royall_berndt Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Got my F3 off the shelf and decided to go shooting. I put some fairly fresh S76 batteries into it, but no go. The shutter didn't fire. I will go soon and get a fresh 3 volt battery and keep my fingers crossed. The camera used to work just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian1664876441 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Is the LCD coming on? Is it metering? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orsetto Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 (edited) Fresh batteries can make a big difference, even if you think the existing ones are fairly new. Perhaps try cleaning the battery contacts. Did you check the "Captain Obvious" issue of making sure the master power switch on the top deck is in exactly the "on" position? If it still plays dead with new batteries, try the not-intuitive F3 revival trick recommended in several old threads: set the camera shutter to T, and see if it fires in that mode. This seems to wake up and reactivate a surprising number of F3s with "sudden death syndrome". While the F3 is extraordinarily tough for a vintage electronic film camera, it is not unknown for the power switch or shutter/meter switch to go out after a couple decades. This was a typical F3 service job, along with cleaning the FRE ring buried under the rewind/film speed/exposure comp assembly. Edited January 12, 2021 by orsetto 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 The camera used to work just fine. They all do when they're brand new. My body used to work perfectly once upon a time as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Peri Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 They all do when they're brand new. My body used to work perfectly once upon a time as well. Hmm... camera body or personal body...??? http://bayouline.com/o2.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 Hmm... camera body or personal body...??? http://bayouline.com/o2.gif Camera bodies are easily replaced! Or upgraded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royall_berndt Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 I put a new TLR 6 battery in my F3. No change. It will not turn on. If the repair would be costly. I will use it as a display item and get out my FM 2 to shoot with Or my F90X if I want ttl flash metering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orsetto Posted January 12, 2021 Share Posted January 12, 2021 (edited) One seldom gets a repair quote for anything photographic these days that comes in under $100 (USD). But some local camera repair techs will give it a once-over while you stand there: occasionally an issue is cured within minutes by some very simple trick at a small fee. Can't hurt to ask/try. If your F3 is in really nice condition, its probably worth the cost of repair, as nice F3 bodies are not as easy to find at good prices as they were a few years ago. If its in just average condition, perhaps repair funds would be better put toward a nicer replacement body. The F3 is very well made and was expressly designed to be more accessible for routine service than most other electronic SLRs of its era, but some common repair issues can require tricky disassembly that ramps up the service fee. Us enthusiasts of the classic Nikon F body series are stuck in a bind as the years pass. Every model has some killer issue that makes it a pain to shop for and keep running. Original Fs have either dead meter prisms or unpleasantly degraded plain prism optics, the F2 has a high-strung shutter that really doesn't like being left wound and forgotten (plus a half dozen other flake points that only Sover Wong in UK knows to attend to), the F3 can fail from minor electrical issues that require painful disassembly to address, and the F4 has its self-destructing irreplaceable displays. Then again, I can have all four of those repaired for what it costs to overhaul just one of my Hasselblad lenses, and unlike the 'blad overhaul at least the Nikon repairs won't need to be repeated in five years time :p. Edited January 12, 2021 by orsetto 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royall_berndt Posted January 12, 2021 Author Share Posted January 12, 2021 I should get an estimate on repairs. I have really admired that camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royall_berndt Posted January 13, 2021 Author Share Posted January 13, 2021 I should get an estimate on repairs. I have really admired that camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royall_berndt Posted January 13, 2021 Author Share Posted January 13, 2021 I will also try the T trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_halliwell Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 Coffee works better for me to wake up...:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted January 13, 2021 Share Posted January 13, 2021 I put a new TLR 6 battery in my F3. No change. It will not turn on. If the repair would be costly. I will use it as a display item and get out my FM 2 to shoot with Or my F90X if I want ttl flash metering. Just use whatever camera still works. Life's too short to bugger about with stuff that's BER. I dislike the look and feel of my F801s, but it's now the only one of my film Nikons that's fully working and without sticky goo where the foam light-seals used to be. Stick the nice-looking junk on the shelf and use the ugly workers for actually taking pictures. After all, isn't that what cameras were made for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royall_berndt Posted January 15, 2021 Author Share Posted January 15, 2021 The new battery nor the T trick got the camera going, so I will give it to a student I know. She can get it repaired a d have a great camera for just the repair costs. I will rely on my FM2 and N90s: they are great machines also. I have an irrational yen for an F5, but I can squelch it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_halliwell Posted January 15, 2021 Share Posted January 15, 2021 I have an irrational yen for an F5, but I can squelch it. The power to squelch is strong in this one, Obi Wan.. but I see his powers are failing....:D 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royall_berndt Posted January 17, 2021 Author Share Posted January 17, 2021 The power to squelch is strong in this one, Obi Wan.. but I see his powers are failing....:D LOL 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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