Left panel. Comoving luminosity densities as a function of FUV (1700 Å) absolute luminosities at 2.7 ≤ z ≤ 3.4: 1 / V_max estimates of our VVDS Deep+Ultra-Deep sample fitted with a Schechter function (red circles and dashed curve, respectively); our m_ST = (r + i) / 2 number counts per volume density for the Deep and Ultra-Deep surveys converted into FUV absolute magnitudes with a rigid shift (see text), and fitted with a Schechter function (blue diamonds and triangles, and solid line, respectively); the m_ST = ℛ number counts per volume density of Steidel et al. (1999) converted into FUV absolute magnitudes with their rigid shift (see text), and fitted with a Schechter function by them (orange squares and solid line, respectively). Right panel. Number counts per unit volume of galaxies as a function of m_ST apparent magnitudes at 2.7 ≤ z ≤ 3.4: our number counts from the VVDS Deep and Ultra-Deep surveys (blue diamonds and triangles, respectively); our VVDS number counts derived from our VVDS 1 / V_max LF (see right panel) shifted rigidly in magnitude (red circles, see text); number counts from Steidel et al. (1999) (orange squares; see text for conversion details). The three curves correspond to the same curves in the left panel, shifted rigidly (see text). Note that the CFHTLS (r + i) / 2 photometric system mimics the ℛ one used by Steidel et al. (1999).