“Congratulations! You now own the Nikon F, the world’s most coveted 35mm camera and the undisputed choice of professional photographers. See how handsome it is. Feel its sturdy body…”
In pic 2 is the receipt from 30-03-1971 when my dad’s late colleague, Dr. Vogelpoel, bought this beast for the very hefty sum of R457.05 - about twice the price of a Spotmatic and a substantial proportion of a doctor’s income.
Dr. Vogelpoel used it with a 55mm macro lens to photograph flowers and plants. My father bought both from his widow after he passed away.
The Nikon F is a clumsy giant by today’s standards - or even the standards of 10 years after this one was built. But it is reliable as hell. I’ve got a roll of Ilford fp4 in it and all the shutter speeds sound good 53 years on.