Nikon F3 not firing if not used for a couple days?!

[Zeno Morino]

Hello everyone, I recently started having problems with my beloved Nikon F3 and that really frustrates me. I hope someone will be able to help.

Since at least three months ago, if I leave my F3 sitting on my desk for a while, it will refuse to shoot straight away when picked up. I always load the new frame after every shot, so the only thing I should do is turn the camera on, meter, focus and fire. But if I do so and haven't used the camera in a while, it won't shoot, just if it was off. But the meter works properly, so it's definitely on. A hack I found to overcome this issue is to take a shot with the 'mechanical' trigger, and then after loading the new frame the camera does effectively work. But if, after that, I leave it sitting for too long, the same thing will happen.

I changed the batteries some 6-7 months ago (using the right ones) and they should definitely have plenty of charge in them. But, I also found that changing the order of the two batteries (swapping them one another) does solve the trick sometimes.

Has anyone ever heard of this? Shall I just buy new batteries and see what happens?

Thanks a lot for your time and help!

 

[BrianShaw]

Saying that the batteries “should be good” might be the first thing you should verify. If silver cells, you are right... they should be good but may not. If lithium, same but with less certainty.

Buy new silver cells and get he freshest you can.

Or use my favorite F-3 hack... get a MD-4 which will power both with its fleet of AA cells.

 

[BrianShaw]

That will be a much more affordable experiment than what might be coming next... finding a shop that will overhaul it.

 

[Zeno Morino]

Thanks a lot Brian, I'll order some batteries online as shops are closed now where I'm staying. Hope I won't get to the overhaul stage to be fair..

 

[shutterfinger]

http://arcticwolfs.net/ has service manuals for the V.1 and V.2 F3. Looking at the V1 manual the release switch was changed. It energizes a circuit that releases the shutter and shows a capacitor separate of the circuit board. The common element between the switch, shutter circuit board and the capacitor is ground. I suggest removing the base plate and inspect the wiring to the battery holder. Clean the battery contacts with a ink eraser or similar contact cleaner. The contacts may need to have the existing solder removed and fresh solder added.
Use a VOM on it amp setting and check for current draw when off.

Post a picture if you are uncertain about their condition.

 

[George Mann]

It could very well have something to do with the fact that you leave the shutter tensioned, which manufacturers state as a no-no.

 

[Scott Micciche]

You can also try cleaning the battery contacts and area with Dexot, in the event corrosion is taking its toll.

 

[Huss]

Just change the batteries before you do anything else.

 

[flavio81]

Hello everyone, I recently started having problems with my beloved Nikon F3 and that really frustrates me. I hope someone will be able to help.

Since at least three months ago, if I leave my F3 sitting on my desk for a while, it will refuse to shoot straight away when picked up. I always load the new frame after every shot, so the only thing I should do is turn the camera on, meter, focus and fire. But if I do so and haven't used the camera in a while, it won't shoot, just if it was off. But the meter works properly, so it's definitely on. A hack I found to overcome this issue is to take a shot with the 'mechanical' trigger, and then after loading the new frame the camera does effectively work. But if, after that, I leave it sitting for too long, the same thing will happen.

I changed the batteries some 6-7 months ago (using the right ones) and they should definitely have plenty of charge in them. But, I also found that changing the order of the two batteries (swapping them one another) does solve the trick sometimes.

Has anyone ever heard of this? Shall I just buy new batteries and see what happens?

Thanks a lot for your time and help!

You're lucky.

I had a F3 that was perfectly functional. I put it on my camera bag, inside my bedroom. Three monts later i retrieved it to use it, and the meter was dead. Everything worked fine, but the meter +/- indicators got stuck (in "+" if i recall correctly). Forever. My repairman said the meter was gone.

And I did nothing, just store it inside the bag.

This is not the first F3 i hear of with this problem (the meter problem)

In your case, it seems it's just a lubrication issue that will be solved by any technician. Or maybe just using it the camera frequently will get it back to normal.

I like the F3 very much, but I sometimes question its reliability.

 

[Paul Howell]

Not knowing the serial number an F3 could be as old as 40s years old or as young as 19 years, 80s years old. Any camera of that age and considering the F3 is battery dependent , you should be concerned about reliability, just remember that for every post about an issue there are dozens maybe hundreds of F3 that work without an issue.

 

[flavio81]

Any camera of that age and considering the F3 is battery dependent , you should be concerned about reliability.

I think Nikon's electronics, from the 70s to the 80s, weren't that reliable. So a later production F3 might be a much better camera.

Canon cameras of the 70s and 80s have much more reliable electronics, in my experience as a compulsive secondhand camera shopper of Nikons, Pentaxes, and Canons. It might have something to do with Canon being in the electronic calculator business since the 1960s.

I've seen way too many nice looking FE, FM, FA, FG and EM cameras with bad electronics (EM the worst). While almost all A-series canons i've found, have working electronics.

But then, sometimes "bad electronics" can be simple problems to fix.

 

[George Mann]

I think Nikon's electronics, from the 70s to the 80s, weren't that reliable.

The EL-series are reliable.