Nikon F3 - Nikon's Crown Jewel
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- This camera makes me feel like I actually know what I'm doing.
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All sample photos shot on Kodak Portra 160.
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Definitely the most i've ever learnt in a review, crazy informative, loved it.
+NegativeFeedback glad I could shed some light on this heated era of photography, so happy you enjoyed the little history lesson! Thank you so much for the love!
Drops 2 F1 rivalry references with in the first minuet of your video? You just instantly got my subscription.
Just got an F3hp. I wanted an F3 when they first came out but life intervened and it never happened. So scroll on 37 years and I`m on You Tube and I come across this review. It reminded me of how I felt when I first saw a Nikon F3, so I bought one! Right now I`m a Canon user. (5d mark iii, 1d mark iii) Cheers Mike I`m now an F3 user and happy as Larry.
Inspired me to sell anything digital I had and buy an F3 with a 35mm 1.4 AI-S. Absolutely in love with this kit.
That's a big move, I'm proud of you!! So excited to hear you've clicked so well with the camera!!
You talk like you were there in the early 1970's during the rivalry haha :) The F3 is awesome. Thumbs up
I was there to experience all that he just expressed in the video. And my emotions are stunningly similar to his. Wow!
I bought one in 1980 and still have it. I put thousands of rolls of film through it and never had a problem. It was the camera the pros used.
This is what a review is supposed to be! You don't just read of specs, you show your passion for the camera, whilst giving us its fascinating background.
Bless you man! There's a lot more to a camera than meets the eye!
Picked up a Nikon F3 last month because I wanted to get into film, this video was one of the ones that convinced me to get this. Got the body for $125 on Ebay and 2 lenses (Nikkor 28mm f/2.8, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8) for a price that I couldn't pass up. got my first 2 rolls developed and scanned and I gotta say, this is way better than anything i've used yet. every single one of my shots was sharp and the exposure was just perfect! Now i'm starting to look at some rangefinders (X-Pan!). Thanks for the review!
You got yourself a mean piece of kit, Steven! Enjoy the camera, and best of luck on your X-Pan hunt!
F3 is great, I've got one. What is great about it now is that it is so simple and elegant, no menus, few buttons, doesn't beep at ya -- elegant. I disagree about the history. Nikon was used by at least 2/3 of professional 35mm photographers before the F3. And many didn't like the F3 when it came out, electronic, battery dependent except for one mechanical shutter speed, there was that warning that the LCD might have to be replaced (nobody knew at that time how long LCDs would last), and pros loved their heavy mechanical Fs and F2s and didn't want to change. And while Canon and Minolta got more and more electronic and technical, Nikon was conservative about advances. Instead of comparing the F3 to the Canon F1 and F1n,, compare it to the Canon A-1 with multi-mode automation, which Minolta had earlier. The solidity, simplicity and durability was what sold the F3, and kept it in stock for over 20 years, not its technical advances. Same btw is true of the Nikon FM series, which is STILL sought after because the FM, FM2 and FM3A are simple and mechanical, no menus or displays, and with dials not buttons. So I disagree that the F3 blew away its competition -- it was far less advanced than Canons and Minoltas.
Along with the F3, Canon F-1 was very popular among professionals in that era, especially among sports and nature photographers. Yet I love the way this guy talk about fake history. The F3 is extremely durable; the AE feature makes it really handy; its design is really unique and impressive. Historic camera.
You lost me at "the LX, it was OK..."
No doubt the F3 is a legend, but I find the greatest pleasure in the use of an LX.
Have you shot with one? Pretty much every spec you praised in the F3 is true of the LX with pluses.
Mechanical back up from 1/75 through ALL the fast speeds if battery fails, not just one speed.
Weather sealing. Lockup. Dof preview. Modular. Smaller. Lighter.
And OTF metering that is still unmatched... in AE it adjusts off the plane on-the-fly even in the pitch dark (sensitive to -7 EV) for as long as the exposure takes, even if the amount of light changes *during* exposure. The thing is a masterpiece. Pentax just never catered to the pro market in that time or since. Maybe a detriment in some ways, but doesn't detract from the camera.
Just sayin. :) I'm a rabid fan of it obviously even with mad respect for the F3.
Damn, I knew the LX had an insane internal meter but I had no idea it could adjust on-the-fly like that, that is absolutely mind-melting! Credit where credit is due, the LX sounds like a beast of a camera!
So is the F3, just so you don't get me wrong. I just couldn't sit by and hear "LX is just OK"! :D
And one correction (if my memory is correct - I won't swear to this but I'm reasonably sure...) the LX actually came just a few months after the F3 (1980), and many have surmised that if it'd been the other way around, the pro market may well have gone the other direction. Of course Pentax getting behind the pro market more solidly would have helped as well, but they were always more 'everyday user' oriented, so that could just be a moot point.
If you haven't ... hold one and shoot with it. Everything else aside, all bells and whistles, for my money and my hands personally, the LX just feels and balances better than any other SLR camera.
And I don't blame you for that! I went back to the video and threw in a new annotation to give the LX the credit it deserves and hopefully make up for my error. I'm very glad you spoke up! This was also hands down the most civilized critique I've ever been a part of on RUclips, so thank you for that as well!
Hahaha. Thanks -to you as well. I generally subscribe to the "don't read the comments" mantra. But oh well, there's some good in the world. :)
Another great video! I have always wanted a F3HP and I am kicking myself for not purchasing one when they were selling on eBay for $125-200 last year. I main reason why I have not pulled the trigger on purchasing a F3, is because I have owned a 'rare reliable' Nikon FA since 2004 that has always filled my need for a manual focus SLR. But I have always said to myself, that if my viewfinder LCD on the FA fail on me, I will buy a F3 for sure! I have played around with the F3 at my local camera shop in the past. It has the sweetest film advance and shutter release of any manual camera I have held in my hands.
+tmway84 the F3's shutter advance is second to none, apparently the secret behind it is an excessive amount of bearings - seems like Nikon over engineered every bit of this camera. I'm not too familiar with the FA, but I've heard it's regarded as one of Nikon's most technically advanced film cameras!
Agree. I'm such an F3 geek, owning three... I love shooting with it. When out shooting street, I'm often stopped by other buffs who want to check it out. The pure feeling of handling it is superb. All of this is really very subjective, but I'm ok with that. If it makes me feel great, it shows in the photos. :)
I have 2 F3HP's. The first I bought at Charlotte Camera many years ago and it has all the dents, dings, and cosmetic wear that you were talking about. I bought the second from the "Used" dept. at B&H. This one was pristine........clean, no dents and even came with the MD4 motor drive. Both perform like they are new. It's got to be the best balanced camera that Nikon ever made.
I have the F2 and the F3hp. love my F3 and shoot it all the time. TRI-X 400 lives in it.
Smartest man in the comments! Well, maybe the 2nd smartest! LOL
The F3 actually was universally hated because of the devilish electronics inside. For at least two or three years used F2's were sold at prices higher than new F3's were because people ran around in circles because of the electronics. Not because they were unreliable (The F3 is one of the toughest 35mm cameras ever) but because people thought the electronics would fry in a year or two. It was a great camera nonetheless, a tiny bit like the transition from analog to digital.
Brilliant review Mike. The F3 was the pinnacle of SLR tech and design in the early eighties. I started using Minolta and had an XG9, XD7 & X700, before switching to a Nikon FM2n and have never looked back. Digital is brilliant, but even the pro cameras lack the character of the film bodies and glass.
This video changed my life
I have the same opinion with the Nikon F2. In S.E. Asia and in Lebanon I stayed with the F2 as it needed no batteries. Three bodies, a 28mm f2.0, 85mm f1.8 and a 180mm f2.8. That was my kit. I own twelve F2 bodies, nine F3 HP bodies and over thirty Nikkor lenses. I still use them. Great gear!
I seen your video and went and bought an f3....and I now understand your enthusiasm.
I like the F3 and used it a lot in its day but a lot of what you are saying isn’t quite accurate and the real history is more interesting. Actually, the modular design (removable finder) started with the F in 1959 and was a kludge to turn the S rangefinder into an SLR. The F2 and F3 carried that on but for little real world benefit. The F3 was slow to launch because the F2 was so entrenched and pros feared the batteries would die in the cold. The LCD shutter speed read out was a big step backwards from the F2 finder but necessary to preserve battery life. Mirror lockup was another kludge and carryover from the F to mount early ultrawide Nikkors that stuck deep into the mount and would hit the mirror. MLU reduced vibration somewhat but the shutter caused plenty of vibration of its own for the applications that supposedly benefited from it such as micro photography.
I've watched this vid three times now just to hear the excitement come out of you! I am seriously considering buying an F3 but also can't wait to see another video of yours done with so much gustó!
You can never go wrong with the F3! It definitely inspires a particular passion, but then again maybe I just freak out over any clacky old camera. Either way, they're all joys to use and the F3 really separates itself from the pack! A legendary camera like this demands some serious enthusiasm!
Wish I had jumped into film earlier. They just keep going up.
Hey Mike- Nice report on the Nikon F3. I was a staff photojournalist in Massachusetts in the 1980's when the company handed me a F3 with an MD-4. I also had an F2 Photomic but I always preferred the weight and superb ergonomics of the F3. I could rewind and reload with incredible speed. It felt so good in my hands that I sometimes thought it was an extension of my hands! Anyway....nice report. Always nice to see another fan of the F3!
This is the ultimate testament to the F3's abilities! Thanks to photojournalists like yourself, Nikon made an absurdly robust camera that slugs off shutter cycles shot after shot and happily continues to snap away and endure!
Just picked up a mint F3HP with 50mm F1.8 pancake lens. It’s absolutely fantastic.
I'm a long time F2 user from way back and I absolutely still love it!....I recently decided to purchase a mint F3T in black which is coming next week and have been looking through videos of the F3 in preparation for it's arrival. I'm looking forward to using the aperture priority function on the F3 with my ai lenses.
That's awesome to hear, Peter - enjoy the camera!!
Personally I've always had a thing for the F4. But you're not wrong either. Also, I'd say it's far more desirable than any digital SLR - so it wins two crowns! For digital, mirrorless makes more sense, but that's a whole other topic. ;-)
But I did have an F3 once, back in '04, and I took it with me wherever I went. I took it into a doctor's waiting room while waiting for a friend, and I took a shot of the nice old chandelier, which I still have somewhere. Back then, I thought I'd never want to shoot film again, so I gave it away. But, no regrets!
My Nikon F3HP is the BOMB... and I have a 105, f2 and a 50mm F1.8 and a 28mm F2 lens.. and they are a blast to shoot with!
Fantastic combo!!
I have made many pictures with several F3 camera's. I think it is very dependable camera proving even Nikon wrong, when they indicated (in 1980) that the LCD read-out might need replacing after 6-7 years.
But while the F3 has now reached a cult status, if used prices of today are an indicator, it is not the camera in it's class (professional manual focus, A or M selective, exchangeable finders and screens, robust build etc.) that is tops. That position for me takes the Minolta X-1 / XK / XM. Sure, slower response of the CDS cells in the first AE-finder, later to be up to speed with the AE-S finder, but it was on the market in 1973.
Doing everything already the Nikon F3 did 7 years later, while the fully mechanical F2 was ridiculed by Nikon's clowneske 'automatic exposure' gizmo's that motored the diafgma's in combination with selected Photomic finders. And once Minolta brought out the Motordrive version, like an F4 with build in drive, it proved more dependable than the iffy MD's for the F2 range. In retrospect, the XM /XM Motor was too advanced for its time, and Minolta simply did not have the street credit Nikon already had build up with the 'F'.
But if you can lay your hands on one, and discover the sublime under- or override exposure level at your tumb and thus correct the AE on the fly (on the F3 you have to dial that in which is only fine for architecture) you might come, like me, to the conclusion that Minolta had a superior concept to what any other japanese company was putting out at the time. Any collector who is or was also as serious photographer should have a Nikon F3 AND a Minolta X-1 / XK or XM, the Miolta by far the most interesting.
How these ingenious camera's function today, I do not know, as they still are relatively unknown if not forgotten. Incidently. so is their astounding range of optics. But for a today's every day user, your best bet is the F3 that simply has a very, very good reputation for dependability and a do all, do well practicality.
After having watched this video five to ten times, I know what I want for christmas. Great review!
Dude! I've watched all your videos - you need to make more! Keep up the amazing work and the F3 rocks! If I were only allowed to own one camera, it would be the F3.
I think I'd have to agree with you! The F3 seems like a very natural choice for any occasion.
I've been slacking something fierce with the videos, I need to get my things together again!
Sweet Nikon goodness: CHECK. Amusing annotations: CHECK. Classic F1 references: CHECK.
Loving this channel. Honestly, your videos are well produced, funny, and informative to boot. I've binge watched every video in a night and can't wait for more :)
2000 Subscribers!!! Congratulations on that milestone! I am looking forward to new Videos.
I like the F3 but I don't think by any means that it's the crown jewel of manual Nikons. I honestly hate the LCD meter, as well as the, impossible to locate in the dark, red backlight button. I have a number of Nikons and at night I'd much rather have my FG's LED meter. I don't own one (yet) but it seems to me that a more appropriate crown jewel might be the FM2. Match needle meters are stepless and easy to use in any light, and since it's mechanical if your batteries die you aren't limited to the 1/80th backup. Adding to that the total bullshit proprietary flash shoe/slow x-sync on the F3 and you have some serious issues if you're wanting a real workhorse. That said, it is a fine camera and soooo solid. You are 100% on point re the film advance, whether they're ball or needle bearings, that shit is smoooth.
Hi, nice video there...
i gotta say it's nice to see young generation still cares about film cameras and cameras history, makes me feel a bit normal and not alone :)
the only thing i disagree with you about is "the most versatile camera" part, it's a fact that nikon never changed their mount so all lenses will mount on the F3, however all the auto-focus lenses doesn't work on the F3, which makes the F4 (the first nikon camera with auto-focus) the most versatile nikon camera, the only thing that doesn't work on it is the VR, i own it, it's amazing, you gotta try it, and i'm trying to find a good copy of F3 to add to my collection as well.
correct. the F4 can even use the g lenses without the aperture ring in T mode.
Still I prefer the F3 to the F4, but I also prefer the F2 to the F3.
I've had a Nikon FM2n for ages and I think it's the best. Runs without batteries and it's really sturdy.
yes, you are right....... got to try out a friends.........I've had a Nikomat since 1984...used it all over the US and Europe ....but .... the F3 is it baby!
Yo I found a Nikon F3 in my garage with a bunch of lenses and filters it's the sweetest thing and I can't wait to get it working
God damn, that's amazing!! What's the verdict, did it come back to life??
I use the Canon al-1 with the fd 85mm f1.8 because it's a cheaper option, but i think it pretty similar :)
Every Nikkor lens works , canon not
just bought mine. waiting eagerly to arrive!
YES!!! That's so exciting, I already know you're going to love it!
Man i'm an owner of the FM2 and now looking for sure about the F3. I have the 50mm F1.2 and it's awesome. Beautiful channel and awesome videos. Keep making more
I drool over that 50mm 1.2 all the time, such a killer lens! Glad you're enjoying the channel, excited to keep the videos coming!
Obsessed with my F3. This video sold me on it.
I love your videos and keep watching everyone over and over again wishing you would post more
The Canon A1 has the viewfinder curtain as well
After I saw this video I bought this camera.
Great introduction to the F3! Been shooting with squeaky old Canon AE1-P and now I'm considering to get this one. Also liked your The Toronto Times -zine, simple with good amount of text, photos and pleasant layout.
+lakksed blessed, thank you for the love man. So stoked you enjoyed The Toronto Times, can't wait to build on it in the future!
"Yo.........."? I was cutting my photo chops back in the 80s and yes, the F3 HP was the dominant SLR on the market at the time, no an easy thing to admit from a Canon F1 shooter. Nikon ran the tables at the time. I was primarily a news shooter (hate the word photojournalist), UPI, AP ect....and 70% of my colleagues were ladened with F3s, F2s and FM2s, while we Canon shooters were left out to defend for ourselves. Most papers that had equipment were 100% Nikon and did not stock Canon gear, so we had to supply our own lenses or beg, borrow or steal others to complete assignments, some publications simply would not hire Canon shooters (though they would not say that outright). But we Canon shooters would have the 90s and much of the early 21st century to ourselves. Now it seems that there is a 'detante' of sorts as both platforms are for the most part equal in the digital age, no one really dominates the other. That said, I did almost give into the Nikon dark side as I played around with an F3 for a few weeks. I came very close to defecting, however the costs of switching were too high, so I stuck it out with Canon and never looked back.
Hahaha nice story there! 'i came very close to defecting'
Love how you compared the cameras to formula 1 rivals, great video.
Also, this camera is the only one I managed to load a film in such a way that I have extra 3-5 exposures. So on film with 36 exposures, I managed to get about 38 to 41 exposures. That's an awesome feature to load a film in this way.
Have used many Nikon bodies, but, have to agree....The F3 and FM2N are my favourite cameras. Built to last. Unlike today's plastic toy's!.
There's an unparalleled sense of ruggedness in these cameras that emanates as soon as you pick them up. Truly incredible stuff!
I greatly enjoy this video. The F3 crossed my mind quite often, although I am almost set to get myself a Contax RTS II (a contemporary of the F3).
+robert wählt the RTS II might be the most reliable camera Contax ever released and it is certainly the most reliable of the RTS series. They come paired with some AMAZING Zeiss lenses and they top the charts for legacy 50mm lenses.
You should try out the F5 and the F100. I own both of these. The Nikon F100, I had owned for the past ten plus years and it still works. I have just acquired the F5 just recently and it works well in low light and hot temperatures at the beach. Peace, Flood!
I swapped the F3 for an F2 because I needed something all mechanical that can handle extreme temperatures. It gets mad cold here in Toronto and batteries don't last all too long when it's -30C. Peace my guy!
The closest that got in the north eastern states is maybe zero degrees Fahrenheit or maybe -10F. The F100 could take the cold and 90F degree weather.
So - I just got a f3, 1980 model. In box. unused. I can’t wait to get a roll of film through the bastard.
I remember when these cost over $1400! I bought one like new in the box on eBay for $200 8 years ago. Great camera. Replaced my FM. The meter display really stinks though. Wish it had the match needle from FE cameras.
Yes! Finally a new video, and it's about my one and only favorite camera! I love the f3. Now all I need to find is an affordable Stylus epic to tag along..
+Eliseo Torres the F3 and Stylus Epic would be a stunning one-two punch combo!
Yeah, Nikon F3 is definitely one of the best ever. But have you ever used Minolta XD. It's not that modifiable, but it's on the same level with most the features you might want.
I love my F3P. My favorite camera among those that I've ever held in my hands.
+Kirill Morozov the F3P truly is a weapon for the focused photographer, it deserves endless praise!
Senna and Prost?!! What an awesome reference.
And what a legendary rivalry! I wonder if we'll ever see such passionate driving again in F1.
we're two brothers from the same camera mother. F3 is my slow-paced critical composition camera. M4 is my fast-paced street camera. i'm also crazy handsome.
We're long lost brothers, bonded together through good looks and good taste in cameras 👌🏼
Great info Mike. my black F3/T score showed up today! I've already loaded Superia 400 into the back!
Hmmmm that isnt really the history as I remember it but, what would I know I was only alive then - giggle. There really wasnt any rivalry. I speak from a UK perspective I must admit. Basically if you meant business you bought a Nikon F2 or a Leica M4. Nobody looked at Canons or Minoltas as they werent considered professional. Canon wasnt really taken seriously till the EOS1 and then it took off like a train. If you were in commercial photog you bought a Hasselblad or a Mamiya C330. I was seduced by Germany and bought a black Rollie SL35 with Zeiss lenses; I was using a Rollieflex in the 50s. As the market evolved the main competition didnt come from Canon but from the Olympus OM1 used by protogs and top journos like David Bailey and Jane Bown. With hindsight I prefer the Olympus cameras to the Nikon. I switched later and bought a lovely black FM2n which i still think is the best SLR ever made; it is a pure camera that doesnt need a battery (it just runs the manual meter). Nothing on the FM2n is surplus to requirements and it feels like ordnance in teh hand. I changed the screen to a plain micro matte; something I now regret as my eyesight has gone. I have to admit I never noticed the F3, it went under my radar but by the time it came out the golden age was over really, I guess as the very glossy photojourno mags were vanishing from the stores being replaced by the sort of mags we got until recently. I was aware of the F3 but not to the same extent as the earlier Nikons. People at the time prefered teh F2 because of the lack of batteries, a big consideration in a war zone. In teh golden age nikon and mamiya adverts were really several pages driven by a top photojournalist or artist. Or maybe i just got too busy to notice, who knows. But I do remember the early 70s fondly ;-)
ruclips.net/video/jgH6OlZsihM/видео.html You will enjoy this video i think, notice the press pack, all Nikon and Olympus ;-)
+Vici Martynov Vici, I’m always absolutely flabbergasted by the wealth of knowledge you share in these comment sections! I never knew Olympus played such a central role in that era of photojournalism; seeing the gear the press were using in the video you linked really reinforced Olympus’ presence!
The FM2n is definitely a ‘pure’ camera and it will undoubtedly continue to endure, it has a wonderful balance between mechanical reliability and exposure assistance. Out of curiosity, what drives you more to Olympus as opposed to Nikon?
I’d love to study up on the impact photojournalism had and the public role it played throughout the 70s, my goodness we’ve had such a departure from that level of respect and adoration for the craft. It’s crazy to think that any publication would dedicate full spreads and sections to the photographic arts.
That's an interesting point of view and I'm totally following what you're saying, nobody was shooting 35mm for commercial photography back then. But for sports and news (in the 1980s, when the F3 was made), 9 out of ten were using top of the line Canons because the lenses were a bit cheaper (400mm and up). Then there was the oddball artsy guy who was shooting Nikon because the lenses were a tad better. ;-))
What world were you living in during the '80's? 99 out of 100 Professional Photojournalists were using the Nikon F3 system. Most of the highly awarded photos of the '80's were captured by the F3hp. Nikkor Lenses are the best 35mm based glass ever made. The F3 was indestructible and mated with the MD-4 was perfectly balanced in the hand. No other film camera had more accessories which opened up the opportunity to capture images that had before only been the stuff of dreams.
The difference between the Nikon F3 and it's few challengers is the system, the brutal over-engineering, and the confidence that can only be appreciated by going to the edge for a shot, assignment after assignment and knowing that any other film SLR could likely fail... But not the F3.
This is my view of the importance of the last great Pro SLR.
havent really got a clue have you, I was actually living through the 50s, 60s and 70s and 80s; in fact still alive today last time i looked in a mirror. In fact, my father was a society photographer taking minor aristocracy and the landed gentry plus photojournalism work for which he used a Leica. The society work he used medium and large format he would have laughed if you had suggested he used 35mm for proper work. In fact I chose Nikon as an act of paternal defiance. Yes, most protogs used Nikon but, I think top agencies like Magnum would disagree that all, they pretty much entirely used Leica as were many other global agencies. You havent even mentioned Pentax, Canon or Mamiya which I suppose you imagine made up the other 1%; God that is ridiculous. Many pros were still using Olympus though their grasp of teh market was declining in the 80s, David Bailey comes principally to mind but his contemporaries mostly used medium format. Fact is only photojournalists used 35mm for convenience, nobody else took 35mm seriously. I remember in the 80s and 90s at work in the aerospace industry we only used Hasselblad; my suggestion we might buy some Nikon was treated with derision by the photo department. A situation we are starting to see reassert it self today with medium format replacing full frame. Just because Nikon makes up its own history and promotes itself doesnt mean it was the only or even the best manufacturer. I would never have bought a F3 I hated the things. I didnt replace my Rollei gear till I bought a FM2n at the end of the 80s, in my opinion a far better camera. In fact for the same reason the F3 never really was as popular as the F2 and most journos refused to buy the F3 because of its requirement for battery and prefered the F2. Nikon has never made the best lenses though still bloody good, only hard working and good quality lenses. In fact better than anything Nikon makes today. Leica and Zeiss always made the best lenses which is why back then I used Zeiss before I switched to Nikon. I have only just stropped using Nikon this year. I have switched to Leica, my father is laughing his head off in heaven.
Interesting really, just looked at Times most influencial 100 photos of all times. Almost none of them is taken on a Nikon camera, most are on a Leica or medium format. Most of teh best photos were Nikon? Really? On this evidence I wonder if anybody bought a F3 at all hmmmm Even the Moon landing was taken on a Hasselblad!!!
I'm loving the magazine! Thank you :)
New video? Yes! I've been looking into the F3 a lot recently. This may be a sign to buy one...
Glad I could be so topical with this video! Definitely try and get your hands on an F3, they're phenomenal.
The F3 is a nice camera. I have not personally owned one but I have played around with one. For what I was doing at the time I preferred my Canons or my Nikon FM which was beautiful. My only issue with Nikon is overpriced glass and inconsistency in quality of their designs. What I mean by that is my FM was a dream but my N2020 was an unreliable and flacky camera. My Canon T-70s were consistently better performers. But I guess you get that with any manufacturer. Although my experience with Pentax has also been pretty consistent. As for being the most versatile SLR camera ever that was done about 2 decades before in Germany and to this day I think is the most versatile film cameras every made and that is the Exakta. Exakta was the first professional SLR. Their cameras were not only equipped to do the usually stuff like journalism, sports, magazines etc but they also have a vast array of accessories for stuff like doing scientific work and documentation work (like passports). Different variants were made in both East and West Germany and the parts are pretty much interchangeable so you have even more interesting selection. The only reason why the Japanese firms outpaced them was when cameras became more electronic Japan was where the electronics boom was. Just like in the golden again of the mechanical cameras the best clockwork and the best optics were already being made in Germany since the 1700s. That is why Voightlander was the oldest camera company on the planet.
F3 press was also weather sealed !
Thank you for mentioning that, Tomislav!
I agree with you on everything but the Nikon F2AS just feels that much more special. I totally recommend you getting a F2. The shooting experience is amazing. I enjoy a F2 over a Leica any day.
I actually already own an F2 😉 It's the perfect camera for the colder seasons, one of few cameras that can hold up to -30C here in Toronto.
+Mike Janik you need to do a video on it man!!! It's my all time favorite camera!
Macoy Pizzuti you know I absolutely will! The lens for my F2 is being serviced at the moment but I'll shoot a fresh roll for the F2 review as soon as that lens is back!
+Mike Janik can't wait man! I'm in love with your channel. My f2 is currently in the hands of Sover Wong I can't wait for it to come back, it's been the longest three weeks!
Macoy Pizzuti thank you so much man!! This must have been an excruciating three weeks but you're almost there! And just think, your F2 will be good as new ready for so many new adventures!
Most Nikon F3 RUclips reviews are so boring and bogged down. This is completely the opposite, Full of energy and enthusiasm, Thanks, I just purchased a mint F3 from Ebay
A camera is more than the sum of its parts, and I need to showcase that! Congratulations on your F3 purchase, you scored yourself an amazing camera!
Thanks for this video man, super informative - plus I'm debating getting this camera and you've sold me on it 🙌
Cons :
1) Shutter only 1/2.000
2) Meter Display so Dark, and broken easily
I love your style man. Maybe you could make a video on what you like to shoot, how you shoot, or what you feel your style is. I think I'd enjoy that a ton. Keep it up!
That's a dope idea! Could definitely go in depth on artistic process and style. Can't thank you enough for your support and suggestion, Nate!
nice f1 references
got the nikon FG, nothing compared to the F3, I'm sure of that, but love the FG, getting sucked into the nikkor lenses, got the 16mm AIS, and 20mm AIS, 2.8, thinking about the 35mm 1.4 AIS, looking at the F3's, The FG makes such a huge clunk when the shutter fires, but like the results, I'm hooked on slide film.
The FG is much under-rated. Example: the FG was issued a few months before the FA, so NIkon put the best parts of its new, high-tech metering system fmor the FA into the FG. So if you want to use aperature priority metering with pre-Ai-s lenses, the FG estimates the auto-exposure before exposure, but it rechecks again once the aperature has closed and further adjusts shutter timing as necessary. Light but strong. Downside: not repairable now, so if you like yours, buy one or two more - they are cheap. Otherwise, everything about the F# that Mike says - me too.
Totes love my FG! Way underrated. I much prefer the meter to the F3. Re: the "clunk": have you replaced the pads?
Kinda strikes me as a Minolta XE-7 with a removeable prism and 1/2000 added on minus the metal Leitz-Copal shutter. Still want one though
I have been shooting with my Canon F1-N for a couple years now and I am in no hurry to sell but I have always wanted to own an F3 at the very least try one so if you are ever in California lets swap cameras for a day haha keep it up man!
I sold the F3 and moved on to an F2, but we could still definitely make that swap happen!! Thanks for the love, Caleb!
Canon lost out at the time, because their FL mount lineup just wasn't on the same level as the Nikkors.
When the FD lenses rolled out, there was much improvement on Canon's part, but it was too late.
Best review of Nikon F3 ever! :D
That's an incredible compliment, thank you Oscar!! So glad you enjoyed the video!
Nice video and nice photos :) The F3 is a legend and it's easy to use. But, IMO, the best bang for bucks today is the F100. Not as vintage and beautiful as the F3 but you can mount more lenses on it, and the light meter is so accurate ! And most important, in term of price, they are really close. But I understand the love you have in this beautiful masterpiece, hope you enjoy it!
And of course, the F100 also has autofocus, that's a huge plus! It also has an awesome manual focus assist feature that I wish other cameras had, looks to be a snazzy little piece of innovation!
Love the videos, Mike. Keep them coming 👍🏻
I often reach for my F3HP over my M2. The F3 is truly an amazing camera.
+mpikers don't have plans to stop the videos anytime soon 👌🏼, thank you so much for your support!! I find myself doing the same thing, I'm always reflexively reaching for the F3, it just feels so natural!
I should give my M6 a little extra love, but the lens I have for it developed terrible, terrible unserviceable haze and I'm torn about what to do with it all. Should be picking it back up from the repair shop next week, figure I'll just shoot with it and see what happens.
My F3 light meter wont turn off. There's very few videos about fixing or working on these on the web. Back to my FG and FM
so if i have a pre AI lense (specifically Nikkor S 1.4) , it wouldnt be weird that the aperatures arent showing in viewfinder? if so do i have to do anything differently when taking a photo?
Hey dude, just "flicking" through your new magazine (awesome by the way) and i was wondering if you used the same film for all of your shots. If so, what sort of film. I started shooting film last August and I have yet to find the "perfect film".
+Alexei Michalopoulos glad you liked the magazine Alexei, can't wait to build on it in the future! All the shots inside were either taken on Portra 160 or Portra 400. I actually made a video discussing my favourite camera films, you might want to check that out!
dope review, really enjoy seeing shots of Toronto in there :)
I was in the early 80s and I do remember the launch of the F3 the sales teams from Nikon were pushing it . I own a couple of F3s need I say more .
Well said own it and get a kick out of it every time I use it.
thanks for the video I'm looking into getting a film camera
No problem my man, hope you can get your hands on a film camera real soon! Welcome to the film community!
Mike Janik :) we need more videos! these are all so great! :)
YES finally a new video
+Yamin Rashid took a while, but it's finally here!!! Hope you enjoyed it B!
You forgot to mention that it was still manufactured for about 20 years even with the F4 and F5 being released.
+Patrick Williams thank you for filling this gap in my knowledge! It's tremendous to learn that the F3's production carried on for so long!
Sick channel dude, subbed for sure. Dig your style and you've got me looking around for an Olympus XA. Looking forward to your future vids.
That's so lit, can't thank you enough for such praise! Hope you love the XA as much as I do!
yo i loved your zine it was really good and you inspire me to be a better photographer and also I am saving up for the f3 it is an amazing camera and defiantly one of my favorites
Dude, this is the highest compliment anyone could ever pay me. Thank you so, so much.
Keep shooting, keep building, keep growing - wishing you all the best.
I spent 20 years on an F3 actually five or six of them I’m working on newspaper and they are the best camera ever made
90% of the stuff you mentioned I can find in my Canon A-1 as well. Great video though!
I couldn't agree more
I just ended up buying a brad new one that never been used. I payed a pretty penny for it but it’s worth it for the type of camera it is.
the only thing I dislike on the F3 is the on/off button, Nikon should have kept the F2 method of simply unlocking the film rewind lever.
+Shaul Boilov would definitely help the shooting process flow better with the F3, but maybe they decided to do so because the F3 is significantly more battery-dependant than the F2? I still sometimes forget to turn the camera back on as I'm ready to take a shot, it can get in the way every now and again.
Mike Janik the switch itself is also not so easy to use either, although 10 times better than the awful lock Nikon put on on/off switch of the F4 (terrible usability on that camera imho, my least favorite F camera)
Great channel, keep it up.
+patio87 thank you for the words of encouragement!!
Hey Mike,
I'm a filmmaker currently in school, I started out with photography and it was a gateway into film but recently I really have wanted to get into analog photography. Kind of torn between the Olympus OM1 or the Canon AE-1 (which everyone seems to have now). any thoughts between the two?
thanks :)
p.s. i looked at your website, any chance you might upload some of your own films sometime?
Go with the OM1! Super tiny, super easy to carry around, and super fantastic vintage Olympus glass -the OM1 was the go-to choice for a lot of press photographers when it was first released!
Don't have any films at the moment that I'm happy enough with to post up, it's all been a lot of practice. Filmmaking has been put on the back burner for the last little while, I might have to get back into it this summer. Thank you for the support my dude!
bought this after watching. cheers for the video
Really nice looking scans, were the sample shots all scanned on your v550?
NIKON F3 😍
seriously one of the only slr's i really want to buy!
Off topic, but what is that picture behind you? My attention keeps drifting towards it. Looks like it's got some nice bold colors. Very good video also. I'm going to buy this and get into film photography, and it's always nice to get that historical/cultural context.