<s>
The	O
Nikon	O
F3	O
was	O
Nikon	O
's	O
third	O
professional	O
single-lens	B-Algorithm
reflex	I-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
body	O
,	O
preceded	O
by	O
the	O
F	B-Algorithm
and	O
F2	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Nikon	O
F3	O
series	O
cameras	O
had	O
the	O
most	O
model	O
variations	O
of	O
any	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
F	I-Algorithm
camera	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
earlier	O
Nikons	O
had	O
developed	O
such	O
a	O
sterling	O
reputation	O
for	O
extreme	O
ruggedness	O
and	O
durability	O
that	O
many	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
F	I-Algorithm
and	O
F2	B-Algorithm
owners	O
were	O
initially	O
reluctant	O
to	O
transition	O
to	O
the	O
new	O
F3	O
from	O
the	O
F2	B-Algorithm
series	O
,	O
particularly	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
new	O
camera	O
needing	O
batteries	O
to	O
operate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
F3	O
was	O
superseded	O
by	O
the	O
F4	B-Algorithm
in	O
1988	O
and	O
the	O
F5	B-Algorithm
in	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
continues	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
longest	O
running	O
professional	O
grade	O
Nikon	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
previous	O
practice	O
with	O
the	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
F	I-Algorithm
High	O
Speed	O
and	O
the	O
F2H	O
,	O
it	O
featured	O
a	O
fixed	O
pellicle	O
semi-transparent	O
mirror	O
,	O
diverting	O
30%	O
of	O
the	O
light	O
through	O
to	O
the	O
view	O
finder	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
camera	O
and	O
the	O
specially	O
produced	O
MD-4H	O
motor	O
drive	O
to	O
achieve	O
up	O
to	O
13	O
frames	O
per	O
second	O
,	O
when	O
the	O
MN-2	O
nicad	O
battery	O
is	O
used	O
(	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
7.5	O
frames	O
per	O
second	O
with	O
eight	O
AA	O
alkaline	O
batteries	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
last	O
specialized	O
high	O
speed	O
film	O
Nikon	O
camera	O
made	O
and	O
amazingly	O
it	O
remained	O
the	O
highest	O
frame	O
rate	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
(	O
including	O
digital	O
)	O
that	O
Nikon	O
made	O
until	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
D6	I-Algorithm
,	O
which	O
achieves	O
14	O
frames	O
per	O
second	O
with	O
a	O
reflex	O
mirror	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Those	O
lenses	O
were	O
the	O
AF-80mm	O
f/2.8	O
Nikkor	O
and	O
the	O
AF-200mm	O
f/3.5	O
Nikkor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
even	O
while	O
the	O
more	O
successful	O
subsequent	O
Nikon	O
AF	O
design	O
for	O
the	O
F4	B-Algorithm
and	O
other	O
models	O
put	O
the	O
focus	O
motor	O
in	O
the	O
camera	O
body	O
,	O
the	O
F3AF	O
's	O
in-lens	O
approach	O
foreshadowed	O
in-lens	O
autofocus	O
designs	O
that	O
would	O
later	O
come	O
to	O
dominate	O
the	O
market	O
more	O
than	O
15	O
years	O
in	O
the	O
future	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Canon	O
's	O
USM	O
and	O
Nikon	O
's	O
own	O
Silent	O
Wave	O
Motor	O
(	O
SWM	O
)	O
lenses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nikon	O
abandoned	O
the	O
earlier	O
mechanically	O
operated	O
shutter	O
of	O
the	O
F2	B-Algorithm
for	O
a	O
modern	O
,	O
electronically	O
controlled	O
,	O
horizontally	O
traveled	O
metal	O
curtain	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
F4	B-Algorithm
finally	O
solved	O
this	O
sync	O
speed	O
deficiency	O
with	O
Nikon	O
's	O
pro-grade	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
offerings	O
with	O
its	O
250th	O
sync	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
to	O
the	O
manually	O
operated	O
F2	B-Algorithm
,	O
the	O
F3	O
's	O
electronic	O
shutter	O
required	O
battery	O
power	O
to	O
operate	O
,	O
although	O
the	O
camera	O
included	O
a	O
small	O
backup	O
mechanical	O
release	O
lever	O
that	O
tripped	O
the	O
shutter	O
at	O
1/60	O
sec	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Nikon	O
F3	O
was	O
the	O
last	O
in	O
the	O
Nikon	O
series	O
of	O
manual-focus	O
,	O
professional	O
level	O
35mm	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
cameras	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
successor	O
–	O
the	O
F4	B-Algorithm
–	O
along	O
with	O
operating	O
the	O
two	O
F3AF	O
lens	O
,	O
featured	O
auto-focus	O
and	O
new	O
optional	O
metering	O
and	O
modes	O
,	O
but	O
retained	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
mount	O
older	O
manual-focus	O
lenses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
F3	O
was	O
also	O
the	O
last	O
F-Series	O
camera	O
to	O
be	O
offered	O
without	O
an	O
integrated	O
motor	O
drive	O
,	O
making	O
the	O
camera	O
smaller	O
overall	O
than	O
its	O
successors	O
in	O
the	O
F-Series	O
.	O
</s>
