Nikon F2 - Design History

Design History

During the 1960s, one professional level 35 mm SLR – the Nikon F – outperformed contenders like the Canonflex (introduced in 1959) and Canonflex R2000 (1960), Contaflex Bullseye/Cyclops (1959), Konica F (1960), Leicaflex (1964) and Leicaflex SL (1968), Minolta SR2 (1959) and Topcon RE Super (1963; Super D in the USA/Canada). It was the camera that immediately came to mind, among both professional and amateur photographers, whenever SLRs were mentioned. The Nikon F even managed to drive interchangeable lens, focal plane shutter, 35 mm film, rangefinder (RF) cameras, like the Canon 7S (1961), Contax IIA (1950), Leica M3 (1954) and Nippon Kogaku's own Nikon SP (1957), into near extinction.

The F combined every SLR technological advance available in 1959 (automatic diaphragm lenses, instant return mirror and eyelevel pentaprism viewfinder) into one package. It also came with the most complete system of accessories in the world: including interchangeable prism heads, viewfinder screens, motor drives, flashbulb units, bulk film backs and eventually over fifty lenses.

However, the 1970s threatened to be a different story as Nippon Kogaku's competitors readied new and better title challengers, like the Canon F-1 (1971), Leicaflex SL2 (1974) and Minolta XK (1974). Nippon Kogaku's response was the Nikon F2 . "Building-block construction, total ruggedness … and precision without compromise" was the F2's byword. Many professional photographers were so used to the old Nikon F that they were originally reluctant to switch to the F2, and the F remained in production until 1974, three years after the F2 came out.

As the 1970s continued, it evolved into an era of major advances in SLR electronics and construction technology. Originally, this only affected amateur level SLRs and did not touch professional level SLRs like the Nikon F2. Generally, there was a shift to much more compact camera bodies modularly built with substantial amounts of lightweight plastics, and using integrated circuit (IC) microprocessor electronic automation to provide convenience features like electronically timed shutters, electronic autoexposure, electronic information displays (using digital LEDs or LCDs) and using electronic computer calculated zoom lenses. The industry was competing fiercely to expand out from the saturated high-end professional and advanced amateur market and appeal to the large mass of low-end amateur photographers itching to move up from compact automatic leaf shutter rangefinder (RF) cameras to the more versatile and glamorous SLR but were intimidated by the need to learn all the gritty details of operating a traditional SLR.

After decades of evolutionary progress, the perfection and miniaturization of the mechanical and optical components plus the addition of electronic controls reached a critical mass. This allowed the electromechanical cameras of the era to provide a revolutionary level of precision, reliability and ease of use to photographers far beyond that of any previous era. The best SLRs of this period include the Olympus OM-2 (1975), Canon AE-1 (1976), Minolta XD11 (1977), Canon A-1 (1978), Nikon FE (1978) and Pentax ME Super (1979). An amateur photographer could now operate an SLR nearly on autopilot, with only a tiny amount of knowledge of the technical craft of photography.

Against this backdrop, the F2 began to fall behind the times – a heavy all-metal, manually controlled, mechanical beast of a camera in a time of ever increasing electronic automation. The F2's high quality mechanical construction (especially its high precision, bearing-mounted shutter) came at a price and in the inflationary 1970s, the F2's price kept rising.

Even professional photographers began to notice that some of the better quality electronic SLRs could do most of what the F2 could do, but much more easily and cheaply. The Canon A-1 (with its better handling 5 frame/s Motor Drive MA) comes to mind as an ostensibly amateur level SLR that attracted professionals' interest, despite its weaker construction.

The Nikon F2 was discontinued 1980, with the introduction of the Nikon F3. Nikon continued support and repair services until the early 1990s.