Nikon F3

[doublem1]

Thinking of buying an F3 as my first film camera. It won't be something I'll be using heavily, just occasional shots. I do have a few queries though that I couldn't ind a definitive answer for. Wondering if someone could help me out here:

1. I know it's an manual focus camera but does it have a focus indication light?
2. What is the most common prism? Most have the HP one.

 

[skysh4rk]

1. I know it's an manual focus camera but does it have a focus indication light?

As far as I'm aware, a camera would require a focusing system (i.e., autofocus) to have a focus indication light, otherwise I'm not sure how it'd ever be able to determine focus. I'd be interested to hear if anyone is aware of any manual focus cameras with a focus indication light.

The good news is that most manual cameras have much better focusing aids than a focusing indication light could ever hope to be, such as split image patches and microprisms. Plus, the screens tend to be bigger and brighter in manual cameras such as the F3 than their modern counterparts.

I think the standard F3 focusing screen has both a split image patch and microprism ring, but there were a number of different screens produced.

 

[simon ess]

Yep. Split image and microprism. Vastly superior to focus light.

This might help.

http://www.cameramanuals.org/nikon_pdf/nikon_f3.pdf

 

[doublem1]

As far as I'm aware, a camera would require a focusing system (i.e., autofocus) to have a focus indication light, otherwise I'm not sure how it'd ever be able to determine focus. I'd be interested to hear if anyone is aware of any manual focus cameras with a focus indication light.

The good news is that most manual cameras have much better focusing aids than a focusing indication light could ever hope to be, such as split image patches and microprisms. Plus, the screens tend to be bigger and brighter in manual cameras such as the F3 than their modern counterparts.

I think the standard F3 focusing screen has both a split image patch and microprism ring, but there were a number of different screens produced.

Ah, that makes a lot of sense. I did wonder how film shooters, particularly street photography, get their shots in focus. Sounds like I have a lot to learn!

Yep. Split image and microprism. Vastly superior to focus light.

This might help.

http://www.cameramanuals.org/nikon_pdf/nikon_f3.pdf

Thanks for confirming. I'll have a read.

 

[skysh4rk]

Ah, that makes a lot of sense. I did wonder how film shooters, particularly street photography, get their shots in focus. Sounds like I have a lot to learn!

Most manual focus lenses will also have distance and depth of field markings on them, so you can scale focus or pre-focus your lenses as well, which is another way that street photographers might work.

If you move into medium format film, the focusing screens will get even bigger! Once I looked through a medium format viewfinder, I couldn't go back to the miniature digital and 35mm formats.

 

[StephenM]

I suspect that the HP prism will be the most common one, but it wasn't the first Nikon made for the camera. The "standard" prism gives a slightly larger image than the HP one; the HP was designed to be usable with the eye a little distance from the viewfinder to allow the whole screen to be visible if you were wearing glasses (sun or vision correction). The HP prism is slightly larger and heavier, but not by much. I have both...

The waist level finder with its built in magnifying lens gives an even larger image (or it seems so to my eyes) but some people find the left-to-right image reversal (as in a mirror) a problem. I don't.

 

[steveo_mcg]

As far as I'm aware, a camera would require a focusing system (i.e., autofocus) to have a focus indication light, otherwise I'm not sure how it'd ever be able to determine focus. I'd be interested to hear if anyone is aware of any manual focus cameras with a focus indication light.

The OM30 has an autofocus system but only one autofocus lens which is rarer than hens teeth so effectively is a manual focus camera with a focus indicator but it has the OM systems big bright split prism VF so its not terribly useful as manual focusing is easier. Its kind of handy for sports where you can trap focus but thats about it.

 

[freecom2]

1. I know it's an manual focus camera but does it have a focus indication light?
2. What is the most common prism? Most have the HP one.

1. No
2. HP

Brilliant cameras. Viewfinder light is atrocious, LED display failure is annoying, but otherwise they are stupendous cameras.