Why Leica user buys a Nikon F3 (15 Reasons!)

Here I share my 15 reasons for buying a Nikon F3 film camera (as a Leica User).  If you’re new here I normally review Leica camera and lenses and these written articles supplement my YouTube channel videos. I’ve been shooting with digital Leica cameras for over a decade but when it comes to film I don’t limit myself to only Leica.  Let’s jump in.

Why did I buy a Nikon F3 film camera?

If you follow me on YouTube I recently reviewed the new mirrorless Nikon Zf vs Leica (My Leica SL digital camera).  Although I normally love the simplicity of Leica cameras it made me realise that sometimes it would be nice to have a few more features. A few weeks later I decided to buy a Nikon.  My camera of choice was not a modern digital Nikon mirrorless camera but the very highly regarded Nikon F3 film camera. Let me explain!

Digital cameras – Nikon vs Leica

When it comes to my digital photography I feel less is most definitely more.  Most camera brands now offer so many features and automation that it feels like taking iPhone photos.  There is zero challenge in taking a great photo in terms of correct exposure and getting photos in focus.  That removes the enjoyment for me, especially for personal work.  I appreciate that autofocus has its place and it can make life easier for client work.  Leica digital cameras are somewhat rare in that they offer less features and automation. When using a camera in full manual mode it feels like I’m making the photo not the camera.  Yes, most cameras let you use them in manual focus and manual exposure mode but when there are near endless buttons and menus it just isn’t as much fun to use as a Leica (for me).  

Case study – Leica SL vs Lumix S5

A great example of this is to compare my Leica SL vs Lumix S5 mirrorless camera.  Both digital cameras can take near identical beautiful photos (if I use the same lens and apply my MrLeica Lightroom presets to the RAW files).  Where the two cameras differ is the enjoyment factor to use the camera.  The Leica SL camera just inspires me to want to shoot and the Lumix, well doesn’t inspire me in the slightest.  The same is true with digital Nikon cameras.  The latest Nikon cameras such as the Nikon Zf are seemingly very well made and very functional but lack that sex appeal/ wow factor that makes you want to grab it and take pictures.

Lumix S5 Lightroom Presets (Leica Look Portraits)

35mm film cameras – Nikon vs Leica

Similar to the modern digital Nikon cameras, Nikon film cameras were also feature packed.  One thing to remember for me is the Nikon F3 is a very modern Nikon film camera when compared to the Leica cameras I use most often.  Let’s compare the ages of some of the film cameras I use most often.

• Leica I Standard – (My copy is 1931)
• Leica M3 (1954-1966)
• Leica M4-P (1980-1986)
• Leica M6 classic (1984-1998)
• Leica R6 (1988-1992)
• Nikon F3 (1980-~2001)

Best of the best!  Nikon F3 + Leica M3 

If you ask fellow film photographers what are some of the best film cameras ever made I would always expect to see the Leica M3 and Nikon F3 on the list.  If we compare the Leica M3 to the Nikon F3, how do they compare?

Leica M3 vs Leica M2 Review (YouTube) – Camera Specs Comparison

Nikon F3 vs Leica M3

As noted above the first obvious difference is the age of these cameras.  The Leica M3 was first released in 1954 and was made as both single stroke and double stroke versions.  The Nikon F3 has the longest production run of any Nikon camera, over 20 years, from 1980 to 2001.  Nikon F3 cameras were also released in many versions.  To name just a few there is the basic Nikon F3 that I bought which is an earlier model.  Next came the popular Nikon F3 HP (High Point) and other models such as the Nikon F3/T titanium version and Nikon F3 HP P (Press) camera.

Rangefinder vs SLR camera

The Leica M3 is a 35mm rangefinder camera whereas the Nikon F3 is a SLR (single lens reflex) camera.  By design the Leica M3 is very simple with controls for only shutter speed and film advance/ rewind on the camera body.  Aperture is controlled on the lens itself and focusing is achieved via the rangefinder patch.  Leica M3 cameras have a 0.91x magnification viewfinder and single frame lines making it the best viewfinder of any Leica camera (even compared to the modern digital Leica M10 / M11).  

SLR vs Rangefinder (Nikon F4 vs Leica M3 Photos)

Feature packed Nikon F3

The Nikon F3 being 25 years newer than the Leica M3 offers a host of useful features absent on the Leica.  In addition to film advance, film rewind, shutter speeds the Nikon F3 offers the follow –

• Lightmeter
• Self timer
• Shutter release lock
• Mirror lock-up
• Depth of field preview 
• Double exposure mode
• Mechanical shutter (1/60) 
• Flash sync to 1/80 (vs 1/50 on M3)
• Maximum shutter speed 1/2000 (M3 =1/1000)

Best bag for Nikon F3 camera?

If you’ve seen my article on best bag for Leica cameras you’ll know I love the Wotancraft camera bags. On a recent trip I carried the Wotancraft 18L Pilot bag (3 day trip) with the Wotancraft 3.5L Pilot bag inside (replacing the top compartment). For flying I had the 3.5L Pilot bag packed with the Nikon F3, Nikon FM2 and Leica CL plus 3 Nikon F mount lenses. During the photoshoots, I had the Nikon F3 with lens attached and Leica CL with lens attached and 2 spare lenses all in the 3.5L Wotancraft bag. This will continue to be my go-to bag for when I carry a mix of Leica and Nikon gear or just Nikon / just Leica.

Best Bag For Leica Q, M, SL, CL

Leica photos are better because of Leica glass?

Some people say Leica cameras take better photo.  When it comes to shooting with film the camera is only a box so the final photo is a result of the camera lens plus film choice.  If you think Leica lenses produce better photos than Nikon lenses you can adapt Leica R lenses to Nikon F mount. I converted my Leica Summicron-R 50mm f2 lens to Nikon F mount.  There are some really nice Leica R lenses available.  I published a detailed Leica R lens article sharing example photos from many of the popular Leica R mount lenses.  Check that out below –

Leica R Lenses Review (On Film & Digital)

Convert Leica lenses to Nikon F mount

If you are interested in converting your favourite Leica R lens to mount on a Nikon camera watch this video –

Nikon F3 vs Nikon F4 / Nikon F5

The Nikon F3 camera was in production at the same time as the Nikon F4 and Nikon F5.  The main difference is the Nikon F3 is a professional manual focus camera whereas the F4 and F5 that followed are professional autofocus / auto advance / auto rewind cameras (offering many more features).  The Nikon F3 only requires two tiny LR44 coin batteries which are small and lightweight.  The Nikon F4 takes 4 AA batteries and the Nikon F5 takes 8 AA batteries.  This makes the Nikon F4 and F5 much heavier cameras.  If you love manual focus like me the Nikon F3 makes the most sense but there are smaller lighter options.

Nikon F4 Review

Model Photography Tenerife (2017)

Nikon camera with waist level viewfinder (WLF)

One big reason for getting the Nikon F3 camera was the fact that I can use a waist level viewfinder.  I don’t remember seeing many 35mm film cameras with a waist level finder so the novelty value is big. This gives a similar shooting experience to using a Hasselblad, Mamiya RZ67, Mamiya 645, TLR camera etc. If you want a Nikon camera with waist level viewfinder option I believe there are three common options. The original Nikon F camera, the Nikon F2 or in my case the Nikon F3.

Mamiya RZ67 Portraits | Best Mamiya RZ Portrait Lens | 110mm f/2.8

Smaller Nikon cameras – Nikon FE2 / Nikon FM2 vs Nikon F3

If you want a smaller lighter Nikon SLR camera yet still feature packed then look at the Nikon FE2 and Nikon FM2.  Both cameras offer 1/250 flash sync speed (vs 1/60 on the Nikon F3) and 1/4000 maximum shutter speed.  The Nikon FM2 is the lightest and is full mechanical and the Nikon FE2 requires LR44 batteries, the same as the Nikon F3.  Like the Nikon FM and FE that camera before the FM2 and FE2 are fixed prism cameras so there is no viewfinder option.

Nikon FM vs Nikon FE vs Nikon FE2 Review (+vs F4 / F5!)

Leica M3 vs Nikon for flash photography

For strobist photography (using flash) the Nikon FE2 and Nikon FM2 are much better than the Nikon F3.  My Nikon FM2 and FE2 cameras come with a functional hotshoe on top of the prism to fire modern flash triggers and I can sync at higher shutter speeds. The Nikon F3 basic models doesn’t come with a hotshoe so you need to buy an adapter or special flash that fits over the film rewind crank.  Leica M3 cameras have a cold shoe so you need to use the old style flash sync port to trigger your flash. 1/50 is also too slow for syncing flash. (My Leica M4-P and Leica M6 both have a hotshoe to fire a flash trigger but you are still limited to 1/50 as with all Leica M film cameras. See my Leica M film camera buyer’s guide for more details.

Best Leica Film Camera Buyers Guide + Detailed Leica M Comparison

Rangefinder vs SLR for accurately focusing fast lenses

Many say that standard focusing screens on SLR cameras are not accurate enough to focus a fast aperture lens at say f1.4.  From my experience this seems correct and I often get more sharp photos with fast lenses shooting with rangefinder cameras vs SLRs.  I hope I can prove this wrong with more practice and using my Nikon F3.

Benefits of SLR cameras compared to rangefinder cameras

Rangefinder cameras and SLR cameras both have their own pros and cons.  For me that’s a great excuse to enjoy both.  I did make two videos listing the benefits of each system.  So not to duplicate, please check out these videos if interested.

Is there a Leica SLR camera?

If you love the idea of getting a SLR camera for a different shooting experience (assuming you have a rangefinder camera) but you only use Leica products you can look at Leica R cameras.  Leica R cameras are Leica SLR cameras so are the equivalent to say Nikon F mount SLR cameras.  The best thing about Leica R cameras is the cameras are really cheap (in Leica terms), but be aware that lenses are often more expensive.  If you love the idea of a full manual Leica SLR camera check out the Leica R6 and for details on all Leica R cameras check out my Leica R cameras article.

Leica R Mount Cameras (+ Lenses) (Leica SLR)

Leica vs Voigtlander vs Nikkor lenses

When it comes to selecting camera lenses for my photography I use mostly Leica and Voigtlander lenses on my Leica cameras. (I do use other third party lenses too like Light Lens Lab and TTArtisan).  When I bought my first Nikon film camera, the Nikon FM (coming from Leica), I wanted the best possible image quality from my Nikon setup.  My first approach was to buy Nikkor macro lenses such as the Nikkor 55mm f2.8 Micro and Nikkor 60mm f2.8 Micro.  It was years later  that I discovered the Voigtlander lenses for Nikon.  See below.

Voigtlander lenses for Nikon F cameras

Many Nikon users often overlook the fact that Voigtlander make a range of lenses in Nikon F mount.  These are Voigtlander SLR lenses called Voigtlander SL lenses.  Benefits of Voigtlander lenses for Nikon are two fold.  First, these lenses are often smaller than similar Nikkor lenses. Second, the performance Voigtlander lenses often matches or exceeds Nikkor lenses.  In the Nikon F3 YouTube review I use the example of the Voigtlander Skopar 28mm f2.8 SL vs Nikkor 28mm f2.8 AIS.  Both lenses are excellent performers but the Voigtlander lens is half the size which is a huge plus for me.

Voigtlander Ultron 40mm f2 (Best Nikon Pancake Lens!)

Identical photos from Leica M3 and Nikon F3. How?

Do you love your Leica M3 photos but want to try shooting with the waist level finder of the Nikon F3?  If you use lenses like the fantastic Voigtlander 90mm f2.8 APO you can buy this lens in both Leica M mount (VM version) or Nikon F mount (SL version).  Fantastic lens.  If you love the 90mm focal length you might like THIS article and for more on the Voigtlander 90mm f2.8 APO see this video –

15 reasons to buy a Nikon F3 camera (vs. Leica)

OK, at risk of recapping some of the points mentioned above here are my 15 reasons to buy the Nikon F3 camera. The YouTube video for this topic is also linked below.

 1 – Waist level finder (WLF)

Are you looking for that top down view shooting experience? I think it’s particularly good for street photography as it takes the pressure off eyeballing your “victim” at head height.  Low angle POV photos often look more interesting (and powerful).  WLF are great for low level photos such as having your camera close to the ground and tripod work too.  If you want an overhead view you can hold the camera upside-down above your head at arms length. I’ve done this with my Hasselblad cameras in the past. Note. WLF are less ideal for portrait orientation photos as the image is flipped.

2 – Close focus ability

SLR cameras often offer a close focus option for detail shots as SLR lenses tend to focus closer than rangefinder camera lenses. One example is the 28mm Voigtlander Skopar f2.8.  The Leica M mount version will focus to 0.7m but the Nikon F mount copy focuses to nearly 0.2m on the Nikon F3. The difference is huge in real world use!

3 – Professional build quality

Together with the Leica M3 the Nikon F3 has to be up there with arguably some of the best film cameras ever made.

Leica M3 & Ukraine Girls 2015

4 – “Mod cons” (Lots of features)

The Nikon F3 includes useful lots of useful features as listed above. I find myself using the lightmeter and shutter release lock a lot and plan to use the self timer on my next trip.

5 – Affordable price

A basic Nikon F3 (the non-HP “High Point” version) can be found pretty cheap on eBay. I was lucky that someone wrote to me to sell their camera so thanks Mary for this your lovely Nikon F3. Apparently she bought it in Tokyo so it’s already had quite a journey! Check eBay for the latest deals.

• (US) https://ebay.to/2F0HoxY
• (UK) https://ebay.to/3ijzle2
• (DE) https://ebay.to/3iqDNYs
• (FR) https://ebay.to/2ZJ3E75
• (HK) https://ebay.to/32A8xBu

6 – Great image quality

As we know Leica make great glass but I’m more than happy using my compact Voigtlander SL lenses (and some Nikkor too) on the Nikon F3. (I will also use my converted Leica R lens too!)

Lightroom Presets – GAME CHANGING!

7 – Become inspired to shoot more film

A new to me film camera will always inspire me to shoot more and that’s a good thing. Sometimes I get so caught up in the fast pace of modern life that I forget how great film is and that it is worth the effort.

8 – Size and weight

The basic Nikon F3 is smaller and lighter than the Nikon F3 HP, Nikon F4 and Nikon F5 cameras.  It is larger and heavier than the Nikon FM2 and Nikon FE2 but it gives you the added option to use a WLF.  The Nikon F3 HP is more popular for those wearing glasses but I prefer the smaller lighter non HP and can just add the viewfinder diopter from my Nikon FM2 for 20:20 vision. (Note – the Nikon F3 HP has a larger diameter viewfinder so the diopters that fit the Nikon FM2 style cameras will not fit a Nikon F3 HP prism).

9 – Nikon F mount lenses

Like Leica M mount, Nikon F mount offers a huge choice of lenses. You can use almost all Nikon F mount lenses on the Nikon F3 if they have the manual aperture ring.  This includes Nikon AF-D autofocus lenses (manual focus only) but not the latest Nikon G series lenses. Before I discovered Leica, over a decade ago, I shot Nikon so I still own a range of Nikon F mount glass.  It will be great to use them with the Nikon F3 camera. (Some of my favourites Nikkor lenses include the Nikkor 50mm f1.2 Ai-s, Nikkor 180mm f2.8 AF-D and Nikkor 200mm f2 Ai-s.

Nikkor 200mm f2 Review (Ai-s lens)(& Photos)

10 – Convert Leica R lenses to Nikon

As mentioned above, if you want that true Leica look, just convert Leica R glass to Nikon F with a cheap eBay adapter. I am very tempted to convert my Leica 35-70R lens to Nikon F mount for a crazy good one lens Nikon F3 setup.

11 – Nikon F3 focus screens

If you struggle to see to focus with your Nikon F3 film camera have no fear. There were 20+ focus screens made for the Nikon F3 to suit all types of photography. The type K focus screen is the most common which includes a split image and micro prism centre spot. My Nikon F3 came with a red dot E type screen which has a grid. I will likely upgrade the screen in the future to something I can focus easier with.

12 – Batteries for Nikon F3

Have you ever been away with your film camera (perhaps far from shops) and your camera battery died? I remember this happening to me with my Mamiya 6 when walking in the Lake District. I had to drive to a supermarket the next morning in search of the specific battery so I could continue to take photos.  The Nikon F3 takes 2x LR44 batteries (the same as the Leica M6) for the electronic shutter to fire (and light meter to work).  If the batteries do die (which is unlikely as they last about a year) you can still use the Nikon F3 via the mechanical shutter which gives you a fixed 1/60 speed.  To do this, advance the film as normal and then fire the shutter with the small lever on the front of the camera next to the lens mount.  

13 – Nikon F3 motor drive

Are you a street photographer that shoots film? If you anticipate your moment incorrectly and fire your shutter too soon you will normally miss your shot by the time you advance your shutter again.  Fear not. One solution is to buy a Nikon MD-4 motor drive for the Nikon F3 which lets you shoot 6fps! This reminds me of my Nikon F5 video if you saw that.

Nikon F5 Review (Best Nikon Film Camera?)

14 – Most reliable film camera?

As much as I love Leica film cameras many professional photographers confirm that over time Nikon film cameras usually keep working whereas Leica cameras will need servicing. Most of my Leica cameras have been serviced since I bought them but currently none of my multiple Nikon film cameras have had any issues.

Leica R6 vs Nikon FE2 Shootout (Kodak Vision3)

15 – Best manual focus professional Nikon film camera?

The Nikon F3 followed the Nikon F and Nikon F2 cameras. All three of these cameras have a bit of a cult following and all were very well made. The Nikon F3 was the last manual focus professional Nikon camera body made before the introduction of autofocus cameras (Nikon F4, Nikon F5, Nikon F6 etc). The Nikon F3 only requires the two small LR44 coin batteries compared to 4x or 8x AA batteries for the Nikon F4 and Nikon F5 respectively that followed.  

Kodak TMax 100 Portraits (Nikon F4)(Ukraine Girls)

Nikon F3 bonus tips

See the full Nikon F3 YouTube video for a visual of the different Nikon cameras side by side and Nikon cameras next to Leica cameras.  The YouTube video also includes a few bonus tips at the end.

Watch on YouTube – Why buy a Nikon F3?

Where are the Nikon film model portraits?

If you are new here I specialise in female model photography, often black and white. I’ve not yet had a chance to do a model photoshoot with the Nikon F3 but to give you a taster here are two FULL model shoots (all photos) shot with my Nikon FE2. (Looking back I need to do more posts like this!)

Nikon FE2 Portraits (2 Models, 2 Rolls of Film)

More Nikon F film camera videos

I’ve reviewed quite a few Nikon film cameras including the Nikon FM/FE/FM2/FE2, Nikon FG-20, Nikon F80, Nikon F100, Nikon F4 and Nikon F5. Check out my Nikon film camera YouTube playlist for more Nikon videos.

Subscribe so not to miss the full Nikon F3 video

Subscribe on YouTube to see a full POV style Nikon F3 video and sample photos shot with colour film. 

Nikon F3T vs Nikon F3 vs Nikon FE2

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