Nikon F3 Press - did press photographers actually buy and use this?

[Calzone]

Hello,

I used a regular F3HP. Of course I was working for a small newspaper and we had to buy our own gear... I think most photographers used the F3HP. Actually, most I knew used the cheaper FM2, etc. The F3 was quite expensive back then, and we were paid peanuts...
I never knew there was a problem with the door, darn, had I known... ;-)

Gil.

Gil,

There really was no problem with the lock on the rear door. It is just that the F3P had no real secondary lock for the rear door. To open all one had to do is pull up on the rewind. In cold or foul weather the added speed and one less step required to perform a reload ends up making a big differenence once you get use to it. Over time one gets mighty spoiled.

An analogy would be like having a pistol that had no safety to slow you down. Pretty soon you wish all your weapons were rigged that way. Once you are spoiled by the F3P you are kinda ruined, but there is no real problem with the rear door lock on a F3 or F3HP.

Cal

 

[GarageBoy]

Meanwhile, Nikon F users had to deal with a back that came off...

 

[Calzone]

Meanwhile, Nikon F users had to deal with a back that came off...

Call me a lazy slacker, but the rear door of a F2 was made especially for me. Now that I think of it the F2 rear door release is just like my F3P, and back in the 70's when I was in art school I owned a black F2.

Basically I now realize that over the decades it all started with the F2 rear door release that was followed by the F3P's door release that made me develope a preference. Perhaps I'm not such a lazy slacker after all.

In this reguard I guess the rear door release is kinda important to me, and this is the reason why I so love my F3P and also reguard the F2 and F3P as my most favored Nikons.

Meanwhile remember the baseplate on M-bodies...

Cal

 

[_goodtimez]

I own a F3P that was a real "Press" camera owned by the Long Island newspaper "Newsday." It recieved an overhaul from Nikon and was sold to me after the camera had just returned from covering "Operation Desert Storm."

Interesting story. I was in Desert Strom in 1990/1991 and I had an F3P but I left it home and prefered the F4S. Photography was not my job there but I could still make nice pictures with the F4S along with a Leica M6.
I quickly ran out of film (Kodachrome and Tri-X) but luckily a friend came to the rescue 🙂 He was a "real" military photog and had access to "loads" of film.
Coke and Pepsi were also free (a gift from the companies) and despite being on the front line I had some fun doing my job there.

 

[Calzone]

I own a F3P that was a real "Press" camera owned by the Long Island newspaper "Newsday." It recieved an overhaul from Nikon and was sold to me after the camera had just returned from covering "Operation Desert Storm."

Interesting story. I was in Desert Strom in 1990/1991 and I had an F3P but I left it home and prefered the F4S. Photography was not my job there but I could still make nice pictures with the F4S along with a Leica M6.
I quickly ran out of film (Kodachrome and Tri-X) but luckily a friend came to the rescue 🙂 He was a "real" military photog and had access to "loads" of film.
Coke and Pepsi were also free (a gift from the companies) and despite being on the front line I had some fun doing my job there.

You lived and created history. What an honor. I only vicariously through my F3P was there. My F3P has a lot of Mojo, and it is very interesting how someone can bond to an object.

Cal

POSTSCRIPT: BTW for 17 years I worked at Grumman. Even though I never was in the military, I was deeply effected due to my job and working with so many veterans. Learned a lot about being a man from these men, and they really helped shape me a rather troubled guy. I owe them a lot. Never had much of a fatherly figure... They set me straight.

 

[GarageBoy]

I own a F3P that was a real "Press" camera owned by the Long Island newspaper "Newsday." It recieved an overhaul from Nikon and was sold to me after the camera had just returned from covering "Operation Desert Storm."

Interesting story. I was in Desert Strom in 1990/1991 and I had an F3P but I left it home and prefered the F4S. Photography was not my job there but I could still make nice pictures with the F4S along with a Leica M6.
I quickly ran out of film (Kodachrome and Tri-X) but luckily a friend came to the rescue 🙂 He was a "real" military photog and had access to "loads" of film.
Coke and Pepsi were also free (a gift from the companies) and despite being on the front line I had some fun doing my job there.

At this point in time, were f4s more popular or was the f3 still the big boss?

 

[_goodtimez]

At this time the F4S was really in with pro photographers. I still have this F4S and it performs like a champ.

 

[maitani]

loaded some 200 colour film, main rig of this weekend.

 

[rbsinto]

Confession they say is good for the soul, so I guess its time for me to make mine.
A couple of months ago I bought a bunch of bodies, lenses and accessories from an old photobud who was closing down his advertising/marketing office and getting ready to sell his home.
Among the stuff was an old beater F3/MD-4.
I'd never used one before but tried it out, and to my surprise, liked it. While I always swore by my motoried F2AS, I found the F3 to be just a bit simpler to use and what I really like is the Aperture Priority exposure mode which is perfect for my street shooting.
Then about two weeks ago while just looking through ebay listings I saw an old beater F3P/MD-4 going for peanuts (opening bid $220.00). I bid and won (only bidder) and received the camera at the end of last week.
I like the hotshoe on the prism (where God always intended it to be), the taller shutter-speed dial (perfect for me when I use gloves in cold weather) and the High-eyepoint prism is excellent as I wear glasses.
I attached my custom-machined base-plate with home-made handstrap, and it works like a champ.
I still like my all-mechanical gear (rangefinders and SLRs), but the convenience of the F3 I admit is making my photographic life a bit easier.

 

[Calzone]

loaded some 200 colour film, main rig of this weekend.

Brutal,

I've been thinking of getting another Noct-Nikkor for my F3P. I really miss that lens.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Confession they say is good for the soul, so I guess its time for me to make mine.
A couple of months ago I bought a bunch of bodies, lenses and accessories from an old photobud who was closing down his advertising/marketing office and getting ready to sell his home.
Among the stuff was an old beater F3/MD-4.
I'd never used one before but tried it out, and to my surprise, liked it. While I always swore by my motoried F2AS, I found the F3 to be just a bit simpler to use and what I really like is the Aperture Priority exposure mode which is perfect for my street shooting.
Then about two weeks ago while just looking through ebay listings I saw an old beater F3P/MD-4 going for peanuts (opening bid $220.00). I bid and won (only bidder) and received the camera at the end of last week.
I like the hotshoe on the prism (where God always intended it to be), the taller shutter-speed dial (perfect for me when I use gloves in cold weather) and the High-eyepoint prism is excellent as I wear glasses.
I attached my custom-machined base-plate with home-made handstrap, and it works like a champ.
I still like my all-mechanical gear (rangefinders and SLRs), but the convenience of the F3 I admit is making my photographic life a bit easier.

I still am very fond of black F2's, mainly because this was my first camera.

Cal

 

[rbsinto]

I still am very fond of black F2's, mainly because this was my first camera.

Cal

My black, motorized beater F2AS complete with its custom baseplate/handstrap has had the batteries removed, the shutter uncocked, and is sitting in a drawer.
I'll use it again, as sometimes only a F2 will do.

 

[Calzone]

My black, motorized beater F2AS complete with its custom baseplate/handstrap has had the batteries removed, the shutter uncocked, and sitting in a drawer.
I'll use it again, as sometimes only a F2 will do.

I keep on building F2's with DE-1 prisms because I run into deals where DE-1's that are reasonably priced. Over the years I found deals on DE-1's four times and built three cameras. It ends up that friends make offers, and I sell them. Mine are highly desirable because I only buy clean prisms and cameras. I also update them with new foam seals.

A 45/2.8P AIS makes a real nice compact rig on a F2/DE-1.

Cal

 

[Timmyjoe]

They don't have to be pristine to be treasured:

It might not sell for much, but I wouldn't part with it.

Someday if I find a nice F3P, I'd like to own one. Mainly for the hot shoe, even though I have the adapter for my F3HP, hot shoe over the center of the lens is something I'm used to.

Was there ever an MD-4P, or was the standard MD-4 mated with the F3P?

 

[rbsinto]

I keep on building F2's with DE-1 prisms because I run into deals where DE-1's that are reasonably priced. Over the years I found deals on DE-1's four times and built three cameras. It ends up that friends make offers, and I sell them. Mine are highly desirable because I only buy clean prisms and cameras. I also update them with new foam seals.

A 45/2.8P AIS makes a real nice compact rig on a F2/DE-1.

Cal

I have both an originally chromed, but now black re-painted DE-1 and, a black meterless eyelevel F prism (which is installed on my motorized beater F).
For some reason I prefer the F with the meterless prism(s), while I always use my F2 with the DP-12.
And as for companion lenses, I never worry about how light or compact this or that lens will make the camera. I mount whatever lens I think will best do the job I want, despite its size or weight.

 

[rbsinto]

They don't have to be pristine to be treasured:

It might not sell for much, but I wouldn't part with it.

Someday if I find a nice F3P, I'd like to own one. Mainly for the hot shoe, even though I have the adapter for my F3HP, hot shoe over the center of the lens is something I'm used to.

Was there ever an MD-4P, or was the standard MD-4 mated with the F3P?

As far as I know, the only non-standard F3 motors were those for the F3 high-speed. The other F3 variants all used the standard MD-4 drive.

 

[Calzone]

I have both an originally chromed, but now black re-painted DE-1 and, a black meterless eyelevel F prism (which is installed on my motorized beater F).
For some reason I prefer the F with the meterless prism(s), while I always use my F2 with the DP-12.
And as for companion lenses, I never worry about how light or compact this or that lens will make the camera. I mount whatever lens I think will best do the job I want, despite its size or weight.

Most of my rigs are kinda both big and heavy. I prefer heavier chrome lenses and rig out M-bodies with both TA Rapidwinders and TA Rapidgrips so they are more like my F3P. At the NYC Meet-Up John calls my cameras "Monsters." LOL.

I do like compact cameras because I tend to carry two or even three at times because I don't like changing lenses. Carrying all this gear for all day walks in NYC has made my neck ugly and thick like a football player, and because I tend to carry a camera held in my right hand ready to shoot all the time my right arm is kinda overdeveloped to the point where I would consider it a deformity. Understand that it looks kinda freaky because overall I'm a lanky guy with narrow shoulders.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

They don't have to be pristine to be treasured:

It might not sell for much, but I wouldn't part with it.

Someday if I find a nice F3P, I'd like to own one. Mainly for the hot shoe, even though I have the adapter for my F3HP, hot shoe over the center of the lens is something I'm used to.

Was there ever an MD-4P, or was the standard MD-4 mated with the F3P?

Tim,

The next F2/DE-1 I will build will be a very brassy one. I was going to build a black brassy one with the last DE-1 (fourth). I ended up selling it to a friend who wanted it for his F2 Titan.

Cal

 

[rbsinto]

Most of my rigs are kinda both big and heavy. I prefer heavier chrome lenses and rig out M-bodies with both TA Rapidwinders and TA Rapidgrips so they are more like my F3P. At the NYC Meet-Up John calls my cameras "Monsters." LOL.

I do like compact cameras because I tend to carry two or even three at times because I don't like changing lenses. Carrying all this gear for all day walks in NYC has made my neck ugly and thick like a football player, and because I tend to carry a camera held in my right hand ready to shoot all the time my right arm is kinda overdeveloped to the point where I would consider it a deformity. Understand that it looks kinda freaky because overall I'm a lanky guy with narrow shoulders.

Cal

With the exception of my F/F36, all my other SLRs have custom baseplates and hand straps.
And I also carry either three or four bodies at a time so I've always got focal lengths from about 17 up to about 200 at my disposal.
Rather than a thick neck and an over-developed right arm, all this weight for the last 35 years has resulted in Spinal Stenosis, and permanent, untreatable pain.
Of course being a hockey goaltender for the last 53 years hasn't helped either.

 

[Calzone]

With the exception of my F/F36, all my other SLRs have custom baseplates and hand straps.
And I also carry either three or four bodies at a time so I've always got focal lengths from about 17 up to about 200 at my disposal.
Rather than a thick neck and an over-developed right arm, all this weight for the last 35 years has resulted in Spinal Stenosis, and permanent, untreatable pain.
Of course being a hockey goaltender for the last 53 years hasn't helped either.

So you are a hockey tough guy. That's a tough sport that I really suck at. Anyways there's a reason why the Canadians are the only country that beat the U.S. in a war (1812).

The closest I came to being a hockey player was playing Lacross. My position was Attack and I was the crease man. Anyways a lot like being a goaly because I often got hit inadvertantly with that hard rubber ball that is very much like a hockey puck. Our team was rather new in our division: this is another way to say that we were the worse team in our division and we really sucked, but our coach once played for the U.S. Marines.

Basically he taught us his style of playing Lacross as a physical game since we lacked ball handling skills. There are only two basic rules: one is that you can't hit an opponent in the head with your stick; and the other was you can't hit a guy from behind; anything else goes. In high school I was only about 130 pounds, but I was fast as hell. I learned a lot about physics and acelleration in these man/ball drills where I always liked taking the man out instead of going for the ball. My acelleration was quick giving me the advantage over a guy twice my size. I also loved to hear my coach yell, "Good hit," but then I' always get brutalized by a revenge hit. Anyways I made up for my lack of size by being fearless, crazy and aggressive.

The sport I'm really built for is boxing, I'm also bowlegged, and bowlegged people are hyper agile which is good for flanking an opponent. I have a nasty jab and an evil right, but what is most deadly is my speed. In a blink of an eye I can hit you twice really hard, and I'm very hard to hit.

Anyways like a boxer who is use to getting hit, I expect the threshold of pain for a hockey player who played as a goalie, means you would ultimately the guy who dishes out the pain in a fight.

Last year on a thread people were blaming the Canadians for the Polar Vortex. I cited it would be a lot colder in the U.S. if our friendly neighbors decided to stop selling us their oil and natural gas. LOL.

Cal