) an expensive cleaning - if it works well enough, just
make sure that it continues to.
>On the AI fitting subject, does anyone know if there are any outfits in
>the Milwaukee, WI area that do this work? I would prefer to deal with a
>firm that is not too far away (I am in Racine).
This person does good work:
John White, 1350 Folkstone Ct, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
313-662-1734 whitejt3@aol.com
>Thanks in advance for any help.
You're welcome!
Hope This Helps