A note about my camera reviews, my write-ups tend to be very short, and I go light on the specs. There are good places online that give extensive lists of features for all sorts of cameras. I don't try to repeat any of that. I prefer to stick to personal impressions and maybe a little history.
According to the serial number, this camera left the factory in Japan in 1985. I bought it at a used camera store 10 years later. This is the camera that I grew into. It's the one that I really learned how to take a decent photo with. It's 32 years old now, and as solid a machine as the day I bought it.
The F3 was introduced in 1980 as the third in Nikon's professional "F" series. Nikon kept it in production for a ridiculous 16 years, even as they were churning out the F4 and F5 cameras which superseded it technologically. It was the first of Nikon's professional line to have an electronic controlled shutter allowing aperture-priority autoexposure. It is a gorgeous piece of industrial design. It's shape came from the mind of a fellow named Gioretto Giuiaro, who was responsible for designing famed automobiles such as the DeLorean. It was also tough and insanely over-engineered.
The manual film advance lever is silky smooth. Every control is a perfectly positioned physical button, knob, ring, or lever. No menus, just the way I like it! The only thing that seems even remotely capable of breaking off is the tiny multiple exposure film release which I hardly ever use. If you are already familiar with Nikon's F2 or F4, then you will find that all the good stuff is where it is supposed to be on the F3. If not, I recommend purchasing or downloading a copy of the very short user's manual.
If you use power-thirsty digital equipment, then you are used to carrying around special batteries that need constant recharging. Manual cameras made roughly from the early 1970s to the late 1980s typically use the same basic button-style batteries that are still used today in low-power household electronics such as calculators and kitchen timers. For the Nikon F2, F3, and FM/FE series cameras, you will need a pair of 1.5-volt SR-44 type batteries or a single 2L76 3-volt battery. These are easily found at any pharmacy, and will last you for months or even years depending on how often you shoot. If you are traveling, and you are still unsure, you can just buy some spare batteries and keep the package in your shirt pocket.
The F3 was a system camera with a plethora of available viewfinders and focusing screens, most of which were made for very specific professional applications and are completely useless to general photographers. The most common DE-3 finder and the standard "K" focusing screen are all that you will ever need. The view through the camera is big and bright and viewfinder coverage is near 100% making the framing of your shot accurately a breeze. Looking into the viewfinder, you can see everything without having to press the camera violently into your face.
There was a blistering fast motordrive called the MD-4 available which you can still find. Forget the MD-4, though. Let's face it, if you are a pro who needs high frames per second today, you are using a DSLR. People who shoot film today do it for the simple joy of taking their time. The MD-4 needs eight AA size batteries and turns the F3 into one heavy beast. The extra weight on the back of your neck will send you to the chiropractor every time you go out shooting.
The F3 is awesome, but, not perfect. In order to have an interchangeable viewfinder, the camera had to get a weird flash shoe located at the rewind crank. Nikon finally figured out how to wire the electronics through removable prisms with the F4. If you are going to do flash photography with an F3, your best bet is to get the specially designed Nikon SB-12 flash. Looking into the viewfinder, you will see a little LCD that shows you your shutter speed and a +/- exposure reading. The brighter the available light, the easier it is to read the LCD. There is a little electric backlight for the LCD, but it's almost useless.
The F3 was the professional choice thirty years ago, but what does the old workhorse have to offer us today? A powerful creative tool in the world of analog photography. The F3 makes you the master. Personal control of everything important (framing, focus, depth of field, and exposure) are as intuitive as you'll find with any camera at any price.
No comments:
Post a Comment