Nikon F2-S Film Camera

Any variant of the Nikon F2 is as heavy as a tank. To many photographers, that will seem incredibly inconvenient, but let's keep in mind that the F2 was made in an age when quality and durability meant physical mass. And quality and durability are not something that the Nikon F2 lacks.

The F2 was second in the series of Nikon's professional camera bodies, and it doesn't take long to understand why. The F2 is an extremely high quality body in every regard. Since it's the last of the original Nippon-Kogaku hand-made bodies, it represents something of a collectable. Please don't keep this camera on the shelf, though - this is a rugged workhorse, meant to shoot roll after roll of film.

It's got everything a photographer could want: manual shutter speeds from 1 second to 1/2000 second (with bulb and time), mirror lockup, removable prism (with removable focusing screens), a fully-featured dedicated motor drive, and enough accessories to sink a battleship.

I used my F2 when I was living in the cold Alberta climate, and the -40 degree weather didn't faze the F2. It would keep on slugging in temperatures that would send most modern SLR's to an early grave.

With the price of film cameras in free-fall, the F2 is an excellent bargain for students, amateurs, and professionals looking for a backup body. It won't have all the cool gizmos that the new electronic cameras will, but you'll at least learn photography the honest old-fashoned way. And there's nothing wrong with that.