Hi--

>Saw your usenet posting(s), you seem pretty
>knowledgable about F3's... I have a question I hope
>you can answer... what should I look for in a used
>F3? I bought a well used F3T body for about $500
>US. Is this good value? How can I tell by looking
>at the camera?? I really appreciate your help bob,
>thanks
>very much
>ed
>edward@islandnet.com

The shutter is quartz-timed, so I would just bother
to check evenness of exposure at the top speed (use
the lens a couple of stops down to maximize lens
illumination evenness - a cloudless sky works sometimes),
and the mechanical 1/80th with flash. Use a newspaper at
a sharp angle with a 50mm at f2, focusing and shooting
several times, to see if VF focus agrees with the film
image. I use down shooting on a road center stripe,
shot on all four frame edges, to check framing accuracy.
I have two standard light sources (one bright, one dim)
for checking meters, though, if one of your cameras
is consistently accurate with slide film, compare it
at different light levels with the F3T (all F3T's I
have checked are right on, though standard F3's are
often off 1/3rd stop). The camera should feel solid,
tight, and smooth (though F3 shutters make funny
noises when wound), not loose or irregular in operation.
Check for film scratches (though replacement pressure
plates are cheap). Glass should be unmarked (the screen
is cheap to replace). $500 is a good price for a good
F3T.
David Ruether