Nikon F3 without battery

pen s · Jun 1, 2014

benjiboy said:
I too have never lost a shot due to a dead camera battery in 62 years of photography, and five of my current cameras use them. I don't understand why so many photographers (most of them amateurs) seem to have such a pathological fear of their camera batteries failing I always check the voltage of batteries in the cameras I'm taking with me with a multimeter before leaving the house, and always carry new spares, as for the Nikon F3 many thousands
of the Worlds professionals have managed to make a living with them for more than twenty years so they can't be so bad, I suggest the O.P. just carries spare batteries with him at all times and quits worrying.

The very nature of illogical fears are that they are....well illogical. But I sure like my mechanically timed cameras, some of which do not have meters at all. As to the reliability of electronically timed cameras well yes, quite a few are very robust and the circuts last for years. The early ones seem to be the best with the least troubles. In my OM system the OM-2 and OM-2n have the best reputation. Later OM-4 and 2Sp models had some samples with excessive battery drain even when not in use.

I do have one electronic camera, a used OM-2Sp. It came to me as a back cap for a Zuiko I wanted. The salesman said that any batteries they put in it hardly lasted a week. By being carefull I could get 2 or 3 months. It sat around for a year and just for something to do I built a 'L' bracket that held 2 AAA batteries and rigged the camera to use these. I thought it didn't care how the little beastie got it's 3v. Those first set of batteries lasted 3 years and I can use the camera if I want to but I just don't like the feel of the thing. The wind on has a funny 'hump' in it, not smooth like my OM-1 bodies.

No, I don't use cameras for a living. If I did I'm sure it would be one of those cameras, the ones that start with the dirty 'D' word.

marciofs · Jun 2, 2014

I will look for those long life batteries.

But a issue I have with the F3 which I don't have with the FM, is when I get to a cold place from a warm place (or vice-versa) which happens often in winter, and for a couple of minutes the battery seems dead. But after the camera get the same temperature of the ambience it works again.

dorff · Jun 2, 2014

benjiboy said:
I too have never lost a shot due to a dead camera battery in 62 years of photography, and five of my current cameras use them. I don't understand why so many photographers (most of them amateurs) seem to have such a pathological fear of their camera batteries failing I always check the voltage of batteries in the cameras I'm taking with me with a multimeter before leaving the house, and always carry new spares, as for the Nikon F3 many thousands
of the Worlds professionals have managed to make a living with them for more than twenty years so they can't be so bad, I suggest the O.P. just carries spare batteries with him at all times and quits worrying.

I spent a month on a hiking trip in Malawi in 1991. My FM's batteries gave up a week into the trip, I didn't have spares and couldn't find any in Malawi either, as we were travelling in the back country. I guessed exposures from there on, and ended up with about 95 % success with minimal bracketing. Just because I knew the camera well, and was well practised in assessing the light. It is possible to learn to expose just by looking and thinking. But low light is obviously a bit more problematic than sunlight and open shade.

I also realised that taking the shot and living with the outcome was better than not taking any photographs of a place that I would probably never visit again. It was a hard and good lesson, and one I'm glad I learned early.

marciofs · Jun 2, 2014

The FM shutter works without battery?

I don't mind about lightreaders. With the thumb rule in mind and visual experience, together with black and white films latitude, I know I can do a good job without a analog or digital lighting reader.

As far the shutter works I am happy and confident.

Xmas · Jun 2, 2014

I take the battery out of my K1000 cause I know the needle stays centred and so it won't distract me.

When I'm carrying two F2s one has a DP1 and I meter looking down on the top plate and then push the wind on lever back this stops the needle distracting me.

I don't like the aperture and speed readouts. Much prefer the DE-1.

The back up for the F2s is a FM2n minus a battery - batteries.

I have a visual field for distractions, totally compelling.

Christiaan Phleger · Jun 2, 2014

I have had an actual photographic instance where I needed the mechanical release on the F3 and it saved my professional ass. I was lucky that I had the foresight before the moment where I correctly surmised that the MN-2 Nicad Cells had finally quit, and with the MD-4 attached the body draws its (non)power thru the MD-4 and when those batteries go you must detach the motor in order to get the body to trigger using the in body batteries. Having no time to do any of that and with the shot being a rather important one but of the basic grip and grin type, I used the mechanical release to fire the frame with exposure set by my SB-24 set to A on my hot shoe of my F3P (lens set aperture). I was a working newspaper photojournalist at the time and it was not uncommon to run out of juice on an MN-2 by the end of the night especially as the cells aged; once they got too hot from over charging they had the tendency to quit earlier than they normally would and could strand you. A good day of shooting might take the battery down but I could usually get 2-3 days of shooting before charging; with those old nicad's you had to develop a real 'feel' for what the cells charge were.

So from this photographer's own point of view; Yes it can be very handy having the mechanical shutter release on an F3.
more camera talk at four-silver-atoms.com

Xmas · Jun 2, 2014

marciofs said:
The FM shutter works without battery?

Yes all the FM series to the FM2n are mechanical timed shutters might need ocassional maintenance - though mine never gets any, using them regular is good.

The FM3a will work ok minus a battery but you lose some modes.

BrianShaw · Jun 2, 2014

benjiboy said:
... I don't understand why so many photographers (most of them amateurs) seem to have such a pathological fear of their camera batteries failing I ...

In the OPs situation, I trust that the interest is a full understanding of the camera capabilities... which is always a good thing.

BrianShaw · Jun 2, 2014

RidingWaves said:
...So from this photographer's own point of view; Yes it can be very handy having the mechanical shutter release on an F3.

I assume that is EXACTLY why Nikon provided that feature. Great story.

Chan Tran · Jun 2, 2014

BrianShaw said:
I assume that is EXACTLY why Nikon provided that feature. Great story.

The F3 was designed as a totally electronic shutter camera and so unlike the FE the shutter release button was electronic. But Nikon was so afraid of rejection from people who were used to the F2 (I am included) because it would not function without battery. So they put in the mechanical release plus the F3 can be powered by the MD-4.

BrianShaw · Jun 2, 2014

Chan Tran said:
The F3 was designed as a totally electronic shutter camera and so unlike the FE the shutter release button was electronic. But Nikon was so afraid of rejection from people who were used to the F2 (I am included) because it would not function without battery. So they put in the mechanical release plus the F3 can be powered by the MD-4.

Well... "so afraid" vs "designed with foresight" would make an interesting discussion. But I'm afraid that neither of us may really know the design/marketing intent.

dorff · Jun 2, 2014

marciofs said:
The FM shutter works without battery?

Yes, as does the FM2, FM2n and FM3A. The battery is only used for the light meter, except in the case of the FM3A, which has aperture priority exposure too.

Chan Tran · Jun 2, 2014

BrianShaw said:
Well... "so afraid" vs "designed with foresight" would make an interesting discussion. But I'm afraid that neither of us may really know the design/marketing intent.

I could not find it anymore but on Nikon website there was a write up talking about this issue.

BrianShaw · Jun 2, 2014

Chan Tran said:
I could not find it anymore but on Nikon website there was a write up talking about this issue.

I'm familiar with the article that you mention (or at least I think I know which one to which you refer). It is really interesting: http://imaging.nikon.com/history/chronicle/history-f3/#id01

But here is what it says about the mechanical release, "The 1.55V G13 silver oxide battery (currently known as SR44 silver battery) was not available for backup in some districts in those days. Then, in order to prevent a shooting block due to depleted batteries, the mechanical control shutter speed of 1/60 sec. remained available."

That sounds more like thoughtful design rather than anything else.

fstop · Jun 2, 2014

mopar_guy said:
Dennis Hopper. Apocalypse Now.

Yes it is.Couldn't come up with another movie where some one was carrying more cameras.

Ricardo Miranda · Jun 2, 2014

Marcio,

FM= F Mechanical
FE= F Electronic
EM= Electronic Mini
FA= F Advanced
FG= F Generic
FG-20= F Generic for 20 year-olds
F= the Father
F2= the F 2nd generation (the Son)
F3= the all-singing, all-dancing F
F4= the F for masochists R'Us
F5= the F for yuppies
F6= the F for D lovers

BrianShaw · Jun 2, 2014

F'ing hilarious!

Ricardo Miranda · Jun 2, 2014

Chan Tran said:
I could not find it anymore but on Nikon website there was a write up talking about this issue.

There is this on the Nikon site: http://imaging.nikon.com/history/legendary/rhnc03f3-e/index.htm

There is also this story about the "fears" of an all electronic camera, in this case the EM:

Nikon EM, at first, was targeted at overseas markets, especially the United States. Thus, the camera was first announced at Chicago's "PMA" exposition in March 1979, not at "Japan (Nippon) Camera Show" held right before the Chicago expo.
Competitors including Canon and Olympus had also released AE general-use cameras like the Canon AV-1 and Olympus OM10 at around the same time, first overseas, then in Japan immediately afterwards.
However, the EM was not released in Japan until March 1980.
Editors of the "Asahi Camera" magazine feature, "New Face Diagnostics" the quintessential camera magazine testing reference, couldn't wait. They purchased the camera in the U.S. and wrote it up starting on page 315 of the October 1979 issue.
The article "Will the 'mysterious EM' be sold or not sold in Japan ?" asked "Will it ever be sold in Japan ? The camera that's keeping all camera fans in suspense : Nikon EM, a real 'tempting' 35mm(135)-format EE SLR camera".
Obviously, the editors were anxious. But the camera was introduced to the market in Japan in March 1980, at the same time as the Nikon F3.
Since it was as inexpensive a model as was ever released by Nikon, Nikon was anxious that it not degrade the Nikon brand image. Which is probably why its release coincided with that of the F3, Nikon's high-end camera, and featured classy touches, such as leather trim, for the Japan market.

There is a misleadng info there: "and featured classy touches, such as leather trim, for the Japan market". The EM was introduced in Japan already with the cosmetics of the Mark II version and it became available worldwide.
Nikon was so conscious of its image in Japan that some Series E lenses weren't available such as the 50mm. The EM was marketed in Japan with a new 50mm f/1.8S pancake design which was an upgraded Series E in a more robust metal frame, focusing down to 0.45m and NIC coating. It wasn't officially sold outside Japan, but I do have one!

marciofs · Jun 2, 2014

Thank you all for the information...

If it wasn't the FM's small view finder it would be perfect.
My Nikon F3 HD gas a superb viewfinder.

BrianShaw · Jun 2, 2014

Ricardo Miranda said:
... the "fears" of an all electronic camera...

I remember all of those fears like it was yesterday. In the early 1980s I was working in a very specialized area of photography and even thyristor-controlled flash was a concern. At the same time I was ready to buy a personal camera and "took the bet", much against my colleagues recommendations, on the F3. I still use the very same F3 and I'm glad I listened to my own inner voice.

Xmas · Jun 2, 2014

My F3 only lasted about 6 months could not cope with the LCD display no problems with battery.

GarageBoy · Jun 3, 2014

The Nikon F3 would have been perfect if it had an F4 style readout
Either way, it's a sweet camera to use

fstop · Jun 3, 2014

Xmas said:
My F3 only lasted about 6 months could not cope with the LCD display no problems with battery.

That's true not all cameras are as blessed as an XD-11/Leica R5 for view finder display.

John_Nikon_F · Jun 3, 2014

Here's what you can also use the mechanical release for... Nikon F3P, 85/1.8 K-type Nikkor, aperture set at f/11, I'm guessing a 30 second exposure with the shutter speed dial set to T. Film was Superia 400.

-J

Chan Tran · Jun 3, 2014

fstop said:
That's true not all cameras are as blessed as an XD-11/Leica R5 for view finder display.

I hate the viewfinder information of the XD-11.

Nikon F3 without battery

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