Nikon F2 (with DE-1 finder)

The Nikon F2 is a professional level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by the Japanese optics company Nippon Kogaku K. K. (Nikon Corporation since 1988) in Japan from September 1971 to June 1980. It used a horizontal-travel focal plane shutter with titanium shutter curtains and a speed range of 1 to 1/2000th second (up to 10 seconds using the self timer) plus Bulb and Time, and flash X-sync of 1/80th second. It had dimensions (with DE-1 head, see below) of 98 mm height, 152.5 mm width, 65 mm depth and 730 g weight. It was available in two colors: black with chrome trim and all black.

The F2 is the second member of the long line of Nikon F-series professional level 35 mm SLRs that began with the Nikon F (manufactured 1959–1974) and followed each other in a sort of dynastic succession as the top-of-the-line Nikon camera. The other members were the F3 (1980–2001), F4 (1988–1996), F5 (1996–2005) and F6 (2004–present). The F-series do not share any major components,

All Nikon professional F-series SLRs are full system cameras. This means that each camera body serves as only a modular hub.

The Nikon F2 is an all-metal, mechanically (springs, gears, levers) controlled, manual focus SLR with manual exposure control. It was completely operable without batteries. The F2 was the replacement for Nikon F. It did introduce many new features (a faster 1/2000th second maximum shutter speed, a swing open back for easier film loading, a wider assortment of detachable finders and metering heads, a dedicated 250 exposure film back, a larger reflex mirror to ensure no vignetting, and a shutter release relocated to the front edge of the camera for better ergonomics. It also offered a detachable motor drive, something the F only had as a custom modification.

However, it was the F2's interchangeable viewfinders (also known as "heads")that marked it as a truly professional level SLR and was its greatest strength. By providing updated heads every few years, Nippon Kogaku was able to introduce new versions of the F2 and keep the basic body in the latest technology until production ended in 1980. Note that F2 heads were often sold separately from the body, mostly in black finish with about 10% in chrome, and it is therefore not unusual to see body/head combinations with mismatched serial numbers and/or colors.

There were also three special purpose meterless heads available for the F2: the Nikon DW-1 waist-level finder (a non-pentaprism head; look down directly at the mirror-reversed image on the focusing screen), the DA-1 action finder (providing 60 mm of eye relief; extremely large exit pupil that can be viewed while wearing face masks, safety goggles, etc) and the DW-2 6X magnifying finder (waist-level finder with magnifier; good for precise focusing).

The head on the basic Nikon F2 was called the Nikon DE-1. It provided a virtually 100% accurate viewing image, but was a plain pentaprism eyelevel viewing head with no built-in light meter and so had no metering or exposure information display, except for a flash-ready light. Unlike the other heads, about 90% of DE-1s were chrome finished. It was unpopular because of the lack of a built-in meter, but remained available for the life of the F2.