The Nikon F3 - Only 45 years?

 45 years, pfft.

My F3HP was manufactured in 1994

This morning, I was scanning my IG feed, and saw a post from somewhere about this being the 45th anniversary of the introduction of the Nikon F3.  I hadn't thought too much about it, but I do have a T-shirt from Mike Padua's Shoot Film Co. with 1980 and a drawing of the Nikon F3.  It's an excellent T-shirt- heavy duty and well-made.

courtesy of Shoot Film Co.

I've owned my example of the Nikon F3HP since 2008, when I was given the mint-condition camera from my mentor, William Brudon. At the time, I had been using a beat-up F3 that I'd purchased on eBay a year before.  To say I was amazed  by this gift from my friend was an understatement. I don't think Bill had even run ten rolls of film through it. Over the years, it's become more and more my go-to camera for travel because I can always rely on it to perform flawlessly.  

Sept. 2023, AuSable Point Lighthouse, Ludington, MI. Nikon F3HP, SHD 100 film.

My F3HP's serial number is 1957804, and the date code under the rear door hinge is 64VN. According to this site my camera was manufactured in June, 1994.  So, it's really only 31 years old, but looks like it was made yesterday. I love the high-eyepoint viewfinder, which is perfect for a glasses wearer. As you can see in this photo of my camera, it currently has the old Nikkor-H 50mm f/2 lens attached.  It was converted to AI by the Nikon factory.  It remains one of the best 50mm lenses made, period.

I don't know how many rolls of film I have shot with this camera. More than 50, and less than 150, I suppose. In any case, it's a fine camera that is a joy to use.  It was made to be a professional's SLR, and as SLRs go, it had a long manufacturing run, from 1980 - 2000.  Even then, it was available as a new camera into the digital age.  

Ludington, MI, Sept. 2023. Nikon F3HP, Kodak XX.

If you want to know more about Nikon's F3, this site has a lot of great information in one place. https://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf3ver2/index.htm

If you have never used a Nikon F3 before, it's an easy camera to work with.  The controls are obvious, with butter smooth operation.  All you can expect from a pro-grade SLR.

Floyd, VA, July 2024. Nikon F3HP, Ilford HP-5.

Earth Day, 2025

 

The infamous Earthrise photo from Apollo 8 (1968). We all live on that blue marble.

It used to be that Earth Day was a big thing.  The very first one, in 1970, was successful enough that I, as a 13-yr old 8th grader, made an 8mm movie on Kodachrome for a school project, in the relative backwater of upstate NY. My memory of making it was of contrasts - a glass beer bottle rolling down the roadside, a Cooper’s Hawk flying from its nest. I don’t recall much else.  It was taken with a Kodak Brownie 8mm movie camera, and as I have told Mike Raso of the Film Photography Project - it was the beginning and end of my celluloid movie-making.  I am confident that there was nothing remarkable in that 3.5 minute movie. I had to have obtained the camera, etc., from a teacher at my school, because the only camera in my house at the time was a Kodak Instamatic.  Anyhow, I have no idea where the movie ended up, and 55 years later, we are in a global environmental crisis.  You would think that we could have, as a society, kept at the job to have a better planet, but here we are.

Bowling Green, OH April 5, 2025

The original Earth Day led to the passage of the Endangered Species Act, The Clean Air Act, The Clean Water Act, and most importantly, the Environmental Protection Agency. That was under the Nixon Administration, brought down later by the petty crimes at the Watergate Hotel. When I say petty, they were, compared to the current criminal assault on our country’s resources by the Trump regime. The mere fact that a rapist felon is in charge is bad enough. All of our country’s resources - both natural, human, and constitutional, are being pillaged by a mediocre person of wealth and privilege to benefit the ultra-wealthy.  The battles of the 1970s were thought to be over.  We made the country better because it was the right thing to do - not as an altruistic act, but because we realized that our own survival was threatened by decades of pollution and unwise use of our resources.  Photography undoubtedly played a role in that. If you haven’t seen photos of smog in New York, the burning Cuyahoga River, and windrows of dead fish on Great Lakes shores, you should.  The public outcry and subsequent action by the government made real change possible. Today, they are all under assault by Trumpism.  Climate Change? Ignore it. Polluted water? Big deal. Endangered species? Who cares? Healthy people? Only if you are rich.  This is the slippery slope we are on with Trump. How we escape it and make our country (and the world) a better place is going to take some doing. We need more empathy, not less. We need more people to stand up to authoritarian decrees, not less. It’s no longer a left vs right issue, it’s a right vs wrong issue. It’s an issue of people with wealth and means who think the world is theirs alone.

Lower Yellowstone Falls, by William Henry Jackson.

Photographs by William Henry Jackson brought attention to Yellowstone, and it became our first National Park.  Later, Ansel Adam’s photos and connections with the Sierra Club brought attention to conserving our natural resources, the saving of redwoods, and more.  Photography is one way of showing the state of things, and also of showing change over time.  It can help bring attention to issues that concern us.  It’s also a way for us to connect and share our relationship with the natural world.  Whether it’s wildlife photography, landscape photography, or something on the micro scale of nature, the images can shape our perception of the world we live in.  

Sept. 2023, Arcadia Marsh in NW Michigan.

So, if you do anything this Earth Day, use the day to engage with nature, photograph things that connect you with it, and share them.  Tomorrow, get up and call or write your Congress person or whoever you feel deserves to know that "We are mad as hell and ain’t gonna take it anymore."  That spirit of the 1970s of shared responsibility for our planet needs to take over.

Lake Michigan sunset, Ludington, MI. Sept. 2023.

When is “good enough” good enough?

A clean, working Spotmatic SP is a great SLR, even at 60 years old

I got to thinking about this recently, after I received a Ricoh KR-10 Super via eBay.  I paid less than $30 before shipping, so it was definitely a bargain.  I last used a Ricoh K-mount body about a decade ago, and had sort of forgotten how good it was.  Now, if you’ve been following Random Camera Blog for a while, you’ll know that I use Nikon gear for about 75% of my photography.  But that doesn’t mean other SLR systems are not as good as Nikon’s nor does it mean that you need a Nikon or a Canon system to take great photographs.  In the realm of 35mm film SLRs there are a lot of choices out there.  Some of them are peculiar and do not have a big “ecosystem” of accessories and lenses.  For example, Topcon and Miranda featured well-built bodies and enough lenses to satisfy the needs of most photographers. Yet today, they certainly are niche cameras and are rarely seen.  Why is that?  They were certainly “good enough.”  However, in the mid-1970s, as branding became increasingly popular, it was the Pentax Spotmatics, Minolta SRTs, Canon, and Nikons that attracted the most interest.  The cool kids had Spotmatics, the pros had Nikons, and all the rest were there for the remaining market share.  By the mid-1980s, Olympus, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Minolta were the predominant SLR brands, with a smattering of other runner-ups.  The K-mount of Pentax was where one could find new, less-expensive cameras - not made by Pentax.  So, enter Cosina, Ricoh, and Chinon - three Japanese companies that were also OEM suppliers to some other brands.  Even today, when looking for either M42 mount or K-mount SLRs on the used market, these three companies are less-expensive options to the Pentax SLRs.  That really can’t be said of Nikon, Canon, Olympus or Minolta.  

Now, as a long-time Nikon user, I know my Nikon SLRs, and the strengths of any particular body compared to others.  The last non-AF Nikon bodies were the FM3A, the FM10 and FE10.  The FM3A is an outstanding camera body that continued in the Nikon heritage of the FE and FM2N, and can operate without batteries, if necessary.  Good used FM3A examples still go for nearly $800.  However, the FE10 and FM10, made by Cosina for Nikon, are plastic-bodied SLRs that are not too different from the Vivitar V3000, made by Cosina.  But, having used them, they are certainly good enough for everyday use.  They sell for a fraction of the FM3A, and less than a good used FE model.  Some photographers have derided them as being “too plasticky.”  Well, the same could be said for the auto-focus Nikon N55, 60, 65, and 75, and those were made by Nikon.  Today, if Nikon offered a new FE-10 type of SLR, I guarantee that it would sell.  Sure it’s not going to be as robust as a FM2, but it will be good enough for most.  Again, spend money on lenses!

The Miranda Sensorex is a classic, but never popular

My point here is that a camera is often only as good as the lenses available for it. Topcon and Miranda bodies are well-made, but there are very few options for lenses.  The Pentax and other  M42  and K mount bodies have a plethora of available lenses, made by many manufacturers.  Canon’s FD-mount SLRs likewise had a lot of third-party options, and so did Minolta, Olympus, and to a lesser extent, Konica’s AR-mount.  Oh yes, and so does Nikon.  What that means for the new users today is that you should not discount the other brands, which you can often purchase at lower prices than the “name brands.” Going back to the beginning, the Ricoh KR-10 Super has a lot more features than the Pentax K1000.  I know the K1000 gets all the attention because it’s a “beginner’s SLR.” It certainly is, but it lacks even a self-timer! Yet they sell for well over $200 used.  For that price you could easily buy a Spotmatic with a 50mm lens, and have money left over for more film.  I don’t see how a Spotmatic F is not a good “beginner” camera, as it is pretty much identical to the K1000, but it has a M42 screw mount lens rather than the bayonet K-mount.  It also includes a self-timer, stop-down depth of field viewing, and can accept many lenses for the M42 mount. A bargain, and is certainly more than “good enough.”  

The KR-5 is a bargain

The Ricoh KR-10 and the Sears KSX (made by Ricoh) are two very good K-mount SLRs made in the 1980s.  While they don’t have PENTAX on the front of the prism, they are better cameras than the 40-year old Pentax ME, which suffers from electronic problems. Some sleuthing online will provide you with some bargains, once you know what to look for. Again, by saving money, you can purchase additional lenses, since most of these cameras come with a 50mm f/2 normal lens.  Buy a 28mm wide-angle, or maybe a 28-70mm zoom lens and see what a difference it makes in how and what you photograph.  There are plenty of K-mount options out there.  My first K-mount SLR was a Pentax MG, which I purchased at Service Merchandise in 1983. It came with a 50mm f/2 SMC Pentax  and a 135mm f/2.8 SMC Pentax lens and a 2x teleconverter.  I don’t recall what I paid for it, but I used that camera until 2000.  I remember buying a used Pentax SMC 28-80 zoom for it that had close-up capabilities, and was amazed at what a difference it made in my photography.

If you are just getting into using a 35mm SLR, and want that “analog feel,” you probably don’t already have an established preference.  There are a lot of good used SLRs out there that won’t cost you much. Popularity drives up the price, but if you stick with the same lens-mount ecosystem, you can find cheaper alternatives that are “good enough.”   Here is a list of mounts  and cheaper alternatives:

The Spotmatic F was the last M42 mount from Pentax

M42 mount cameras 

The M42 screw mount was introduced in the 1950s by Praktica, and the Pentax Spotmatic is the king of M42 mount SLRs. Some of these are now rising in price, but generally, you should be able to pay less than $60 for a Spotmatic SP.  The Spotmatic SP II  is a lot like a K1000, and costs less. However, if not having a TTL meter is okay, I highly recommend the Pentax S3 or H3 bodies. Don’t ignore the Mamiya 500DTL or 1000DTL models. Fujica’s ST701 and ST 801 models are usually good purchases, too. Also, look for good examples of the Ricoh Singlex, Vivitar 250/SL, or Chinon CS-4.  The Yashica TL Electro X SLR is an excellent camera body, too.  For European-manufactured cameras, the Zenit 12XP and Praktica Super TL are good choices.

The Mamiya 1000DTL 

The Chinon CS - basic, but rugged.

The Praktica MTL3 is a solid, no-frills SLR.

K-Mount cameras

Pentax’s K-mount was also adopted by Chinon, Cosina, and Ricoh. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the K-mount!  Instead of paying over $200 for a K1000, you should look for a Ricoh KR-10 Super or Sears KSX.  Even cheaper would be a Vivitar V3800.  The Chinon CM-4 is also a bargain.  Later Pentax models with lots of plastic, such as the ZX-M are also going to be relatively inexpensive. Of course, if you have M42 lenses, the K-mount adapter allows you to use them in stop-down mode on the K-mount bodies.

While the K1000 gets a lot of love, it's not the best choice.

The Sears KS 500 is a Ricoh. Not a bad starter SLR.

The Ricoh XR-P has all the features!

Nikon F-mount

If you want the heavy metal experience without a hefty price, I recommend the Nikkormats.  The best choice would be the Nikkormat FT-3, but the FT2 and EL are also good choices, if you don’t mind doing the “Nikon twist” with Non-AI lenses.  Otherwise, the Nikon FG, FA, and FE sell at fairly low prices.  Stay away from the Nikon EM. They are prone to failure, and have very little to offer in the way of control. For autofocus bodies, the N8008, N90, N2002, N80, and N75 are inexpensive choices.  You don’t need a F100 or an F5 to take great photos!  If you are already using a Nikon DSLR, it's easy to use a Nikon AF film body.

The Nikon FE remains a popular entry in the Nikon world

 The FM10 works well.

The Nikon FG is remarkably small and full-featured

                    

The FM2N is a lifetime camera. It ought to last.

The Nikkormat FTN is a heavy metal classic.

Canon 

I’ve shot a lot of Canon manual SLRs in my past, and the FTb QL was a favorite, because it was so reliable. They’ll be cheaper than the much-championed AE-1.  The Cosina-made Canon T60 is also a good choice.   It’s of modern design, has nice ergonomics, and is also quite similar to the Nikon FE-10 in operation. For EOS bodies, the Elan II, and many of the Rebel models will do the trick. If you already have a Canon EOS digital body, using the Rebel-series film bodies will be an easy switch. 

The Canon TL QL is a basic, but quite usable SLR

The Canon T60 is a joy to use.

Minolta (SR/MC/MD mount)

The classic mechanical Minolta SRT series offer good value, and the lenses are still relatively inexpensive.  A working SRT 101, 202, etc.,  are great cameras, and are quite plentiful. Going a bit later, the Minolta X-7A (also known as the X-370) is a good choice for an inexpensive aperture-priority SLR.  While the Minolta X-700 was a wonderful multi-mode SLR, it is prone to bad capacitors over time, so you never know when one might suffer from that malady.  However, the X7A was produced in the late 1980s, and as electronic Minolta SLRs go, it’s capable of great images with the range of Minolta glass that is available.  

 

The Minolta X-700 is a great SLR, so long as the capacitors last.

The SRT series are robust, with a great lens selection.

Ultimately, your choice of what is good enough may change the longer that you engage in photography.  One photographer’s choice of what is good enough might be a Holga, and another’s might be a Leica M6.  However you evaluate your needs,  you don’t need the top camera model to become a proficient photographer. But if you are just beginning film photography, there are a lot of choices of SLRs, and with some research and diligence, you ought to be able to get a reliable camera for less than $60. It might not be a Canon AE-1, a Pentax K1000, or a Nikon F3, but it will be more than good enough for learning photography. With a couple of lenses and a lot of film, you’ll be starting a great adventure.  

Ilfocolor 400 Plus Vintage Tone C41 film

In December, I was in my local camera store in Asheville - Ball Photo Supply, and saw that they had this film for sale.  I was curious as to what it was, so I bought a roll.  Now, the only color film that Harman/Ilford is known to be manufacturing is the Phoenix 200 color film, so what it this? The cassette says “ILFORD Imaging Europe GmbH  ilfocolor.com” and of course, Process C41. So what is this?  A visit to the Ilford site reveals that it’s not the Ilford that we associate with the B&W films.  Single-use cameras, simple plastic cameras, ink-jet printing papers, and the Ilfocolor brand are found there.  Ilford Imaging Europe GmbH is the umbrella for Ilfocolor, Ilfochrome (remembering the Cibachrome connection from years past), Ilford ink-jet papers, and of course, inexpensive plastic cameras.  The Ilford site lists all of the company history, which is useful to know. 

If you go to ilfocolor.com, you'll see color films (C-41 and E-6) as well as color chemistry, and single-use and plastic cameras

If you go to ilfordphoto.com, you'll see b&w films, etc.

If you go to harmanphoto,co.uk, you'll see Phoenix 200 film

If you go to the Harman Photo site, you can see the difference, as follows:

“HARMAN Photo is a trading name of HARMAN technology Ltd, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of analogue photographic films, darkroom papers, and photo chemicals. Formed in 2005 by former managers of ILFORD Imaging UK, HARMAN technology takes its name from Alfred Harman, founder of the original ILFORD company in 1879. At the same time the company also acquired the facilities in Mobberley, England, the traditional home of their black & white photographic products, ensuring their ongoing production and survival. HARMAN technology Ltd was acquired by Pemberstone Ventures Ltd in 2015 and is now a pioneering imaging specialist blending the traditions of manufacturing excellence with a passion and commitment to its customers and the future of analogue film photography. Through significant ongoing investment, and backed by a world-class R&D function, a commitment to innovation, and a unique portfolio of equipment, facilities, and expertise, it is one of the world’s last remaining companies capable of the full end-to-end process of developing, coating, and finishing high quality analogue photographic products. Today, the company manufactures millions of units of film, paper, and chemicals under the HARMAN Photo, ILFORD Photo and KENTMERE ranges and ships these around the world and into the discerning hands of beginners, enthusiasts, students, and professional film photographers as well as leading labs, classrooms, and darkrooms.”

So, while the Harman Photo UK is a film, chemical, and photo paper manufacturer, Ilford Europe GmbH is not.  I assume that the ink-jet papers are manufactured by Ilford GmbH. The Ilfocolor films are manufactured by other companies.  In my previous post on the Ilfocolor Rapid Half Frame camera, I noted that the film looked like Kodak Gold 400.  There were no edge markings other than the frame number and a barcode.  So, it could have been Kodak-manufactured - maybe.  However, the subject of this post is Ilfocolor 400 Plus Vintage Tone. After having shot the roll in my Spotmatic SP, and developed by Ball Photo, I can say that it sure looks like Orwo NC500.  

In today’s world of corporate mergers, equity firms, etc., things can be complicated, and in the case of Ilford, things are very convoluted.  Branding is everything, and the dilution of a brand is problematic.  But it’s not terribly different from Kodak.  There are all sorts of items branded as Kodak, that Kodak does not manufacture, but have licensed their brand to other companies. Even within Kodak, we have Eastman, which is the brand of the cine-films, and then Kodak/Alaris, the consumer film division.  A far cry from the hegemony of Kodak in the 1970s-80s.  We are certainly Lucky in the present day to still have so many types of film available, no matter who makes them.

That brings me back to the the Ilfocolor 400+ Vintage Tone.  I have shot the Orwo NC500 and there is no doubt in my mind that the Vintage Tone is the same emulsion.  A 36-exposure roll of the Orwo NC500 is about $9.00, and a roll of the Ilfocolor 400+ Vintage Tones sells for $12-$15.  I’ve said before that Orwo’s branding is not great, and of course, Ilford’s branding is more recognizable. But to pay $3-$6 more per roll to get the Ilford branding, that’s up to you.  

Ilfocolor 400+ on the left side, Orwo NC500 on the right.

I am happy with the results from the film, as it was pretty much as I expected.  Of course, a dull January isn’t ideal for showcasing color, but here are some examples.  All negatives were scanned on my Epson V700. 

This definitely has the "Vintage Tone"

So, I hope that I haven't confused you too much!

Ilfocolor Rapid Half-Frame camera

I thought that I had sworn off single-use cameras, but a few months ago, I purchased three Ilford Ilfocolor Rapid Half Frame single-use cameras from Reformed Film Lab for $7 each. I probably should have gone with the special price of $6 each if I had purchased 10.  I’ve always had a sort of love-hate relationship with half frame 35mm. I loved the compactness of the cameras, but churning through a roll of film took some time, and the vertical format wasn’t exactly a favorite.  However, I figured that the price was too good to pass up, and I could always wind the film into the cassette in the darkroom and use the film in another camera should I want to.  

First of all, at this price, it was too good to pass up, and I opened the package to get a look at the camera — it looks pretty much like any other single-use camera, but with a viewfinder that matches the half-frame aspect.  A 27-exposure roll of film becomes 54 half-frames.  Certainly enough to evaluate the camera.  The camera has a built-in flash, activated by a switch on the front.  The film is stated to be 400 ISO color, and I have no idea what emulsion it is supposed to be, but it looks a lot like Kodak Gold 400.  It is NOT the same film that’s labeled as Ilfocolor 400 Plus Vintage Tone, which I will review separately. In addition, the only color film that Ilford/Harman is currently making is the Phoenix 200. So, these cameras are using some other outsourced film. They are made in China, not the EU. While the film is "expired" in 02/2025, it should be good for a few years more.

Over the course of a couple of months, I shot the roll and took it to Ball Photo in Asheville to be developed.  After scanning the film myself, I have to say that I am pleased with the results from this camera.  For one using this camera, like any other single -use camera, is easy. There’s no focusing, just point and shoot.  To be fair, I picked subjects that I thought would work well with the film format and exposure latitude of 400 ISO color film.  I used the flash only a couple of times, and you definitely need to be within 8 feet of the subject.

Here are some examples from the first roll, all scanned on my Epson V700 scanner:

Some of the images with clear blue skies had yellow streaks
in the sky as shown in the enlargement below.
 

I don't know if this is an emulsion defect, or x-rays or development. But it did not appear on other rolls that I had processed.  It did not go through any airport scanners, but maybe the shipment from China did? A curious thing.

I sent one of the cameras to my daughter, and I cannibalized the other one for the roll of color film inside.  Note - you need to wind the film into the cassette before you open the camera.  You can do this by taping over the lens with black tape and shooting the roll, and it winds into the cassette with each exposure, or in this case, unexposure!   Then, you crack open the camera to retrieve the cassette. If you have wound the film all the way into the cassette, a leader retriever will get the end of the film out.

Now that I see the results from this camera, I’ll have to see if Reformed Film lab has any left to sell. While I’m not ready to plunk down $500 for the Pentax 17, this Ilfocolor camera will give you a good idea what to expect with half-frame cameras.   I know that Kodak has a simple half-frame plastic camera, but their H35N sells for between $45 and $60, a far cry from the $7 I spent, and I would expect similar results from the Kodak.  The Kodak H35N does have a bulb mode and a coated glass lens, but I have yet to try one out.  If anything, the Ilford Rapid Half-Frame is a good introduction to the world of half-frame 35mm, and I highly recommend it if you can find one.  I ordered 10 more of them from Reformed Film Lab on 3/30/25, so they are still available.