Nikon F3 Tribute

Calzone said:
I recently updated my F3P with a Beattie Intenscreen with a split prism. The split prism is kinda oversized and the brightness is eye popping, especially with my Noct-Nikkor.

When I mount a 45/2.8P I can see the light fall off in the corners that will be recorded on the negative.

Also bought an aftermarket grip that was offered in the classifieds that offers familiar ergonomics if you are use to carrying a F3 with a MD-4.

My F3P is now ultimized.

Cal
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Cal,
Where did you find that grip? I've been looking for one as the md-4 is too much for the arthritis.

Lawrence
 
Tejasican said:
Cal,
Where did you find that grip? I've been looking for one as the md-4 is too much for the arthritis.

Lawrence
Click to expand...

Sorry for the delayed response. I've been away.

I got the grip off the RFF classifieds, but it has no name, part number or any markings. I didn't know that one was ever manufactured, but the one I now have works great. Not as large as the MD-4 grip, but really helps with large/heavy lenses like my Noct-Nikkor and 105/1.8.

I found using a AH-4 hand strap to be helpful. It fits like a glove and makes carrying a camera in my right hand all day not tiring.
I hope it might help you.

Cal
 
Just bought an F3 from KEH - allegedly in ugly condition(?!) Looks practically brand new apart from a tiny amount of brassing on the prism and the edges of the base!

Can't wait to run my first roll through it.

~S
 
Hi,

I had a Nikon F3 when they first came out. Great camera. Sold it 20 years ago to get into Medium format. Sold the Medium format recently. I bought a brand new F3HP body with 50mm f1.4 AIS lens for my son about 2 years ago. As it was sitting on a collectors shelf for 20 yeard or more I sent it to Nikon Canada to replace the foam seals and do a CLA. Came back working like a new one. My son wanted digital, so I ended up with the F3. Wanted to sell it for a while, but have since decided to keep it. Good memories of many vacation trips with an F3. Still use it once in a while, and now that I have a ZF 50 f1.4 lens for it I use it a bit more. A few months back I bought a D600 to use the Zeiss lens on. Nice camera, and great to have digital for some applications, but I prefer to handling of the F3 better. In the end, I still use my M4-P with 35 and 50 zeiss zm lenses. Still like film and will probably keep these systems for a very long time.

Regards,

Akitadog
 
Harry--the F3P was available in the US via the NPS--Nikon Professional Service.
You had to either be a member or know someone who was--great camera.
Paul
 
WHAAAAAAAAT!?! I swear, someday I will find some amazing garbage like that. Someday...


I got my F3 about 6 months ago now and I love it. I actually bought the same one another member wasn't thrilled with (hypnotizedd). He's moved onto other cameras and I'm plugging away with the F3. Mine's the non-hp and I have the red-dot K screen which seems to work just fine for me. I quite like that 50mm f/2 it's got a really nice drawing style, I even just bought a newer AI version for the closer focus ability.

I have the Md-4 as well but boy is it a beast with that motor on there.

I'm very pleased with the F3, I think it's an exceptional camera and I am glad to own it.
 
Thanks guys.
As I mentioned earlier, I have two of the F3-P and they really are great. One was very new when I got it and the other had seen considerable use. About two years ago I had the newer one fully overhauled by a Nikon technician in Germany.

I see them surface every once and a while. If the price is right I may grab another one or two....
 
Hi, joining the force here:

F4E and F3HP by jwicaksana, on Flickr

I enjoy using it very much, the feel is different than the FM2n I owned. LED meter indicator in FM2 is great, also the flash sync and top speed of 1/4000. Eh, I rarely shoot at 1/4000 anyway :p
Quite lucky to have it with the MK-1 firing rate adapter, which I think is pretty rare, and functional albeit the odd placement of the shutter release.

A few questions if I may:
Many said the advance crank is among the smoothest of 35mm cameras. Any way of describing in what way is it smooth? Mine feels rather dry, I mean I definitely don't hear or feel the gears moving as they do on FM2 or OM2, the F3 just move, but feels a bit 'dry', as in not 'sliding' or 'buttersmooth', you know what I mean.
Is this normal or does it need some sort of lubrication?

Secondly, I put 2xLR44 batteries in the camera body, then attach the battery grip. Can I wind the film manually using the crank? I tried it and it won't move so I stopped because I don't want to break anything.

Anything else a noob should know regarding this fine camera, please share. Much obliged. :)
 
The F3P has modifications for professional users and was (I believe) initially sold only to credentialed press photographers... it has special weather seals, a higher exposure button (weather sealed), different on-off switch, no lock on the back door (just lift the rewind), an iso hot shoe on the finder... it is minus the self timer, multiple exposure lever, viewfinder shutter and there is no locked shutter speed on the frames before zero. There was/is a "limited" version that was the same as the F3P except that the viewfinder screen was fixed (not changable).

The F3HP came with a K-type split screen and the F3P was delivered with a B-type screen.

Casey
 
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jwicaksana said:
Hi, joining the force here:

F4E and F3HP by jwicaksana, on Flickr

A few questions if I may:
Many said the advance crank is among the smoothest of 35mm cameras. Any way of describing in what way is it smooth? Mine feels rather dry, I mean I definitely don't hear or feel the gears moving as they do on FM2 or OM2, the F3 just move, but feels a bit 'dry', as in not 'sliding' or 'buttersmooth', you know what I mean.
Is this normal or does it need some sort of lubrication?

Secondly, I put 2xLR44 batteries in the camera body, then attach the battery grip. Can I wind the film manually using the crank? I tried it and it won't move so I stopped because I don't want to break anything.

Anything else a noob should know regarding this fine camera, please share. Much obliged. :)
Click to expand...

My brassed in F3P I bought used in 1989. It was a real press camera that was owned by the newspaper "Newsday." When I bought it it had just been overhauled by Nikon when they were still located in Garden City.

I say all this because my camera was used under extreme conditions like Operation Desert Storm. My advance has no drag or friction at all until the very end of the stroke where I feel two points of feathery resistance like two cogs are set as something gets engaged. For the beginning of the stroke the fell and touch is so light that it seems not connected to anything until the very last part of the stroke.

I'm thinking that on your camera because it is so fresh that the drag you feel is due to your camera not being broken in. I imagine the grease in the bearings for the film transport that allows for the high frame rates with a motordrive is adding a bit more friction than mine. I'm thinking with use it will have less and less drag. I doubt it is due to a lack of lubrication or hard grease because the last time my camera was serviced was almost 24 years ago.

As far as manually advancing the film when a MD-4 is connected please realize that if the MD-4 is on the film is already advanced, and the camera is always ready to take the shot; but here's a situation where I use my F3P in "stealth mode" when I turn off the motordrive: on the subway. I will use the shutter release on the camera's body and then advance the film manually by cocking the lever.

Another way to advance the film is to simply turn on the motordrive, but then it will churp. It is interesting to see the response among the passengers as they search for the camera that made the sound. LOL.

I don't recommend having the LR-44 batteries in the body if you have the MD-4 mounted as the shutter and metering will be powered by the battery pack in the motordrive, and the batteries that are stored in the body have the potential over time, if forgotten, to leak and ruin your camera.

Cal
 
Hi Cal,
Thanks for your detailed explanation. I think you described it better than I do, yes I feel very little drag during the beginning of the stroke, then at the very end I feel the two clicks. I will try using it without the MD to work the manual advance system a little.
Thanks again!
BTW my camera serial number is 1665567, 34VA, which dates it back to March 1984. Anybody have a neighboring number? :D
 
The Ultimate F3P Update: F3P; AH-4 hand strap; aftermarket oversized grip; Beattie Intenscreen with split prism; MF-18 Data Back.

I love the rare MF-18 Data Back that I use to print the date inbetween frames. The added thickness for my right hand thumb also adds ergonomic comfort.

The Beattie screen features a big over-sized split image that makes my F3P more like a rangefinder which overcomes the vague focus of the Nikon 28/2.8 AIS easily and is a lot better than a standard Nikon K screen. The added brightness makes fine details really pop with my 55/2.8 AIS where I mostly focus on the ground glass, and my favorite lens now is a black 45/2.8P AIS because of its contrast and very fast focus.

Generally Beattie screens don't always work with all lenses. The added brightness sometimes lowers contrast unfavorably with some lenses, and generally Beattie screens tend to favor longer lenses, but it seems to be great with the above three.

Also note I modded my F3P so the illuminating light comes on whenever the meter is activated. Even in daylight I find the mod useful, but the downside is the excessive battery drain if used without the batter pack power from the MD-4.

I have owned this camera and used it extensively for almost 24 years without any need of service, and now it is finally untimized.

Cal
 
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