Nikon F3 User Manual

Nikon

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

NOMENCLATURE

0 Shutter-speed dial locking button ©Depth-of-field preview button © Mirror lockup lever ©Neckstrap eyelet ©Self-timer LED

©Backup mechanical

release lever

©Exposure memory

lock button

©Reflex mirror

©Motor drive coupling ©Motor drive

positioning hole @ Film rewind button ©Memo holder

J *

IHv

ADR window (g)

Exposure compensation dial @

ASA film speed/

Film rewind knob ®

Sync terminal @

Lens mounting index @

Lens release button ®

Meter coupling lever

Viewfinder illuminator @

release button @

Meter coupling lever @

Tripod/Motor drive

coupling socket (

Motor drive

electrical contacts {

Battery chamber lid <

Motor drive

coupling cover (

@ Depth-of-field indicators/Mounting ring @ Focusing ring______________________ ©Aperture ring ©Meter coupling ridge ©Finder mounting/release levers ©Exposure compensation scale ©Exposure compensation index ©Film rewind crank ® Hot-shoe contacts_______

___________________

©Accessory shoe ©Camera back lock lever

©Exposure compensation

locking button ©ASA film-speed scale ©Eyepiece shutter lever ©Viewfinder eyepiece ©Shutter speed index

_________

Aperture/Focusing index i

Meter coupling shoe (

Distance scale ®

Aperture-direct-readout scale (

Viewfinder illuminator button (

Self-timer lever (

Self-timer ON index ®

Power switch ON index (

Power switch (§)

Multiple exposure lever @

Shutter release button @

Frame counter @

Film advance lever @

Shutter-speed scale @

Shutter speed dial (

Film plane indicator <

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NOMENCLATURE............................................................2-3

FOREWORD.........................................................................5

BASIC OPERATION

CONTROLS IN DETAIL...............................................17-31

Shutter speed dial................................................17—19

Exposure memory lock button

Exposure compensation dial.......................................21

ASA film speed dial.....................................................21

Memo holder...............................................................22

Shutter release button.................................................22

Film advance lever Frame counter Multiple exposure lever

Batteries.......................................................................24

Backup mechanical release lever................................25

Depth-of-field preview button...........................25—26

Meter coupling lever...................................................27

Mirror lockup lever.....................................................28

Self-timer.....................................................................28

Eyepiece shutter lever.................................................29

Accessory shoe Sync terminal

Viewfinder illuminator...............................................30

Film plane indicator Infrared focusing index

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6-16

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31 31

23 23 24

29 30

ABOUT THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD)

EV RANGE OF THE CAMERA

ACCESSORIES..............................................................36-41

Interchangeable viewfinders......................................36

Interchangeable focusing screens

Focusing screen selector guide...................................38

Motor Drive MD-4 Speedlights

Other accessories........................................................41

TIPS ON CAMERA CARE SPECIFICATIONS IMPORTANT

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33-35

42-43 44-45

37 39

FOREWORD

Congiatulations! You novr 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

........

' «

J ^ Remove the battery

® * chamber lid@.

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 '' are up.

-I-

" signs

3,Replace the battery

chamber lid.

Slip the battery clip back into the

camera body and screw it tightly

into place.

Move the power switch® to uncover the red dot (§).

This turns the camera on and makes it ready for exposure reading and shooting.

Touch the shutter release

* button ® lightly.

This activates the exposure meter. The meter stays on for 16 seconds after you take your finger off the button and turns itself off auto matically to conserve battery power.

0^ Check battery power.

Look through the viewfinder ® at the liguid crystal display (LCD). The shutter speed should be dis played to show that the batteries have been properly installed and their power is adeguate. If not, re place both batteries.

BASIC OPERATION —continued-

Mount the lens onto the camera.

Grasp the lens by its mounting ring

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.

0^ 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.

0^ 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.

11. Wind the film advance lever (§) to 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-

12. Close the camera back.

10 Close the camera back until it

snaps shut.

Take up the film slack.

Fold out the film rewind crank 0 and rotate it in the direction of the arrow until it stops. Then fold the crank back in.

14. 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.

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.

BASIC OPERATION — continued-

17 Hold the camera

* steady.

Wrap the fingers of your right hand around the camera body so that the index finger rests comfortabfy 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.

18. Focus on the subject.

Turn the lens focusing ring until the image 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 @ engraved both in feet and meters.

Out of focus -

In focus -

-------

Inside the viewfinder —

1. LCD exposure information

2. ADR f/number

3. Fine matte/Fresnel outer field

4. Microprism collar

5. Split-image rangefinder spot

6. 12mm4> reference circle

Note: The meter reads the light over the entire

focusing screen but is distinctly biased toward the central 12mm<j> area.

19. Set the lens aperture.

Turn the lens aperture ring until the desired f/number is oppo site the index mark on the lens. The selected f/number appears in the viewfinder for convenient reference.

BASIC OPERATION —continued-

20. Take the picture.

Look through the viewfinder and press the shutter release button lightly to turn on the exposure meter. The shutter speed display indicates the shutter speed selected by the camera. As long as neither +2000 nor

appears in the shutter speed display, the camera gives the correct 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 aill 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.

Advance the film.

Stroke the film advance lever

to transport the film to the next frame and get the camera ready for the next shot.

22 Push in the rewind

* button ®.

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 tridge. 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.

24. 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.

BASIC OPERATION —continued-

25. Turn the camera off.

16 To conserve battery power

between takes, return the power switch to the "off" position.

CONTROLS IN DETAIL

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Underexposure

Overexposure

Correct exposure

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