Nikon F: The Progenitor of Pro SLR's

February 16, 2026

Not the First, but the First to Do It Better

    A little over a century ago, the Leica I debuted as the first mass-market camera using 35mm motion-picture film for stills. The distinction mass-market is important to make here, since the Leica I wasn't the first ever camera to use this film format (wasn't even the first Leica to do so), but it was the first to go into production at scale and be widely available.
    Ihagee introduced the Kine Exacta in 1936. This was the first mass-market 35mm SLR camera (again, the qualifier mass-market applies here). Framing is much more precise, especially up close, compared to a TLR or rangefinder, since an SLR reflects the image through the lens, showing exactly what will be exposed onto the film. Akin to the challenges of driving an early automobile, though, shooting with an Exakta can take a bit of getting used to. The controls are on the left and the shape of the camera is not what I would call ergonomic (though they are very well built and have a great feature-set).
    There were myriad 35mm cameras used by professionals leading up to the Nikon F. A bevy of rangefinders, namely Contax, Leica, and Nikon, and even a few SLR's, such as the aforementioned Exakta, adorned the necks of news men, combat photographers, and artists. In 1959 though, things changed. Nikon introduced what would not only quickly become the standard for demanding photographic tasks, but would usher in the company's market dominance for decades.
    The Nikon F really is built like a tank! Even the contemporary lenses of the time have an obvious focus on durability with their all-metal barrels and chunky, knurled focus rings. This is a camera that can stand up to extreme conditions, and one even famously took a bullet for war photographer Don McCullin.
    And of course, usability is at the forefront with intuitively laid-out, responsive, easy to use controls. Shutter-speed dial, shutter release, film advance and the film rewind crank are all where you would expect them to be. Some of the features we have long taken for granted were introduced here, too. Said film advance lever also cocks the shutter and only takes a single stroke of 150 degrees to wind (compare that to the Exakta's 300 degrees). Nikkor lenses for the system had "Auto" inscribed on them. This isn't for autofocus (still a ways out before that), but rather because the lens would stop down to the selected aperture before the shutter opened and then automatically open back up to its widest so that the viewfinder remained as bright as possible for framing and focusing. This is one of those features that is easy to assume is a given, but it's one of the strengths in making the F a fast, easy camera to use over much of its competition.

A System of Support

    Speaking of lenses, let's touch on some of what makes the Nikon F a "system camera." The camera debuted with 5 lenses, covering focal lengths from 21mm (the ultra cool NIKKOR-O 2.1cm f/4) to 135mm. Within 3 years, that range quickly expanded to cover 8mm to 1000mm, and even included Nikon's first, and the second ever, zoom lens for a 35mm stills camera. Whatever your needs, from astrophotography to precise macro work, there was a lens to meet that need!
    Of course, lens selection isn't the only consideration. Customizability and adaptability are the true hallmarks of a system. Nikon offered at least 8 finders, with and without light meters, 18 focusing screens, motor-drives, including one for use with a 250-exposure bulk film back, extension tubes and bellows for macro photography, and a dizzying array of many, many other accessories (check out mir for an absolute treasure trove of information on the Nikon F and its accessories and history).

There Are Many like It, but This One is Mine

    With the history and overview out of the way, let me talk about my setup. My particular copy is what's called an "Apollo" variant (not an offical designation, just a nickname) and was made some time between February and April of 1973, the last year of production for the F. These late models share a few components from the F2, which began overlapping production in 1971, namely the film advance and self-timer levers.
    I've got the the FTn metered prism sitting atop my camera, but unfortunately, the meter was designed to use 1.35 volt mercury batteries, which were outlawed in 1996 (I mean, c'mon, they had mercury in them). The best substitutes are WEIN cells, but they are costly and only last for about a month! There are also battery adapters (beware of fakes!), but the most practical option is to solder in a diode to allow the use of readily available 1.5v batteries. Here's a tutorial video. When I have some time, I may give this a try, but for now, I've just been using a handheld light meter (or just Sunny 16).
    Along with the camera, I've got 3 "period-correct" lenses to cover most shooting situations: a Nikkor-S 50mm f/1.4 (unfortunately not the earlier 9-bladed aperture one), a Nikkor 20mm f/4 K-series (honestly just a placeholder until I can get my hands on a good condition NIKKOR-O 2.1cm f/4 with the finder), and a Nikkor-Q 200mm f/4. These pre-Ai lenses are fantastically well-built and will no doubt last many more years to come. The performance is sound, and though they are not as bitingly sharp as a modern Leica lens, no one is going to be disappointed. The biggest downside is compatibility. Even with the later cameras that can accept pre-Ai lenses, you'll have to remember to flip up a tiny metal tab by the lens mount or risk damage. That drawback, though, is also the reason for these lenses' greatest strength: affordability. These are so cheap, I picked up all 3 for $250 (and if I wasn't being as picky about the condition, I could have gotten them for even less)!

It's All About the Experience

    Why shoot with such an archaic camera? Even if one's looking to shoot film, there are so many more refined and convenient options. But with development and technological advancement in 35mm film cameras pretty much wrapped up, having peaked with the Nikon F6 (and the Canon EOS-1V if you're into that system), choosing between one camera or another becomes a very personal choice. The consumerist cycle of "latest and greatest" doesn't really apply to film photography. The newest 35mm film cameras coming out now (e.g. Pentax 17, Rollei 35 AF, Lomo MC-A) are all fixed-lens compact cameras that don't bring anything new to the table. Therefore, a film photographer doesn't choose a camera because it debuts new capabilities, but rather based on more meaningful criteria like ergonomics, overall feature-set, lens compatibility. There are also very practical considerations such as availability, condition, and cost. Finally, matters of the heart absoutely influence this decision, such as the camera's design, its history and mystique, and even hype.
    Using the F with its limitations and idiosyncracies, I can feel the weighty history (and literal weight) in my hands. I know it sounds a bit silly, but going through the actual motions of operating the same camera as your predecessors builds a sort of connection with that era. I'm sure it's a similar feeling that an historical reenactor experiences. Of course, I have no idea what a Vietnam War photographer went through (thank God!), but I can imagine myself as an invested hobbyist during the 60's taking his camera out for a walk, struggling to nab focus on a flying bird with a manual-focus telephoto lens (more difficult to do than I anticipated, haha).
    The F is a very tactile camera to use, all the controls being manual, and really forces me to be intentional about every aspect of taking a photo. This sort of heightened awareness elicits a similar feeling to riding a motorcycle; you have to be more observant, every decision matters. There aren't any auto features to aid in taking a competent photo, and it's easy to make a mistake, but when a photo comes out exactly as (or maybe even better than) envisioned, the satisfaction is terrific!

Gripes and Glories

    It's not all heady revelry, delighting in riding the throughline of photographic history. There are some very real downsides to shooting with a Nikon F. I'll set aside the inherent difficulties of shooting with fully manual controls and only discuss those concerning this camera uniquely:

• 1/1000 of a second is a bit slow for top shutter-speed, so depending on the ISO of the film, you may have to use a smaller aperture than desired. That said, there are plenty of other cameras out there with even lower top speeds (the brand new Pentax 17 only goes to 1/350), and ND filters can always be used to get around this issue.
• A lot of people complain about the shutter release button placement. Basing the design off the Nikon SP rangefinder, the F inherits the shutter release placement from that camera. It sits a little farther towards the rear of the camera, and Nikon tacitly acknowledged this shortcoming by moving it forward in the F2. I'd like to eventually get a soft release button to see if that makes a difference, but it's honestly just not as big of an issue as some people make it out to be.
• I do not like mounting a lens with the FTn metered prism. It certainly may be that the example I have just needs a good cleaning/lubricating, but the little feeler pin on the prism that mates with the prong on the lens does not catch every time. The little click-click motion of twisting the aperture ring from smallest to largest, in order to index the meter doesn't bother me (it's kind of fun), but the finicky coupling is the biggest reason I want to get a non-metered prism. But the non-metered prisms are by far the most expensive ones!

    Let me rush through some other common grievances with this camera, as these aren't really things I mind, but might be important to someone reading this.

• The camera is pretty heavy, weighing in over a kilogram without a lens, but that's still about 150 grams lighter than an F5 without batteries!
• To load film, the back of the camera has to come all the way off (again, something that was changed for the F2). For me, it's about as inconvenient as loading a Leica M3. While not the quickest procedure (oh, and you have to unmount anything from the tripod socket), it's not a deal-breaker.
• Flashes are a bit inconvenient. You have to use a little adapter that slips over the rewind crank or otherwise use one of the Nikon speedlights that mount directly without an adapter. However, this is also the case with the F2 and F3.
• Using mirror-lockup requires one frame of film to be wasted (something I'll have to accept if I get that 2.1cm f/4 lens).
• And finally, taking multiple exposures on one frame is a hassle. There's no handy button on the bottom to decouple film advance from the shutter cocking. Instead, you have to rewind the film by one frame, which can be measured by the little red dot on the shutter button rotating 360°.

    All that said, the merits of this camera far outweigh its shortcomings (at least for me, anyways):

• The first time you pick this camera up, the first time you see it, you know it means business! The Nikon F has a sturdiness that is rightfully confidence-inspiring. This camera is a tool, and one that won't let you down. But not only is the F dependable, it is fully featured, so that nearly any creative choice you could want to make, this camera can accomplish. It would be a rare situation to find yourself truly limited by this camera (yes, it lacks auto-focus, auto-exposure, high frames- per-second shooting, and a max shutter speed of 1/1000, but most photographers can get the photo they want without those things in the majority of circumstances).
• Every basic control is manual. Shutter speed, aperture, focus, and film advance. The advantage of this (to me at least) is twofold: It forces me to remain aware of the subject and of the light. If you're not confident in using fully manual controls, this camera is the perfect opportunity to learn, and if you are, this camera is great for honing those instincts to make you more effient and help you better visualize the difference each adjustment can make to the final image. The other side of the advantage is that this camera is so kinesthetically pleasing to engage with that it's just plain fun to use!

    I know the bullet points for the con's outnumber the pro's 4 to 1, but those gripes are just so minor compared to the joy I derive from using my Nikon F! Even now, as I write this, during a weekday night, I'm wishing I could be out and about taking photos with this camera (but it's too dark out, and I don't have a flash setup sorted out yet, also I have other things I need to be doing after this, yada yada).
    To reduce this all down to the simplest terms, for me, the Nikon F accomplishes only what the greatest of cameras can do: it makes me want to take photos! Maybe it's because I learned photography on a manual-focus SLR, and this is the ur-example of that form factor, but I just can't help feeling a twinge of excitement, of an eagerness to do better whenever I pick up this antique machine. The Nikon F compels me, with its rich history and gorgeously iconic design, to make better photos, and its all-manual nature teaches me to do so!

My First Roll

    I've shot 3 rolls of film through the F, so far. However, the last 2 rolls were Kodak UltraMax 400 that was more expired than I realized, and the photos came out a total mess. Therefore, I only have my first roll to show here. These photos were shot on Kodak Tri-X 400, using the Nikkor-S 50mm f/1.4 (pre-Ai) and Nikkor 20mm f/4 K-series lenses. I took these at a park along the river in Tulsa in early February. Please bear in mind that I am presenting the photos here with a low resolution of 400x600 (gotta save space!), and I promise the scans look way sharper at full res, so please don't judge the lenses by these piddly uploads.

Final Thoughts

    Obviously, I like this camera a lot. I'd even go so far as to say I adore my Nikon F. I had originally purchased this camera with the intent to try all of the F's. Having gotten an F5 and F6 recently (and owned two F3's in the past), I figured it would be interesting to try out the rest of this line of legendary cameras. However, I do not now feel the need to try an F2 or F4, and I've even listed the F5 and F6 for sale already! I feel compelled, as if by some magical force, to choose the F each time I step out of the house with a camera in tow. For some reason, this is a camera that speaks to me like no other. I know there are "better" cameras out there, but I connect to the F in a way that has little to do with specs and features. I would encourage any intrepid photographer to try out a fully manual, fully mechanical camera like this, even if not specifically the F, as I think the learning experience is valuable beyond measure.