Interchangeable Viewfinders for Nikon F3 cameras

An eyepiece shutter is incorporated on both DE-2 and DE-3 finders to prevent stray light entering from behind, which might affect the camera's metering. Note: it was a feature first used on the multimode Minolta XD-7(11) in 1976.

Note: The eyepiece shutter is painted in red to provide a visual reminder it is in use. I had my lever knocked off when a friend borrowed it for a rough trip into the tropical forest. I cannot take a pix to illustrate it. In most cases, I have to use my palm to shield the eyepiece when I am shooting something downward in daylight, especially when my head doesn't act as a shield. It is a considerate and handy feature for an automatic exposure SLR camera.

But Nikon can still safely claim that no other 35mm SLRs matches the virtual 100% viewfinder coverage and centring accuracy of the professional class F-series models, a tradition the F3 shares with its famous predecessors and the current flagship model Nikon F5 and earlier Nikon F4. Over the years, despite the great rivalry between Canon and Nikon, this is one area that Nikon has always excelled. The Canon New F-1, despite having the advantage of delaying its launch a year later than the Nikon F3, can only achieved 97% finder view of the actual picture coverage (similar class bodies like the Contax RTS II and the Pentax LX also boosted similar result of 97% as the Canon New F-1). However, the Canon EOS-1 introduced in 1989 was the first Canon body to achieve the 100% finder field view standard. But at the expense of interchangeable finder feature (May be commercially Canon thought the feature not viable - that make Nikon the sole remaining camera manufacturer that still offer this unique feature). The problem, perhaps lays at the great precision standard required during manufacturing and thus enabled assembling of individual parts into complete units. Tolerance in manufacturing has to be extremely precise to enable such high standard of fabrication to be done.

The Nikon F & F2 have similar 100% coverage of the picture field, both are mechanical cameras while the F3 (And the later LE models), obviously with lesser mechanical components are still offering this precise and sometimes very useful specification. A professional camera such as the Nikon F2 body consists of the die cast aluminium alloy shell, base plate, mirror box, front cover, top plate, bottom cover and camera back. With each of the total 1,506 component parts, designed, processed, finished and assembled into a camera.

Even a not so sophisticated medium range mechanical camera body such as a Nikkormat FTn can be constructed with half the number of components as a professional camera body (685 component parts for Nikkormat FTn). Tolerance and quality in manufacturing has to be of extremely high exacting standard so as to maintain features like the 100% image field coverage, all these are interlocking factors.

<<< --- Nikon F3 backbone is a two piece die cast rigid metal alloy casing, obviously and possibly has lesser components than the mechanical F or F2 body.

During the seventies, one of the selling points for SLR manufacturers' was labelling their respective cameras as 'precision instrument'. Manufacturers used the number of parts to illustrate the great achievement accomplished with the successful assembly of a large number of parts into a completed mechanical camera, to impress you with their level of precision in manufacturing and fabricating a camera. The F3, on the other hand, being an automatic camera with only a mechanical shutter to operate, does not have such a high degree of mechanical sophistication, but nevertheless, the accumulated experience of the F & F2 helped the designers to retain features like 100% coverage in the viewfinder. This is exactly why collectors generally reference mechanical cameras made during the late seventies as representing the best of mechanical engineering in SLR camera design. That was the reason why earlier I mentioned the early days of F3 were a difficult period to stamp and instill confidence in the users' mind. You won't experience that for a long time in camera history, an old camera model was selling higher than the all new professional flagship model by a major camera manufacturer !

A standard eye level finder of the Nikon F2. Difference is, the finder for the F2 series models determined the sophistication of metering of the camera model. Whereas, the location of the metering cell has shifted to the base of the mirror box, enabling it to function with countless different F3/lens/ viewfinder/screen combinations, yet retaining all metering functions with utmost precision.

The F2's interchangeable finder system varies in performance based on the metered prism used. The F3 system is more simplified and straight forward, it is easy to remove and replace the finder assembly. Metering is more precise as the SPD cell is so close to the film plane and reads ambient and as well as TTL flash exposure.

Some of the finders between the Nikon F and F2 may be possible to interchange with one another. Not the case with the F3 - they are not compatible with the earlier F2 nor with the Nikon F4. But the Nikon F3 interchangeable finder system is designed differently from the previous F & F2 models, in favour of a simpler, quicker, secure interchange with one hand operation, even if you are wearing gloves. They are designed as easy to change as the focusing screen. By just pulling back both release levers, you can lift the viewfinder out in an upward direction. To mount, just snap it downward and it will lock in place by the the two hooks on each side. Each finder has its own design for optimum protection against dust and moisture (Generally, users used to regard the Nikon F3-P (Press) which came with a newer DE-4 finder has the best seal against dust and moisture, but I think it all started with the F3 Titan (Champaign finish) that was introduced in back 1983, the DE-3 has a higher rubber seal than the earlier DE-2, that was the only improvement visually I can detect).

Although during initial stage I was a little sceptical about how secure the F3's viewfinder locking system worked, it feels a little 'fragile' as compared with the New F-1 or the LX's way of double rails locking system. But time has proved F3's design is as reliable and secure as its rugged body. However, starting from Nikon F4 (and the current F5 as well), Nikon has adopted the double railing lock system used in the New F-1 and LX to change its finder.

Right Pix: Nikon F4 and F5 has a different way of releasing the finder. ---------->

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