I know this is strange, but I always had a facination with the Nikon F3AF. It's the earliest AF camera that can be said to be a direct ancestor of a current line of AF SLRs. Afterall, the position and design of the current Nikon CPU contacts stem directly from the need to have them mounted on F3AF's view finder. Now here is the question: I've been offered one used for $300. It doesn't come with lens. Does anyone know if F3AF would operate the AF-S lenses? If not, does anyone know if the AF-S lenses can safely be mounted on the F3AF? I am asking because Nikon specifically warns against mounting the lenses meant for the F3AF on any of the current AF bodies.

-- Chuck (chaohui@msn.com), March 16, 2000

Answers

The instruction booklet for the 28-70/2.8 AF-S says it's not compatible with the F3AF.

-- Danny Weber (danny_weber@compuserve.com), March 16, 2000.

Does that mean the AF-S lens simply won't focus, or damage may result if mounted?

-- Chuck (chaohui@msn.com), March 17, 2000.

As far as I can remember, Nikon only made one AF lens for the F3AF, an 80mm. None of the current AF lenses will autofocus with the F3AF.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), March 17, 2000.

I don't see why you couldn't mount AF-S lenses to an F3AF, but I've never (in person) seen either an F3AF or an AF-S lens.

For $300 I'd get the F3AF and by a DE-3 viewfinder for it and use it as an F3HP.

FWIW there was also a 200 f3.5 AF lens for the F3AF as well as a TC-16 AF teleconverter.

-- Geoffrey S. Kane (grendel@nauticom.net), March 17, 2000.

The F3AF is the only camera listed as "not compatible", so they mean don't use it.

-- Danny Weber (danny_weber@compuserve.com), March 18, 2000.

Hi Chuck, Yes, the F3 AF is a fascinating camera. But it can not be used with any other NON-F3 AF lenses as an AF camera. The contacts are different so a short circuit may distroy the lens or the body. You can use any other manual focusing lens and any (?) other F3 view finder. I said (?), because I do not know whether the DE-4 ISO can be used with the F3 AF. This view finder has contacts for an ISO flash. When the DX-1 (AF view finder) is in use, you must take out the focusing screen. For longer work, you may want to use the DB-4 power pack for the view finder. Both F3 AF lenses were pretty good, fast enough and made like a tank. Once, I had an F3 AF with the 80mm f2,8 in my hands and it worked really good. The second lens is the 200mm f3,5. Hope this is a little help. Many greetings, Ralf.

-- Ralf Grambrock (101.51955@germanynet.de), April 06, 2000.