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Saw a Nikon F2 from 1975 and a 2024 mirrorless side by side today
I was cleaning out a customer's old collection and put his F2 right next to my Sony A7IV. The F2 felt like a tank, all metal and gears, no electronics at all. You'd set the shutter speed by turning a dial with your thumb, no menus, no batteries needed for the mechanical speeds. My mirrorless felt like a toy compared to it, light and plastic. What really got me was how the F2 had a simple cloth shutter that worked for decades while modern cameras seem to get electronic gremlins after 5 years. Any of you old timers still using mechanical bodies as daily drivers?
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xenaf511mo ago
The whole "they don't build 'em like they used to" thing is overblown. My A7IV has taken thousands of photos in rain, snow, and 100 degree heat without a single hiccup. Meanwhile, that old F2's light meter is probably dead or useless by modern standards, and good luck shooting anything faster than 1/2000th without guessing exposure. The cloth shutter on those vintage bodies is also a liability, they rot, get pinholes, and are a pain to replace. I'd rather have a camera that takes great photos in every condition than one that's just heavy and overbuilt.
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