Those that use a Nikon F3 a lot.....

[CMoore]

Just Curious.....are you mainly in aperture priority most of the time.?
Or, do you use Manual mode more often.?
Guess this question is all tied up in the way the F3 step-less shutter works.
Thank You

 

[Leigh B]

It depends on what I'm shooting.

I probably leave it in aperture priority mode most of the time, and switch to full manual when appropriate.

Shooting an F3/T-HP with an MD-4 motor drive.

- Leigh

 

[CMoore]

Good Heavens...with a motor drive...that is a real beast, isn't it.?

 

[Leigh B]

Good Heavens...with a motor drive...that is a real beast, isn't it.?

Yep.

That's why I eat my Wheaties. ;-)

I sometimes do press work. The MD-4 is a lifesaver in certain fast-moving situations.

- Leigh

 

[Mick Fagan]

I cannot remember the last time I used aperture priority, I almost always use manual.

Actually, with the MD4 attached, it is an easier camera to use and hold.

Mick.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

For me, about 80% of the time in aperture-priority mode, 20% manual.

One of my F3/T's has an MD-4:

 

[Leigh B]

For me, about 80% of the time in aperture-priority mode, 20% manual.
One of my F3/T's has an MD-4:

Theo,

How can you find anything there?

It's so neat ! ! !

Doesn't everything get lost in the neatness?

- Leigh

 

[bdial]

I'm probably 50/50 auto and manual mode with mine.

 

[Ap507b]

Most of the time aperture priority for me. I find the 80/20 meter combined with the exposure lock good enough most of the time not to need going to manual.

 

[destroya]

90% in A mode. the only time I use manual is when i need to lock in my exposure. The little button on my f3 fell off, so I cant use it, hence having to manually lock in the meter reading. I find that I really only use manual the majority of the time on my nikons with a needle that displays the shutter speed, not one with an LCD. easier for me to get a good idea of the exact reading of the shutter speed.

 

[Paul Howell]

A F3P was my last camera when I worked as a PJ, I dont recall every using the A mode, on the other hand I knew other PJ who shot almost always in A mode, when still in college I shot for a few local papers in the LA area and I used a Konica T and shot often in S mode.

 

[RichardJack]

Hi,
Out of all of my film 35mm SLR's I use my F3 the most and 99% auto. I might find reason to override the meter, but it's that good I trust it fully. When I'm in a manual mood I'm usually shooting medium format.
Rick

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Theo,

How can you find anything there?

It's so neat ! ! !

Doesn't everything get lost in the neatness?

- Leigh

It's even less cluttered now because I spent two frigging hours last week putting all the lens and body caps away, annotating which lens and camera they belonged to. I still have a few mystery ones...

 

[John_Nikon_F]

Depends. Today, shot mainly in A mode on my F3P. Most of my shots were done with the MD-4 turned off, but still mounted. I do use lithium AA batteries, so it's lighter. Also sounds higher pitched than an iPhone's camera sound, because of that.

-J

 

[Terry Breedlove]

Almost always in Aperture priority

 

[EdColorado]

On my F3-HP and most other cameras with the capability I'll probably be in aperture priority.

 

[mshchem]

F3 is a super camera. I ruined more Kodachrome slides trying to shoot in auto than I got right, I bought a Minolta incident meter and have shot in manual since. My high school camera was a F2, still my favorite.
F3 is so much lighter and pretty much the perfect manual focus slr, and the prime lenses Nikon made back then are a things of beauty, 50 1.4 and the telephotos with built-in lens hoods.
Best Regards Mike

 

[CMoore]

OK...kind of what i thought.
LOTS of you using the A mode.....not all, but lots.
Suppose i will simply have to pull a few rolls in A Mode and see how i do.

 

[CMoore]

Let me ask this:
Is it just the F3, or do you Mostly/Often shoot in 'A' with your cameras that offer that mode.?
I was born in 1960, so i was around then, but was not into cameras.
Especially those of you that Are/Were Nikon Guys...was that something that was a big deal.? Was it a feature that you wish your F2 had back then.?
Thank You

 

[Theo Sulphate]

For those cameras that offer aperture-priority, I use it. I'm surprised how many there are:

Nikon F3/T, F4s, FM3a, D700
Canon Elan 7NE, 500N/Rebel G
Minolta Maxxum 7
Olympus OM-2n
Ricoh GR-1
Fuji X-Pro1

 

[NedL]

FWIW, I use manual settings most of the time ( maybe 85 or 90% ) but the exposure lock button for "A" mode is great.

 

[Alan Gales]

It depends on what I'm shooting.

I probably leave it in aperture priority mode most of the time, and switch to full manual when appropriate.

Shooting an F3/T-HP with an MD-4 motor drive.

- Leigh

I shot a Contax 139 and then 167MT's instead of Nikon but it didn't matter.

Like Leigh says, it all depends on what I was shooting. I preferred aperture priority for shooting people and sports. Manual was used when needed.

 

[Terry Breedlove]

OK...kind of what i thought.
LOTS of you using the A mode.....not all, but lots.
Suppose i will simply have to pull a few rolls in A Mode and see how i do.

I also tend to rate my film at a lower ISO unless I really need the quicker shutter.

 

[Chan Tran]

Let me ask this:
Is it just the F3, or do you Mostly/Often shoot in 'A' with your cameras that offer that mode.?
I was born in 1960, so i was around then, but was not into cameras.
Especially those of you that Are/Were Nikon Guys...was that something that was a big deal.? Was it a feature that you wish your F2 had back then.?
Thank You

First I started with the F2AS and I didn't wish for A mode. I bought the F3HP only for its MD-4 as the price of the F3HP and the MD-4 combined was less than the MD-2 with its MB-1 battery pack. So really besides for the less expensive motor drive I didn't want anything from the F3 (Well may be I did want TTL flash). I actually didn't like it because it's battery dependent. However, after using it for a while the F3 grew on me and I use the A mode quite often and I now actually like the electronic controlled shutter of the F3 even when I shoot in manual. When it was new I almost always used the F3 with the MD-4. Nowaday, I rarely use the MD-4. I guess I do change with time.

 

[flavio81]

Well, my F3 camera came without the exposure lock button, because it fell off, as it always happens with the F3.

So i mostly used it on manual. Which is a bit cumbersome since the tiny "+/-" display on the viewfinder must be one of the worst design decisions ever made by a major camera manufacturers. Otherwise the F3 was a great camera until the metering died for no reason at all, rendered unrepairable by my camera tech (who otherwise has brought to life many cameras).

I sold the F3, got a F2 and never looked back.