How do I take apart My Nikon F3

[Ellis666]

There's a tutorial for the disassembly of every camera and it's dog on YouTube ect but can't find anything on the F3 which is surprising considering it's popularity.

But yeah I bought this Nikon F3 last week and feels great with my 50mm 1.2 on however, the F3 is quite used and has some issues, both pretty simple but I don't know how to get the top plates off. The filmspeed dial's ring thing with the values on is loose so I have no idea what Asa is AND on the frame counter does not work; I have took apart a lot of cameras to fix them so I reckon I could probably do it.

For the left part of the plate I'm guessing the wires for the flash have to be cut? maybe? and for the right I THINK I know how to remove everything but the shutter speed dial, which I think may need the top plate with shutter speed numbers on taking off somehow?

Any help on how to take it off (or simpler fixes) would be great, thankyou!

ALSO any suggestions for wide lenses?? Looking for a tokina rmc 17mm right now but any ideas would be great, cheers

 

[ColdEye]

The 20/3.5 ais is a good wide angle lens. Takes 52mm filters too.

 

[trythis]

I worked on one last February and took lots of photos. I just uploaded them to flicker, hope they help out, but they are not in any order.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/grahamlander/H77H19

Mine had been used like a boot. It was filthy inside and out. Grit made the dials hard to turn and the buttons stick. Sand poured out of the body (a very small amount, but SAND!)
It works perfectly now, even though I find it a bit on the heavy side and it gets more shelf time than it deserves.

I had to desolder a lot because I had to split the body to repair a cut aperture string. You might bot have to go that far.

 

[leicarfcam]

Here is a direct download of the .pdf manual http://ss-it.de/data/servicemanuals/F3 (V. 2).pdf

 

[John Koehrer]

Rewind side:
1) don't need to be cutting wires.
2) Remove the rewind knob and the "C" clip under it. The black plate should lift off. The lock for the rewind knob
should be visible and MAY be hiding a small spanner nut. There should be a notch and pin on the respective ASA dial
that has come loose and needs to be realigned/tightenened or the pin's been sheared off.

 

[fstop]

 

[John Koehrer]

fstop,
That's a twenty pounder. I've seldom found anything more than a six pounder was needed. Also the shorter handle seemed to be a bit more accurate.

 

[fstop]

 

[benjiboy]

Very carefully.