The F3 came out in 1980 and stayed in Nikon's catalog for almost 21 years, outlasting the F4 and selling well into the F5 era. It was the first Nikon F styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro and the first with the red stripe on the grip. Where the F2 was all mechanical, the F3 has a quartz-timed titanium shutter from 8 s to 1/2000 s with aperture-priority auto, and a mechanical 1/60 s lets you keep shooting if the batteries die. The meter sits in the body, 80/20 center-weighted, and shows the speed on a small LCD in the finder. Nikon had built over 751,000 by September 1992. The standard finder is the DE-2, and fitting the DE-3 high-eyepoint finder makes it an F3HP.
The variants
An F3HP is an F3 with the DE-3 high-eyepoint finder of 1982, which shows the whole frame from 2.5 cm away, handy with glasses. The F3/T is titanium, the F3P is a press model with a top hot shoe and extra sealing, and the F3AF and F3H are rare autofocus and high-speed versions.
The LCD in the finder fades. These displays lose contrast, blur and stop working after enough years. If the electronics fail, only the mechanical 1/60 s still fires.
Buying guide
We'd buy an F3 or F3HP body titled tested or CLA'd, and $461 to $609 delivered gets one, under the median. There are at least 230 listed, and most ask $525–775 delivered, nearly all from Japan dealers, with the HP finder or a 50mm lens adding to the price. The quartz-timed shutter needs its two SR44 or LR44 cells for every speed except the mechanical 1/60 backup. The finder LCD fades with age, so ask for a photo through the finder with a fresh battery showing dark, crisp digits, and have the seller wind to frame 1 first, since the meter won't switch on before that. Boxed and almost-unused examples ask $1,000 to $1,680, and that's the grade and the box you're paying for.
![[TESTED] Nikon F3 Eyelevel 35mm Film Camera Body Late Model SN 1.34M From JAPAN](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/MBEAAeSwO19qnsjQ/s-l500.jpg)
$461.06delivered
The lowest-priced F3 titled tested, a late eye-level body at $461 with free shipping from Japan. Ask for a photo through the finder to check the LCD digits, which fade on older bodies.
[TESTED] Nikon F3 Eyelevel 35mm Film Camera Body Late Model SN 1.34M From JAPAN
![CLA'd [Near MINT] Nikon F3 HP 35mm SLR Film Camera Body From Japan](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/mYEAAeSw87lqwQ4Z/s-l500.jpg)
$609.00est. delivered
Titled CLA'd and graded Near MINT, an F3HP body at $609 delivered from Japan, under the $690 median. The HP finder is the one to have if you wear glasses, and you'll still want a look at the finder LCD.
CLA'd [Near MINT] Nikon F3 HP 35mm SLR Film Camera Body From Japan
![[Excellent+5] Nikon F3/T HP Titan Black 35mm SLR Film Camera Body JAPAN #164](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/OCUAAeSw1PxqmVUy/s-l500.jpg)
$709.98est. delivered
An F3/T, the titanium version, in black with the HP finder, graded Excellent+5 by the Japan dealer at $710 delivered. That's close to what plain F3HP bodies ask here, so the titanium comes at little premium.
[Excellent+5] Nikon F3/T HP Titan Black 35mm SLR Film Camera Body JAPAN #164
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 11, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 11, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$461.06delivered
$461.06 · free shipping
Buy It Now$461.06
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
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Good buy
Late eye-level body, titled tested. Free shipping.
Seller: yama-4448
100% positive
Serviced$609.00est. delivered
$529.00 + $80.00 shipping
Buy It Now$529.00
Good buy
F3HP body, titled CLA'd. Near MINT is the dealer's grade.
Seller: samura1_camera_japan
99.5% positive
Used$709.98est. delivered
$579.99 + $129.99 shipping
Buy It Now$579.99
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Good buy
Black F3/T HP titanium body. Excellent+5 is the dealer's grade.
Seller: emk_930
100% positive
Used$232.02delivered
$232.02 · free shipping
Buy It Now$232.02
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
F3HP with an MD-4 motor drive. The title says read, so check for faults.
Seller: robertscamera
99.8% positive
![Nikon F3P with MF-18 SLRFilm Camera From Japan Tested [Near Mint]](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/FCMAAeSwmiFqftXl/s-l500.jpg)
Used$610.00est. delivered
$550.00 + $60.00 shipping
Buy It Now$550.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
F3P press model with an MF-18 back, titled tested.
Seller: re-camera
99.5% positive
![[Exc+4] Nikon F3 HP 35mm SLR Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 Ai Lens From JAPAN](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/5fAAAeSwVnZqylzs/s-l500.jpg)
Used$699.00est. delivered
$697.00 + $2.00 shipping
Buy It Now$697.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
F3HP with an Ai 50mm f/1.4. Exc+4 is the dealer's grade.
Seller: concierge-do
100% positive
Used$754.98est. delivered
$629.99 + $124.99 shipping
Buy It Now$629.99
Our take
Eye-level body with its box. The grade is the dealer's own.
Seller: kenhori_51
99.8% positive
![Late SN199xxx [Almost Unused In BOX] Nikon F3 HP 35mm SLR Film Camera From JAPAN](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/jzkAAeSwXiVqx386/s-l500.jpg)
Used$1,679.98est. delivered
$1,399.99 + $279.99 shipping
Buy It Now$1,399.99
Priced high
Boxed, titled almost unused. $280 shipping takes it past twice the median.
Seller: abc_camera_japan
100% positive
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