How SLR cameras work: Nikon F3

[@NatsukianChan]

And by the magic of bying two! Wait... No, wrong channel... Or is it?

[@thomasvnl]

No one spoil the joke!

[@BloodAsp]

It's just like magic! Well it's not really like magic.

[@tsakeboya]

I was literally just watching technology connections before this video

[@tobiassoltermann]

I thought the very same

[@barbudoru]

TTL OTF metering is indeed RIDICULOUS. I'm always amazed by the ingenuity and problem-solving skills of the people who invented and perfected these systems; I highly recommend Smarter Every Day 283 for another piece of film photography history showing this amazing ingenuity. Thanks mitxela for yet another masterpiece!

[@TruDruChocolateMilk]

your videos inspired me to become an electrical engineer and now im at college for it! thank you for creating the videos you do, i always watch the whole video and it keeps my attention the whole way, keep up the amazing work!

[@johnm2012]

My favourite F3 accessory is the HP viewfinder. As a spectacles wearer it's the only 35mm SLR where I've ever been able to see all four corners of the frame at the same time.

[@sputumtube]

The most informative and easy to understand videos with regard to manual camera operation I've ever seen. Thanks for posting.

[@ramen6236]

LETS GOO NEW MITXELA VIDEO

[@philiphighe1858]

I lusted after the F3 in the 80s, it's a fantastic bit of kit. I use an OM4 with spot metering that I love, it can also do the clever flash metering thing! Thank you for the videos.

[@jurjenbos228]

When I was 10 years old, a photographer explained most of these buttons to me (it was brand new then; he must have trusted me a lot). I learnt almost everything I know about photography from him. Thanks for explaining the rest of the buttons. He told me that they weren't needed to understand; I now know finally that he was right 🙂

[@north314]

Oh this is brilliant. There's so much more elegance and design work than I realised.

[@Alebergantini]

I teach classes in electric/ electronic engineering school. Yesterday I mentioned you and some of your projects during my class and a few hours later you posted a new video! Awesome!

[@derrickdd]

This is a shockingly informative video... I learned so many things about optics & cameras in general, all in one view..

[@thecoganfamily]

Not often on KZbin does one get a video that explains a product so well. I have 2 FG’s and now I want an F3. Awesome video. Thank you.

[@RWBHere]

Thanks for taking the time to explain the basics of camera use. The visuals really help people to understand what is going on. 🙂👍

[@thevhs1]

Man, this actually helped me really understand how my camera works, even if it's a DSLR. It's crazy how cameras really haven't changed, we just replaced the film with a censer and motorized some things.

[@mkaestn]

Nice! Just got my F3hp and I love it. After 20yrs of the DSLR, will be an adventure going back to high-speed B and W. Newer DLSRs and the mirrorless camera kill it in low light situations. Film will be a challenge long forgotten.

[@krappy_]

Incredible video! Thank you. I still have my fully functioning Nikon FM purchased new 1981. And have bought my 2nd well used brassy F3.

[@BestSpatula]

All of this was meticulously and painstakingly designed and manufactured without computer.

[@OfflineOffie]

It was very interesting to learn about old mechanical cameras. Crazy mechanical precision and ingenuity through every part of the camera. It makes me appreciate photography and its journey through history even more. Great video as always

[@RealKajiggers]

What an amazingly satisfying and informative video!

[@JaenEngineering]

One thing that really struck me is just how much more controlled the mirror return is on the modern dSLR. One the old F3 it bounces pretty harshly before settling but on the dSDR it kinda drops, stops then lowers cleanly into final position.

[@johnm2012]

In the case of the DX format (cropped frame) D7100 the mirror is much smaller and lighter and there's more plastic, where it makes sense to use it. However, if you think about it, from an image quality point of view it really doesn't matter. When the mirror is returning to its rest position the photograph has already been taken.

[@edgeeffect]

Many years since I used my SLR... I found it a good hone via E. Bay. It's so nice to have this nostalgic "revision"... especially as yours comes to bits so well... the best "tear-downs" are the non destructive variety. Long time no see but quality over quantity is always a good thing. :)

[@txd]

This is giving me ASMR vibes :D

[@warn0245]

This is one of the best F3 videos out there. The slow mo at the end is ---wow, added bonus. I just need the author to buy an FM3A and do a similar video :)

[@Pandurris]

I Just learned a lot of things I didn't know about my F3 thanks to your video! I didn't used mine that much because I don't have the lens I want (I like 35mm lenses) so I'm getting one soon. This great camera doesn't deserve to be stored without using it and making those beatiful mechanical sounds. I have the motor drive for this and everytime I shut it I enjoy the classic shutter sound it makes. Thanks for the inspiration on getting back to take some pictures!

[@vespawhip2391]

That was so interesting and enjoyable, thank you for posting! In the slow motion footage (e.g. @ 29:47) is the shutter on the F3 slightly diagonal, or is that maybe from how the slow-mo camera scans or something else?

[@mitxela]

It's a rolling shutter effect of the slow mo camera. I've confirmed this by shooting the same thing but with the F3 upside down, and the diagonal is the other way (or the same, relative to the slow mo camera)

[@Spirit532]

It's fun to see just how flexible and wobbly mechanical assemblies are in slowmo. I have some 8000fps footage of a modern leaf shutter operating on my channel, it's even more wild.

[@giuseppegrimaldi19]

Thanks a Lot for this great content. It could be used in all photography schools 🙏📷👏👋

[@eastbaystreet1242]

I could listen to you talk about paint drying. I have the patience of a spoiled 2 year old, but watched (and happily listened to) this entire video. Please carry on making videos and if you ever tire of making camera videos, please consider making videos of other subjects, especially ones which can tend to be tedious and a good substitute for sleep meds - your voice, clear explanation of the subject manner in a simple, but not trivialized way, could help many who struggle with getting thru/learning tough subjects. Thank you.

[@tibr]

That olympus rd is one hell of a great camera! Take good care of it and make sure to cock and fire the shutter once in a while to prevent it from clogging.

[@ruhnet]

Awesome video! I've never been a fan of the F3---I prefer the F2 and the F4. The F2 is my favorite manual camera, and the F4 the best auto camera, and the F3, being inbetween, is neither. But the F3 certainly has a loyal following, and well deserved. I didn't know it had OTF flash metering!

[@yolklab]

wonderfully done!

[@arsebiscuitsandwine]

Fantastic! What a beautiful deep dive.

[@WesYarber]

It’s like Christmas every time you upload

[@okaro6595]

21:39 That is not a selenium meter, that is a CdS cell. Selenium meters are large, they would cover the entire front of the lens. They had no battery, the voltage they generated told the amount of light. Selenium meters were used in the 50s and 60s but by the 70s they were obsolete.

[@matsuomasato]

8:30 dang it I was hoping you would explain how split prisms work because I don't understand it either. You can get split prisms for DLSRs too, but apparently it messes with the metering in digital cameras, so I'm curios how that works. Do dslrs somehow meter off the ground glass?

[@mitxela]

I looked it up after saying that. There is a reasonably understandable explanation by Douglas A. Kerr here: dougkerr.net/Pumpkin/articles/Split_Prism.pdf That does at least explain why the split prism goes dark when you preview the depth of field.

[@DavebotBeepBoop]

I have a Sony A7 II (Full frame DSLR) and I've been collecting vintage lenses to use with it. I primarily know photography from the new digital side, yet I'm using lenses before digital camera were even a thing. This video was an extremely helpful and thorough walkthrough of how cameras work before they became digital. On my vintage lenses I'd often see the F stop numbers written twice on the lens, and that never made sense to me. The part at 17:38 below my mind and I feel like I brain itch has been scratched. Thank you for your well explained and densely informative videos!

[@aa-ef4mv]

Glorious!

[@richardsimms251]

Very, very good video. RS. Canada

[@richardsimms251]

Thank you

[@maciejglinski6564]

As a certified photo nerd i was watching it with my dslr in hand inspecting it with you. Learned a few things as well as had lots of fun lol. And i did lift the mirror in my home, your warnings mean nothing to my bravery with expensive equipment

[@Scyth3934]

Woohoo! A new video!!!!!

[@giuseppegrimaldi19]

This is just excellent ! 🙏

[@brianirving5373]

OK. A SECOND MIRROR DIRECTING LIGHT FOR METERING? OMG. Thank you for this information about my F3. Perhaps if I had the manual I would have know this but... This is a very helpful video as I get my F3 going again.

[@eltinjones4542]

The mechanics of an SLR camera is genius. I still have my Nikon FM I bought this 40yrs ago new. It was on offer on deal because the FM2 had been released It's said that the spring mechanism for the higher shutter speed of 1/4000sec on the FM2 wares quicker than the lowly 1/1000sec on the FM However I don't even go to such speeds on my DSLR and Mirrorless cameras 😂 Anyhow I enjoyed this video Thanks 📷👍

[@warphammer]

By 2000, Nikon's version of OTF TTL was sublime. Canon countered with E-TTL which was quite good, but used preflash. Due to corporate honor (or perhaps patents) when it became impossible to do OTF metering on the first generation of Nikon DSLRs, they decided to split the difference. This was d-TTL, wherein you had some special flashes that did preflash, but not through the main metering sensor, oh no. Instead they painted the front curtain of the shutter 18% grey and used a standard OTF-style flash sensor. This helped in that the preflash was almost imperceptible, but it had accuracy problems. Then they did i-TTL and CLS and then everything was nice again. The main disadvantage of pentaprism mounted meters was size, and in the F series' case lack of compatibility with those interchangeable focusing screens and finders - and they work best with 'flat' screens, no focusing prisms. By the time the F5 was 'Imported from the Future', the main metering sensor was back in the pentaprism to make room for more advanced AF sensors in the bottom. ...and if you swapped out the finder for a waist level or other system, your options were reduced accordingly. (The AF sensor doubled as the spot and center-weighted/OTF sensor, IIRC, so you never went below 'spot metering'.)

[@EdgarVerona]

Great deep dive!

[@walidahmedzaid6624]

Best unintentional asmr ever

[@cameraramblings4107]

Awsome work. Thanks.

[@lachlanlau]

i have an F4, nice camera !

[@MultiSciGeek]

Learned a lot! You should explain how colour film works. Would love to learn about it in the same detail.

[@darkmann12]

Your voice is awesome

[@leonyaaaaaaa]

I love it so much

[@V0R73X]

HES BACK

[@VEC7ORlt]

Huh, that answers the question how the TTL metering works, never noticed the half silvering and the second mirror.

[@MultiSciGeek]

22:23 Wait do you keep holding the button or release before taking the photo?

[@G7VFY]

If you get an F4, you'd get effective a Motorised F3 with an early Nikon AF system. Ignoring the super rare F6, the F5 is pinnacle of Nikon's metal bodied cameras that still have interchangeable viewfinders.

[@scottnj2503]

I think some of the focus screens were meant for technical photography,

[@NickShvelidze]

Lucky bastard. I've been trying to find one for a reasonable price for a few years. BTW you're wrong about the pentaprism, it's the mirror's job to flip the image vertically, the pentaprism flips it horizontally.

[@CristiNeagu]

I genuinely believe that as technology progresses, we are losing something. I don't know if you could call it a "soul", or maybe it's just the sense of wonder an object can inspire. Steam locomotives have always been fascinating and they continue to be fascinating to this day. But not many people will be amazed by seeing a modern Electric Multiple Unit (EMU). Same with these cameras. A modern DSLR (never mind a modern mirrorless) blows this Nikon out of the water. There's just no competition and it wins on every single metric you can measure. But it's just not the same, is it? The Nikon has some sort of appeal to it that can't be quantified which means that you prefer it over a new camera even if it makes worse photos. Maybe it's the complexity. Maybe a mechanical system is simply more appealing to us than electronics. Maybe doing things that require more work and effort produce results which we consider "more real", if that makes any sense. But whatever it is, it's a shame we're losing it, and add that fascination is slowly dying out, less and less people want to become engineers and design these systems.

[@NatsukianChan]

I think it's more of a materialist point of view. An Electric Motor is as intresting as a Steam engine, but one if fairly visual and understandable, and the other is pretty abstraction and you can't really visualise what's going on inside. The same goes for the nikon, what's intresting is that you can pretty much see and touche every mechanism of the camera, wherease today, everything is done digitaly, even the shutter is done in Software. It's just not the same at all. We are dealing whit an entire new field, which is mostly virtual. And this is harder to grasp for the human mind. Fact is, it's so hard that even digital shutter camera still have a setting to produce a sound whenever à picture has been taken... Which is a fake sound obviously. We are physical being, understably we have a préférence for physical and tangible things.

[@-r-495]

Have you found a good replacement for the batteries for the Olympus? I‘m thinking about those that contain mercury, they aren’t available anymore in most countries. Thank you!

[@JMRSplatt]

I find it very interesting how DSLR's use the same mechanics as SLR's... basically just changing from film to a sensor.

[@metingokbulut837]

Güzel makina bendede aynısı var fiyatları ne kadar acaba

[@rallekralle11]

speaking of cameras, did you ever release schematics and software for that receipt printer polaroid anywhere? i'd love to make one

[@Matoro342]

Should've sent an F3 on voyager.

[@fluffy_tail4365]

It sucks that some modern cameras have other, as amazing tricks, but the build quality tends to be much lower. As you've said, I wish that some products were still at least partially metal

[@Kris-ws]

i took 24 minutes to realize what channel i was in..

[@yschroder]

I watched the slowmo and when it said "F3, 1/500th" I was extremely confused. How could it be aperture F3 when there wasn't even a lens on?! Then it dawned on me. I better go to bed now...

[@ExploringNew1]

Why don't you have a profile picture? This it a big channel

[@kayezero703]

Its been a time

[@metingokbulut837]

⭐️🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷🇹🇷💯👍Nice machine, I have the same one, I wonder how much it costs, I will sell it, thank you.

[@LeicaM11]

Those old Nikons are terrible, constructed for press photographers, who used 30 rolls a day and needed quantity over quality. Made with wrong turning direction of focus, aperture and all… A weird camera for niche market.

[@masonthedunce3711]

yo

[@electromatic138]

Build the Smallest computer maybe