Some Eye Candy ... for 'Evil' Gearheads!

With all the talk about the OMs the F3hp goes silent but it is one heck of a camera with a great line up lenses from Nikon and Zeiss though I don't think I need a collectible one.
 
There's more to it than that. Take a look at the shutter speed dial and the height of the release. It looks like it was tweaked for gloved hand usage.

Thoughts?

B2 (;->
 
Oh why, oh why did I look???
I love the F3 but will probable never own one...I don't have a need for one just a want...
 
I wouldn't call it ugly by any stretch ... purposeful maybe and built more for function than aesthetics IMO!
 
The HP finder always reminds of a big nose sticking out of the top of the camera.

Much prefer the eye level finder on an F3, but I'd take an F2 or an F with eye level (愛レベル!) finder over an F3 with eye level finder anyday.
 
From the Nikon Compendium: the F3 Limited was released to the Japanese market only in 1993. It is similar to the F3P in having a titinium covered HP style finder with ISO accessory shoe and hot shoe contact, the high profile shutter speed dial and shutter release button......The viewfinder blind and multi exposure lever were omitted.

All in all for about the same money I'd rather buy that S3-2000 that Matsuiyastore has for sale.
 
I really like the F3, I've owned two, I wish someone would make digital backs for classic cameras. I keep passing up great film cameras because I can't stand the added cost/time of developing, scanning, storing mountains of negs. But I'd pay 2000+ bucks for a full frame back + "motor drive" section for the electronics, for the joy of using a F, F2 or F3. Or a Canon A, or an OM...
 
How can someone not to luv them!!!???

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Okay...stop it^^^ you're killing me...I love that look...^^^:bang: :D :bang:

That F3/T is one sexy camera...
 
There are aspects of the F3 that some find problematic but overall I find the thing a beautiful camera, both in ergonomics and looks. I can buy another for about $250.00 for a nice one. Not bad, eh?

Some drunken tech somewhere along the way stuck a ugly little red button on my finder, but other than that I love the thing.
 
Ok .. a question from a Nikon ludite!

Why is the prism housing housing on these things so enormous compared to my FM3A ... is it because it was removable for quick screen changes?

And literiter ... now that you point it out that red button is pretty hideous. :D
 
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The F3 High Point finder offers a lot of eye relief, and is great for eyeglasses. One of the few SLR's that I can see everything with. The N8008s is also good eye relief. The DE-2 finder uses the same prism as the F and F2, is much smaller. If you do not wear glasses, go for the DE-2.

the DX-1 finder offers autofocus, and is Butt-Ugly.

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I keep a DE-3 on my F3AF. The F3HP in the foreground is just under the 2M mark, and I have one just a few over 2M- still in the box.
 
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Keith...
The F3 could be bought with the DE-3 viewfinder which made the F3 the F3-HP...
This viewfinder was designed for the photographer who wear glasses...allowing them to see in to the extreme corners of the image area...
HP= High-eyepoint...
 
The DE-2 and the DE-3 (High Point) were for the "normal" F3.
The F3/T use the DE-4 HP and the DE-5 (Titanium as well) was for the F3P.
On my photo the F3/T has the normal DE-2, the F3P has correct one.
The interchangeable structure just made them bigger (at least bigger than the FM2/T and FM3a prisms).
 
F3 may not be pretty, but it is designed with one thing in mind: work.

I don't know why, when covering an event with it, it feels ... empowering :)

Without the awesome MD-4, the F3 seems incomplete though. Back to the topic, the "Limited" stamp does not justify the high price, a good looking F3 is a beat up one, IMHO.
 
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