Nikon F2AS Black1977

History

Nikon produced black-finished professional bodies throughout the F and F2 eras. The black Nikon F (pre-1971) and its successors were not standard catalogue items in the same way chrome bodies were; they were often sold to photojournalists and professionals on request, and in limited production batches. By the time of the F2 (1971-1980), the black variant was a regular production option. When the DP-12 finder was introduced in 1977 - the final and most capable F2 finder - it was offered in both chrome and black, and the resulting black F2AS became the configuration that closed out the F2's ten-year production run. Production of all F2 variants ended in 1980 with the arrival of the Nikon F3. The black F2AS, having been produced for only three years and in lower quantities than chrome examples, is substantially rarer in good cosmetic condition.

Why It Matters

The black F2AS occupies a specific position in photographic culture: it is the camera that professional photojournalists carried in the late 1970s when the Nikon F2 system was at its most capable and just before electronic shutters changed the professional SLR permanently. The black finish was favored in photojournalism for its lower reflectivity in candid situations and its association with serious professional intent - a purely functional reason that also created the aesthetic now associated with the era. The SPD silicon meter of the DP-12 prism outperforms the earlier CdS finders in low light; the AI coupling means the full catalogue of AI and AIS Nikkors meter correctly without workaround. Combined with a titanium shutter widely considered the most durable ever fitted to a 35mm camera, the black F2AS is functionally the most complete mechanical film SLR Nikon made. Sebastiao Salgado, Don McCullin, and Steve McCurry all used F2 bodies during this period, and black examples appear in numerous documentary photographs of working photographers of the era.

Lenses & Accessories

Nikon F mount with full AI coupling via the DP-12 prism's indexing ridge. AI and AI-S Nikkors meter at maximum aperture automatically. Pre-AI lenses require the aperture tab to be filed or a conversion ring fitted for metering (stop-down metering is possible without). Recommended glass for the black body: black-barrel AI Nikkors where available - the 50mm f/1.4 AI, 85mm f/2 AI, 105mm f/2.5 AI, 35mm f/2 AI. Motor drives: MD-2 with MB-1 battery pack (~5 fps), MD-3 with MB-2. The MD-2 was also available in black. Interchangeable finders: DE-1 eye-level (no meter), DW-1 waist-level, DW-2 6x magnifier, DA-1 action finder - all fit the black body. Focusing screens: K (split-prism + microprism collar, standard), B (plain matte), D (matte with central microprism), E (ruled grid).

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Don McCullin - black Nikon F2 bodies documented in his conflict work through the late 1970s, including Beirut and Northern Ireland coverage.
• Sebastiao Salgado - F2-series bodies used on the Workers project documentation through the 1980s.
• Steve McCurry - F2AS alongside FM2 and F3 in South and Southeast Asia assignments; black body preference documented in multiple behind-the-scenes photographs.
• The black F2AS was the standard professional photojournalism body at Reuters, AP, and Gamma through 1980-1982, when it was gradually replaced by the F3 while being kept as backup.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Nikon F2 - full finder variant table and production history
• Wikipedia: Nikon F2 - F2 variant chronology including DP-12 specifications
• Nikon Imaging History: F2 - official Nikon historical account