![[Review & Sample Photos] A Quiet Day in the City with the Nikon F3/T and Ai-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.2](http://five-star-camera.com/cdn/shop/articles/20260614MARIX100D-035_1731a8e9-d983-4eb1-bc7f-15bb92e3648d.jpg?v=1792903823&width=975)
The Nikon F3/T We Bought from a Customer
Working at a used camera store, all kinds of cameras come through the shop almost every day.
The Nikon F3/T I'm introducing this time was also one that we purchased from a customer.
Even if you're used to seeing the Nikon F3 itself, the F3/T with its titanium exterior is still a little special.
As I looked over the feel in the hand and the atmosphere unique to a camera that has been used for a long time,
I thought, "Since I have it, I'd like to actually load film and shoot with it."
The lens I paired with it was the Ai-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.2.
This time I'll review the Nikon F3/T along with sample photos taken while walking around town with this combination.
Nikon F3/T and Ai-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.2
The Nikon F3 is a professional SLR that debuted in 1980 and represents Nikon.
The F3/T is a model based on the F3 that uses titanium for part of its exterior.
The Ai-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.2 I mounted this time is a manual focus lens with the natural angle of view of 50mm and the brightness of F1.2.
Carrying the F3/T around, the texture unique to the titanium exterior also leaves an impression.
Work the film advance lever, look through the viewfinder, focus by yourself, and press the shutter.
It takes a little effort to take one shot, but that whole sequence of operations is itself part of the fun of using this camera.
The First Thing I Noticed Was a Roadside Flower
After walking for a while, I noticed a flower blooming beside a concrete wall.
I looked through the viewfinder and slowly turned the focus ring to focus on the flower.
Against the stark concrete, only the color of the flower stood out.
Rather than searching for something special, I look a little more carefully at what I see every day.
Walking with a film camera, you naturally get into that frame of mind.
Entering an Alley, the Usual Scenery Looks Different
As I kept walking, I found a truck parked in a narrow alley.
A truck, dappled sunlight, the shadows of buildings, and blue sky in the distance.
They are all things you find in the everyday city, but once you fit them into the viewfinder, they come together as a single scene.
50mm is neither too wide nor too narrow, a focal length that makes it easy to preserve the sense of what you were seeing on the spot.
After pressing the shutter, I work the advance lever once and start walking again.
Stopped in My Tracks by an Ordinary Door
Next I shot the door handle of a building.
Looking at the subject alone, it's really nothing special.
Even so, when I look through the viewfinder and focus on the handle, the surroundings blur softly and the way it looks changes.
What's fun about using the Ai-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.2 is the time spent deciding for yourself where to place the focus.
I deliberately spend a little time on something a modern camera would finish in an instant.
That inconvenience lets me concentrate on the single shot in front of me.
The Sky I Looked Up at Last
While walking, I happened to look up and saw blue sky spreading between the buildings.
A white railing, plants on a balcony, and the sky stretching beyond.
Without a camera in hand, it might be a view I wouldn't have even looked up to see.
What I shot that day was a flower, a truck, a door, and the sky.
None of them are famous places or special moments.
Even so, once they're recorded on film, I feel I can recall even the air of the town I walked through that day.
Taking New Photos with a Camera Someone Used Before
The Nikon F3/T I used this time was originally a camera that a customer treasured and used.
It came to our store through a purchase, and now I load new film into it and take photos again.
Perhaps this is part of what makes used cameras interesting.
It doesn't have the convenience of the latest cameras.
Focus, check the exposure, press the shutter, and advance the film.
But it's precisely because of that extra effort that you can see your usual town with slightly different eyes.
Nikon F3/T and Ai-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.2.
They are tools for taking photographs, but walking with this combination, I felt I could enjoy the very time spent shooting.
If another camera like this comes into the store, I'd like to load a roll of film and take it out into the city.
About the Nikon F3/T
A 35mm film SLR released in 1982.
Based on the professional SLR Nikon F3, it uses titanium for the main parts of the exterior to improve durability and corrosion resistance.
It features aperture-priority AE, in which the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed according to the aperture setting, and accepts Nikon F-mount interchangeable lenses.
It has a high eyepoint design that lets you see the entire viewfinder field even while wearing glasses, and a sturdy body that can withstand harsh shooting conditions.
Width x height x depth: 148.5mm x 101.5mm x 69mm
Weight: 740g
About the Nikon Ai-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.2
A manual focus standard prime lens for the Nikon F mount, released in 1981.
It features a very bright, large-aperture design with a maximum aperture of F1.2, well suited to shooting in low light and to shallow depth of field.
The lens construction is 7 elements in 6 groups, with 9 aperture blades and a 52mm filter thread.
It conforms to the Ai-S standard, and in combination with compatible SLR cameras it also supports exposure control such as shutter-priority AE and program AE.
Dimensions: approx. 68.5mm (maximum diameter) x 47.5mm (from bayonet reference plane to lens front)
Overall length: approx. 59mm
Weight: approx. 360g
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