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Post by gray1720 on Apr 16, 2023 7:40:36 GMT
A nice surprise in my AP yesterday! I was lucky enough to be given one, complete with MD-4, that had been replaced by digital at the Institute for Opthalmology in Oxford, and accrued the Nikon lenses I still use now (cos I'm a tightwad). I realise that it's not been used, except to collimate other cameras, since I got the D200 in 2014, so it should probably be the next 35mm camera I use.
Incidentally, the 55mm lens I was given by a Nikon using friend has JRH Path inscribed on it, probably best not to think about what it might have seen in a hospital pathology lab!
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Post by nimbus on Apr 16, 2023 12:52:01 GMT
A nice surprise in my AP yesterday! I was lucky enough to be given one, complete with MD-4, that had been replaced by digital at the Institute for Opthalmology in Oxford, and accrued the Nikon lenses I still use now (cos I'm a tightwad). I realise that it's not been used, except to collimate other cameras, since I got the D200 in 2014, so it should probably be the next 35mm camera I use. Incidentally, the 55mm lens I was given by a Nikon using friend has JRH Path inscribed on it, probably best not to think about what it might have seen in a hospital pathology lab! Lenses see, but what happens in the path lab stays in the path lab! |
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Post by nickr on Apr 17, 2023 21:29:13 GMT
The F3 is still on my list. I've used one a few times, and it's a Nikon I really like. I also really like its competitors, the Canon F1N and Pentax LX - I like the fact that they're not quite traditional.
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neilt3
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Post by neilt3 on Apr 18, 2023 8:29:13 GMT
The F3 is still on my list. I've used one a few times, and it's a Nikon I really like. I also really like its competitors, the Canon F1N and Pentax LX - I like the fact that they're not quite traditional. Took me three attempts to get one that worked. First two had the same fault, the shutter was jammed. The wind on lever wouldn't move, presumably as it had already been wound on . Press the shutter release button, nothing . New batteries in , nothing . Even the mechanical shutter release was dead . The third was listed as faulty due to the catch on its back being missing. I contacted the seller who assured me everything else was fine. So I picked up a spare back that was being listed elsewhere and they both work great together. Being predominantly a Minolta shooter, I assume this is normal for Nikon cameras ?  |
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Post by nickr on Apr 18, 2023 9:25:17 GMT
The F3 is still on my list. I've used one a few times, and it's a Nikon I really like. I also really like its competitors, the Canon F1N and Pentax LX - I like the fact that they're not quite traditional. Took me three attempts to get one that worked. First two had the same fault, the shutter was jammed. The wind on lever wouldn't move, presumably as it had already been wound on . Press the shutter release button, nothing . New batteries in , nothing . Even the mechanical shutter release was dead . The third was listed as faulty due to the catch on its back being missing. I contacted the seller who assured me everything else was fine. So I picked up a spare back that was being listed elsewhere and they both work great together. Being predominantly a Minolta shooter, I assume this is normal for Nikon cameras ? Think I've owned 6 Nikons - FE, FM2, F, F2, F65 and F90X. They've all been fully functional (except the metering prisms on the F and F2, which were both rather temperamental - the F one once spluttered into life briefly, the F2 one works intermittently, or at least it did when I last used it), but aside from the FE, they've all been fairly crude, rough and agricultural. The F and FM2 I didn't like at all, borderline hated, and the F65 I consider with complete contempt (but it was cheaper to buy the lens with it than without it. I think I know why...). The F90X I rather like, the FE I absolutely loved - it was battered as hell, but incredibly smooth. The F2 I have kept as a literal doorstop. The FE is the only one I prefer to the equivalent Canon (the AE-1) - the F-1 and F-1n are both nicer than the F and F2, the EOS 300 far, far nicer than the F65. The F90X feels better made than the EOS 5, but the 5 is a fair bit better to use, more intuitive and nicer handling. The FM2 - well I suppose you could say that's better than the equivalent Canon, because there isn't one, but I feel so negative about it that I still class it as a Canon win. Couldn't wait to sell the F and FM2, sold my Nikon lenses (except the 50mm f3.5 MicroNikkor) to a friend, so sold the FE too. Wish I hadn't. The 2 F3s I have used were very much like my FE in operation, absolutely lovely, but I don't like making a real judgement on a camera until I've used it for some time, and I really fancy shooting one with the F1N and LX, that should be fun. I've only currently got one Minolta, an unused, boxed Dynax 505si (inherited from my father in law, along with a slew of Olympus film bridge cameras) - I did enjoy all the ones I've owned, they would all beat the equivalent Nikon I've owned, but I got a decent offer on the SR-Ts and XEs and sold my lenses, too. Maybe some day... |
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Post by nimbus on Apr 18, 2023 12:15:01 GMT
The F3 is still on my list. I've used one a few times, and it's a Nikon I really like. I also really like its competitors, the Canon F1N and Pentax LX - I like the fact that they're not quite traditional. Took me three attempts to get one that worked. First two had the same fault, the shutter was jammed. The wind on lever wouldn't move, presumably as it had already been wound on . Press the shutter release button, nothing . New batteries in , nothing . Even the mechanical shutter release was dead . Being predominantly a Minolta shooter, I assume this is normal for Nikon cameras ? I wouldn't have said so. You have to remember these were mainly used by pros and some of them will have seen a great deal of use, even a pretty one may well have seen a high number of actuations in a studio. |
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neilt3
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Post by neilt3 on Apr 18, 2023 13:10:11 GMT
Took me three attempts to get one that worked. First two had the same fault, the shutter was jammed. The wind on lever wouldn't move, presumably as it had already been wound on . Press the shutter release button, nothing . New batteries in , nothing . Even the mechanical shutter release was dead . Being predominantly a Minolta shooter, I assume this is normal for Nikon cameras ? I wouldn't have said so. You have to remember these were mainly used by pros and some of them will have seen a great deal of use, even a pretty one may well have seen a high number of actuations in a studio. I think with these older cameras it's often lack of use that causes the problems . The two faulty ones were in pristine condition . The one that works was bought off someone who used it professionally, and it showed . It is well worn, and the back was held shut with a peice if tape ! Works great though . I've a few cameras I've had a long time , and probably not used them for fifteen or twenty years and the shutters are sticking . Other cameras that I use regularly that are older and more worn , still work great . My Minolta SRT 101 being a good example , I bought it well used at least thirty years ago and it still works perfectly today . Don't forget it's a 60's camera , so it's doing well . Never serviced, at least by me . |
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Post by geoffr on Apr 18, 2023 15:06:03 GMT
One of the, now defunct, magazines described the F3 as very, very, very, very, very, very, expensive for what it is. I have never owned one but I suspect that at current used prices it is reasonable value. If it is half as strong as the F4 it will be very rugged. I have had Olympus cameras break, spring in the film advance lever, stop screw disappearing from a lens and a few other things. I have had a joystick cap come off, regularly, on the D4 which is annoying rather than serious.
I had an FM2n which wasn't quite as nice as the OM1 but I wouldn't call it agricultural although shifting the film advance lever to switch it on was definitely crude. I really didn't want it poking me in the eye (fortunately I wear glasses!) I never owned an F65, and why would I as I had twe F5s when it was current (I still have two F5s). The F80, which was basis for the Fuji Finepix S2 Pro, I never owned but the Fuji was enough to determine that I wouldn't have liked it. I think Nikon's problem was that the cameras were designed by engineers who realised that they had to put their creations into some form of casing. When they got Giorgetto Giugiaro on board, from the F3 onwards, things improved. I think the pinnacle of Nikon's manual focus SLRs was the F4 (but its AF you cry) yes it had AF but it is best considered a facility to be used as needed than a feature.
If I was still using film regularly I would consider buying an F3, but only after buying an F4s.
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Post by nickr on Apr 18, 2023 15:16:02 GMT
One of the, now defunct, magazines described the F3 as very, very, very, very, very, very, expensive for what it is. I have never owned one but I suspect that at current used prices it is reasonable value. If it is half as strong as the F4 it will be very rugged. I have had Olympus cameras break, spring in the film advance lever, stop screw disappearing from a lens and a few other things. I have had a joystick cap come off, regularly, on the D4 which is annoying rather than serious. I had an FM2n which wasn't quite as nice as the OM1 but I wouldn't call it agricultural although shifting the film advance lever to switch it on was definitely crude. I really didn't want it poking me in the eye (fortunately I wear glasses!) I never owned an F65, and why would I as I had twe F5s when it was current (I still have two F5s). The F80, which was basis for the Fuji Finepix S2 Pro, I never owned but the Fuji was enough to determine that I wouldn't have liked it. I think Nikon's problem was that the cameras were designed by engineers who realised that they had to put their creations into some form of casing. When they got Giorgetto Giugiaro on board, from the F3 onwards, things improved. I think the pinnacle of Nikon's manual focus SLRs was the F4 (but its AF you cry) yes it had AF but it is best considered a facility to be used as needed than a feature. If I was still using film regularly I would consider buying an F3, but only after buying an F4s. I don't disagree that the F4 is a very decent manual focus SLR (albeit a somewhat laughable AF one), but boy is it ugly. Looks like it was designed by a committee that never actually met, but each of whose members were promised their own knob, dial or lever on the final camera. The F3 is just so sleek in comparison. And far worse for Nikon, so was the EOS 1, and that actually had decent AF... |
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Post by geoffr on Apr 18, 2023 16:47:59 GMT
One of the, now defunct, magazines described the F3 as very, very, very, very, very, very, expensive for what it is. I have never owned one but I suspect that at current used prices it is reasonable value. If it is half as strong as the F4 it will be very rugged. I have had Olympus cameras break, spring in the film advance lever, stop screw disappearing from a lens and a few other things. I have had a joystick cap come off, regularly, on the D4 which is annoying rather than serious. I had an FM2n which wasn't quite as nice as the OM1 but I wouldn't call it agricultural although shifting the film advance lever to switch it on was definitely crude. I really didn't want it poking me in the eye (fortunately I wear glasses!) I never owned an F65, and why would I as I had twe F5s when it was current (I still have two F5s). The F80, which was basis for the Fuji Finepix S2 Pro, I never owned but the Fuji was enough to determine that I wouldn't have liked it. I think Nikon's problem was that the cameras were designed by engineers who realised that they had to put their creations into some form of casing. When they got Giorgetto Giugiaro on board, from the F3 onwards, things improved. I think the pinnacle of Nikon's manual focus SLRs was the F4 (but its AF you cry) yes it had AF but it is best considered a facility to be used as needed than a feature. If I was still using film regularly I would consider buying an F3, but only after buying an F4s. I don't disagree that the F4 is a very decent manual focus SLR (albeit a somewhat laughable AF one), but boy is it ugly. Looks like it was designed by a committee that never actually met, but each of whose members were promised their own knob, dial or lever on the final camera. The F3 is just so sleek in comparison. And far worse for Nikon, so was the EOS 1, and that actually had decent AF... I quite like the looks of the F4s but yes the committee never met and never asked users what was useful. Every control has a lock and you have to be double jointed to operate some of them with one hand. Who needs a lock on exposure compensation? Fortunately the team behind the F5 realised that it is actually necessary to be able to use the controls. |
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Post by gray1720 on Apr 18, 2023 17:19:22 GMT
The F3 does have that essential Nikon characteristic of weighing a ton, possibly inherited from the rangefinders Contax-aping roots. I've never forgotten almost smacking myself in the face with a D3000 or similar because it was about half the weight I expected.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2023 9:21:55 GMT
Over the three decades, I started off back in October 26, 1990 with an early Nikon F Eye Level Finder with three lenses, 8 focusing screens, a clip on Selenium Cell Meter, this was followed in 1994 with a chrome Nikon Photomic-T, then came another chrome Nikon Photomic FT-n in 2000, followed by chrome Photomic Tn and another chrome Nikon F Eye Level, a black body Photomic FT-n. I have owned one chrome body F2 Photomic, four black body F2 one of which had the Eye Level Prism, another black body Photomic, followed by the Photomic-A with MD2 Motor Drive and the MB-1 Battery Pack and finally a Photomic-AS. On Friday April 27th, I purchased a pair of Nikon F cameras. One is a mid-1969 chrome body Photomic-T and the other is a black body Photomic FT-n Apollo, that was made in late 1972.
I had owned nine Nikon F cameras, four Nikon F2 cameras = 13 and I must have counted at least 12 Nikkor lenses.
When Zou, nicknamed me Nikoholic Anonomous a few years ago he wasn't kidding.
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Post by geoffr on Apr 30, 2023 9:41:33 GMT
Over the three decades, I started off back in October 26, 1990 with an early Nikon F Eye Level Finder with three lenses, 8 focusing screens, a clip on Selenium Cell Meter, this was followed in 1994 with a chrome Nikon Photomic-T, then came another chrome Nikon Photomic FT-n in 2000, followed by chrome Photomic Tn and another chrome Nikon F Eye Level, a black body Photomic FT-n. I have owned one chrome body F2 Photomic, four black body F2 one of which had the Eye Level Prism, another black body Photomic, followed by the Photomic-A with MD2 Motor Drive and the MB-1 Battery Pack and finally a Photomic-AS. On Friday April 27th, I purchased a pair of Nikon F cameras. One is a mid-1969 chrome body Photomic-T and the other is a black body Photomic FT-n Apollo, that was made in late 1972. I had owned nine Nikon F cameras, four Nikon F2 cameras = 13 and I must have counted at least 12 Nikkor lenses. When Zou, nicknamed me Nikoholic Anonomous a few years ago he wasn't kidding. You’re ahead of me with the F series bodies, I have only had eight, three F4, FM2n, F90, F90x and two F5. The F4 and F5 can be a test of stamina, and strength. You obviously know what you’re doing with the F so that sounds like a good purchase. |
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