Nikon F3

Initially, the F3 model with the DE-2 eye-level finder was introduced, soon followed by the popular F3HP, or High Point camera, with the DE-3 High Eyepoint prism/finder. The major advantage of this finder was that the entire viewfinder image could be seen from a distance of 2.5 cm from the viewfinder. This made the F3 more usable by those who wear glasses when shooting, or were forced to shoot in high-glare situations while wearing sunglasses. The only down-side to this was a smaller image through the viewfinder compared to the standard prism. With the exception of the "P" spec camera, all viewfinders are completely interchangeable. The F3 and F3HP retained the flash mount on the rewind dial, which (with flash mounted) obstructed that area of the camera.[2]

A significantly more durable, robust titanium version of the F3HP was also offered, called the "F3/T", initially in a more natural titanium finish or 'champagne' coloring, and later in a less conspicuous black. It weighs 20 grams less than the comparable F3. The champagne offering was introduced in 1982 and was quickly discontinued around 1985, making it the rarer (and costlier on the used market) of the two titanium models. The F3/T featured titanium clad viewfinders (DE-4), titanium back, titanium top and bottom plates. It also benefited from the conformal coating of the internal circuit board. The mechanical specifications between the black finished F3/T and the natural finish F3/T were identical.

Nikon F3/T made of titanium

Next to be introduced was the F3P in 1983. Built primarily for use by photojournalists ("P"ress), the F3P included additional weathersealing, O-ring gaskets, the MF-6 Auto Film-Stop Back, Type-B Matte focusing screen, a modified Titanium DE-5 pentaprism with ISO-type accessory shoe and no eyepiece blind, rubber-covered waterproof shutter release with a modified lockout and no cable release threads, a round frame counter window with white numerals (some have been seen with blue numerals), and an extended shutter speed operating knob for easier operation in cold or wet environments. The F3P lacked a film door release lock, self-timer and multiple-exposure lever.

A variant of the F3P called the 'F3 Limited' was also sold just in Japan, starting in 1994. The Limited had special badging, regular film back without the auto-stop feature of the MF-6/6B back, and was otherwise identical to the F3P. It also came in a wooden presentation box.

Neither camera could use the DX-1 viewfinder of the F3AF body. Contacts in mirror housing were configured differently than a regular F3 series camera. On an F3P and F3 Limited, they were used for flash synch and ready light purposes. On an F3, F3/T, and F3AF, they were used to communicate the exposure meter display information to the LCD inside the DX-1 viewfinder.

Nikon F3H High Speed 13 Frames per second

The F3H, a high-speed camera, was introduced for press, sports photography and for the 1998 Nagano Olympics in Japan. However, Nikon recently stated its true motivation on its website in that it "represented Nikon's reaction to the fact that, the previous year, a competitor had released a camera for high-speed continuous shooting that could shoot 10 fps". Following previous practice with the Nikon F High Speed and the F2H, it featured a fixed pellicle semi-transparent mirror, diverting 30% of the light through to the view finder, allowing the camera and the specially produced MD-4H motor drive to achieve up to 13 frames per second, when the MN-2 nicad battery is used (as opposed to 7.5 frames per second with eight AA alkaline batteries).

The F3H had the appearance of an F3P modified for high-speed photography; however, under the skin were some advanced techniques to achieve the speeds required, including something Nikon have described as "the camera and the motor drive predict and control each other's operations, so that certain operations overlap".

The MD-4H was essentially a speeded-up MD4, with the gearing increased by 1.5 and the voltage raised to the standard, already capable, motor. There is one additional gold contact pin surrounding the rewind spigot, that joins with the electrical connection on the base of the camera. The front face of the drive features a slightly extended area with a switch that enables the option of using the drive at a constant 6 frames per second.

Production was short, official reports from Nikon claiming only around 100 such cameras made, however it is likely that the real number exceeds that by many hundreds, as serial numbers in the high 800's have been noted . Serial numbers on the camera body begin with H9600..., and the front features the signature F3 logo with a H added. Instead of the depth-of-field preview button, it had an extended version of the button which became an aperture opening button for composing purposes. Metering was done at working aperture, instead of wide-open, as on other F3 bodies. The camera is also unique among all F3's in having a white film take up spool. Like the F3P, the DX-1 viewfinder could not be used on it. When fitted with the MD-4H it is also incompatible with the Magazine Back MF-4 250, Firing Rate Converter MK-1 and Data Back MF-14.

It was the last specialized high speed film Nikon camera made and amazingly it remained the highest frame rate SLR (including digital) that Nikon made until the introduction of the Nikon D6, which achieves 14 frames per second with a reflex mirror. The camera is highly collectable, with limited numbers being produced and being the final in a line of the high speed cameras starting with the legendary Nikon S3M.

Finally there was the rarely seen 'F3AF', a model which included an autofocus (AF) pentaprism finder (DX-1) capable of autofocusing with two special AF Nikkor lenses—the first of their kind, which included focus motors in the lens bodies. Those lenses were the AF-80mm f/2.8 Nikkor and the AF-200mm f/3.5 Nikkor. It was the first autofocus camera to be produced by Nikon, in 1983.

However, even while the more successful subsequent Nikon AF design for the F4 and other models put the focus motor in the camera body, the F3AF's in-lens approach foreshadowed in-lens autofocus designs that would later come to dominate the market more than 15 years in the future, such as Canon's USM and Nikon's own Silent Wave Motor (SWM) lenses.