It has been argued that since the Nikon F2 user manual did not mention the lithium battery, therefore it’s not preferred and using it is ‘stupid’. I have also seen a repairer said the lithium battery is the worst battery for cameras, because of its Lazarus self healing effect after a heavy load was applied. However, when challenged these people had no solid explanation for these claims.
1/3N lithium manganese dioxide batteries were not available in the 70s, and hence it was not mentioned in the F2 manual. However, later camera user manuals such as the Nikon FM2 (1982) and the Leica M6 (1984) recommend both silver oxide and lithium batteries.
From the table, it can be deduced that although LR44 batteries are very cheap, they are not ideal for DP-1 and DP-11 finders, due to its slopped discharge curve. The SR-44 is best for these finders. However, since Nikon was aware of the voltage sensitivity of these two finders, there is a battery check implemented to show the user when it’s time to replace the batteries before they significantly affect the meter accuracy.
DP-2/3/12 finders are not voltage sensitive as the DP-1/11. Their meters are perfectly accurate from 3V to 2.3V.
Battery leakage is catastrophic to cameras resulting in high repair costs. I’ve found over 80% of F2s have internal corrosion due to battery leakage. My preferred choice is the lithium 1/3N because it’s not prone to leakage and its long shelf life. It’s ideal as a spare battery, which every serious camera user should carry.
Note : Lazarus effect is when a battery died of exhaustion but after a rest period it recovers to life (for a short time of use). This happens when it experienced an heavy load, or near the end of its life. This recovery effect can be seen by putting a voltmeter across the battery, when the battery was short circuited for a few seconds. However, such batteries should not be used anymore as it’s no longer reliable. Hence it's wise to always carry at least one spare battery in the camera bag.
Note : The maximum current drain of F2 finders is 11mA, which cannot be regarded as an exceptionally heavy load, compared to the capacity of the lithium battery at 160mAH.
Current drain of F2 finders : Link
Nikon officially supports the lithium battery for the F2 : Link
