F3HP, FA, or ??? Nikon with MLU and Aperture Priority

I currently have an FE2 which seems to be a sweet spot in the Nikon manual

focus cameras, but even after looking at a beater F3HP (I would look for a

cleaner copy probably from KEH), I am Jonesin' to trade out. I like the FE2

for the following reasons in this order: Aperture Priority, psuedo MLU, 1/3

stop compensation. I prefer manual winding (don't want motor drive); but

after trying that "ball bearing" smooth winder and viewfinder of the F3HP I

was hooked. I have a few questions about this camera and hope you can

enlighten me in regards to the F3HP:

 

1) I am fairly sure the F3HP has Aperture Priority, but not sure if it has

match needle metering (or equivalent) to easily switch to full manual exposure?

 

2) Does MLU require use of a cable release?

 

3) Are there other manual focus Nikon's with similar mechanical construction

and feel as the F3HP with Aperture Priority, i.e. FA...? looking for something

under $300 (most likely rules out an FM3A).

 

Thanks for any insight you can offer.

Donald,

 

The metering readout uses a small LCD display in the upper left hand corner. There is no needle in AE mode. The LCD display shows the shutter speed. In manual mode the display reads the set shutter speed and a + (overexposed), - (under) or +- (just right). While the LCD display is simple and primitive compared to 2007 technology, when the display is in good shape (bright) it is easy to read.

 

AE exposure works really well. I use it 90% of the time. It is amazing, to me, how well it handles really long exposures.

 

It is simple to switch between AE and manual operation. In manual mode you adjust the shutter or aperture until the +, or - sign, first appears in the LCD display. The aperture is displayed directly from the lens in the top center of the finder, right next to the LCD display. Exposure compensation is set with a dial on the rewind knob.

 

MLU does not require a cable release. There is a mechanical lever on the from the the camera that locks the mirror up, and releases it.

 

I am fighting the urge to sell my 9.5+ high serial number F3HP/MD-4. Because this body is in pristine cosmetic shape, I'm asking more than $300 though.

 

 

You should be able to get a very nice F3 for under $300.

Yes the F3 has match needle ,as well as Aperture priority

 

No cable needed ,mirror lock up is just flipping a lever, takes a sec.

 

I have several F's, a F2, F3HP, F4, F5, and no other camera has the same feel and mechanical excellence as a F3. If you want a total mechanical camera, and do not need Aperture Priority , then a F2 is a close second pick.Nothing is as smooth as a F3 winding lever.

I've found my F3 to meter more accurately than my old FE2 in Aperture Priority mode, lately I've used that mode 100% of the time with no issues that I can see shooting slide film.

 

I do miss the match-needle metering of the FE2 though, it was handy at times. Overall of course, I like the F3 better. It's a classic, the Leica of Nikon if that makes any sense at all.

 

Dan

While MLU does not require a cable release, for most people, the reason to use MLU is to minimize camera shake, mainly from the mirror slap. However, if you press on the camera body to trigger the shutter, you are to some degree creating camera shake. Therefore, if you are demanding enough to use MLU, it makes sense to use a cable release also.

For landscapes and none moving photos,where I lock up the mirror , I use the self timer to fire the camera, so no movement. I have never bought a motor for my F3HP, I would hate to take away that smooth winding.

I've had an FM, F, F100 and F3HP. While the F100 is an amazing camera its a pretty different type of tool than the F3. If you want a manual focus Nikon the F3HP is by far the best of the Nikons that I've used. And I liked the others a great deal.

The only things that bother me on the camera are the small on/off switch and the slightly small + and - indicators for manual exposure setting. Both of these are, I think, pretty minor issues compared to the wonderful, feel, build, and magnificent viewfinder of this camera. Even compared to my M6 the film advance and rewind are buttery smooth. I'll always keep mine.

The F3 does NOT have match needle metering in the sense of the FE2. In manual mode, it has an LCD that indicates via + or - the relative exposure, kind of like an FN2N except not nearly so bright and visible. The F3 also has an aperture priority AE mode and the selected shutter speed is shown in the LCD. Actually, the approximate shutter speed, since the electronic shutter has stepless shutter speeds. One can lock in the exposure by depressing a button on the front surface of the camera, not nearly so convenient as half depressing the shutter release. If flash is really important to you, you are better off with the FE2. The center weighting for exposure is more spotlike on the F3. The FE2 is a well built camera for sure, but the F3 exudes quality, especially the (as mentioned) buttery film advance. In fairness, the Minolta XD11 and XE7 have an equally smooth film advance. If you can swing it, the best solution is to keep the FE2 and also get the F3. That way, you can try them side by side, and then....keep both! Oh, one more thing. The exposure battery on/off is more convenient on the FE2. I keep forgetting to turn the damn thing off on the F3.

<i>

"The center weighting for exposure is more spotlike on the F3"</i>

<p>

This took just a little getting used to for me. In AE, I found I had to think a little more than I did with the FE. The AE lock button gets a workout on an F3 compared to the FE.

<p>

The removable viewfinder is a huge plus. It's very handy to use the camera at low angles without the viewfinder.

To amplify Todd's comment a bit, the FE-2 has 60%-40% centerweight metering (something of a norm for Nikon in that era), while the F3 series has 80%-20%. HWD

The F3HP is a pleasure to use - the smoothest action in any manual camera I've ever used. The metering is 80/20 center-weighted, aperture-priority or manual.

 

The F3 is a complete kludge with flash, however. The flash is mounted over the rewind crank. An SB-16A mounts directly, or you can get a non-TTL or TTL adapter for flashes with an ISO foot. TTL flash metering is no better than AUTO mode on the flash itself.

 

The F3 has MLU, and is probably the last camera to both have it and need it (the mirror cranks). The last camera to have true MLU is the F5, which is so smooth as to make MLU an anachronism.

 

If you just want a shooter that is compatible with AI/AIS lenses, get an F100. I wax nostalgic over my F3HP, but the F100 is a much better camera, and cheaper too.

Hi, dear Donald. I own a Nikon F3 not HP. The exposure modea are manual and aperture priority. The meter indications employ an LCD visualizator, over the upper site of the viewfinder. The Nikon F3 was the first camera in the photographic history that visualize the shutter velocity and the aperture with LCD.

You can use the MLU with or without the cable release (whit is better, anyhow). Instead, the Nikon FA or FM3A both use the same system of the Nikon FE2.

If you want a Nikon manual camera, with aperture priority and manual exposure modes and the full MLU capability, the Nikon F3 is your only choice.

In fact, the Nikon F2A or F2AS, both have the full MLU capability but are only with manual exposure mode. Vive versa, the Nikon F4s, F5 or F6, all with full MLU capability and multi mode exposure modes, are fully electronic, with only the motorized film advance.

Ciao.

I once owned an F3HP and it does indeed have a nice feel... the film advance lever is a joy

to use. It's the nicest MF Nikon I have owned.

 

However, I sold mine years ago because it wound up staying home a lot while I was off

using other cameras. Here's why...

 

1. Maximum 1/80th flash sync speed. At the time I was doing a lot of PJ work that

required fill-flash outdoors. 1/80 of a second just didn't cut it anymore when there were

Nikons capable of up to 1/250 flash sync.

 

2. Illuminating the viewfinder requires pushing a tiny red button, and if I remember

correctly the illumination stops when you remove your finger from the button. So low-light

photography can be a bit difficult when you have time and basically impossible if you have

to work quickly.

 

3. The MD-4 motor drive turns the F3 into a brick. An MD-4 is about the same size and

weight of an FE-2... think about that for a moment. I used an OpTech neoprene strap

designed for large cameras but the combo still got heavy during a long day of shooting.

 

Since you don't care about a drive, #3 doesn't apply to you. If you can live with #1 and #2,

then go for it.

 

Me? While the F3 is Long Gone, I will never part with my FM2 (purchased new in 1982) nor

an FT2 in mint condition that I found at a local garage sale. The FT2 meets my need for

having a camera that is actually made of metal and has a feel akin top an F3, while the

FM2 is relatively small and has 1/200th sync, and I can use it with my MD-12 drive.