Nikon F3HP 35mm SLR Camera
Contents
1. INSTRUCTION MANUAL Shutter speed dial locking button Depth of field preview button Mirror lockup lever Neckstrap eyelet Self timer LED 6 Backup mechanical release lever Exposure memory lock button Lens mounting flange Reflex mirror Motor drive coupling Motor drive positioning hole 2 Film rewind button 3 Memo holder ADR window ASA film speed Exposure compensation dial 5 Film rewind knob Sync terminal 2 Lens mounting index Lens release button Meter coupling lever release button Meter coupling lever Viewfinder illuminator Tripod Motor drive coupling socket Motor drive electrical contacts Battery chamber lid Motor drive _ coupling cover 9 Depth of field indicators Mounting ring Aperture Focusing index Focusing ring Meter coupling shoe Aperture ring Distance scale Meter coupling ridge Aperture direct readout scale Viewfinder illuminator button Self timer lever Self timer ON index Power switch ON index Finder mounting release levers 62 Exposure compensation scale Exposure compensation index Film rewind crank Hot shoe contacts Power switch 6 Accessory shoe Camera back lock lever di E Multiple exposure lever 62 Shutter release button 6 Exposure compensation locking button Frame counter Film advance lever 6 Shutter speed scale Shutter sp2. advance film onto the takeup sprocket Wind the film advance lever and depress the shutter release button until the film sprockets engage the per forations on the edges of the film BASIC OPERATION continued 10 12 Close the camera back Close the camera back until it snaps shut 13 Take up the film slack Fold out the film rewind crank and rotate it in the direction of the arrow until it stops Then fold the crank back in Make blank exposures until the frame counter shows 1 Continue to wind the film advance lever and depress the shutter re lease button until the frame counter shows 1 While making blank ex posures watch the rewind knob to see that it rotates This indicates that the film has been loaded cor rectly and is being advanced 15 Set the ASA film speed Lift up the ASA film speed dial and rotate it in either direction until the white dot is opposite the ASA film speed in use Also make sure the exposure compensation dial is set to the red 0 This programs the camera s exposure meter so that it may provide a proper exposure for the type of film being used 16 Set the camera for automatic operation Rotate the shutter speed dial until the A is oppo site the white dot The built in locking mecha nism ensures that the dial cannot be accidentally shifted from the auto position during shooting 11 BASIC OPERATION continued
3. Site sa aida 39 SORA Eee EL o 40 OEROYROOBEBOLIGS orn een E AS 41 TIPS ON CAMERA CARE 1 42 43 RECT LOIN S sene tenten KATEA NER 44 45 IMPORTAN E 0200 a a oat a cta seas RAO 46 FOREWORD Congratulations You now own one of the most ad vanced and easy to use cameras on the market today With a wealth of exciting new features the Nikon F3 is designed to be as up to date as you are in your ap proach to photography However before actually taking pictures with the F3 you should familiarize yourself with its basic operation as presented in the first section For more detailed explanations and special picture taking situations refer to the second section CONTROLS IN DETAIL A few minutes wisely invested now will pay off in years of rewarding photo graphic experiences BASIC OPERATION _ _____ Ai 1 Remove the battery chamber lid Y Use a coin to twist the lid counter clockwise to unscrew it 2 Install the batteries Insert the two 1 5V silver oxide batteries supplied with the camera making sure that the signs are up Replace the battery chamber lid Slip the battery clip back into the camera body and screw it tightly into place 4 Move the power eens to uncover the red dot This turns the camera on and it it ready for exposure reading and shooting Touch the shutter release AAE button 6 lightly This activates the exposure meter T
4. The table below gives the speeds for all inter mediate settings 50 eee se es ee 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 6400 a Ogee o o ee 00 2500 20 1250 5000 ASA is a numerical rating of the film s sensitivity to a given amount of light The higher the number the greater the sensitivity and vice versa The ASA of your film is indicated on the cartridge itself It is also printed on the film carton and on the data sheet packed inside 21 CONTROLS IN DETAIL continued PR135 3 Memo holder 3 As a reminder of the film type and the number of ex posures on the roll in use clip off the end of the film carton and insert it into the memo holder Note At the B setting unless you hold the shutter release button down all the way the shutter may close prematurely Nikon 1200387 Shutter release button 6 Slight pressure on the shutter release button switches on the exposure meter Pushing the button all the way down releases the shutter The shutter release button is thread ed at the center to accept a standard cable release When battery power fails the F3 s electromagnetically controlled shutter ceases to operate You cannot release the shutter release button unless you use the backup mechanical release lever To lock the shutter release button when the camera is not in use turn the power switch to the OFF position Film advance lever 6 The film advan
5. be careful that stray light does not enter from the top and cause an inflated meter reading Fig 1 Interchangeable focusing screens Nikon offers you a choice of 20 interchangeable focusing screens A T The type K screen comes with the camera as standard equipment On the following page is a chart listing all the screens To take out the focusing screen first remove the finder then insert your fingernail under the rear edge of the screen and lift it out Fig 1 To install another screen simply insert the front edge the edge with the slot in the middle under the pin and push the rear edge of the screen down into place Fig 2 Note For more information on which screens are compatible with which lenses consult the instruction sheet supplied with the lens ACCESSORIES continued Focusing Screen Selector Guide general photography Type B Matte Fresnel field with 12mmg fine ground matte focusing spot in the center Good for general photography especially with long lenses cation applications using parallax focusing on aerial images photography and for use with long lenses raphy field cannot be observed models H1 H4 corresponding to particular focal length lenses Type A Matte Fresnel field with 3mm circular split image rangefinder spot and 12mm circle Rapid and accurate focusing Excellent for Type C Fine ground matte field with 4mm clea
6. in the finder Then take the picture On MANUAL Adjust the shutter speed or aperture until the sign appears For fixed aperture reflex lenses photomicrography or astrophotography On AUTO No control is necessary On MANUAL Adjust the shutter speed dial until the appears When using super telephoto lenses or doing photomicro graphy it becomes necessary to reduce camera vibration to the absolute minimum To lock the reflex viewing mirror in the up position push in the depth of field preview button and rotate the lever counterclockwise until it stops Note Two Nikkor lenses require that the mirror be locked up before mounting the Fisheye Nikkor 6mm f 5 6 and OP Fisheye Nikkor 10mm 1 5 6 Caution With the mirror locked up you should not operate the camera on automatic Even though the LCD continues to show you the shutter speed automatically selected by the camera this speed will not produce the correct exposure The F3 s blinking self timer provides a 10 sec delay in shutter release To operate the self timer Push the self timer lever to uncover the red dot ton alae CO Watch the blinking red LED on the front of the camera The LED blinks faster during the final two seconds before the If you want to cancel the self Don t forget to return the self timer to its original posi tion after using it timer after pushing the shutter release button return the self t
7. objects Brilliant image in dim light Suitable for close ups photomicrography and other high magnification applications Type P Same as Type K but with split image rangefinder line at a 45 angle and etched horizontal and vertical lines as an aid to composition Rapid and accurate focusing for subject with horizontal or vertical lines or ill defined contours Suitable for general photography Type R Same as Type A but with rangefinder prisms of sloping surfaces at a smaller angle and horizontal and vertical lines to aid proper com position Works best with lenses having maximum apertures from 3 5 to f 5 6 Type T Matte Fresnel field with split image rangefinder 12mm re ference circle and horizontal and vertical lines Used when preparing slides for TV broadcasts Dotted lines indicate standard TV screen format Solid outline shows safe action area whereas broken lines indicate safe title area Motor Drive One of the most exciting new accessories for the F3 is the MD 4 Motor Drive This amazingly compact and stream lined unit attaches to the bottom of the camera in seconds and advances the film either singly or in sequence form up to a rapid 6 frames per second making it the fastest regular production motor drive on the market today Actual controls have been reduced to only those neces sary for convenient operation In addition to the electro magnetic trigger button which also turns on the camera s me
8. anual shutter speed for proper synchronization with electronic flash except X When the camera is on manual an M appears to the left of the liquid crystal shutter speed display inside the viewfinder In addition above the M the following symbols appear and indicating under exposure overexposure and correct exposure respec tively To obtain correct exposure simply turn the shutter speed dial and or aperture ring until the symbol appears 17 CONTROLS IN DETAIL continued The F3 has two separate settings for time exposures On B the shutter remains open for as long as the shutter release button is depressed On T the shutter stays open until the dial is rotated to another setting making it ideal for really long time exposures Being a mechanical setting T will not cause battery drain regardless of how long the shutter remains open X provides a shutter speed setting of 1 80 sec It is used to provide proper synchronization with electronic flash units other than the Nikon SB 12 The amount of light reaching the film plane is determined by a combination of the shutter speed and the lens aperture Since the two are interrelated different combi nations will give the same degree of exposure one step change in shutter speed or a one stop change in aper ture setting will either halve or double the degree of ex posure For example a shut
9. bo Hold the camera steady Wrap the fingers of your right hand around the camera body so that the index finger rests comfortably on the shutter release button and the thumb fits between the body and film advance lever Then cradle the camera in the left hand with the thumb and fingers grasping the lens focusing ring The camera may be switched from horizontal to vertical format shoot ing in this position Focus on the subject Out of focus Turn the lens focusing ring until the irnage in the viewfinder becomes sharp The K focusing screen comes with the camera as standard equipment With the split image rangefinder turn the ring until the split image becomes whole With the microprism grid turn the ring until the shimmering image appears sharp With the matte outer field turn the ring until the image ap pears sharp The split image rangefinder works well for subjects having defi nite lines or boundaries The microprism collar is for fast moving subjects or ones with indistinct lines while the matte outer field is suitable for close ups In fast moving or candid shooting situations you can measure or estimate the distance between you and the subject and preset it on the lens using the dis tance scale 49 engraved both in feet and meters In focus Inside the viewfinder 19 Set the lens aperture 1 LCD exposure information Turn the lens aperture ring Y 13 2 ADR number until
10. ce lever is specially contoured to fit the thumb and is coaxial with the shutter release button It has a 30 stand off with a throw of 140 and may be operated in one complete stroke or a series of shorter ones Frame counter To keep track of the number of exposed frames the frame counter is graduated from two frames below 0 up to 40 Blue numerals appear every 5 frames 0 5 10 etc with dots in between White marks at 12 20 24 and 36 indi cate the number of frames available on most film car tridges When making blank shots with the shutter speed dial set to A the shutter will fire at 1 80 sec until the frame counter reaches 1 In addition the LCD shows 80 in the finder Or if you set the dial manually between 1 125 and 1 2000 sec the shutter will still fire at 1 80 sec In the finder an M80 is displayed However if the speed is manually set to 1 80 sec X or below the shutter will fire at the speed set and the speed will be displayed by the LCD Therefore to speed up film loading set the dial to A or to 1 80 sec X or above T should not be used when making blank shots as the shutter will remain locked open 23 _ CONTROLS IN DETAIL continued 24 Multiple exposure lever Double or multiple exposures are easy to accomplish with the F3 s multiple exposure lever Follow this procedure 1 Take the first shot 2 Then to recock the shutter without advancing the film p
11. dge To do this first turn the camera upside down and depress the rewind button to disengage the film sprocket drive 23 Rewind the film Lift the film rewind crank and turn it in the direction of the arrow to rewind the film When you feel the tension lessen continue winding one or two more turns until the film leader is rewound completely back into the cartridge Remove the film cartridge Open the camera back and take out the film cartridge Avoid unloading the film in direct sunlight If there is no shade available turn your back on the sun and use your own shadow to shield the camera while unloading film 15 BASIC OPERATION continued 20 Turn the camera off To conserve battery power between takes return the power switch to the off position CONTROLS IN DETAIL R Shutter speed dial 6 In addition to automatic stepless shutter speed control the Nikon F3 offers manual control of all shutter speeds from 1 2000 sec to 8 sec including X B and T To move the shutter speed dial off A depress the locking button as you rotate the dial counterclockwise to the 1 2000 sec setting You can then rotate the dial freely between any setting except X which like A is a locked setting Shutter speeds from 1 2000 sec to 1 2 sec are engraved in white 1 to 8 seconds and B in orange and T and X in white 1 60 sec is in red indicating the highest m
12. eed dial 6 ASA film speed scale Eyepiece shutter lever Viewfinder eyepiece Shutter speed index Film plane indicator TABLE OF CONTENTS NOMENCLATURE toe ereen ende ed 2 3 FORE WORD Saa ca ey da loa 5 BASIGOBERARION rara ate tien 6 16 CONIROLSIN DETAIL 0 ooo cine weten dels 17 31 butter speed dial muse cola 17 19 Exposure memory lock button 20 Exposure compensation dial 21 ASA perdida naaa secret 21 Meno holder ne aaa 22 Shuterrele are button isror reana ionika Dinini 22 Pilmmadvance lever erore cess aie ls 23 Frame counter menen eee hae otek Neen 23 Multiple exposure lever 24 BATS TIOR nn laos NE a eee oats om 24 Backup mechanical release lever 25 Depth of field preview button 25 26 Meter couplingilever o osado noe 27 Mirror lO leve amai warme oracle a 28 SOMME A rete nrd a a sane en 28 Eyepiece shutter lever ane demen mee 29 ACGESSOIM HOE A ere 29 Syncto rial nin eu et te e E 30 Viewfinder illuminator 30 Fimplansintcator socorro 31 Infrared focusingindex 31 ABOUT THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY LCD 32 EV RANGE OF THE CAMERA 33 35 ACCESSORIES Minis Mann 36 41 Interchangeable viewfinders 36 Interchangeable focusing screens 37 Focusing screen selector guide 38 Moor DAVE MD AS
13. esired distance is aligned with the red dot 31 ABOUT THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY LCD 1 At high temperatures over approx 60 C the whole surface turns black so that the exposure information cannot be read However this situation will return to normal when the temperature drops 2 Avoid storing the camera in excessively hot places such as in a car parked in direct sunlight or inside the trunk You may shorten the LCD s life by doing so 3 When the temperature goes below freezing the res ponse time decreases as the liquid crystal becomes more viscose 4 Although the Nikon F3 employs the highest quality LCD it deteriorates in contrast and becomes difficult to see after six or seven years When this happens please contact your dealer or the Nikon service facility 32 nearest you for replacement of this element at a small charge EV RANGE OF THE CAMERA How to read the EV chart B Full aperture metering Example Lens maximum aperture f 1 4 ASA film speed 100 Working aperture f 5 6 By referring to the f 1 4 column in Section A and the EV values indicated for ASA 100 in Section D you will find that the EV range for an f 1 4 lens at ASA 100 is 1 to 18 Now refer to Section B and single out the f 5 6 indication for ASA 100 Go diagonally down until the protruding line intersects with Section C s vertical line for the shutter speed of 8 sec the F3 s slowest shutter speed From this point of intersection follow the hori
14. from batteries in motor drive 148 5mm W x96 5mm H x65 5mm D 700g with DE 2 Eyelevel Finder 45 IMPORTANT The camera body you have purchased is packaged sepa rately from the lens Before mounting the lens check if it is capable of Automatic Maximum Aperture Indexing AI operation with your camera body by verifying that the lens aperture ring is fitted with a meter coupling ridge as illustrated at the right Note that the Ai mark on the cover of the instruction sheet provided with Al Nikkor lenses is your assurance that the lens offers the Al feature If the lens is fitted with the meter coupling ridge it is fully capable of full aperture exposure measurement and automatic maximum aperture indexing to attach it to the camera follow the directions provided in the BASIC OPERATION section of this instruction manual If the lens is non Al stop down exposure measurement is required with the camera body s meter coupling lever locked up to lock up the lever follow the directions in the Meter coupling lever section of CONTROLS IN DETAIL Note The modification at reasonable cost of most non Al Nikkor lenses having both an automatic diaphragm and meter coupling prong is available for the convenience of Nikkor lens users For further infor mation concerning lens modification please contact your local autho rized Nikon dealer NIPPON KOGAKU K K No reproduction in any form of this booklet in whole or in pa
15. h will appear sharp in the final photograph see the photos on the next page To operate this control push the button while looking through the viewfinder If the lens is set to anything other than maximum aperture the image on the focusing screen will give you an indi cation of exactly what will be in focus in the final photo The image progressively gets darker as the lens aperture gets smaller 25 Lens set at f 2 8 Lens set at f 16 At wide apertures the depth of field is very shallow with the main subject in focus But when the lens is stopped down to f 16 most objects from near to far are in sharp focus Meter coupling lever Push the meter coupling lever release button and lock the meter coupling lever in the up position before mounting a non Al Nikkor lens Then perform stopped down metering in the following manner For non Al Nikkor lenses with automatic diaphragms On AUTO Push in and hold the depth of field preview button while you trip the shutter Caution If the depth of field preview button is not depressed all the way the mirror may remain in the up position On MANUAL Select a shutter speed Then hold in the preview button and turn the aperture ring until the symbol appears in the finder Release the preview button and take the shot For non Al lenses or accessories without automatic diaphragms On AUTO Stop the lens down manually until the de sired shutter speed appears
16. he meter stays on for 16 seconds after you take your finger off the button and turns itself off auto matically to conserve battery power Check battery power Look through the viewfinder at the liquid crystal display LCD The shutter speed should be dis played to show that the batteries have been properly installed and their power is adequate If not re place both batteries BASIC OPERATION continued 8 gt Mount the lens onto the camera Grasp the lens by its mounting ring 2 Then line up the focusing index on the lens with the white dot on the camera body and twist the lens counterclockwise until it clicks into place To remove Push the lens release button and turn the lens clock wise until it comes off En 8 Open the camera back Push the camera back lock lever to the right with your thumb while lifting the film rewind knob The camera back will pop open Install the film cartridge Drop the film cartridge into the film cartridge chamber so that the film leader points towards the takeup spool and push the rewind knob back down into place 10 Insert the film leader in the takeup spool Pull the leader across the camera and insert it into one of the slots in the film takeup spool Note The two data back contacts located inside the camera below the film guide rails are for use with a data back available in the future 1200887 11 Wind the film advance lever to
17. imer lever to its original posi tion The picture then will not be taken shutter opens to warn you to get ready Eyepiece shutter lever When it s impossible to keep your eye at the viewfinder such as when utilizing the self timer you should use the eyepiece shutter This shutter prevents stray light from entering the eyepiece and adversely affecting the auto matic exposure meter reading Just push the lever to the left to close the shutter As a visual reminder that it s in use the blind is painted red Accessory shoe 9 Located at the base of the rewind knob the accessory shoe allows direct mounting of the Nikon SB 12 Speed light Three electrical contacts provide for synchro nization of the flash unit automatic through the lens flash output control and ready light indication in the camera s viewfinder via an LED plus auto switching to the pro per synchronization speed of 1 80 sec Two flash coupling adapters are available allowing either ISO or Nikon F2 type direct mounting electronic flash units to be attached 29 CONTROLS IN DETAIL continued 30 Sync terminal separate sync terminal with a protective screw in cover is provided on the Nikon F3 It accepts all standard plug in PC cords plus it is threaded for use with a Nikon screw in PC cord When using flash bulbs or an elec tronic flash without a hot shoe it is necessary to use the sync terminal Use the following table to determ
18. ine the correct synchronization speed to set on the camera En elena rat m0 nnn Te Ex Synchronized EJ Cannot be used Viewfinder illuminator Y A convenient built in viewfinder illuminator lets you see the liquid crystal display shutter speed including the aperture even in dim light While the LCD is displayed in the finder push the illuminator button Note The power switch must be turned on and the shutter button must be depressed halfway prior to using the illuminator Otherwise it will not light up Film plane indicator 69 The film plane indicator e is engraved in white on the top deck just behind the shutter speed dial It indicates the exact position of the film plane inside the camera Whenever it becomes necessary to measure the exact distance between the subject and film plane such as in macrophotography use the film plane indicator The distance between the film plane and the lens mounting flange is exactly 46 5mm Infrared focusing index The red dot beside the focusing index on most lenses is the infrared focusing index When shooting with black and white infrared film it is necessary to refocus the lens to compensate for the fact that infrared light rays focus at a point slightly in front of visible light To use the index first focus on your subject through the viewfinder Then look at the lens and take note of the focused dis tance Finally reset the focusing ring so that the d
19. ion dial Exposure memory lock Accessory shoe Aperture priority automatic exposure with manual override and backup mechanical control through the lens full aperture metering via silicon photo diode SPD with center weighted metering pattern and metering circuits incorporated into camera body meter works with all viewfinders ASA 12to ASA 6400 EV 1 to EV 18 at ASA 100 with f 1 4 lens Provided 2 EV in one third increments Provided operates on Auto to electronically lock in shutter speed Provided special Nikon type located at base of rewind knob accepts Nikon SB 12 shoe mounting electronic flash unit or TTL connecting cord from SB 11 for TTL direct flash output control using camera s SPD metering cell Flash synchronization Speeds up to 1 80 sec with electronic flash with SB 12 flash sync is automatically set to 1 80 sec when shutter speed dial is set at A or 1 125 sec or above flash synchronizes with shutter speed set at slower shutter speed settings threaded sync terminal Auto flash control Viewfinder Viewfinder display Viewfinder illuminator Film advance lever provided for off camera or multiple flash photography TTL direct flash control governs SB 12 s flash output using camera s SPD sensor effective ASA range from ASA 25 to ASA 400 Interchangeable eyelevel penta prism type DE 2 as standard 0 8X magnification with 50mm lens set at infinity virtually 100 frame cove
20. mon sense care Treat your F3 as you would treat other valuable precision instruments Even though the F3 is built to take many years of hard use it may be damaged by shock heat water or misuse Following are some tips to help you keep your camera in good condition Keep the lens clean Keep the lens surfaces free of fingerprints and dust as much as possible Remove dust with a blower brush or lens tissue Never use cloth or ordinary tissue If smudges or fingerprints persist use lens tissue moistened sparingly with alcohol or lens cleaner 4 Do not expose the camera to high temperatures Keep the camera away from places where the temperature is apt to be high such as on the beach under direct sunlight or in the trunk of a car ON 2 Clean the inside of the camera Brush out the inside of the camera periodically using a soft brush Do not exert pressure on the shutter curtains as this may damage them Also keep the mirror free from fingerprints and dust 3 Keep the camera away from water Avoid excessive moisture When using the camera near water guard against splashes especially saltwater spray 5 Store the camera properly Store the camera in a carrying case to protect it from dust Avoid storing the camera in excessively hot cold or damp places Always attach a body cap to the camera body and a front and rear lens cap to the lens when storing them to prevent dust from getting inside the body or
21. nd out the slowest shutter speed usable follow the f 8 indication for ASA 100 in Section B diagonally down until it intersects the horizontal line in Section C that leads to Section D s EV value of 6 for ASA 100 and you will find that the slowest shutter speed usable is 1 sec In other words at f 8 and ASA 100 the available shutter speed range that is within the metering range is from 1 to 1 2000 sec which has an effective EV range of 6 to 17 indicated by the broken line in Section C well within the metering range In practice you will find that it is generally the high end and the low end which require a careful check The EV range of the Nikon F3 encompasses most lighting situ ations and it is only under dim light or extra bright picture taking situations that you need pay any special attention Ja EV RANGE OF THE CAMERA continued The camera s meter may be used only within the shutter speed range covered by the exposure value EV range of the meter which varies with the aperture and ASA settings The chart on page 35 shows the relationships between the f stop shutter speed and film speed indicating the slowest functioning shutter speed for metering purposes with any film speed aperture combination Careful attention to the following instructions will assure precise exposure automatically over the complete expo sure control and meter range capability of your Nikon F3 B Auto exposure control at full aper
22. ng in under or overexposure see Fig 1 One way to make exposure compensation is to use the memory lock This control allows you to lock in an exposure reading with the camera on automatic control To compensate for an excessively bright or dark background center the main subject in the viewfinder or move in close to the subject depress the memory lock button and hold it in then recompose and shoot see Fig 2 Fig 1 Exposure compensation dial Another way to correct exposure is to use this dial Push the locking button while rotating the dial The dial is graduated in one third stop increments 1 and 2 indi cate one and two stops underexposure whereas 1 and 2 indicate one and two stops overexposure At ASA 6400 the compensation extends to only 1 at ASA 12 up to 1 The following table indicates the recommended settings for various subjects After use make sure you set the dial back to 0 Original Repro copying amp slide copying Phot B amp W Letters or figures on Letters or figures on Riser Type of film color photo light background dark background Panchromatic film No compensation for general use necessary 1 1 3 stops 2 3 stop stop ASA film speed dial The scale on the ASA dial has numbered settings for speeds from ASA 12 to 6400 Two dots between each pair of ASA numbers stand for intermediate settings such as 64 80 etc
23. on the lens surfaces Remove the batteries before storing the camera for an extended period of time 6 Never attempt to disassemble or repair the camera yourself These delicate procedures should be left to an authorized repairman 44 SPECIFICATIONS Type of camera Picture format Lens mount Lenses Shutter Shutter speeds Shutter release Backup mechanical release lever Self timer 35mm single lens reflex 24mm x 36mm standard 35mm film format Nikon bayonet mount Nikkor 50 1 2 50 1 4 50 1 8 and Nikon Series E 50 1 8 as standard more than 55 Nikkor and Nikon Series E lenses available i Horizontal travel titanium focal plane shutter Auto Electromagnetically con trolled stepless speeds from 8 to 1 2000 sec Manual Quartz electromagnetically controlled discrete speeds from 8 to 1 2000 sec plus B and X 1 80 sec mechanical T setting on shutter speed dial and 1 60 sec when using backup mechanical release lever Electromagnetic shutter release initial pressure on shutter release button switches on meter after power switch is turned on meter then remains on for 16 sec after finger is taken off button Trips shutter at 1 60 sec regard less of shutter speed dial setting except at T used when batteries are dead Quartz timed 10 sec delayed exposure LED blinks at 2Hz for first 8 sec then at 8Hz for last 2 sec Exposure control Film speed range Metering range Exposure compensat
24. r Table Slowest shutter speed at full aperture with any lens Slowest shutter speed sec ASA speed EV Chart O m L NAAAANN LT AAAAANN AAAAANS TT NNAAANA Section C EENEESOSTEREEHSEEEEEEEEASSNE 100160 SES 200000 Javfoofsrjofojn lon el Se PRINSE ol os PRIE RRRRRRIS EME CEOCEBEBRERER D eje nN 22004000 of off P ER EE RE RIRE IR RIRE s HO RER ER ess ISES Bref Section D El N Section A Working Aperture 36 ACCESS 00 ORIES Fig 2 Interchangeable viewfinders In addition to the DE 2 Eye Level Finder the F3 accepts various other interchangeable viewfinders To remove the finder slide the finder release levers with your thumb and finger towards the back of the camera Fig 1 and lift the finder out Fig 2 The DW 3 Waist Level Finder is ideal when you want to use the camera at a low angle or upside down over your head for shooting over crowds The DA 2 Action Finder works well for those situations when you can t bring your eye close to the finder such as when you are wearing a helmet or goggles or when the camera is enclosed in a waterproof under water housing The DW 4 6X Magnification Finder is for critical high magnification close up work or photomicro graphy Regardless of which finder is attached you still have full automatic exposure control because the meter is built not into the finder but the body When using the DA 2 or DW 3
25. r spot and cross hair For photomicrography astrophotography and other high magnifi Type D Overall fine ground matte field For specialized close up Type E Matte Fresnel field with 12mm fine ground matte spot and etched horizontal and vertical lines Ideal for architectural photog Type G Clear Fresnel field with extra bright 12mm microprism focus ing spot for viewing and focusing in poor light Four models G1 G4 are available corresponding to specific focal length lenses Depth of Type H Clear Fresnel field with microprism focusing pattern over the entire screen area Permits rapid focusing on any part of the screen with optimum edge to edge brightness in poor light Available in four Type J Matte Fresnel field with central microprism focusing spot and 12mm circle Good for general photography Type K Combination of Type A and J screens Matte Fresnel field with 3mm split image rangefinder spot surrounded by 1mm wide micro prism doughnut Rapid and accurate focusing for subjects with both straight lines and ill defined contours Suitable for general photog raphy Type L Same as Type A screen but with split image rangefinder line at a45 angle Best for subjects with horizontal lines Type M Fine ground Fresnel field with 5 5mm clear spot and double cross hair for use in parallax focusing on aerial image plus millimeter scales for calculation of individual magnification of objects or for measuring
26. rage Liquid erystal display LCD shows shutter speed on Auto 2000 indicates overexposure 8 underexposure on Manual M appears with indicating overexposure underexposure and correct exposure LED ready light glows when Nikon SB 11 or SB 12 Speedlight is completely recycled aperture in use also shown through aperture direct readout ADR window Provided illuminates both liquid crystal display and ADR f number Wound in single stroke or series of strokes 30 stand off angle and 140 winding angle shutter speed automatically set to 1 80 sec until frame 1 for fast loading when shutter speed dial is set to A or 1 125 sec and above Frame counter Film rewind Eyepiece shutter Focusing screen Depth of field preview button Reflex mirror Multiple exposure lever Camera back Power switch Batteries Dimensions Weight Additive type self resetting Folding erank with rewind button in baseplate Provided prevents stray light from entering viewfinder from the rear Type K as standard inter changeable with 19 other types Provided coaxial with mirror lockup lever Automatic instant return type with lockup facility incorporates air damper Provided disengages frame counter for correct count Hinged interchangeable type memo holder provided Provided Two 1 5V silver oxide cells Eveready EPX76 D76 or equivalent when MD 4 motor drive is attached camera gets battery power
27. rt except for brief quotation in critical articles or reviews may be made without written authorization from the publishers Printed in Japan 80 1 B amp 1
28. ter speed of 1 125 sec lets in twice as much light as a setting of 1 250 sec and only half as much light at 1 60 sec For an aperture setting of f 11 twice as much light as f 16 and half at much as f 8 is let in Thus if the correct exposure for a particular picture taking situation is 1 125 at f 11 then 1 60 at f 16 or 1 250 at f 8 will give the same exposure The following table illustrates the interrelation between shutter speed and aperture See ETA 1 1000 1 500 1 250 1 125 1 60 4 5 6 8 11 16 The best combination will depend on the results you want Use fast shutter speeds to freeze motion use slow speeds to produce a deliberate blur See the example pictures on the opposite page Also small apertures give greater depth of field while large apertures restrict sharp focus to the main subject See page 26 good rule to follow in preventing camera shake is to select a minimum shutter speed which is the reciprocal of the focal length of the lens in use For example when using a normal 50mm lens select a speed no slower than 1 60 sec the closest number to 1 50 For a 500mm super telephoto use no less than 1 500 sec and so forth Aperture f number Stop action Subject motion blur Exposure memory lock button When there is a substantial difference between the main subject and the background unimportant bright spots or dark spots are likely to fool the camera s metering result i
29. ter when depressed halfway there is its concentric S C SINGLE CONTINUOUS mode selector a battery check button and LED indicators two interlocking re wind slides for automatic film rewinding and a sub tractive frame counter which stops the motor at the desired number of frames for use in cold weather Eight AA type penlight batteries fit into a quick release clip housed in the base of the motor drive An optional NiCd battery pack is available for use in cold weather or when you want the fastest possible firing rate Once you attach the MD 4 to your camera you ll never want to take it off Possible with NiCd battery pack at 1 125 sec or above with mirror locked up Speedlights Designed to complement the versatility of the F3 the Nikon SB 12 is a direct mounting electronic flash unit offering fully automatie through the lens flash output control Even with the camera on automatic the proper synchronization speed of 1 80 sec is automatically set Then while the shutter is open the camera s Silicon Photo Diode reads the light reflected off the film and tells the flash unit to cut itself off when the exposure is correct With a guide number of 25 ASA 100 and meters or 40 ASA 25 and feet the SB 12 Speedlight provides just the right amount of light for subjects located between 0 6m 15m 2ft 49ft As soon as the flash is recycled and ready to fire an LED ready light inside the finder goes on The same LED blinks to let
30. the desired f number is oppo 3 Fine matte Fresnel outer field site the index mark on the lens The 4 Microprism collar selected f number appears in the 5 Split image rangefinder spot viewfinder for convenient reference 6 12mmp reference circle Note The meter reads the light over the entire focusing screen but is distinctly biased toward the central 12mm area _ BASIC OPERATION continued 20 Take the picture 2 Advance the film Look through the viewfinder and press the shutter release button Stroke the film advance lever lightly to turn on the exposure meter The shutter speed display indicates to transport the film to the next frame the shutter speed selected by the camera As long as neither 2000 nor and get the camera ready for the 7 8 appears in the shutter speed display the camera gives the correct next shot exposure If either indication appears adjust the aperture ring on the lens until a desirable shutter speed is indicated Should either indication appear even after all possible lens apertures have been tried then the available light is too bright or too dim for the meter s range Use either artificial light to increase the subject s brightness or a neutral density filter to reduce the amount of light reaching the film 22 Push in the rewind button Y After the last exposure has been made the film advance lever will stop working You must then rewind the exposed film back into its car tri
31. ture For example with an f 1 4 lens and ASA 100 film the automatic shutter will function down to one second with the lens set at f 1 4 and proportionately slower as the aperture is closed Using a standard of ASA 25 film you may be assured of at least a four second speed regardless of the aperture of the lens used as long as the lens is set at full aperture refer to Table Using ASA 400 at f 1 4 the slowest speed is 1 4 second however as the aperture is closed down the functioning shutter speed becomes progressively slower until we reach f 8 when the slowest speed of eight seconds is functioning B Auto exposure control with stop down metering When using a bellows or other extension equipment which disengages the meter coupling device it is neces sary to revert to stop down metering Certain limitations are imposed in this mode As lens to film distance is increased the metering range EV range changes proportionately For example when an f 2 lens is used at 2 1 reproduction twice life size the effective f number is 5 6 When used at f 8 the effective number is f 22 When pictures are taken under minimal light levels it is desirable to use a high speed film ASA 160 or higher Using Tri X at film speed 400 with stop down metering with an effective f number of f 8 the shutter speed range would be from 1 4 second to 1 2000 Should the light level drop below EV 6 it would be out of the shutter speed range of the mete
32. use a NiCd battery the camera motor drive will operate down to 2056 Note At 10 C or below the LCD may exhibit a slight delay in response time This is natural and should be no cause for concern However exposure to extremely high temperatures 80 C and above may actually shorten the life of the LCD Backup mechanical release lever This lever is provided as an alternative method of trip ping the shutter in case the camera s batteries become weak or completely exhausted To operate the lever first use your fingernail to pull it down to the ready position Then push it down to trip the shutter The shutter operates at a mechanical speed of approx 1 60 sec regardless of the setting on the shutter speed dial Even when the batteries are exhausted you can still make time ex posures by setting the dial to T and using the backup mechanical release lever to trip the shutter Caution If you advance the film while holding down the backup mecha nical release lever the shutter will fire immediately at the completion of the film advance stroke thus wasting a frame Also if you fail to advance the film completely and then use this lever to trip the shutter the mirror will remain in the up position until the advance lever stroke is completed e Depth of field preview button This control allows you to get a visual impression of the various parts of the scene in front of and behind the main subject whic
33. ush the multiple exposure lever forward Fig 1 and stroke the advance lever Immediately the multiple exposure lever will spring back to its normal position Fig 2 3 Now you re ready to take the second shot on the same frame For more than two shots on the same frame just repeat the same procedure for each additional ex posure When you ve finished simply advance the film normally to the next frame Note While making multiple exposures the frame counter doesn t advance Batteries When battery power fails the camera s exposure meter stops working and the shutter won t work either unless you use the backup mechanical release lever For this reason it is a good idea to carry an extra set of batteries with you whenever you set out to take pictures Under normal usage one set of 1 5V silver oxide batteries Eveready EPX76 or equivalent will last for about one year Try not to touch the or surfaces of the batteries as this many result in poor electrical contact If you do get fingerprints on the battery terminals wipe them off with a soft cloth At below freezing temperatures battery performance deteriorates The use of a fresh set of batteries is recom mended to ensure reliable service at low temperatures In extremely cold climates it is recommended to use the F3 in conjunction with the MD 4 Motor Drive With the motor drive attached the camera gets all its power from the batteries in the motor drive Thus if you
34. you know when the light is insufficient for proper exposure And for those photographers needing even more power and versatility Nikon has created the SB 11 Speedlight It has a guide number of 36 ASA 100 and meters or 60 ASA 25 and feet and gives you a choice of three auto matic shooting apertures f 4 f 5 6 and f 8 at ASA 100 When used with the F3 via a special TTL connecting cord it provides the same automatic through the lens control of the flash exposure as the SB 12 Other features include a bounce head and a removable sensor for auto matic use with other cameras OTHER ACCESSORIES Eyepiece Correction Lenses Screwing into the finder eyepiece nine separate lenses are provided so that near and farsighted photographers can use the F3 without their glasses They are available in 5 4 3 2 0 0 5 1 2 and 3 diopters representing the combined dioptry of the finder and lens Rubber Eyecup The eyecup prevents stray light from entering the view finder from the rear yet is still small enough not to cause any interference when closing the camera back The eyecup also allows eyeglass wearers to use the F3 without fear of scratching their glasses Camera Cases The CF 20 Semi Soft Leather Case was designed ex clusively for the F3 And there are three new Custom Shoulder Cases CB 1 2 or 3 for the photographer who wants to carry his F3 in style 2O0COC TIPS ON CAMERA CARE Camera care is com
35. zontal line that leads to Section D s EV value for ASA 100 and you will obtain an EV value of 2 Start again from the f 5 6 indication for ASA 100 in Section B and go down diagonally until the protruding line intersects with Section C s vertical line for the shutter speed of 1 2000 sec the F3 s fastest shutter speed this time Then follow the horizontal line that leads to Section D s EV value for ASA 100 and you will get a reading of EV 16 This means that an f stop of f 5 6 at ASA 100 and a shutter speed of from 8 to 1 2000 sec has an effective EV range of 2 to 16 which is well within the F3 s metering range of EV 1 to EV 18 The area encompassed by the heavy lines in Section C demonstrates a metering range for full aperture method using an f 1 4 lens and ASA 100 film B Stop down metering Example ASA film speed 100 Stopped down aperture f 8 The procedure is the same The f 8 column in Section A and the EV values indicated for ASA 100 in Section D will show you that the EV range for f 8 is 6 to 23 Refer now to Section B and single out f 8 at ASA 100 Go diagonally down until the protruding line intersects with Section C s vertical line for the shutter speed of 8 sec From this point of intersection follow the horizontal line that leads to Section D s EV value for ASA 100 and you will obtain an EV reading of 3 This means that an f stop of f 8 at ASA 100 and a shutter speed of 8 sec give an EV value outside the metering range To fi
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