How long will F3 LCDS last?

[chip j]

I may have to sell a very minty FM2 or extremely nice F3HP. I'd like to keep the F3, but I want it to last another 20 yrs. Is this feasible? Thanks, Chip

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

They've been asking this question since 1980. Someone still has to come up with an answer.

 

[George Nova Scotia]

I have two F3s, one I bought new when they were introduced is fine, one I bought used has some segments that don't work. So 50/50 with me. -- not much help I guess

 

[mmerig]

My F3 was made around 1988, and the LCD display is still good. Heat probably has more influence than time -- the instructions for the MF-14 data back mentions that heat can shorten the life-span of the display. The MF-14 manual estimates a life-span of 6 to 7 years -- mine is way beyond that (25 years so far).

 

[jochen]

My F 3 was bought in 1980 and the LCD display works still fine.

 

[BMbikerider]

When LCD's came out there was a warning about the lifespan of the item of about 5 years before they were needing replaced. Well that myth can be dispelled. I have a BMW motorcycle which is 27 years old, it has a LCD readout for the clock and gear position indicator and they both work as they should. I have a pocket calculator which is about 3 years older than the bike and that works too (including the photocell which powers it).

I now think that the warning about the life of LCD's was greatly underestimated because on most instruments that use them they are not operating all the time. Both of my items above are not switched on all the time and nor will the LCD of the Nikon so the life will probably be in decades not just 5 years.

I have only heard of one brand/model of camera which has regular LCD problems and this was the Minolta 9000. They were very well built but you only very very rarely see one for sale now in any sort of condition because the LCD was it's Achilles heel. The 7000 model which was brought out a year or so before never had the same LCD problem. Your F3 has many years left.

 

[AgX]

Of all LCD-Displays I got in house only one truly failed: deterioration of the display itself and not "just" a contact issue, though the latter is worse enough. It was from a consumer product, bought in the 90s and deteriorated within 10 years. The black indicators looked like leaves having fallen from a tree. I can't sayfor sure whether the voltage was on all the time. Most probably not.

 

[Curt]

I have an F3Hp that I bought new with a Micro Nikkor lens. That was around 1980 also. Everything still functions. Maybe the question should be IF it fails are replacement parts available & how much to change the display.

 

[AgX]

In case deterioration would be a sole matter of aging, then a replacement would hardly be a great benefit.

 

[AgX]

In case deterioration would be a sole matter of aging, then replacement would hardly yield a great benefit, with the replacement most probably being of not much lesser age.

 

[bdial]

My experience is similar to the other comments, I bought my F3 new in circa '82, the LCD is fine.

I don't know for certain, but it probably doesn't affect the shutter timing even if it isn't working. So the camera would still be usable as long as the timing circuits are ok otherwise.

 

[removed-user-1]

My F3 is also 25 years old, and the LCD is perfect. Probably worth noting that it did spend the first 20 years of its life in a studio, on a copy stand.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

Not quite the same but the LCD sees a tough environment.
My 2004 Aprilia Tuono motorcycle has an LCD dash. 9 years and over 100K miles and it's still working. The plastic covering it has a few spots but the display works fine.

 

[railwayman3]

I have a (well-used!) Sharp pocket calculator from 1977 which still works fine, should make its 40th birthday with a bit of luck !

 

[Vonder]

I have only heard of one brand/model of camera which has regular LCD problems and this was the Minolta 9000. They were very well built but you only very very rarely see one for sale now in any sort of condition because the LCD was it's Achilles heel. The 7000 model which was brought out a year or so before never had the same LCD problem. Your F3 has many years left.

The true weakness of the Minolta 9000 wasn't the LCD. It was horrible AF. Even the lower-end Maxxum 7000 focuses better. I have a 9000 with a pristine LCD that I can't use, the AF sucks that bad.

 

[chip j]

Thank you all very much, Chip. I'll keep the F3, since I also have a FM that was recently gone over, just as a future backup.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

FWIW I have a Fluke multimeter which I bought in mid 1982, the display is still fine. A Sony radio bought about 6 months later, ditto although I had to clean the connector for the tuning display about 5 years ago - considering that this radio has been everywhere twice and probably has well over 10,000 hours on it, that's OK.

 

[damonff]

A nice used F3 costs about as much as 3 bottles of good booze. If it fails, get another one. The comments above clearly indicate that it probably won't fail in the first place.

 

[Nikon Collector]

Both my 30 yr old F3's are fine but my D1 lower display failed after 6 yrs

 

[gone]

I usually buy that cheap red Merlot from Walmart, so that adds up to about 40 bottles per Nikon F3 (KEH Bgn). On the other hand, my beater N8008s is only worth about 6 bottles. The cat has had some health issues and a lot of vet visits, so she's worth somewhere around 1,350 bottles of Merlot. Interesting way to value things. Of course the cat is worth a lot more than that to me. Jury is still out on the wife. It was worth 1,000,000 bottles to get away from the first one. Not the first cat. I don't own a camera w/ an LCD, but now I sorta wish I did, just in case.

 

[damonff]

I usually buy that cheap red Merlot from Walmart, so that adds up to about 40 bottles per Nikon F3 (KEH Bgn). On the other hand, my beater N8008s is only worth about 6 bottles. The cat has had some health issues and a lot of vet visits, so she's worth somewhere around 1,350 bottles of Merlot. Interesting way to value things. Of course the cat is worth a lot more than that to me. Jury is still out on the wife. It was worth 1,000,000 bottles to get away from the first one. Not the first cat. I don't own a camera w/ an LCD, but now I sorta wish I did, just in case.

Haha!

 

[Xmas]

try home wine making.