Hi all,
I have been specialising in Nikon F3 repairs for the past 3 or so years and I have worked on over 200 F3 bodies. The problem is almost NEVER with the LCD display itself - I have seen only a couple failed due to being hit / cracked / leaked. The issue with the fading has to do with the two LCD polarising filters that the display has (all LCD displays have them). Once replaced the factory contrast of the display is restored. I have done over 100 displays so far since me and James Holman from https://ictcamera.com/ found out where the problem lies and how to fix it. Here is an example of a badly faded LCD:
Here is how one of the polarising filters looks like (left - faded original, right - new filter material):
And here is the display after the repair:
One of the filters is either glued to the display itself or is glued to the white plastic diffuser that holds the display in place. The second filter is the most inner layer of the display window. You have to carefully unglue the LCD flex and peel it off. The new polarising material I ordered from AliExpress - it comes in the form of a 20cm self adhesive sheet. Keep in mind that the filters have a very specific orientation that you have to match. You can also invert the display (black and white parts) by inverting the polarising filters.
So, yeah.. the Achilles' heel of the F3 is actually not it weakest spot.
IG: @nikonf3repairs
I have been specialising in Nikon F3 repairs for the past 3 or so years and I have worked on over 200 F3 bodies. The problem is almost NEVER with the LCD display itself - I have seen only a couple failed due to being hit / cracked / leaked. The issue with the fading has to do with the two LCD polarising filters that the display has (all LCD displays have them). Once replaced the factory contrast of the display is restored. I have done over 100 displays so far since me and James Holman from https://ictcamera.com/ found out where the problem lies and how to fix it. Here is an example of a badly faded LCD:
Here is how one of the polarising filters looks like (left - faded original, right - new filter material):
And here is the display after the repair:
One of the filters is either glued to the display itself or is glued to the white plastic diffuser that holds the display in place. The second filter is the most inner layer of the display window. You have to carefully unglue the LCD flex and peel it off. The new polarising material I ordered from AliExpress - it comes in the form of a 20cm self adhesive sheet. Keep in mind that the filters have a very specific orientation that you have to match. You can also invert the display (black and white parts) by inverting the polarising filters.
So, yeah.. the Achilles' heel of the F3 is actually not it weakest spot.
IG: @nikonf3repairs
