arhphotographic

In its technical Manual for the F3, Nikon outlined the design goals it wanted for the camera. It included:

“1)A proven system of automatic and manual exposure control usable with all current Nikon and Nikon series E lenses, 2) full manual digital control of all shutter speeds, 3) a compact yet durable camera body, 4) a battery and metering system able to operate below freezing temperatures, 5) a full line of professional quality accessories, and finally, 6) the capability to cope with every photographic innovation yet to come.”

Lofty goals for the early 1980’s. However 40 years later and the internet is almost unanimous in it’s praise for a camera that continues to excite and inspire further generations of film lovers.

I can honestly say I was not really interested in owning the F3. What?? After all it is only an aperture priority with manual override. For me and my type of photography the F4s was a clear winner for the reasons I stated in my review here.

However, while not offering me the same features as the F4s, it did offer a feature worth considering “a compact yet durable body.” I really enjoy using the F4s, but it is heavy, and there are occasions when it it’s nice to travel light, well light-ish for the 3HP is still a substantial camera. No surprises then, that when one at a very reasonable price and almost ‘minty’ condition F3 came along I snapped it up.

Looking at the above images, there isn’t very much going on in terms of dials and buttons. Perhaps that is part of what makes the camera so appealing, everything that is included is positioned in just the right place. The Nikon F3 that I have is the F3HighPoint due to the DE-3 viewfinder. As a spectacle wearer, being able to see everything in the viewfinder without having to push my glasses up against the camera is a big deal! The viewfinder information includes only shutter speed and f-stop leaving a beautifully uncluttered and bright view of your scene.

The Nikon F3 has to have one of the nicest shutter actuation sounds I have so far encoutered. Have a listen for yourself…

Nice 🙂

But what’s it like to use.

One initial annoyance was that when winding on the film, you have to wait untill the film indicator reaches 1 before the camera switches on the meter. Untill then you get a mechanical 60th of a second shutter. I forgot this, and the fact I had set the film speed for 400 on a 200 ISO film. Dooh ! However this first image turned out ok.

The fact that I was not content to put one roll of film through this camera tells me I was clearly enjoying myself. While I have cameras with more features than those on the F3 I did not feel as though I was missing out. I like this camera a lot. Why? After looking at the result of only two rolls of film, I know I can take the F3 out with me confident that what I imagine, when looking through the viewfinder, the camera will oblige by producing on film what I want. That means a lot to me!

I am sooo pleased I have this camera. While it may not replace the F4s it provides a nice addition. 🙂