Nikon F3 Tribute

The one thing that does sway me towards an F3 is the two Ziess ZF's I bought to use with my D700. I just haven't bonded with my FM3A unfortunately ... for some reason it doesn't have the viewfinder I was hoping for!
 
Ok - guys - you got me down to it (thanks especially to Cal ;-) ).

This thread and the very helpful posts around pushed me to a beautiful F3 in great working condition.
It is exactly, what I wanted - a not mint, slightly brassed body - no cracks, no dents, no rattle - everything smooth.
After trying around, I got a beautifully worn, brassed HP finder along with it, which is just wonderful!

My word stands - it is even more firm now, that I saw the HP and standard finder side by side - my FM3a is nothing to look through against the F3!
I almost sold the FM3a right in the shop - only the small size and weight (+the bad shop pricing) held me back (basically, I could have switched my FM3a against the F3 with motor, which would have been a bad deal for me, as the FM3a goes quite a bit higher still).
I got the F3 without motor drive for now - this thing is just too much (I looked just for a better compact body for focussing a fast 58mm).

One more point goes to the F3, compared to the FM by the way:
You can double stroke the F3 - you can't with the FM - very important to me, as I double stroke my Leicas and hick up every time, switching to the Nikon film body.

And yes - the F3 is a lot smoother than the FM3a - when the roll is almost at the end, the FM3a's advance goes more firm and more "ratchetty", while the F3 is just suuuupersmoooooth!

With these prices - everybody ought to have an F3! Now, I have to find out, how to exposure lock with the F3 - am I correct, it has no exposure lock in AE?

Btw - in the shop has been a wonderful F2 with AE finder - what a marvellous camera it is - slightly heavier than a F3, but in almost every way built as beautiful, as a Leica M!
It was a black paint model with beautifully brassed edges and bottom plate - still everything very smooth and tightly fitting.
The best was - these are priced as low as the F3s!

I guess, I am in for some more classic Nikon bodies - my streamlining plans are toast now!

First I will hunt for some nice focus screens - and I am quite curious about the action and waist level finders ;-)

Thanks all for this great thread!
 
Man, I am so surprised to find that anyone likes the F3. I thought that camera was a cruel joke on the heritage of the F and F2. I much prefer the FE2/FM3a to the F3.
 
Mister E said:
Man, I am so surprised to find that anyone likes the F3. I thought that camera was a cruel joke on the heritage of the F and F2. I much prefer the FE2/FM3a to the F3.
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A LOT of photojournalists disagee with you Mister, and made the F3 one of the longest production run camera model in history.
 
menos said:
Never written that ;-)
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You said "you own (twice) the FM3a" as your argument of comparison, and that's not the camera body we're talking about. We were talking about the FM2n.

nevertheless, seems like many here agree there's not much difference between the F3 and the FM2n, and each has advantages over the other. But for the life of me I don't get the VF complaint. Mine works sweet.
 
Zodiac said:
You said "you own (twice) the FM3a" as your argument of comparison, and that's not the camera body we're talking about. We were talking about the FM2n.

nevertheless, seems like many here agree there's not much difference between the F3 and the FM2n, and each has advantages over the other. But for the life of me I don't get the VF complaint. Mine works sweet.
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If I had never looked through the viewfinder of an OM-1 I'd probably think the Nikon viewfinder was pretty good!
 
Zodiac said:
You said "you own (twice) the FM3a" as your argument of comparison, and that's not the camera body we're talking about. We were talking about the FM2n.

nevertheless, seems like many here agree there's not much difference between the F3 and the FM2n, and each has advantages over the other. But for the life of me I don't get the VF complaint. Mine works sweet.
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The FM3a has the same crummy peephole as the FM2n, to put it mildly.

Take your sweetest F-mount lens into a shop with the FM2n, stick it on a F3 HP and experience what is written all over this thread.

Keith is spot on - before having had the princess, the cow might look pretty sweet ;-)

The FM2n is a nice camera - it is all, it was designed to be - a rugged, small, lightweight mechanical camera.
The look through a F3 finder though is pretty different. And indeed, it is really different from the F3 - weight, finder, functions, feel of film advance and of course - my favorite feature - AE.

… and I found that AE lock in the end.
 
menos said:
The FM3a has the same crummy peephole as the FM2n, to put it mildly.

Take your sweetest F-mount lens into a shop with the FM2n, stick it on a F3 HP and experience what is written all over this thread.

Keith is spot on - before having had the princess, the cow might look pretty sweet ;-)

The FM2n is a nice camera - it is all, it was designed to be - a rugged, small, lightweight mechanical camera.
The look through a F3 finder though is pretty different. And indeed, it is really different from the F3 - weight, finder, functions, feel of film advance and of course - my favorite feature - AE.

… and I found that AE lock in the end.
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Menos, just wondering, do you wear glasses? If so, I can understand your praise for the F3HP finder. Without a doubt its a much better finder for someone who wears glasses.
Personally, I don't wear glasses, and don't find the difference between my F3/T with HP finder and my FM3A to be that great. Sure, the F3 HP is better, but IMO not that much better. The F6 finder, on the other hand, now that's a nice finder :)
 
menos said:
The FM3a has the same crummy peephole as the FM2n, to put it mildly.

Take your sweetest F-mount lens into a shop with the FM2n, stick it on a F3 HP and experience what is written all over this thread.

Keith is spot on - before having had the princess, the cow might look pretty sweet ;-)

The FM2n is a nice camera - it is all, it was designed to be - a rugged, small, lightweight mechanical camera.
The look through a F3 finder though is pretty different. And indeed, it is really different from the F3 - weight, finder, functions, feel of film advance and of course - my favorite feature - AE.

… and I found that AE lock in the end.
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I hear you, but I did have use of an F3 (not the HP mind you) for 2 years, and found no difference that ever bothered me.
 
Mister E said:
Man, I am so surprised to find that anyone likes the F3. I thought that camera was a cruel joke on the heritage of the F and F2. I much prefer the FE2/FM3a to the F3.
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Couldnt agree less, the FE2 is particular feels like a toy compared the the F3. The FM3a is more worthy of a compeditor but still doesnt have the same feel of quality and durability of the F3, one feels like a good camera to use at weekends one feels like something that stands up to 12 hours a day in bad conditions.
 
No doubt that the F series of Nikon cameras were built to a higher standard for professional use.
 
I think it's absolutely hilarious that Menos and others are making a big deal out of how the F3 film advance feels. To a first approximation, I've never seen a professional photographer manually wind an F3. There is always a motor drive attached. Once you do that, it's a totally different beast than the FM's, FA's, etc. Not remotely comparable.
 
FrankS said:
No doubt that the F series of Nikon cameras were built to a higher standard for professional use.
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That is no doubt true but most people using F3s today do not use them in the manner of their intended use and can be considered over built for the use they are put to today. Considering the price of F3s today why not use an over built camera so it is not a bad thing. By all means treat yourselves to pro bodies, I have, but don't think that in most cases an FM2n would not suffice.

Bob
 
JayGannon said:
Heh plenty do, and its a different feel to any other film advance I've used.
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Yeah, I was exaggerating. But when the F3 was actually in production it was probably 10:1 motor:manual wind in the typical PJ's bag. That was really the first Nikon made with motor drive as an integral part of the overall design, rather than as a bolt-on afterthought.
 
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