Canon f-1n or Nikon F3HP?

[Sid836]

I am being offered one of these two. I love them both, but I can afford only one. Which one should I go for?
Please help!

 

[dogberryjr]

Do you have any FD or F lenses?

 

[photobymike]

I really like the Canon F1N because everybody has a Nikon. I especially like it because the lenses are cheaper than nikon lenses. And some would argue Canon lenses are better. They are however not compatible with there digital cameras. I just shoot film anyway.

 

[Dan]

The F1 is one of the best looking cameras IMHO, so that's a point in the plus column. I also think it's a bit larger than the F3, to me also a plus. I've had both but never warmed to the F3 so I kept the Canon (even though I shoot Nikon).

 

[mfogiel]

I do not know the Canon, I know the Nikon, and frankly, it is difficult to imagine better value for money nowaydays. HOWEVER, being rather allergic to Canon, I have thought myself to get the F1, because with an adapter, you can shoot about any lens on it, and when you start getting into a specialized way of thinking, this makes your life a lot easier, and also cheaper. In order NOT to buy the Canon, I ended up buying, Nikon, Leica R, Contax, Pentax, Minolta and Olympus systems. It could have been WAY cheaper to learn to like Canons...

 

[xayraa33]

I have a Canon F-1n and I really like it.

I have seen some very low prices on the F3 bodies recently but not for the Canon f-1n unfortunately. People tend to hold on to the Canon for some reason and I have an idea why.

In fact I would sell an M Leica before I would sell this Canon SLR.

Lenses are low priced and plentiful to buy now and top notch performers.

 

[back alley]

i had the canon and a nikon f2 also...loved the canon much more.

 

[JeffL]

Two fantastic cameras. I'd get both given what they'll cost, especially compared to what the did cost when new.
If I had to choose one - it'd likely be the F1N.

 

[whitecat]

A vote for the F1. I had one years ago and it served me well.

 

[Mackinaw]

Both are excellent cameras and you can't go wrong no matter what you choose.

If you get the chance, try both before deciding. It's often the little things (how it feels in your hands) that mean the most when buying a camera.

Jim B.

 

[Sid836]

That's it! I will go for the F1N! You have convinced me! I also love its looks and its weight. I have tried both, and it seems that the F1n fell closer to my likes.

Thank you very much for helping me get out of this. I have been giving it my thoughts for almost a month!

 

[Steve Bellayr]

The Nikon F3hp is probably a newer model. Personally, I prefer the Nikon lenses over the Canon series. Nikon lenses are plentiful. the 105mm f2.5 is legendary.

 

[mervynyan]

You need Canon 1v.

I love my f1n but fd super lenses (1.2, 1.4) are very hard to come by, rest fd lenses are inexpensive but they are not living up to the eos system standard.

 

[Godfrey]

In 1969, I bought a Nikon F and my friend bought a Canon FT-QL. Over the years we both acquired a bunch more bodies and lenses. Never saw any significant difference between the quality of the photos that either of these camera systems produced. Some lenses in one were slightly better or worse than their equivalent in the other. Some bodies in one had one or two features, more or less, than the equivalent in the other.

... Today I can still take my 1969-1976 Nikon lenses and fit them onto a D800.

... Today he is still whinging about the fact that Canon changed the lens mount in the late 1980s.

PS: Neither of us use Nikon or Canon as our primary cameras any more anyway. ;-)

G

 

[HuubL]

The earlier Canon F-1n and the later F-1N are two different cameras. Both awesome pieces of equipment, but years apart. Is the one offered a small 'n' or a capitol 'N' camera?

 

[oneilski]

HuubL is absolutely correct. I have both the n and N and love both but always reach for the N. The late Peter Stackpole, (Ex Life mag photog) got me hooked back in the 70s. Canon FD was his choice.

DONDO

 

[Ronny]

Canon F-1 little n with big 1.2/85


Canon F-1 by Ronny Persson, on Flickr

 

[Sid836]

And both are working perfectly? Maybe try a roll of film with each one if possible.

Since you "love both"... do you own FD and F lenses?

I have two FD lenses and the F1N that I am being offered comes with a 50mm 1.4.
On the Nikon side I have only one AF lens that came with my D90.

 

[FrankS]

The standard RFF answer to such questions is: get both.

 

[Frontman]

I have both cameras, the Canon is a better value, particularly because the FD lenses are so cheaply priced nowadays. Keep in mind that the F1's meter uses an obsolete MR9 battery. I use Wein cells from eBay. Another thing to watch for is that sometimes the shutter malfunctions at the higher speeds, I have come across a couple of old F1 cameras with this problem. The best lens for this camera is the 35mm f/2 FD concave lens. Canon made several 35/2 lenses, but the early concave lenses with the chrome nose or first SSC versions are the best. I also like the 20mm f/2.8.

The Nikon F3 is a bullet-proof camera, and is far more advanced than the Canon F1. I prefer the finder on the F3HP, and the meter is also better than on the Canon. I think Nikkor lenses are garden-variety, very good, but not spectacular. I like the 20mm f/2.8, 28mm f/2.8 AIS, and the 50mm f/1.2, as well as the 105mm /2.5 lens already mentioned. I have several other lenses, but I don't really use them.

Either camera would be a great choice, choose the one which appeals to you,