Nikon F3 Tribute

Calzone said:
Dan,

If you want compact and can deal with being meterless consider a F2 with a DE-1 eye-level prism. This rig is almost as small as a Leica and the build quality of this all mechanical camera is comparable to a Leica M3.

Yesterday I bought a black DE-1 prism in "E" condition for $239.00. I intend on buying a black paint body that has a dead meter for a little more than $100.00

Add in a F3 "red-Dot" "K" screen for a brighter screen for about $20.00 and use a 45/2.8P AIS pancake lens and you have a "Pro" meterless camera that is built to last.

Right now B&H has a chrome F2 with a DE-1 in "8" condition for $250.00. It seems that 90% of the DE-1 prisms were chrome and black has a big premium.

In an earlier post perhaps I came off as being harsh, but I wanted to be clear that I was really framing camera choice with longevity in mind: that is to buy a camera that will be able to be used for decades.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Cal
Click to expand...
Dan, Cal's right on the compactness if you don't want/need a meter. I had an FE and have an F3 and the relative expansiveness and robustness of the F3 is significantly more than the FE. Amazingly the prices aren't tremendously different. But if size is the key for a metered camera it's hard to beat an FE, and the motor drive can be used for the FM series as well. You can't go wrong with either choice.
BC
 
Be on the alert for F3's covered in black Italian Goat leather in NYC. A while back I bought a square yard sample of real soft high end leather in NYC's garment district. I recovered a very clean seldom used F3 with this leather using the old leatherette as a template and brought it to a NYC Meet-Up. This F3 looks like it got updated by Prada. BTW I left the top of the prism naked for a clean/sexy look.

Now Range (Bob) above is going to do the same to one of his F3's. This is some of the finest/softest leathers I ever felt. Mucho nice. Brutal. What a good looking camera.

Cal
 
I picked up one in questionable shape from ebay for a whole $10 a few months ago. I kept reading about how amazingly smooth the advance was with the ball bearings and all, and I found it to be indeed sublimely smooth... till I hit the 39th frame.... then 40th... 41st..

Sadly the slow speeds where off, and I was undergoing a major gear purge - so it found it's way back to the 'bay.

Now I'm back with an F2 - I do wish it had the F3's prism curtain to prevent back-stray light!
 
My F3 was my uncle's for many years while he was a professional. Got handed down to me. Needs a CLA... it looses a frame or two per roll, but the shutter timing is right on and it can't be beat for looks. In the process of rebuilding a second body.

10385902174_1b6ed9ac7b_b.jpg
 
They are pretty cheap now a day's, my first one I got for $50.00 dollars, but there's a
problem with the LCD screen now it's starting to blank out. The second pair I got for
$30.00 dollars one is really clean and now it's my go to F3, I just had to take apart
the rewind side of the camera and adjust the meter coupling ring around the lens
mount it was loose. the other one is for parts, so I really have two working ones and
the spare.

Range
 
jwicaksana said:
Cal, can we see some images of the F3/P (P for Prada)?
Click to expand...

This Sunday is the NYC Meet-Up. I'll be giving Bob a swatch of goat leather and the old leatherette for a template. I'll have someone take some shots to post.

BTW this F3 also features a rare aftermarket grip that I bought at the classified here on RFF, and with a black 45/2.8P AIS (Tessar) this camera looks kinda evil.

Cal
 
I'm a brooklynite. There's a sold chance I'll be up to my ears in work on Sunday, but if I get it done quickly, I'd love to meet some of the folks here.

Always appreciate meeting people who know more than me about things I love 🙂
 
I have an F3HP and love it, but in the back of my mind, I'm always in fear of something going wrong with it electrically. It's never happened (knock on wood) but I think that it's a brain washed paranoia that I've acquired from shooting mechanical Leicas. Now I'd like a second F body, and as much as I love my F3HP, my strange paranoia seems to kick in and makes me consider an FM2N. Am I nuts?

Joe
 
I use an F3 (with or without the MD-4 drive, depending upon the job) alongside an FM2-N; to be honest I prefer the smaller size and simplicity of the FM2-N most of the time, but the F3 is a complete tank workhorse. I actually own three of them, and never had a problem with one. The finder is big and gorgeous, and electronics and AE mode are quite convenient sometimes- but I still love that little FM2-N, and I appreciate that it's all mechanical besides the meter. They make a great natural pair to work side-by-side, if you ask me.
 
The only problems I've ever had with my one F3 have been mechanical, and its been pretty beat up over the years. From what I've heard, the quartz timer is very accurate and typically remains so for a long time.

Then again I only really have the one body.
 
drewbarb said:
I use an F3 (with or without the MD-4 drive, depending upon the job) alongside an FM2-N; to be honest I prefer the smaller size and simplicity of the FM2-N most of the time, but the F3 is a complete tank workhorse. I actually own three of them, and never had a problem with one. The finder is big and gorgeous, and electronics and AE mode are quite convenient sometimes- but I still love that little FM2-N, and I appreciate that it's all mechanical besides the meter. They make a great natural pair to work side-by-side, if you ask me.
Click to expand...

How's the finder of the FM2-N compare to the F3HP?

Thanks
Joe
 
Thanks to this thread, I bought one DK-17M to try on an F3 and found I could focus it again. Now I'll get two more. Thanks to the DK-17M, my daily kit is now two F3s, 24 f2.0, 35 1.4, 85 1.4 and 180 2.8. I may dust off the 20 2.8 to replace the 24, but the 20 is pristine and when I use lenses, they don't tend to stay that way. Again, thanks for the DK-17M advice. It turned closet queens into users for my old eyes.
 
Calzone said:
This Sunday is the NYC Meet-Up. I'll be giving Bob a swatch of goat leather and the old leatherette for a template. I'll have someone take some shots to post.

BTW this F3 also features a rare aftermarket grip that I bought at the classified here on RFF, and with a black 45/2.8P AIS (Tessar) this camera looks kinda evil.

Cal
Click to expand...
If I remember correctly, I have seen your set up with the grip and pancake lens. But really looking forward to seeing the leather. Have fun on the meet up!
 
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