Nikon F2 - Special F2 Versions

Special F2 Versions

There were several special purpose versions of the F2 manufactured in small numbers. Although they were all working cameras, today they are all rare collector's items.

The F2 T was a special ultra-rugged version of the F2 (DE-1 head) with titanium bayonet mount, top and bottom plates, and camera back, plus a special DE-1T titanium covered meterless prism head, sold in parallel with the regular F2s from 1978 to 1980. Most F2 Ts were given a special textured black finish, but a very few came in natural titanium finish, including the first F2 Ts and the very last F2s ever manufactured. They carry the number '92' in front of the serial number, e.g., "F2 9201544.'

The F2 Titan was a black only late variant of the F2 T, distinguished by the word "Titan" engraved in Roman script on the front of the camera below the shutter release. They carry the number 79 in front of the serial number.

The H in the F2H of 1978 stood for "High Speed". It was yet another titanium armored F2 but this time with a fixed (not reflex), semi-silvered, pellicle mirror, manual lens diaphragm control and a mechanically matched titanium-armored Nikon MD-100 high speed motor drive. The maximum shutter speed is 1/1000 (vs. 1/2000 for other F2 models). The self-timer and shutter settings 'B' and 'T' were omitted. The depth-of-field preview button was replaced with a 'Full-Aperture Viewing Button'. The Nikon MD-100 motor drive was a modified version of the MD-2 motor drive and was powered by the Nikon MB-100. The MB-100 consists of two MB-1 battery packs (20 AA or LR6 batteries, or four Nikon MN-1 nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries, providing 30 volts), weighing a massive 960 g empty and reaching 10 frames-per-second film advance rate. The F2H set included the Nikon MH-100 battery charger. All components (body, motor and batterypack) may be detached from each other. The bodies (7-digit serial number) and motordrives (6-digit serial number) do not have matching serial numbers, contrary to often repeated misinformation. Body serial numbers began with 7850001, e.g. 'F2 7850001'. Approximately 400 units were produced making the F2H extremely rare, the rarest of any 'production model' F2, and valuable.

As the name implies, the F2 Data had a primitive data back. It used a tiny internal flash unit to imprint the time, date or sequential number on the film. This data back recorded the time by imprinting a tiny picture of a slightly less tiny Seiko made analogue clock onto the film. It also had a special insert plate that the photographer could write on and have this note imprinted on the film. There were two versions of the F2 Data: one with the MF-10 camera back for standard 35 mm film cartridges and one with the MF-11 250 frame bulk film back. The F2 Data also came packaged with an MD-2 motor drive and your choice of DE-1, DP-11 or DP-12 head plus a special Type S focusing screen that marked the left side data imprint area. F2 Data bodies carry the numbers '77' in front of the serial number. Approximately 5,000 units were produced.

Finally there was the F2 A Anniversary model. This was a deliberately made collector's item of 4000 specially numbered bodies intended to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Nikon cameras in the USA. It had a plate mounted on the front of the camera below the shutter release saying "25th Anniversary" (which has fallen off many of the bodies) and came in a special silver colored box. The F2 A Anniversary was not authorized by Nippon Kogaku; it was completely the creation of the American importer, Ehrenreich Photo-Optical Industries (EPOI).