The finest Manual Focus SLR system ever created. I bought mine in 1982 for $650.00 ($2500.00 in today's money). I've never serviced, or had any issues with the camera or system components in 40 years of use. Like yours, mine is still the virtually like new. I have a secondary F3 body that I bought used 15 years ago with a MD-4 attached for $175 from KEH. It too works like new but looks like it was dragged behind a truck for a few blocks. This is my backup, for rock climbing, and and crawling around grimy Barn Find muscle cars. Cheers to your fantastic review. This camera deserves the highest praise.
This video is like a love song to a camera. GREAT STUFF! I don't know whether this current generation appreciates or cares about craftsmanship or build quality.............and, how could they, growing up in a society where you are largely expected to use something for 18 months (until the next version comes out), and throw the previous item away? As you mentioned, I have 3 F3's (bought used) that all have worked flawlessly, all the features work, and every switch, dial, and lever is solid and tight. I experience joy just holding the camera (unloaded). Very possibly one of the five best products I have ever bought or owned in my lifetime.
Only just seen your comment Fred. Apologies for the late reply. Ditto to everything you say. I've just had a comment where someone has just purchased a new one! I'd love to get my hands on a new one. Not because there's anything remotely wrong with mine, I'd just love to have a new one.
The current generation actually appreciates this camera so much precisely because we have grown up in a pile of disposable garbage masquerading as consumer goods.
@@mattbentley-walls3106 Great review Matt. I just purchased a black F3T in Tokyo. I already have a very clean F3HP, but purchased it because it is remarkably in brand new condition. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the F3 and the incredible team at Nikon who gave us the F3.
Beautiful review. I also own one and I love every bit of it. Let's see if any today's mirroless body will exceed this build quality which last forever.
I have been shooting my F3 HP since 2014. I shoot it here in the HOH Rainforest and on the beaches almost weekly. I have shot it in Death Valley 112 degrees and dusty. It is brassed and a little rough looking but just keeps shooting. I have an absolute mint like brand new F2. It is not nearly as refined as the F3 but I still love it as well.
Couldn’t ever afford one back in t,he day, so I had to live with a KR10 RICOH which was doing the job for me in some tough places but it’s no NIKON. So here we are all digital and I went and bought a F3 this week! Going to test it in Canberra this weekend at the annual flower show.
Back in 2003 I bought one. I carried with me everywhere, loaded with Fujichrome 100. I did not mess around! I wonder what happened to that version of me. 🤷🏻♂️ It really is the best manual focus SLR ever.
Very enthusiastic vlog on the F3, of which I am also a great fan. Thank you much. I have used all of the Nikon pro film cameras, from the original F to the recently discontinued F6. They are all built for lives that will probably outlast most of their users. I agree that, among all six, the F3 is probably the best designed and the simplest to use. The F3P adds even further simplification and protection against the elements. Mounted on the MD-4 motor drive it is still a great pleasure to use.
I purchased my Nikon F3 in the 90’s as well - AND mine also shows no wear on the seals or any other part of the camera’s working parts and no scratches on the body - No service ever needed and it still looks & works like new. I am a professional graphic designer and treasure my technical and analog creative tools. Currently, I shoot Nikon mirrorless. However, just recently I decided it would be fun to get back into shooting film with my F3…. I’ll never let it go! I enjoyed your video, its wonderful to hear from others who understand and appreciate this jewel of a camera! Cheers, Catherine O
Hi - thanks for sharing your thoughts and glad you enjoyed the video. In a world of fast living and unreliability it's good to know you can still count on some things. Happy shooting.
Great video ..just discovered your channel .. great stuff ..I owned a F3hp and a F3p .. back in the days when I was obsessed with becoming a photo journalist… must have been 1990 .. many years ago .. same age as you fella 55
Oh to add ..terrible to lose files..even worse to leave a Leica M8 and a summicron 28mm 2.0 in a taxi ..never to be seen again ..haunted to this day !!
So pleased it helped in some way. Enjoy it, I'm sure you'll have many moments of pleasure. It's a very special and unique camera. As for the VF...it completely depends. If you wear glasses people love the HP version. If you don't then you have the best one in my opinion. It's smaller and therefore lighter and it has a better magnification than the HP.
Great thought re waist level; the noise..I know what you mean and although I love the MP (almost no noise), I find the traffic more often than not cancels out the sound of the mirror/shutter of the F3.
Excellent video. The Nikon F3 was built to meet heavy-duty professional requirements (maximum survivability). Most of today's cameras look like cheap plastic toys when being compared with the F3. Hint: the viewfinders at 10:35 mins are not F3 viewfinders, I assume these are the F4 viewfinders. ;-)
Good evening Matt. Great review of the Delightful F3. The Italian Guy....Giorgio Giggarrio was responsible for the Red Stripe the First ever Nikon to have the Actual Red Stripe. It's a beautiful Camera which along with the FM2N are My Personal Favourites! Will last " If looked after " A Lifetime. Many thanks and Kind regards Colyn. P.s Hope I have spelled the Italian Guy's name correctly. Many thanks and Kind regards Colyn.
A very good evening to you Colyn. Thanks for the kind words and glad you enjoyed it. Yes I remember his name now you mention it. It was a bit of a mouthful to remember at the time and I’d probably have mispronounced it anyway! The FM2 was always a camera that intrigued me and I’d love to have owned. Trouble was the F3 was always too good and reliable to justify getting one.
I didn't realize I watched this for over an hour! I honestly thought this video only takes about 20 minutes but I enjoyed this video a lot! I actually started film photography last year when my friend lent me his Canon A-1. After a week, I got myself an A-1. A great easy to use camera. Maybe because I'm a digital photographer? But anyway, I feel I want to add another film camera to the family and my friends who are also photographers recommended me the Nikon F3. I did a lot of research but this video is one of the best! The love you have for the F3! You just earn a new subscriber!
Thanks Putera, very kind of you and to comment. I loved the A-1 also back in the day but the F3 is another level and the A-1 tend to develop problems. The F3 is incredibly reliable. Enjoy.
I own two Nikon F "s and one Nikon f2 and three users. I shoot monochrome. Color neg. I process the film my self. I live In Minneapolis, Minnesota, I can e'Mail you photos. John
Someone else said this so I'm not taking credit, but it does make sense as the reason for the 1/60 on the first few frames. People usually load a film with the camera pointing down. If you're blocking light entering the lens (on your lap, lens cap on etc.) and you advance the film to bypass the fogged leader in A mode, the shutter is going to remain open for some time. Those seconds waiting could be the difference between getting the shot and not, especially for someone like a press photographer who would have been a big market for these cameras?
Hi - I'm not sure of the point you're making..surely you load film with a 1/60 shutter speed, close the door, wind on once again and then implement the sunny 16 rule to find a corresponding aperture to eek out those few extra frames. If youre concerned about whether your leader has caught on, just look at the rewind crank and ensure its rotating each time you wind on.
@@mattbentley-walls3106 You're shooting in aperture priority and reach the last frame. You rewind the film and reload. The film advances and you fire the shutter....but because the camera is in aperture priority the meter is telling the camera to expose for 8 seconds or 20 seconds or whatever, which means that the camera is inoperable until such time as the shutter closes again? Because you have reloaded with the lens in your lap or face down on a table the lack of light entering the lens tricks the camera into thinking you're taking a long exposure, and won't be usable again until that exposure time has elapsed. This is why cameras with aperture priority such as the FE, FG, and F3 have a set 1/60th shutter speed for the first few frames. It's to stop the camera "freezing" if in aperture priority mode?
Hi Matt having the same camera bought it new I love it...love and a nice bit of education on the Ferrari ...ooopss sorry Nikon F3 lol came last Thursday.. the ball bearing winder which is second to none
Wow! I didn't know it was even possible to buy one of these new! Yes to the winder. It's unique and the best of any winder in my opinion. !00% viewfinder coverage. It's the best there is. Enjoy. BTW where did you find a 'new' one?
These cameras were made to a high professional standard and have/will stand the test of time. Unfortunately, my digital cameras have gone the way of an old out of date laptop.
Thanks a lot for your nice and full of true mentions about Nikon F3, which I bought it exactly for two days ago. Really I am speechless to explain how it is a good camera. One of RUclipsrs means about this camera, that Nikon after F3 already died... Omg, how it is sad!.... Anyway, thanks again for your video... Najib from Denmark
@@mattbentley-walls3106 Yes! It's in pretty good shape, just a little brassing on the edges. It works and the seals appear to be good. Taking it out tomorrow. Thanks for such an amazing video.
Very nice well done presentation. Thank you.
Thanks again Richard.
The finest Manual Focus SLR system ever created. I bought mine in 1982 for $650.00 ($2500.00 in today's money). I've never serviced, or had any issues with the camera or system components in 40 years of use. Like yours, mine is still the virtually like new. I have a secondary F3 body that I bought used 15 years ago with a MD-4 attached for $175 from KEH. It too works like new but looks like it was dragged behind a truck for a few blocks. This is my backup, for rock climbing, and and crawling around grimy Barn Find muscle cars. Cheers to your fantastic review. This camera deserves the highest praise.
Couldn't agree more. Thanks for your kind word and here's to many more years using this wonderful camera.
This video is like a love song to a camera. GREAT STUFF! I don't know whether this current generation appreciates or cares about craftsmanship or build quality.............and, how could they, growing up in a society where you are largely expected to use something for 18 months (until the next version comes out), and throw the previous item away?
As you mentioned, I have 3 F3's (bought used) that all have worked flawlessly, all the features work, and every switch, dial, and lever is solid and tight. I experience joy just holding the camera (unloaded).
Very possibly one of the five best products I have ever bought or owned in my lifetime.
Only just seen your comment Fred. Apologies for the late reply. Ditto to everything you say. I've just had a comment where someone has just purchased a new one! I'd love to get my hands on a new one. Not because there's anything remotely wrong with mine, I'd just love to have a new one.
The current generation actually appreciates this camera so much precisely because we have grown up in a pile of disposable garbage masquerading as consumer goods.
@@mattbentley-walls3106 Great review Matt. I just purchased a black F3T in Tokyo. I already have a very clean F3HP, but purchased it because it is remarkably in brand new condition. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the F3 and the incredible team at Nikon who gave us the F3.
Beautiful review. I also own one and I love every bit of it. Let's see if any today's mirroless body will exceed this build quality which last forever.
I have been shooting my F3 HP since 2014. I shoot it here in the HOH Rainforest and on the beaches almost weekly. I have shot it in Death Valley 112 degrees and dusty. It is brassed and a little rough looking but just keeps shooting. I have an absolute mint like brand new F2. It is not nearly as refined as the F3 but I still love it as well.
Sounds like you have an amazing subject matter also. Are your pictures online anywhere?
Thank you Matt.I enjoy your videos every time.Your videos sound is great this time.Bravo.
Couldn’t ever afford one back in t,he day, so I had to live with a KR10 RICOH which was doing the job for me in some tough places but it’s no NIKON. So here we are all digital and I went and bought a F3 this week! Going to test it in Canberra this weekend at the annual flower show.
I've never been but it sounds like an amazing place to Christen an amazing camera. Enjoy.
Back in 2003 I bought one. I carried with me everywhere, loaded with Fujichrome 100. I did not mess around! I wonder what happened to that version of me. 🤷🏻♂️
It really is the best manual focus SLR ever.
Absolutely. Do you still have it. Buy some film and go and use it and enjoy it!
Very enthusiastic vlog on the F3, of which I am also a great fan. Thank you much. I have used all of the Nikon pro film cameras, from the original F to the recently discontinued F6. They are all built for lives that will probably outlast most of their users. I agree that, among all six, the F3 is probably the best designed and the simplest to use. The F3P adds even further simplification and protection against the elements. Mounted on the MD-4 motor drive it is still a great pleasure to use.
Thanks Joseph. Completely agree. I was thinking of doing a vlog on the others
I purchased my Nikon F3 in the 90’s as well - AND mine also shows no wear on the seals or any other part of the camera’s working parts and no scratches on the body - No service ever needed and it still looks & works like new.
I am a professional graphic designer and treasure my technical and analog creative tools. Currently, I shoot Nikon mirrorless. However, just recently I decided it would be fun to get back into shooting film with my F3…. I’ll never let it go!
I enjoyed your video, its wonderful to hear from others who understand and appreciate this jewel of a camera! Cheers, Catherine O
Hi - thanks for sharing your thoughts and glad you enjoyed the video. In a world of fast living and unreliability it's good to know you can still count on some things. Happy shooting.
Wonderful love letter to the F3. Thanks for taking the time to share! 🎞️
Great video ..just discovered your channel .. great stuff ..I owned a F3hp and a F3p .. back in the days when I was obsessed with becoming a photo journalist… must have been 1990 .. many years ago .. same age as you fella 55
Oh to add ..terrible to lose files..even worse to leave a Leica M8 and a summicron 28mm 2.0 in a taxi ..never to be seen again ..haunted to this day !!
Hi, loved the video - just bought one from Japan, but not an HP viewfinder. I hope that was a good idea.
So pleased it helped in some way. Enjoy it, I'm sure you'll have many moments of pleasure. It's a very special and unique camera. As for the VF...it completely depends. If you wear glasses people love the HP version. If you don't then you have the best one in my opinion. It's smaller and therefore lighter and it has a better magnification than the HP.
@@mattbentley-walls3106 thanks a lot
My Kodak DCS620C/620X and DCS660C digital bodies based on the Nikon F5 also never had a service and still work perfectly after about 22 years.
Great camera. Only problem, if trying to be quiet shooting street, is the shutter/mirror slap.
I like the waist level viewfinder option.
Great thought re waist level; the noise..I know what you mean and although I love the MP (almost no noise), I find the traffic more often than not cancels out the sound of the mirror/shutter of the F3.
Excellent video. The Nikon F3 was built to meet heavy-duty professional requirements (maximum survivability).
Most of today's cameras look like cheap plastic toys when being compared with the F3.
Hint: the viewfinders at 10:35 mins are not F3 viewfinders, I assume these are the F4 viewfinders. ;-)
Good evening Matt. Great review of the Delightful F3. The Italian Guy....Giorgio Giggarrio was responsible for the Red Stripe the First ever Nikon to have the Actual Red Stripe. It's a beautiful Camera which along with the FM2N are My Personal Favourites! Will last " If looked after " A Lifetime. Many thanks and Kind regards Colyn. P.s Hope I have spelled the Italian Guy's name correctly. Many thanks and Kind regards Colyn.
A very good evening to you Colyn. Thanks for the kind words and glad you enjoyed it. Yes I remember his name now you mention it. It was a bit of a mouthful to remember at the time and I’d probably have mispronounced it anyway! The FM2 was always a camera that intrigued me and I’d love to have owned. Trouble was the F3 was always too good and reliable to justify getting one.
Interestingly, the Pentax LX (in direct competition) was produced for the same period (1981-2001). Both awesome cameras.
I didn't realize I watched this for over an hour! I honestly thought this video only takes about 20 minutes but I enjoyed this video a lot! I actually started film photography last year when my friend lent me his Canon A-1. After a week, I got myself an A-1. A great easy to use camera. Maybe because I'm a digital photographer? But anyway, I feel I want to add another film camera to the family and my friends who are also photographers recommended me the Nikon F3. I did a lot of research but this video is one of the best! The love you have for the F3! You just earn a new subscriber!
Thanks Putera, very kind of you and to comment. I loved the A-1 also back in the day but the F3 is another level and the A-1 tend to develop problems. The F3 is incredibly reliable. Enjoy.
I own two Nikon F "s and one Nikon f2 and three users. I shoot monochrome. Color neg. I process the film my self. I live In Minneapolis, Minnesota, I can e'Mail you photos. John
Someone else said this so I'm not taking credit, but it does make sense as the reason for the 1/60 on the first few frames.
People usually load a film with the camera pointing down. If you're blocking light entering the lens (on your lap, lens cap on etc.) and you advance the film to bypass the fogged leader in A mode, the shutter is going to remain open for some time. Those seconds waiting could be the difference between getting the shot and not, especially for someone like a press photographer who would have been a big market for these cameras?
Hi - I'm not sure of the point you're making..surely you load film with a 1/60 shutter speed, close the door, wind on once again and then implement the sunny 16 rule to find a corresponding aperture to eek out those few extra frames. If youre concerned about whether your leader has caught on, just look at the rewind crank and ensure its rotating each time you wind on.
@@mattbentley-walls3106 You're shooting in aperture priority and reach the last frame. You rewind the film and reload. The film advances and you fire the shutter....but because the camera is in aperture priority the meter is telling the camera to expose for 8 seconds or 20 seconds or whatever, which means that the camera is inoperable until such time as the shutter closes again?
Because you have reloaded with the lens in your lap or face down on a table the lack of light entering the lens tricks the camera into thinking you're taking a long exposure, and won't be usable again until that exposure time has elapsed.
This is why cameras with aperture priority such as the FE, FG, and F3 have a set 1/60th shutter speed for the first few frames. It's to stop the camera "freezing" if in aperture priority mode?
Huh. Didn't know this, and totally makes sense. Very cool design thinking.
Great video
Hi Matt having the same camera bought it new I love it...love and a nice bit of education on the Ferrari ...ooopss sorry Nikon F3 lol came last Thursday.. the ball bearing winder which is second to none
Wow! I didn't know it was even possible to buy one of these new! Yes to the winder. It's unique and the best of any winder in my opinion. !00% viewfinder coverage. It's the best there is. Enjoy. BTW where did you find a 'new' one?
I'm the market for one of these.. saw a brand new one in japan for 1500 usd
jUST GOT IT! I love this camera!!
Enjoy your videos 👍
Thank you, very kind.
I plan on buying nikon f3hp, mint. Around 450s with 50/1.2 lens
These cameras were made to a high professional standard and have/will stand the test of time. Unfortunately, my digital cameras have gone the way of an old out of date laptop.
I bought a house and found one of the same type that is identical. Do you buy I am in Saudi Arabia and can I ship it to you?
Inspiring!
Thnaks
Thanks a lot for your nice and full of true mentions about Nikon F3, which I bought it exactly for two days ago.
Really I am speechless to explain how it is a good camera.
One of RUclipsrs means about this camera, that Nikon after F3 already died...
Omg, how it is sad!....
Anyway, thanks again for your video...
Najib from Denmark
My F3HP arrives tomorrow and I've been waiting for it for about 40 years when I wanted it worse than anything.
Hope its arrived safely. Enjoy!!
@@mattbentley-walls3106 Yes! It's in pretty good shape, just a little brassing on the edges. It works and the seals appear to be good. Taking it out tomorrow. Thanks for such an amazing video.
The Canon F1n is better.
nope
@@smitbar11 Is.
No way
@@Cincy_Kid Is.
Noticed you keep flying the Canon F1 flag on every Nikon F3 video I've come across. Try typing Canon F1, you might find the site your looking for.