My one gripe with the F3HP

[clayne]

I'm still surprised some people would find this camera difficult to use. Everything is right there, right in front of you and immediately obvious. There's no need to use every single button and dial.

 

[lxdude]

I just checked both of my F3HP bodies, both lights work perfectly.

However I cannot remember the last time I used a light to see the reading, maybe 20 years ago, maybe longer.

I don't think it was a stupid design, it was cutting edge when it was released, especially for a conservative company.

Mick.

I'm glad to hear that for some the light works well. I wish I could say the same. Shouldn't a feature on a professional Nikon work well for everyone?

Maybe the switch lasts if it's not used much.

 

[clayne]

I'm glad to hear that for some the light works well. I wish I could say the same. Shouldn't a feature on a professional Nikon work well for everyone?

Maybe the switch lasts if it's not used much.

You really don't need the light. Here, I'll calculate the exposures for you:

It's night, you're loaded with 1600 speed film: 1/15th or 1/30th.
It's night, you're loaded with 400 speed film: Push to 1600, or 1/4, or 1/8th.

Wide-open in all cases. This is why the light is not of terrible use. Metering is usually not of terrible use in the conditions where the light would be. It's just a superfluous feature on an otherwise excellent body.

 

[lxdude]

You really don't need the light. Here, I'll calculate the exposures for you:

It's night, you're loaded with 1600 speed film: 1/15th or 1/30th.
It's night, you're loaded with 400 speed film: Push to 1600, or 1/4, or 1/8th.

Wide-open in all cases. This is why the light is not of terrible use. Metering is usually not of terrible use in the conditions where the light would be. It's just a superfluous feature on an otherwise excellent body.

I think the parts in bold apply to you.:rolleyes:

 

[clayne]

I think the parts in bold apply to you.:rolleyes:

Huh? I was trying to be pragmatic about how the usability of the light fits in with the camera today. I personally don't have any issues using the camera with or without the light working - because I'm not shooting aperture-prio or using the camera as a meter at night.

And another thing: even if it is night and I'm loaded - I'll still get the shot.

 

[lxdude]

You really don't need the light. Here, I'll calculate the exposures for you:

It's night, you're loaded with 1600 speed film: 1/15th or 1/30th.
It's night, you're loaded with 400 speed film: Push to 1600, or 1/4, or 1/8th.

Wide-open in all cases. This is why the light is not of terrible use. Metering is usually not of terrible use in the conditions where the light would be. It's just a superfluous feature on an otherwise excellent body.

I think the parts in bold apply to you.:rolleyes:

 

[Ashton Lee]

Red button?

Well, I've used F3's for about 18 years and never even realized that little thing was there.

Can't imagine ever having needed it.

Finest Nikon ever made... and just crazy that you can buy them so cheaply today. Even high school film students can afford them.

 

[John_Nikon_F]

I hardly ever use it. It is fiddly, and on some of the F3's I've owned has been really dim, or on a couple bodies, non-functional. The rest of the camera makes up for it. Although, I wish the manual exposure meter readout provided a little more accuracy so when you're trying to do 1/2 stop over or under, you don't have to fiddle around with the aperture ring too much. Since my other two pro-grade bodies are older F-series bodies, the flash synch doesn't bother me.

-J

 

[bdial]

Lately I hardly ever use my F3, let alone the light. Even when it was my main camera, I only used the light on very rare occasions.

The thread got me thinking of Nikon trivia though, wasn't there an accessory light for the F FTn that sat on top of the finder to illuminate the meter window?

 

[lxdude]

Huh? I was trying to be pragmatic about how the usability of the light fits in with the camera today. I personally don't have any issues using the camera with or without the light working - because I'm not shooting aperture-prio or using the camera as a meter at night.[/b].

I got that from your last sentence. The rest of it made little sense. I guess I now get what you meant from
This is why the light is of terrible use. Metering is usually not of terrible use in conditions where the light would be.

What does not make sense is the first part, after you said you'd calculate it for me.

It's night, you're loaded with 1600 speed film: 1/15 or 1/30th.
It's night, you're loaded with 400 speed film: push to 1600, or 1/4th or 1/8th.
Wide open in all cases.

If that's all there is to it, then why do we have shutter speeds like 8 seconds, or B? My LX officially goes to 125 seconds, though it will actually go indefinitely.

Wide open in all cases? With which lens? Wide open, My lenses cover a range from f/2 to f/8. And I do use my 500 f/8 for night shots.

Nighttime exposures can vary widely, depending on the lighting and desired result. Is it a floodlit building, a streetlit corner, a house with a single window illuminated? Say it's a scene under a full moon. Should it look like daylight, or look the way it really does, or something else?

But night shots aren't the big problem. The biggest problem comes handholding in low light.
There are times when light is getting low when I would like to be able to clearly see the meter readout, especially as it's rather small. The problem most arises when there's not a lot of ambient light striking the camera itself. An example is when metering a scene opposite a sunrise or sunset. I almost never use auto, so it's not a matter of stick the camera on a tripod and let it figure it out.
Still, it's not all that hard to live with. In the sunrise/sunset situation I described, metering off a gray card allows light to be reflected off the card to illuminate the readout.

My original point was if Nikon were going to put such a feature on a pro camera, they should have done it right, and they should have left it off if they couldn't do it better than they did.

 

[fotch]

In really dim light and long exposure, I use a very small penlight and if using a meter at all, I am using a hand held meter. Just like using a view camera or a TLR, or a camera with no light. I think the light is just for dim light and not for all possibilities.

Sure, you can second guess them and suggest it should be a variable light, or a brighter light. Or, live with it. No camera is perfect, no matter what it cost or who made it.

The F3 is one of the best IMHO.

 

[Nikon Collector]

Have never used it, my main bitch on a F3 is the semi recessed shutter release, I have to keep pressing till I see or hear the shutter release. Much prefer the soft release on my F2 and Nikkormat FTn

 

[pnance]

Like others, never had a problem with the light switch, never used it much except to see if it worked!

My biggest complaint was with tiny image of the HP model. I liked the larger image in the DE-2, so I replaced the HP prism with a DE-2 and have been very happy with it.

Paul

 

[eSFotos]

I didn't know it existed.
My gripe is AE lock button. This thing came off and I can't put it back. I heard this is a common problem with F3.

 

[fotch]

I didn't know it existed.
My gripe is AE lock button. This thing came off and I can't put it back. I heard this is a common problem with F3.

Maybe, never heard about that myself. I have own 2, one of which I purchase new in the late 70's, the other one used, and its had lots of use, its still there. They sold a lot of those cameras so its bound to have happen to others but may not be an epidemic.

 

[FilmOnly]

I haved been enjoying this thread. It seems a minor issue (or flaw) has brought forth a host of opinions on the F3. I once owned an F3HP, and foolishly sold it. Just prior to the start of this thread, I decided to look for another F3. I have actually bought two, an HP and a standard DE-2. The HP should arrive in a couple of days, and the DE-2 version should be here by week's end.

I would have to agree with the poster who stated that there is no perfect camera. I have owned and used many cameras, and, while some are close to perfect, I have not found a perfect camera--that is, perfect in design, handling, durability, features, cold weather performance, and available accessories and lenses. I think the F3 is perhaps close, but I agree that the viewfinder image of the HP is a bit small, the 1/80th sync speed rather paltry, and there are a couple of other minor isssues (as discussed here). Surely, it is a very nice camera. I find it interesting, though, that in the absence of my "pro" cameras (the F3 and the F-1N), I have been very happy using my Pentax Spotmatic SP II--a forty-year-old design with far fewer features than the either the F3 or the F-1N I had been using.

Perhaps the more a manufacturer adds to a camera the worse it gets? I know this sounds odd, but maybe there is some truth to it.

 

[Pumal]

There is nothing better than Totally Manual; no Batteries. Then comes the F3HP

 

[FilmOnly]

Well stated, Pumalite. Such is why I also own a Pentax SL: no batteries AND no meter. I do not know why so many rely on in-camera metering, as these meters are so easily fooled. In most cases, even side-lit shots suffer at the hands of an in-camera meter.

 

[lxdude]

I find it interesting, though, that in the absence of my "pro" cameras (the F3 and the F-1N), I have been very happy using my Pentax Spotmatic SP II--a forty-year-old design with far fewer features than the either the F3 or the F-1N I had been using.

Perhaps the more a manufacturer adds to a camera the worse it gets? I know this sounds odd, but maybe there is some truth to it.

An astute observation. More and more, I care less and less about features and enjoy the simplicity of the older stuff. For example, I recently handled an OM-1 for the first time in many years and was reveling in its simple goodness. Easy handling and oh, that viewfinder!

 

[lxdude]

I didn't know it existed.
My gripe is AE lock button. This thing came off and I can't put it back. I heard this is a common problem with F3.

I've heard that. I've not had a problem myself. It seems spares are still pretty easy to find.

 

[clayne]

The VF in the F3 and F3HP is stellar. You can choose to use the other features (of which there aren't that many) or just treat it as a normal manual camera.

 

[lxdude]

The VF in the F3 and F3HP is stellar. You can choose to use the other features (of which there aren't that many) or just treat it as a normal manual camera.

Agreed.
I do wish the + and - symbols on manual were larger, especially in lower light.
As was said earlier, no camera is perfect.

I like the HP finder because I wear glasses, and the eye relief is great. My LX's is as bright and has better contrast, so is a real treat to use for that reason. I use the FA-1W finder, the Pentax equivalent to the HP. It has a larger image but less eye relief compared to the HP finder, so the HP is easier to use in that regard. My MX has a finder about the same size as the OM-1's but the OM-1's is brighter and less coarse, though with a little less contrast. A screen from the LX improves the MX's finder a lot.
I like a plain matte screen and the F3's is my favorite. The screen selection for the F3 is awesome, with new ones still easy to find.

 

[John_Nikon_F]

There is nothing better than Totally Manual; no Batteries. Then comes the F3HP

Well, true, although, there's also the bodies like the F2A, F Photomic FTn, FM2n, Nikkormat FT series, which are also pretty darn close to the Totally Manual, no battery ideal.

-J