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If I'm not mistaken, the legendary Nikon 105 f/2.5 lens was designed in 1959. And, it still rivals today's lenses in IQ.
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My memories of the Nikon F
I never owned a Nikon F but that camera was instrumental in me getting into 35mm photography. While coming back to Hawaii on a Navy destroyer, I got talking with a guy that was always taking pictures with his 'F'. I shot all the western pacific with a 110 pocket camera and I remember asking him why would anyone want a camera that you had to set all those numbers just to take a picture. He said that he could set it for a few settings and get a better picture than I could with my 110. I then bought a Yashica 35mm but had some problems with my flash not working right so looked into a school for camera repair. After I got out of the Navy I went to National Camera repair school in Colorado and one of the cameras I had to do a CLA on was the Nikon F. I always remembered that the guy on the ship that had the Nikon F was telling me that the numbers were not all that hard and here I was taking one apart. I used a few different cameras until in 1985 I bought a Minolta X-700. I still use that and my RB67 but a few months ago I picked up a Nikon because I want to do stock photography and sorry to say guys, I had to get a digital. The Nikon F is heavy because it is built like a tank and the shutter is a metal focal plane. I suspect they will last for two hundred years. And then will need to be repaired and last another 200. Ric.
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 Originally Posted by benjiboy
It makes me wonder how much the Nikon F would cost new today, and how many of todays wonder cameras will still be working the majority of them without being repaired in fifty years time.
Wikipedia says the Nikon F was originally priced at US$186 with 50mm f/2 lens; in 1964 the US price was $323 with a standard prism and f/2 lens.
I just bought a really nice condition Beseler Topcon Super D with 58mm f/1.4 for the grand sum of $25 in a thrift store. This, after a lifetime of teen lust for the unobtainable. And it is a fully functioning camera almost 50 years later, the shutter, the self timer, the meter!
New, the Beseler Topcon Super D was $420, and like the Nikon F it was top of the line. Hard to directly compare since the Nikon F was meterless unless you sprung for the Photomic T finder which was $110 in 1965, whereas the Topcon Super D had the world's first TTL meter, and it was built into the body at that price...you did not lose TTL metering if you used a waist level finder like you would with the Nikon F.
In 1965 gas was about $0.31 per gallon in the USA; so the Nikon F Photomic T was 1397 gallons of gas; the Topcon Super D was 1355 gallons of gas. Using $4.00 as today's price for gas, the Nikon F Photomic T and Topcon Super D would equate to $5500 cameras. And then you had to buy film, the costs of processing, and printing.
Last edited by wiltw; 09-21-2012 at 10:53 PM. Click to view previous post history.
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Originally Posted by wiltw
Wikipedia says the Nikon F was originally priced at US$186 with 50mm f/2 lens;
Modern Photography, September 1959 ad -> Nikon F + f2 lens for $329.50
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Originally Posted by Kiron Kid
If I'm not mistaken, the legendary Nikon 105 f/2.5 lens was designed in 1959. And, it still rivals today's lenses in IQ.
Actually, pre WWII. It's a recalculation of prewar Zeiss Sonnar designs. And yes, it's one of the all time great lenses.
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Originally Posted by E. von Hoegh
Actually, pre WWII. It's a recalculation of prewar Zeiss Sonnar designs. And yes, it's one of the all time great lenses.
erm Why was it discontinued?
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Originally Posted by Excalibur2
erm Why was it discontinued?
It was replaced with a Gauss type in the same focal length and barrel in the 70s, the Gauss (symmetrical) design has slightly sharper close-focus performance. Just what you want for a portrait lens....
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Originally Posted by Excalibur2
Sounds logical  I bet "not a lot of people know that" 
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography...dels/index.htm
There's some good info here about Nikons in general. The OCD part of me wants one of the Gauss versions, to compare with my original Sonnar clone.
I suppose I could buy one, check it out, then resell it. Not like they're expensive or anything.......
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