Nikon F + Photomic Prism + Nikkor 43-86mm F3.5

The Nikon F is the camera that made Nikon. Introduced in 1959 and built until 1973 across some 862,000 bodies, it was the first SLR system a professional could genuinely rely on — fully mechanical, modular, with interchangeable finders and backs, and built to a standard that means a great many of them still work today with no electronics to fail. Fitted here with the Photomic prism finder and the Zoom-Nikkor Auto 43-86mm f/3.5, an unusual constant-aperture push-pull zoom from 1963 that Nikon designed as a one-lens solution for the era.

Specifications

• Body: Nikon F — fully mechanical 35mm SLR, produced 1959-1973
• Shutter: Mechanical titanium-foil focal plane, 1s to 1/1000s + Bulb
• Mount: Nikon F
• Finder: Photomic metered prism — metering non-working, see condition
• Lens: Zoom-Nikkor Auto 43-86mm f/3.5, constant f/3.5 throughout the range
• Zoom type: Push-pull, smooth and non-creeping
• Aperture blades: 6
• Filter thread: 52mm (the front rotates on focus)
• Minimum focus: 1.2m
• Lens weight: approximately 410g
• Lens indexing: Pre-AI, with the external meter-coupling prong

Condition

• Cosmetic: Body in excellent++ condition with little to no signs of age and use. Photomic prism in excellent condition and clean. Lens in excellent++ condition with little to no signs of age or use.
• Functional: Body fully functional — shutter speeds and aperture coupling both work. The Photomic prism's light metering is not working. The lens is fully functional, smooth and clean.

Included

• Nikon F body
• Photomic metered prism finder
• Zoom-Nikkor Auto 43-86mm f/3.5 lens
• Lens caps
• UV filter

Two things to understand about this one. First, the Photomic finder's meter does not work — these finders were designed around 1.35V mercury cells that were withdrawn decades ago, and dead meters are the norm rather than the exception. The Nikon F body itself is entirely mechanical, so the camera shoots normally at every speed with a handheld meter or a phone app; the finder still works perfectly as a viewfinder. Second, the 43-86mm is not a sharp lens by modern standards — it is softer at the edges and flares more than Nikon's primes, and it is bought for its unusual constant-aperture push-pull design, its superb mechanical build and its place in F-system history rather than for clinical resolution. The lens is pre-AI, which means it mounts and meters happily on the F and F2 but can damage several later Nikon bodies — check compatibility before fitting it to anything else.