On Sun, 06 Dec 1998 16:01:10 GMT, niyen@my-dejanews.com wrote:
>In article <19981205052118.23427.00002182@ng98.aol.com>,
> starman937@aol.com (Starman937) wrote:

>> Call nikon if you give them the ser# they can give you the appoximate date.
>> Lowest # i've seen was 121xxx in 1980 and bought in japan. I had a 187xxx
>> purschased in late '84 so I guess about '83 0n yours.

>Thanks for all the data points. Now I have an idea about the age of my used
>Nikon. 15 years is a long time.I wonder how many rolls of film has gone
>through it. I read some where in this discussion group that Nikon cameras
>(including F series) are designed for 50000 pictures before service. May I
>know how to check the shutter/curtains for service? Is there any indications
>to look for? Hmmm....check the picture produced?..compare with another
>camera?..I wonder how.

If F3 yours works well, don't worry about it...! ;-)
If you're into worrying, check three things:
- exposure evenness at 1/2000th speed (with lens stopped
down at least three stops, and with an even-toned
subject shot twice, with the camera in opposite
orientations) - uneven left-to-right exposure (same
orientation for both exposures) indicates need to have
shutter curtains retimed - but this does not indicate
amount of usage
- exposure evenness (lack of shutter cut-off of the image)
of a flash exposure at 1/80th (related to above...)
- evident wear on pressure plate and where the cartridge
strikes painted surfaces - invisible wear probably
indicates less than 50 rolls used; VERY slight
parallel-lining on pressure plate when viewed with
light reflected from it probably indicates less than
100-150 rolls of film used; heavy wear on the pressure
plate (blacking thin) and paint worn off in cartridge
chamber may make one question buying the camera, but if
it is cheap, functions well, and the advance mechanism
feels OK, it will probably still give good service...
All the Nikon F-series pro-grade bodies are designed to LAST,
and they just become good "users" when they get old, ugly,
and/or well-used...;-) (There are a LOT of the original
Nikon F bodies still in use, and they can date back to
the late 1950's...)