How I Got My Nikon F3
I got the Nikon F3 when I first returned to shooting film. When I first started taking photography classes in college, I shot on whatever I could get my hands on. Unfortunately that was an elan ii with a kit lens. The Elan ii wasn’t a bad camera, but the kit lens it came with was pretty mediocre… not that I cared. I knew little about gear. It was the process of shooting, developing, and printing that I loved. But that said, returning to shooting film as an adult, I found I could suddenly afford (if I wanted to), just about whatever film camera I wanted. I naively thought that if I just got “the best” manual focus film camera that I would be content. But unfortunately two things happened: First, I ended up picking up a Nikon F3 that was so pristine that I didn’t want to ruin it. I honestly only shot one roll with it. Second, I realized that part of the fun of shooting film wasn’t shooting on the “best” cameras. Rather, it was about shooting on many cameras. I soon found my collection growing at such a rapid pace (too rapid), that I didn’t have time to shoot multiple rolls through a camera, save a a few favorites.
The Nikon F3 is the or one of the best manual focus 35mm cameras ever made, there's no doubt about it. But I like cameras I can use and my personal copy is in pristine condition. There’s no way I want to change that. Many might say that I should just enjoy it and I get that. But no new Nikon F3s will be produced and the preservationist in me bare to see mine destroyed.
Also, Nirvana is the best.