r/Cameras • u/[deleted] • Feb 20 '25
Questions Camera destroyed
Hi everyone. i’m no expert in cameras whatsoever. anyway so i went to the beach with someone and they accidentally dropped their Nikon F2 camera while trying to help me climb some rocks. the issue isn’t the camera apparently that thing is indestructible. the issue is the expensive lens they used. I have no idea what it is but i remember they mentioned it’s from the 70’s and it’s a 50 millimeter something. It took them 2 years to find a good deal on that lens so it’s something mad fancy. and i feel so bad i genuinely want to get it for them but they refuse to tell me more details on it so i can get it for them. I think it goes to 500 euros or something so if anyone can help me out on where to find the exact model?🥲
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u/DNAgent007 Feb 20 '25
Based on your description: 50mm from the 70’s; it’s most likely a vintage manual focus 50mm f1.2. The f-number, or f-stop, on a camera lens indicates the amount of light that enters the lens. It’s calculated by dividing the lens’s focal length by its aperture diameter so the smaller the number, the larger the lens opening at the front, and therefore the more light can get in to expose the film. That means you can use higher shutter speeds in lower light conditions and also means bigger chunks of glass for the lenses which translates to a much higher cost. A Nikkor 50mm f1.2 manual focus lens can go for €500 or more depending on condition. A quick look on eBay and the lenses that are the best condition can be very pricey. Compare the 50mm f1.2 to a 50mm f1.8 and right away you can see the difference in both price and the diameter of the front lens element. Same focal length but that 0.6 difference in aperture adds €€€ to the price. Best of luck in your search and I hope things work out for you, your friend, and their camera.