Nikon F2 Photomic A1977

History

The F2 body entered production in 1971 as the successor to the legendary Nikon F. Nikon progressively updated the Photomic finder series while keeping the mechanical body constant:

• F2 / DP-1 (1971) - original Photomic, non-AI coupling
• F2S / DP-2 (1973) - updated Photomic, EE adapter option
• F2SB / DP-3 (1976) - silicon photocell (vs. CdS in earlier heads), faster low-light response
• F2A / DP-11 (1977) - AI coupling introduced; the first F2 to read AI-indexed lenses automatically
• F2AS / DP-12 (1977-1980) - silicon cell in an AI-coupled head; the final and most capable F2 configuration

The F2A was introduced the same year as the AI lens standard (1977), and the DP-11 used a CdS photocell rather than the silicon photocell of the contemporaneous DP-3 / DP-12. In practice, the CdS meter in the DP-11 is slower to respond in low light than the silicon-cell DP-12 of the F2AS. The F2A is therefore sometimes described as a transitional model - AI coupling added, but metering hardware not yet updated.

F2 production ended in 1980 with the introduction of the F3.

Why It Matters

The F2A represents the point at which Nikon's professional system caught up with the AI lens standard. Photographers who owned a collection of AI-indexed Nikkors could finally mount them on the F2 and have the meter read correctly without manually setting the aperture index. For the F2's many loyalists - who preferred the mechanical shutter over the F3's electronic dependence - the F2A was a meaningful update.

The fully mechanical shutter is the F2A's enduring argument. With dead or absent batteries, every shutter speed from 1s to 1/2000s fires mechanically. The battery feeds only the meter. This architecture became a rarity after the F3 standardized electronic shutters in Nikon's pro line. Used F2A bodies are valued by photographers who want that certainty alongside AI metering.

The DP-11 CdS meter is accurate under typical daylight conditions; the slower response in low light is a practical limitation rather than a fundamental flaw.

Lenses & Accessories

Nikon F-mount with AI coupling via the DP-11 ridge. AI and AI-S lenses couple and meter correctly. Pre-AI lenses require the rabbit-ear (prong) modification or manual indexing; some pre-AI lenses can damage the AI ridge on the DP-11 finder if forced - check compatibility before mounting. AF and AF-D lenses mount and operate at all shutter speeds; autofocus is not available.

Motor drives: MD-2 (with MB-1 battery pack, ~5 fps), MD-1 (older, compatible). Data backs MF-1, MF-2. Multiple interchangeable finders available for the F2 body separately from the DP-11. Focusing screens: K, B, E, and others.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• The F2 line (all variants) was the dominant professional Nikon body of the 1970s and was used by a wide range of photojournalists and editorial photographers during that decade.
• The F2 body (in various Photomic configurations) was used on numerous editorial and documentary projects of the 1970s before the F3 displaced it.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Nikon F2 - covers all F2 body and finder variants
• Wikipedia: Nikon F2 - history and variant table
• mir.com.my: Nikon F2 body reference - detailed technical documentation