Found out my old Nikon F2 shutter speed is off by a full stop

Was browsing a camera repair blog last night and stumbled on a post about CLA stats. Turns out a lot of mechanical Nikons from the 70s run slow after 40 years without service. I checked mine with a phone app and sure enough, the 1/1000 setting is actually clicking at 1/500. Kinda explains why my sunny day shots have been overexposed. Anyone else test their gear and find a surprise like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

felix_jones2d ago

My F2's 1/2000 setting turned out to be more like 1/800 when I finally got around to testing it with a proper shutter tester. Your mileage may vary but I've accepted that my camera is basically telling me it belongs to a slower, more relaxed era. It's kind of charming in a frustrating way, like finding out your vintage car tops out at 45 mph on the highway. My sunny day shots ended up looking like I was shooting through a fog bank, which I guess is a vibe if you're into that whole "dreamy" aesthetic.

hugo_jones22d ago

At least yours is close to 1/1000. My F2's 1/2000 comes out to about 1/400 and it sounds like a dragon coughing. Kinda makes you wonder if these things were ever truly accurate even when they were new.