Nikon F3 Review
The Nikon F3 shown with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AI-S
A Quick Look at The Nikon F3
Nikon F3 - The One to Dream Of?
Back in the mid-eighties, the two main pro contenders in the SLR camera market were the Nikon F3 and Canon F1. Nikon mostly had my attention back then and the Nikon F3 was what I was striving for. I constantly scoured the used market as buying this camera new was out of the question.
It remained a dream until one day when an uninvited intruder stole my Contax MD 137 and a few lenses. Luckily I was fully insured and with a clean slate, I had the chance to pick up the camera of my dreams.
The Nikon F3 came with an impressive MD-4 motor drive capable of shooting 6 fps. It was fun as a show-off feature, but I don’t think I ever tried out the burst mode with film in the camera, and at times it was a daunting task to recharge the 8 AA batteries you needed to power it.
It is hard to recall my exact lens setup but I do remember the wonderful Nikkor 105mm f/2.5 AI-S, a great portrait lens. And at some point, I recall using a Tamron 24mm with the F3 as well.
More importantly, the used kit I bought came with a yellow Nikon windbreaker and I was wearing it proudly for years :)
As the story goes, I eventually sold my Nikon F3 and if you look closely you will notice I returned to Contax and Zeiss lenses. I believe this photo is from around 1990. You will also see me using my Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex, which I still have to this day.
Buying a Nikon F3 on eBay
The few Nikon F3 cameras I found on the used market in Vancouver were either beaten up or it was the Nikon F3 HP (high eye-point) version. I wanted the same eye-level viewfinder that I used to have and ended up with a near-mint version found on eBay from Japan.
I paid about $400.00 including shipping and duties/taxes and the Nikon F3 arrived within a few days and appeared as described.
Nikon F3 - History
The Nikon F3 was the pro-SLR of the eighties and nineties with an impressive production run of more than two decades starting in 1980. There was a variety of Nikon F3 models released from standard to titanium versions, a high eyepoint version (HP), a version with a data back, and then some.
Credit goes to Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro for the striking looks of the Nikon F3 and even forty years later I find it quite appealing.
Nikon F3 Specs
The Nikon F3 is known as a rugged and reliable pro-SLR camera and features an electronic max. shutter speed of 1/2000s with a somewhat disappointing 1/80s sync speed.
You will need batteries to operate the full range of shutter speeds but the F3 has a 1/90s mechanical shutter speed should you run out of batteries in the field.
The Nikon F3 Thirty-Five Years Later
I had seen a few Nikon F3 cameras around the world during my travels and in my local photo store, Beau Photo, here in Vancouver, so I kind of knew what to expect. I had not handled an F3 for a long time and the body size was indeed bigger and heavier than the Nikon FM2n I sold to get F3. The Nikon F3 weighs approx. 25.2 os, 715 g.
Yes, I sold my Nikon FM2n and I probably shouldn’t have. I much prefer the size, feel, and weight of the FM2 compared to the F3. I did, however, miss being able to shoot in aperture priority mode on the FM2 and thought, why not give the F3 a try?
Handling the Nikon F3
The Nikon F3 does feel good in the hand and its heft becomes apparent immediately. I do like the fact that you can operate the camera with the film advance lever flush with the body unlike on the FM2 where you have to move it out at an angle.
The camera is best described as a big clunker and I may as well mention right away that I felt some remorse for the switch from the FM2n.
Nikon F3 in Action
Of all the SLRs I have tried in the last year or so, I was surprised that I had trouble focusing on the Nikon F3. This could, of course, have something to do with my aging eyesight. In a fun but irrelevant coincidence, my birth year of ‘64 matched the last two digits in the serial number of this F3.
I had the friendly folks a Beau Photo in Vancouver cross-check the camera and they confirmed that it was fine in regards to focusing. Still, I find that focusing is easier for me on my Canon AV-1 and Nikon EM.
At Beau Photo I also tried the Nikon F3 HP, the high-eyepoint version, and realized I should have done more research before jumping the gun on my eye-level version. With the Nikon F3 HP version, the prism is larger and the viewfinder is easier to see, especially if you wear glasses.
I also found it easier to see the LCD display at the top of the viewfinder with the high eye-point version displaying the shutter speed along with the aperture chosen without having to move my eye right up to the viewfinder.
Nikon F3 Issues
I would normally run a couple of rolls of film through a camera before posting my take on it. On the second roll, however, I had a couple of problems. First of all the back popped open after five frames rendering the first few frames useless after being exposed to daylight.
The second problem was not discovered until I got the film back from the lab and all frames showed completely dark. The lab told me it appeared to be a common issue with older cameras and they suspected I had a sticky shutter resulting in overexposed frames.
It is always disappointing getting blank rolls of film back, a film with overlapping frames, or other issues but as I am learning, this is part of the game when you start using gear that has been around for that long.
Nikon F3 Conclusion
I ended up returning the Nikon F3 to the eBay vendor and so far have not had any problems with the process. As a matter of fact, I just shipped it out today and now await a refund. Beau Photo told me that issues with the Nikon F3 are common and that they can be tricky to fix.
I will not continue my pursuit of another Nikon F3. Mostly because I prefer my lighter SLRs and ultimately the Nikon FE2 may be the right camera for me as it has the rugged feel in a smaller and lighter package while offering the aperture priority shooting mode that I always gravitate towards.
Back in the eighties, bigger was always better, and such was the case with the Nikon F3. While the F3 still remains a highly praised camera among film shooters I found out that it is no longer what I dream of.
This does not mean it wasn’t fun to try. It certainly has strengths but also a few weaknesses. I am sure if you can find an excellent working Nikon F3 HP it could be a worthwhile venture.
Update: June 2022
As it happened, I have had a change of heart about giving the Nikon F3 another chance, and since this review was written I have indeed bought another F3, this time a Nikon F3 HP version. You can read more about this in my Nikon F3 follow-up review here:
Please see the sample images below. The negatives in this post were copied using a Fujifilm X-Pro2, an AF Micro Nikkor 60mm f/2.8D lens, and Skier Sunray Copybox 3. RAW files were imported to Lightroom and I used the Negative Lab Pro Lightroom plugin to convert the files.
Nikon F3 - Sample Images
Please click to view larger images.
Nikon SLR and F-Mount Lens Reviews
Nikon F
Nikon FM3a
Nikon FM2n
Nikon FE2
Nikon EM
Voigtländer Ultron 40mm f/2 SL IIs
Voigtländer Nokton 55mm f/1.2 SL IIs
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