Nikon F vs S3 / Door question

NB23 · Sep 26, 2019

Hello,

Question: Do the Nikon F and S3 share the same footprint size?

Can one fit a Nikon F door onto a Nikon s3?

Ariston · Sep 26, 2019

Give me your S3 and I'll try...

NB23 · Sep 26, 2019

Ariston said:
Give me your S3 and I'll try...

Hehe

Pieter12 · Sep 26, 2019

If I recall correctly, the F does not have a door, Rather the whole back and base come off to load film. No idea about the S3.

etn · Sep 26, 2019

Pieter12 said:
If I recall correctly, the F does not have a door, Rather the whole back and base come off to load film. No idea about the S3.

Same with the S3. The F design clearly has its origins in the S rangefinders design.
I don't have an F so I can't tell whether the backs are interchangeable.

Ariston · Sep 26, 2019

Pieter12 said:
If I recall correctly, the F does not have a door, Rather the whole back and base come off to load film. No idea about the S3.

Ah yes, this is correct.

NB23 · Sep 26, 2019

The S3 and F share many, many parts. I’m curious about the door/back.

jimjm · Sep 26, 2019

I no longer have my S3, so I can't do a direct comparison with an F body, but the Nikon Imaging historical site lists the S3 body width as 136mm (for the 2000 reproduction) and 147mm for the Nikon F body. I believe the Y2K reproduction S3 has the same dimensions as the original.
A Nikon F back/bottom would be too wide to fit the S3.

NB23 · Sep 27, 2019

jimjm said:
I no longer have my S3, so I can't do a direct comparison with an F body, but the Nikon Imaging historical site lists the S3 body width as 136mm (for the 2000 reproduction) and 147mm for the Nikon F body. I believe the Y2K reproduction S3 has the same dimensions as the original.
A Nikon F back/bottom would be too wide to fit the S3.

By the way, could you give me the width of your F?
Sure it’s supposed to be147mm but Who knows...

jimjm · Sep 27, 2019

Checked my earliest '61 body and my latest '72 body and both are right at 146-147mm. Don't have any calipers that wide to get a more accurate measurement. This does not take into account the strap lugs, of course.

I have tried swapping backs between this '61, a '70 and '71 bodies, and they all fit without any issues.

reddesert · Sep 27, 2019

Yes, the Nikon F is 147mm wide (I measured one).

I have never had an S3, but looking at pictures, there are some body differences. The wind/shutter controls are very similar, but the space between them and the rewind knob appears larger on the F. On the underside, the tripod socket for the S3 is centered on the lens axis, but on the F, it's offset to the side by about 1 cm. This would make the back/baseplate not interchangeable even if the width were the same.

__Brian · Sep 27, 2019

The Nikon F is larger than the S3, and the F back will not fit on the S3. The S3 is closer in size to a Nikon FM/FE.

The SP, S3, and S4 backs are interchangeable.

NB23 · Sep 27, 2019

Thanks for your input, guys. And for taking your time to measure!

Nikon F vs S3 / Door question

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