Special Models of the Nikon F2

Nikon F2 Special Models

Just like the Special F models, these were either released in limited quantities or have attained legendary status on their own.

Nikon F2 AnniversaryThis was a special F2A introduced by Nikon on what it considered its 25th Anniversary and can be distinguished by a plate on the front of the camera. I think the year was about 1978 or so.
Nikon F2HThis camera had a pellicle mirror and modified MD-2, called the MD-100 (it accepted the MB-100, which was a double MB-1, holding four MN-1 NiCds for a staggering total of thirty volts to drive the motor. To put this in perspective, most modern flash units use six to nine volts, and even your car battery only runs on twelve volts (although volts isn't the end-all to electrical power; you have to think about amps, of course, and being a mechanical engineer, I'm rapidly running out of ground to stand on ...). As a rough range of prices, Samy's Camera has two of these at $2 000 to $2 600 depending on condition. I'd say that these prices aren't too unrealistic (although a few lines later, they list the 21f4 with finder at $1 500, when I paid about ten times less than that for one, albeit with a non-OEM (Zeiss) finder (which was cracked, too)). Keh has just the motor with battery back (but no MN-1's) for about $2 000 -- try to find just the body, though! And if you want to go whole hog, Del's has a complete body and motor for $7 000, which seems to make less and less sense, especially when the listing comes right after the one for the F3H, which is faster and a nicer camera for $6 200 or so (list price). The body itself was stripped of the mirror lockup (of course), the self-timer, and the 1/2000 shutter speed. Of course, the loss of the self-timer meant that the F2H has the same shutter-speed range as the F (1-1/1000 plus B and T).
According to Gray's of Westminster, there was at least one and perhaps two more variants. The definite variant is the F2H-MD, which has "H-MD" engraved above the serial number, and which is stripped of B and T. Robert Johnson was kind enough to do some measurements on his MD-H model and tells me that all together (with batteries), the camera without lens weighs 74.0 ounces (4.63 lb. or approximately 2 kg.), with the motor itself weighing 33.7 oz. (plus 14.5 oz. for the four NiCads required). The "maybe" camera is one that may have been built for the 1984 Los Angeles Games and could accept the MF-1 or -2 250/750 exposure backs (the other variants of the F2H could nt). It's somewhat interesting to note that both the F and F2 were produced in very high speed variants after the regular production lifetime; Nikon just came out with the F3H about six months ago ... could it be time to say goodbye to the F3?
Nikon F2 Titanium (Titan)Any F2 with a serial number beginning with "92" is an F2T. Compared to the F3/T, these are much more rare and much more expensive, even if they come with only the DE-1T eyelevel (but titanium covered!) prism. Paolo's Camera lists one for $2 750 for a in-box like new model.
Nikon F2 DataWhat was that last reading Mr. LaForge? Bad jokes aside, this Nikon F2 came with a matched MD-2/MB-1, a special screen, a special back, and a handstrap. Del's had one scheduled to come in for about $2 000 (is it just me, or does it seem wierd that all of the collectible F2's are hovering around $2 000?) The back was designated MF-10 (standard cartridge) or MF-11 (MZ-1 250 exposure cartridge). Either one let you stamp the time, date, and/or handwritten data on the film. The time-stamp was run by a wind-up mechanism that allowed for about one day's running time; you could stamp day/month/year onto the film via a three-thumbwheel selection system. The handwritten data was put onto the film via a separate lens; a flash system that exposed all of the data, including the time, date, and whatever was noted on special (removable) plates (for hand-written data). By the way, if you happen to have an F2 Data and needed more plates, or wanted the son of the MF-11, check out the MF-17. Plates for this 250-exposure back for the F3 fit the MF-10/11, according to the full-line Nikon catalog, and are still available. The MF-17 is, too, but it lists for an ungodly amount of money ($7 200 is what Nikon wants from you for what amounts to a twenty-year old back).
Gray's of Westminster provided most of the intelligence for this -- they actually have more data on the F2 Data and F2H than I do (as well as more personal experience, I'm sure). Robert Johnson was nice enough to tell me the various weights of an F2H-MD.

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