The overall rating of a review is different from a simple average of all individual ratings.
Advantages:
Fantastic build quality, superb handling, access to Nikon's legendary range of lenses, capable of virtually any assignment, total "systems"camera
Disadvantages:
Slow 1/80 sec flash sync, idiosyncratic position of hot - shoe,dull (by modern standards anyway) viewfinder, metering pattern takes getting used to, this is NOT a point - and - shoot camera .
Recommendable
Yes:
Detailed rating:
Picture Quality
Range & Quality of Features
Ease of Use
Overall Look & Design
Value for Money
ReliabilityExcellent
SizeBig
WeightVery Heavy
Compatibility with other Photographic EquipmentGood
I'm back on the net now with access virtually 24/7 so be expecting new reviews and the same old att...
I'm back on the net now with access virtually 24/7 so be expecting new reviews and the same old attitude. Regards-Peter.
Member since:25.07.2004
Reviews:64
Members who trust:6
I first experienced the Nikon F3 back in 1984 when I asked to see it back in a (now sadly closed down) profession camera dealer and I would have purchased on the spot if I'd have had the £600 asking price. But being a poor student, I was just dreaming then... Well, things change and i ended up being employed by Jessops for thirteen years as a Sales Assistant (then right up to Manager) so I eventually had the chance to use an F3 and consider it the best camera of all time.
There were four versions of the Nikon F3 released in the UK
Standard F3
F3 High Eyepoint-as per F3 with a viewfinder included which is a lot easier to look through especially if you are wearing glasses
etc
F3/T-as above with Titanium baseplate,top plate and pentaprism housing. Tougher and marginally lighter than the F3 HP
F3/P like the F3/T-A special press edition originally made for the Japanese press market. It placed the hot-shoe on the pentaprism housing, improved sealing against rain/dirt etc a shutter release easier to use when using gloves and did away with the TTL (through the lens flash metering)
But why? No Digital, no autofocus, no multi zone metering, DX film coding,built-in flash,film winder, multi-mode exposure-Its very easy to list what the F3 HASN'T got in comparison to modern day cameras.
So what makes it so good?
Well the first thing you notice is on opening the box is the faint but pleasant smell of lubricant. and the substantial weight of the body. This camera exudes quality from every pore-made of Aluminium alloy and brass (except for the F3/T and the F3/P which have a titanium baseplate,top plate and pentaprism housing) Mounting a lens is a doddle-just line up the lens mount to the camera lens mount and turn anti-clockwise.Though like every other camera brand you have to use a Nikon AI mount lens. leneses with such a mount (Nikon and independent are universally available though).
From the simple move of winding the film on to holding the camera up to the eye topressing the shutter relase is an almost sunsual experience something you wont easily obtain with another rival brand.
The F3 had two basic means of operation,
APERTURE PRIOITY-you set the apertute and the camea set the shutter speed All the way from 1/2000 sec-revolutionary back in 1980 at the time of it's release to 8 secs
MANUAL EXPOSURE- you set both the Aperture and the shutter speed. the Viewfinder diplays both with a guide as to whether the camera meter "thinks" you are under or over exposing.
Other facillities include Interchangable viewfinders (useful say if you are into specialised areas of photography eg Macrophotgraphy) , TTL flash metering when a dedicated compatible flash is attached the camera flash sync speed is set automatically and the output is controlled via the camea in "Real time" again near revolutionary in 1980 when only very few cameras had it, interchangable screens,the otion to add the M D-4 Motordrive ( a compulsory accessory IMO giving up to 6 frames per second film advance, rewind, even better handling, sideways shutter release etc), mechanical shutter speed of 1/60 sec (useful if your batteries fail) mirror lock-up (very useful if the camera is mounted on a tripod and you want to keep potentail shake to an absolute minimum) a 80/20split centre weighted average metering (which takes practice to get used to get it wrong and you can make some horrible mistakes but it is deadly accurate in experienced hands -the F3's target market) and weather resistant seals which improved durability.
I produced a set of brilliantly sharp well exposed pics when I used an F3 HP with an MD-4 drive using Reala 100 film.
So outstanding in many respects.
The drawbacks?
Slow sync flash speed at 1/80 sec makes fill-flash more difficult, dull viewfinder in comparison to it's closest then competitor (Canon New F-1), An idiosynchratic positioning of the flash hot-shoe-over the film rewind crank. This is meant to improve handling with a flash and reduce red-eye by getting the flash "off-axis" but the improvements were in my mind debatable, no choice of meter patterns and it took time to master in comparison to todays digital wonders.
These in my opinion were minor setbacks and I can only regrat never purchasing the best camera ever when it was available new.
It was last available new in the UK new for about £1500 which was exhorbitent-at least in terms of spec regarding other cameras.
The GOOD news is that there are plenty of excellent to mint condition examples around in camera shops such as Jessops, Grays of Westminster etc and retail for anything from £200-600. Ex pro examples are best avoided unless there is evidence of a recent Nikon/authorised Nikon Service centre repair and service.
I would highly recommend this camera.
The majority of the Worlds press used the F3 back in the Eighties and if it was good enough for them...
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
(+) Fold out LCD screen, Image Stabilization, Zuiko lens quality, Picture quality, Flash options (-) Noise in low light, Too many buttons, Badly laid out, Too many gimmicks
Perspective Control (PC-E) wideangle 24mm f3.5 NIKKOR for architecture and landscape ... more
photography that delivers class-leading levels of tilt and shift movement. Equipped with Nano Crystal Coat and Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass lens elements for a superior optical performance with todays high-resolution digital SLRs. Includes electronic control of aperture and manual focusing for use with cameras equipped with electronic rangefinders.
Filter Size: 72mm18-200 f3.5-5.6Offers broad 18 - 200mm focal range for use in a variety ... more
of situations (equivalent to a 27-300 lens in 35mm format) 11x zoom coverage offers a perfect compact and lightweight- one lens solution VR II system offers the equivalent of using a shutter speed 4 stops fasterTwo ED glass and three aspherical lens elements minimize chromatic aberration-astigmatism and other forms of distortion- while ensuring high resolution and contrastNikon Super Integrated Coating (SIC) offers superb color reproduction while minimizing ghosting and flareIncorporates a SWM (Silent Wave Motor) for fast quiet focusingDelivers high-level optical performance designed for use exclusively with Nikon DX format digitalEmploys a seven-blade rounded diaphragm opening that achieves a natural blur for out-of-focus elements Enables focusing from as close as 50cm (20 in.) from the subject through its entire focal range M/A mode for rapid switching between autofocus and manual focus operationFlower-shaped Lens Hood HB-35 (provided) greatly reduces stray light
Popular 18-55 f3.5-5.6 zoom lens with high quality optics designed for use with Nikon DX ... more
Format SLRs. Its 3X zoom provides superb versatility in a wide variety of shooting situations. Equipped with Nikons exclusive Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for super-quiet operation.
Highly portable- powerful zoom 16-85 f3.5-4.5 lens with high-quality optics designed for ... more
use with Nikon DX Format digital SLRs. With a 5.3X zoom and 16-85mm focal range- this lens delivers superb versatility for a wide variety of shooting situations. Equipped with Nikons second-generation Vibration Reduction (VRII) system and exclusive Silent Wave Motor (SWM)- it offers superb performance in low-light- delivering steady images to both the sensor and viewfinder- and features fast- quiet autofocus. An ideal all-round lens for todays high-resolution SLRs.
Perspective Control (PC-E) wideangle NIKKOR for architecture and landscape photography ... more
that delivers class-leading levels of tilt and shift movement. Equipped with Nano Crystal Coat and Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass lens elements for a superior optical performance with todays high-resolution digital SLRs. Includes electronic control of aperture and manual focusing for use with cameras equipped with electronic rangefinders.
Postage & Packaging:free Super Saver Delivery Availability:Usually dispatched within 2 to 3 weeks...
Perspective Control (PC-E) wideangle NIKKOR for architecture and landscape photography ... more
that delivers class-leading levels of tilt and shift movement. Equipped with Nano Crystal Coat and Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass lens elements for a superior optical performance with todays high-resolution digital SLRs. Includes electronic control of aperture and manual focusing for use with cameras equipped with electronic rangefinders.
Postage & Packaging:£3.46 Availability:Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Did you know that at Park Cameras we offer a variety of courses on the Nikon D90? Priced ... more
at only £84.99- you can benefit from a day-long School of Photography course designed to ensure that you are able to get more out of this fabulous product. Please see our dedicated training section for more details. As the worlds first D-SLR with movie function- this remarkable camera offers truly cinematic results- stunning image quality and innovative high-performance features inherited from Nikons new-generation DX-format flagship D300. The D90 will open new doors for photography enthusiasts of any level. With 12.3 megapixels- the newly-designed DX-format CMOS image sensor and Nikons proprietary EXPEED image processing concept- the D90 is a quality-guarantee. Advanced features such as Live View- Scene Recognition- Active D-Lighting- Picture Control and an ISO sensitivity range of 200-3200 (ISO 6400 equivalent on Hi1 and ISO 100 equivalent on Lo1)- allows creativity in almost any setting. And to ensure all these features are easy to use- they are packed in an ergonomic body with an intuitive operational layout.
very helpful by (100%):
