Discussion in 'Nikon' started by giacomo_becatti, Feb 14, 2016.

1. Hi, I have a Nikon f3 given to me by my father. This camera used to work properly when I used it some days ago, but, the same day it
   stopped working. The batteries seem to be charged, I tested them with a multimeter and they both were almost fully charged, but as I turn
   the camera on the lcd doesn't shows anything and the shutter doesn't work on any of the electromechanics times, only the mechanics
   backup lever works. What do you think I should do?

2. Try fresh batteries first of all. A multimeter only tests voltage, not current under load.

3. Sandy Vongries Administrator Staff Member

   Are the terminals in the battery compartment clean? I have sometimes found my multi meters to be less than ideal for these small batteries. Cheap enough to try replacement batteries. Great camera, hope it works out!

4. If I remember correctly, the F3 meter doesn't work until the frame counter reaches 1. I don't recall if the display stays blank or not, but the shutter only fires at the mechanical default speed of 1/80th second until frame number 1. If that's not it, try new batteries. Also try removing and reseating the prism.

5. A working F3 will display 80 until the counter is at frame 1 - whether film in camera or
   not. Adjust the film speed in case there is corrosion
   or a break in the FRE resistor. A not uncommon
   fault.

6. Brian S., does the breaking of the FRE only affects the metering of the light or will also cause problems to the whole
   electronics of the camera?

7. Basic question. Is the safety lock set to "on"?
   The F3 has a little lever in front of the shutter button that prevents operation unless in the correct position.
   If that's not the problem, then I'd change the batteries anyway. A 1/3N lithium cell can replace the two SR44 type silver oxide cells and will last for years without replacement. Well worth the slight extra cost over cheap A76 or A44 cells.

8. The batteries seem to be charged, I tested them with a multimeter and they both were almost fully charged, but as I turn the camera on the lcd doesn't shows anything and the shutter doesn't work on any of the electromechanics times, only the mechanics backup lever works.​

   When you said the battery are almost fully charged you meant each of them measured slightly less than 1.5V? If so I think they are dead. They should measure 1.5V or more with the DMM without any load. The FRE is part of the metering circuit and it doesn't affect the operation of the shutter in manual mode. So if the FRE is broken the camera should still work if you set the shutter speed manually. The fact that the LED is not on I think it's the batteries. I think you should try new batteries first.

9. I tried with a new set of batteries, two lr44, but still the camera refuses to turn on

10. I don't even know why but after I took two pictures with the "T" time the camera eventually turned on, thank you for your
    help

11. I was about to suggest trying silver oxide based batteries, but you found the solution.

12. giacomo_becatti said: ↑

    I don't even know why but after I took two pictures with the "T" time the camera eventually turned on, thank you for your
    help

    It's the darnedest thing -- I was having the exact same problem with my F3. I had run almost a complete roll of film through it just fine until trying to advance from exposure 35 to 36. The film advance lever would only swing about 50% toward exposure 36 and then got hung up. I assumed (and this may be a correct assumption) that the film had simply been exhausted and couldn't be advanced any further, and so I proceeded to rewind the film back into the cartridge. Immediately after, however, I noticed that the exposure meter in the viewfinder no longer displayed any information. Similarly, the electronic shutter would not fire. All the mechanical aspects of the camera were operating as normal (including backup mechanical shutter), but nothing electronic (e.g., no self timer, etc.). I checked the A76 batteries a few hours later with a multimeter and they both read 1.385 volts (I'm not sure if that's insufficient voltage for an F3). I swapped them out for a new pair of A76 batteries (confirmed at 1.590 volts each), and still nothing. I tried just about everything I could think of to bring the camera back to life, but to no avail. I was just about to send it in for a repair when I came across Giacomo's comment above concerning the "T" setting, and that worked for me, too. I turned the camera on, set the exposure dial to the "T" setting, and the electronic shutter fired right off as it should.
    
    I've noticed that the F3's shutter is a little wonky, in that if you fire it off under certain non-ideal situations (e.g., when the camera is set to "Auto" exposure and the lens or body cap is on), you have to coax it back to life by changing the exposure dial; otherwise, it just sits idle and can't be recocked or fired. In the case of my specific problem described above, my guess is either that the batteries happened to go dead at *just* the right time or that the hangup with the film advance lever (i.e., due to exhausting the roll mid-cock) caused the shutter to go into one of those wonky states. Either way, I'll remember this trick for future reference. Thanks to Giacomo for sharing his experience.

13. The on/off switch is a weak point. I had mine replaced, along with a general CLA. If you plan to use film, it's worth repairing. The F3 is a jewel of a camera, fun to use and compact, with much Leica-character. It just sounds like a loose rail at a train crossing.
    
    The batteries last a long time, but not forever. A multimeter gives a pretty good indication of the battery status, since it is more dependent on chemistry than the load factor.
    
    For general information, a multimeter is not reliable for testing AC circuits. Capacitative coupling will make a deal wire seem hot, and fail to detect an active neutral line. More accidents occur opening a neutral circuit than touching a hot wire. A 12 V battery in a car that reads 9 V is essential dead. Readings from single-cell batteries or DC circuits are generally reliable.
    
    If you shoot with the lens cap on, the shutter is not idle, it is open for the duration of the exposure, which can be very long. Everyone with a D3 has experienced this, often after loading and winding off the prescribed leader once too often. Turn the camera OFF and the shutter will close.

    Last edited: Aug 16, 2017

14. 1. If the battery measured with a DMM (input impedance of around 10 MΩ) it should read above 1.5V. If it's below 1.5V it's considered dead.
    2. The F3 only requires 2.4V to work but 2 batteries measured 1.385 V each with no load would not make 2.4V under load.