Nikon DE-2 Prism Finder for F3

The finder the Nikon F3 was designed around. The DE-2 was the standard eye-level prism shipped with the F3 from its 1980 launch, before the high-eyepoint DE-3 took over as default in 1982 and gave us the F3HP. Purists have been quietly arguing for the DE-2 ever since, and they have a point: it offers 0.8x magnification against the DE-3's 0.75x, and it sits lower and neater on the body, which is much of why an F3 with a DE-2 looks the way it does. Like every F-series professional finder it shows essentially 100% of the frame, and it carries the aperture direct readout window and a built-in eyepiece shutter for long exposures. Because the F3 put its meter in the body rather than the prism, swapping finders costs you nothing in metering.

Specifications

• Type: Eye-level pentaprism finder, non-high-eyepoint
• Fits: Nikon F3, F3HP, F3/T, F3P — fully interchangeable across the F3 family
• Magnification: 0.8x with a 50mm lens at infinity
• Frame coverage: Approximately 100%
• Eyepiece shutter: Built in, for blocking stray light during long exposures
• Readout: Aperture direct readout window plus the F3's LCD exposure display
• Metering: Unaffected — the F3's meter lives in the body, not the prism
• Diopter correction: Eyepiece correction lenses were available from +3 to -5
• Introduced: 1980, as standard equipment on the original Nikon F3

Condition

• Cosmetic: Excellent condition, clean. Minor paint loss on the housing.
• Functional: Prism is clean and clear with no fungus, haze or desilvering.

Included

• Nikon DE-2 prism viewfinder

The right prism for anyone running a plain F3 rather than an F3HP, or for an F3HP owner who wants the bigger, lower-profile view. Clean optics, and the spare finder every serious F3 kit eventually wants.