Are lenses labeled "Nex3" compatible with my Sony "NEX-F3" camera? I ask because I can't find any third party lenses for my camera.
I'm looking for fixed lens 50mm with a wide aperture and I'd like to know if one of these cameras are compatible with my camera.
Meike MK-E-35-1.7 35mm F1.7 Large Aperture Manual Prime Fixed Lens APS-C for Sony E-Mount (Amazon.com)
MC Helios 44M-4 58mm F2 Russian Lens M42 mount (Amazon.com)
If not, please give me any suggestion.
Lenses advertised as using the Sony E-mount (Wikipedia) are compatible with Sony NEX cameras, including your NEX-F3.
The Meike-E-35-1.7 lens you linked to has an E-mount bayonet, so it is compatible with your camera.
The Helios 44M-2 lens you linked to has an M42 mount bayonet, so it is not directly compatible with your camera. However, you can get a M42-to-E-mount adapter, that will allow you to mount that lens, or any other M42 mount lens, to your camera. M42 lenses are strictly manual, so you will not be able to autofocus the lens, and you will have to manually set the aperture on the lens, as well as have to use stop-down metering.
While the 3rd party lens market for Sony E-mount cameras isn't nearly as robust as the 3rd party lens market for Canon and Nikon cameras, there are several 3rd party lenses available, or coming soon. Wikipedia has a List of third-party E-mount lenses.
As stated in the lens description, the Meike is a e-mount lens, so yes it is compatible with your camera (it is even listed in the description). As for the Helios, this is a readily available (and cheaper on eBay or any Craigslist-like website) m42 screw-mount. It can be adapted to an e-mount camera with an adapter (m42 to NEX, m42 to e-mount, depending on the branding).
That being said, if the nex 3 is anything like more recent Sony cameras, you need to allow the camera to "release without lens" to be able to shoot with adapted lenses or lenses with no electronic communication to the camera.
