nobbylon
Veteran
I'm thinking it must have been modded to do this. i'm keeping my eyes open for an F3P or an F3T. Out of all the Nikons I've had the F3 is by a mile the nicest to use for MF.
De_Corday
Eternal Student
Those of you getting the numeral fade on the LCD... I have found that on at least one of my bodies, the leads were no longer making proper contact with the little LCD block. Try opening up the LCD, blowing any dust off the actual LCD block, reseating it, and making sure to screw the assembly back together tightly. That made some headway on my worst LCD. I intend to go back in with some contact cleaner at some point and see if I can't make the situation better.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
John,
I agree, especially with a DK-17 eyepiece magnifier. I used the F3P with MD-4 with a Noct-Nikkor close focusing. What an amazing rig. Unfortunately I no longer own the Noct-Nikkor (traded it for a 35Lux ASPH).
Cal
menos
Veteran
Noooooooooooooooooohhhhhhh !
De_Corday
Eternal Student
Hey, just developed a roll from my most-used F3, and there are a bunch of blank frames. This one has had known shutter capping issues that disappeared with liberal use of naphtha through the film gate... It's been sub-freezing in NYC all week, and now blank frames are popping up all over my film again... Anyone ever do a proper self-CLA on these? looks like I can get to the bottom of the curtain take-up reel without having to move the flex-board any... would a squirt of naphtha in there do me well?
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Dirk,
I do miss the Noct-Nikkor because it is a unique lens. I really optimized my F3P for use with that lens. I at least traded with a friend, but lately my shooting has become more Leica-centric. It is a lens that someday I will likely replace.
Cal
wakarimasen
Well-known
I only have one, but I like it!
menos
Veteran
Cal, I hope you can trace one once you want it back. It's a difficult lens to replace (impossible actually as there is no other lens like it).
When I sold most of my Nikon SLR gear when I decided for Leica RFs, I kept only two Nikon lenses, which I swore I would hold onto - one of them was the Noct.
I kept it even as I found no camera to focus it precisely (only until recently with a custom made focus screen).
I hope you find what you are looking for with the Leica gear.
De_Corday
Eternal Student
I only have one, but I like it!
Nice! Looks like a real veteran.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Dirk,
My Noct-Nikkor went to a good friend, and if I wanted to I'm sure I could borrow it. One of the problems for guys like us is that we are kinda lucky yet cursed because we own and utilize so much gear. Know that I still think of myself as very lucky and that I still own too much gear.
Becoming more Leica centric though hasn't been much help though.
Cal
menos
Veteran
Haha, Cal - well written, well written - indeed any more gear than temporarily needed for current photography is obscene, but what can an addict do … ?
Lucky you have such great friends! May he enjoy the lens, while you feed your Leica needs (nothing wrong about that at all).
There is only one thing, I still could wish for to have - a possibility to have the optical cell of the Noct-Nikkor in a 50 Noctilux focussing mount, precisely coupled to a Leica M-mount body.
Until that phantasy becomes a real possibility, the Nikon F3 remains the best camera body, to use a f1.2 manual lens focus lens with (to take the curve back to the topic).
Lucky you have such great friends! May he enjoy the lens, while you feed your Leica needs (nothing wrong about that at all).
There is only one thing, I still could wish for to have - a possibility to have the optical cell of the Noct-Nikkor in a 50 Noctilux focussing mount, precisely coupled to a Leica M-mount body.
Until that phantasy becomes a real possibility, the Nikon F3 remains the best camera body, to use a f1.2 manual lens focus lens with (to take the curve back to the topic).
css9450
Veteran
Just picked up an F3AF body for a GREAT price. Looks like its hardly been used! Needs a re-foam though.
I've owned an F and an F2 for close to 20 years, and have been looking for a nice F3 for awhile now just to complete the set. Unless I decide I need an F4 also...
I've owned an F and an F2 for close to 20 years, and have been looking for a nice F3 for awhile now just to complete the set. Unless I decide I need an F4 also...
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
Dirk,
I agree that the F3 and Noct-Nikkor is a match made in heaven.
I also take solace that my friend use to set up sniper rifles while in the military because he has an innate skill of being steady. My friend is able to exploit the true capabilities of the Noct-Nikkor and the shallow DOF. Also know that at one point he owned both a F1 Noctilux and a 0.95 at the same time.
Cal
De_Corday
Eternal Student
I shoot a damn-near foamless F3, and there are no light leaks, so you can get away with it, the back it pretty light-tight regardless... Pay attention to the shutter at the high speeds though... I'm pretty sure foam residue is responsible for my shutter's occasional capping.
Spicy
Well-known
If anyone has a nice, user, non-HP in decent shape (brassing/scratches are fine, as long as everything works well and the viewfinder is clean and in good shape) that hasn't been getting the use it deserves and would like to go to a good home with someone who will treat it well, PLEASE send me a PM.
I've been hunting for one here for a while, but the prices the shopkeepers are asking here are absolutely outrageous (although there was a quite pretty F3HP that the guy wanted $380 for the body), and they've often been sitting in shop-windows, unexercised and wasting away, for at least a decade, and so the film-advances are all gritty and the finders are filthy and awful. I was truly surprised after reading this entire thread; I see everywhere that they are lauded for being super smooth and so I decided I'd like to pick one up. I went out to try them in person, and was astonished at such the cult-like following for what was not smooth at all. I'm attributing it to the abuse/mistreatment they've suffered at the hands of the disinterested shopkeepers (they only care about selling the latest greatest DSLRs).
I've been hunting for one here for a while, but the prices the shopkeepers are asking here are absolutely outrageous (although there was a quite pretty F3HP that the guy wanted $380 for the body), and they've often been sitting in shop-windows, unexercised and wasting away, for at least a decade, and so the film-advances are all gritty and the finders are filthy and awful. I was truly surprised after reading this entire thread; I see everywhere that they are lauded for being super smooth and so I decided I'd like to pick one up. I went out to try them in person, and was astonished at such the cult-like following for what was not smooth at all. I'm attributing it to the abuse/mistreatment they've suffered at the hands of the disinterested shopkeepers (they only care about selling the latest greatest DSLRs).
nobbylon
Veteran
Spicy,
sitting unused isn't going to cause a gritty or dirty viewfinder. F3's are so common and in such plentifull supply that it's easy to pick a good user up for €100-150. I just sold one for 100 and bought another for 100.
Ebay has loads of them.
The film advance on all the F3's I've had (5 so far I think) have all been smoother than even my M2. If it's gritty or anything other than roller bearing smooth then there is something wrong with it.
Dirty finder with an F3 is an easy fix. Take off the prism and clean screen and mirror.
good luck.
sitting unused isn't going to cause a gritty or dirty viewfinder. F3's are so common and in such plentifull supply that it's easy to pick a good user up for €100-150. I just sold one for 100 and bought another for 100.
Ebay has loads of them.
The film advance on all the F3's I've had (5 so far I think) have all been smoother than even my M2. If it's gritty or anything other than roller bearing smooth then there is something wrong with it.
Dirty finder with an F3 is an easy fix. Take off the prism and clean screen and mirror.
good luck.
Calzone
Gear Whore #1
I agree with John above. I bought a like new F3HP for $150.00.
You can get a well worn user for $75.00. There is an ample supply because of the durability.
Cal
You can get a well worn user for $75.00. There is an ample supply because of the durability.
Cal
redisburning
Well-known
the f3hp I have has a film advance better than any other Japanese camera I've ever used.
makes a great combo with zeiss ZF lenses; those have the feel that matches the camera IMO, not the contemporary nikkors.
makes a great combo with zeiss ZF lenses; those have the feel that matches the camera IMO, not the contemporary nikkors.
nobbylon
Veteran
I've just spent the best part of 2 hours carefully cleaning the dreaded black foam from the back of the mirror on my latest F3. It was making the mirror slightly slow to return. Replaced foam with new. Mirror damper looks new so that has been done recently.
You can easily check for this by holding the camera upside down without a lens attached and using the mirror lock up switch, raise the mirror. Now slowly return the switch to normal and see if the rear door sticks to the main mirror at all. If it does then it needs the goo cleaning off.
You can easily check for this by holding the camera upside down without a lens attached and using the mirror lock up switch, raise the mirror. Now slowly return the switch to normal and see if the rear door sticks to the main mirror at all. If it does then it needs the goo cleaning off.
