Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/01/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I make it a point at least once a month of hauling out all my seldom used camera equipment and clicking each shutter speed several times. I recently bought a Nikon F2 from a friend. He was the original owner (he bought it in 1971) and used the camera only on vacations and even then only rarely. The first thing I did was take it to a rapair facility (non- Nikon). The guy told me that he couldn't measure the shutter speeds because the curtains wearn't moving at the same speeds (I think its called 'tapering'). I played with the camera for about a week and then took it to Nikon. The shutter speeds were all within tolerances. I had it checked a third time at a camera clinic and the speeds were almost perfect, except for the 1 sec which was maybe .85 sec, not too bad. So yes, I would say that the F2 shutter, as long as it is exercised, is quite durable. *I also bought a F2 from a dealer several months ago to find out the shutter was off at 1/8th and 1/15th. It was obvious at these two speeds because they failed at random. I had no idea if it was fine at the higher speeds, but seemed ok at 1 sec and 1/2. I called the dealer and regularly exercised it for about two three weeks as he instructed. It did not help at all. I finally sent it to him to have him repaired. If you are saying that Leica should replace the cloth shutter with a similar one to the Nikon F/F2, I would have to disagree. Have you HEARD what the Nikon shutter sounds like? I think that if there is one absolutely satisfying feature of the Leica, it is the quietness of its shutter. *I agree with you on what Nikon F2 sounds like and hate the sound. How about Nikon FMx or FEx? If I remember correctly, their shutter sounds pretty smooth and quite, quite different from F2's. Regards, David seungmin@luxcom.com