F3HP's Viewfinder: Best for Eyeglass Wearers?

[wgerrard]

I've started a couple threads asking advice on Nikon versus Minolta versus Canon, et al. And the responses have been really instructive.

I really leaned toward Minolta because of the good deals on Rokkor lenses, but really haven't seen a Minolta body that appeals to me.

Now, I'm seriously considering springing for an F3HP, based on the reputation its viewfinder has for people who wear glasses.

Is that a valid reputation? Anything else out there that's better?

Also, I gather Nikon released a model with titanium base and top. Is that the F3/T? If so, does it also have the high profile VF? Is it the same model as the F3THP, or is that something different?

 

[maddoc]

The Nikon F3HP was my second serious camera (after the FM), and bought for exact this reason. For eye-glass wearers the VF is brilliant, 100% with glasses. The camera handles very well, the metering was always spot on. I don't know about the titan version except that it was expensive. One thing to consider, the LCD info in the VF might be difficult to read due to the age of the camera. These very early LCD had a somewhat limited life time.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

In addition to the F3hp, Nikon made several other 35mm SLRs with high eyepoint viewfinders. The F4 came with one standard. It could be interchanged, like the F3's finder, for waist level, high mag, and sports finders. Unfortunately, there was no regular non-HP finder for the F4. I have had my F4s for 14 yrs and have always felt the viewfinder was too small compared to the finder in my Olympus OM-4T bodies. The OM bodies, however, are probably impossible with glasses. The thing with the F4 is that you don't need to wear glasses with it anyway cause it has built in eyesight correction you can dial in to your vision!

Other Nikons with HP finders include the N90 and N90s, N8008 and N8008s, and the F5.

 

[peterc]

Also, I gather Nikon released a model with titanium base and top. Is that the F3/T?

That's the F3/T. It has titanium top and base plates and a titanium HP finder (DE-4). Apart from the titanium cladding it's the same as the F3 HP.
You might want to consider an F4. It has built in diopter correction and adds shutter priority and program modes as well as being able to take AF-Nikkors.

 

[wgerrard]

IThe thing with the F4 is that you don't need to wear glasses with it anyway cause it has built in eyesight correction you can dial in to your vision!

I've used cameras with that kind of eyesight correction in the past and they are, in fact, very convenient. Or, were. These days, the hassle of taking my glasses on and off is too much of a hassle. Besides, I get into trouble walking around sans glasses. 🙁