Nikon F3AF User Manual
Nikon
/IF
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
®i Viewfinder eyepiece
Eyepiece shutter lever (
Film advance lever d
Film takeup spool #
NOMENCLATURE
® Aperture-direct-readout (ADR) window
@ Caméra body AF contacts
d) Depth-of-field preview button
® Mirror lockup lever
(D Self-timer LED
® Backup mechanical release lever
©Anatomical grip
® Exposure memory lock button
® Viewfinder battery chamber
(with lid)
® Shutter speed index
) Viewfinder illuminator button
) Neckstrap eyelet
__________
Viewfinder iliuminator i
Meter coupling iever (
Meter coupling iever release button (
Sync terminal (
Lens mounting index ®
Lens release button (
Reflex mirror i
Lens mounting flange i
Finder mounting/release levers @
ASA/ISO film speed/exposure
_________
compensation dial @
Accessory terminal !
) Focusing ring
( Focus lock buttons
) Depth-of-field indicators
S Aperture scale
) Aperture index
I Meter coupling ridge
) Aperture-direct-readout scale
Exposure compensation scale
I Exposure compensation Index
I Flot-shoe contacts
@ Accessory shoe
# Film rewind crank
® Camera back lock lever
@ Film rewind knob
> Exposure compensation dial locking button
A-M switch index (
A- M switch (
Distance scale j
Distance index (
Aperture ring i
Meter coupling shoe (
Lens AF contacts C
Self-timer lever C
Shutter speed dial (
Power switch I
Multiple exposure lever (
Shutter release button (
Frame counter (
Shutter-speed dial locking button C
Film plane indicator
CONTENTS
------------------------
NOMENCLATURE..................................................................3—5
FOREWORD................................................................................7
BASIC OPERATION..............................................................8—19
FOCUS...............................................................................20—28
Autofocus
Focus-Aid Operation...........................................................24
Manuai Focus......................................................................25
Speciai Situations.........................................................26—27
....................................................................
22—23
EXPOSURE........................................................................28—41
Setting the Fiim Speed
Setting the Aperture
Setting the Shutter Speed
Automatic Exposure Control
Manual Exposure Control
Relationship Between Shutter Speed
and Aperture.............................................................34—35
Depth of Field..............................................................36—38
Exposure Compensation..............................................39—40
Stop-Down Exposure Measurement
OTHER CONTROLS
Shutter Release Button.......................................................42
Backup Mechanical Release Lever
Film Advance Lever.............................................................43
Frame Counter....................................................................43
Eyepiece Shutter Lever
Self-Timer
Mirror Lockup Lever............................................................45
Viewfinder Illuminator........................................................45
Multiple Exposure Lever
Memo Holder
Film Plane Indicator............................................................47
Infrared Focusing Index
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30—31
42—47
29
30
32
33
41
42
44
44
46
46
47
FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY....................................................48—51
Accessory Shoe...................................................................49
Sync Terminal.....................................................................50
Ready-Light........................................................................51
Nikon F3AF/Speedlight Combination Chart
.......................
51
ACCESSORIES....................................................................52—65
Interchangeabie Viewfinders
Focusing Screens.........................................................54—55
Electronic Fiash Equipment
Motor Drive MD-4.......................................................58—59
Data Back MF-14
Close-Up Equipment....................................................61—62
Anti-Cold Battery Pack DB-2
Cable Release AR-3.............................................................63
Rubber Eyecup
Eyepiece Correction Lenses
Filters.................................................................................64
Lens Hoods.........................................................................64
Camera Cases
Neckstraps
Compartment Cases
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EV RANGE OF THE CAMERA
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52—53
56—57
66—69
60
63
63
63
65
65
65
TIPS ON CAMERA CARE..................................................70 — 71
TIPS ON BATTERY USE.............................................................72
ABOUT THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD)
.........................
73
SPECIFICATIONS...............................................................74—76
IMPORTANT!...........................................................................77
FOREWORD
Congratulations! You now own one of the most advanced,
easy-to-use cameras on the market today.
Thanks to a TTL image dispiacement detecting system utiliz
ing two SPD’s built into the AF Finder DX-1, this camera offers
you through-the-iens autofocus controi with either of two AFNikkor lenses, the 80mm f/2.8 and the 200mm f/3.5 IF-ED.
Thus, you can shoot fast-moving action whiie the subject
remains in sharp focus. And like the reguiar Nikon F3, the
shutter speed is set automaticaliy to match the f/stop in use,
so you never have to worry about getting the correct exposure.
The F3AF aiso gives you focus-aid operation with the vast
majority of Nikkor and Nikon Series E ienses having a maxi
mum aperture of f/3.5 or faster, while regular manual
focusing using the matte portion of the screen is possibie
with any lens.
Before actually taking pictures with the F3AF, 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 rest of the manual. A few
minutes wisely invested now will pay off later in years of re
warding photographic experiences.
To insure proper service, make sure the Nikon Warranty Card
is enclosed in the camera box.
BASIC OPERATION
4 Remove the battery clip
' " ® from the camera body.
Use a coin to twist the clip counterclock
wise to unscrew it.
o Load the batteries into
the clip.
Wipe the battery terminals clean and in
sert the two 1,55V silver-oxide batteries
supplied with the camera, making sure
that the -l- signs are up. Two 1.5 Valkalinemanganese batteries or one 3V lithium
battery can also be used.
Caution: Keep batteries away from infants and
email children. In case a battery is accidentally
swallowed, call a doctor immediately as the
material inside the batteries can cause serious
problems.
O Reattach the battery
clip.
Slip the battery clip back into the camera
body and screw it tightly into place.
^ Remove the battery
chamber lid ® from the
finder.
Apply pressure to the battery chamber lid
located at the side of the viewfinder to
slide it off.
e Load the batteries into
the finder’s battery
chamber.
Load two AAA-type batteries into the bat
tery chamber, making sure the positive
and negative (-i- and -) terminals match
the diagrams inside the holder.
Caution: NiCd batteries should not be used as
they might cause an explosion.
A Reattach the lid.
While applying pressure to the bat
teries with the lid, slide it on until it clicks
into place.
BASIC OPERATION —continued-
y Move the power switch
** ® to uncover the red dot.
Turn the switch clockwise until it clicks
into place. This makes the camera ready
for exposure metering and autofocus
shooting.
10
Q Depress the shutter
release button ®
halfway.
This activates the exposure meter and
autofocus functions. Both stay on for 16
seconds after you take your finger off the
button, then turn themselves off auto
matically to conserve battery power.
Q Check battery power.
Look through the viewfinder. Withouf a lens mounted on the camera body,
the focus-impossible warning (red Xshaped LED) blinks or lights up continu
ously, while the liquid crystal display
(LCD) shows the shutter speed. These
displays indicate that the batteries have
been properly installed and their power is
adequate. If neifher fhe red X nor the LCD
appears, check battery installation in the
camera body or replace the batteries in
the body and check again. If the red X
does not appear but the LCD does, check
battery installation in the finder or replace
the finder’s bafferies with a fresh set.
Note: If a lens is mounted on the camera, either
the red X or one or both of the focus indicators
(two red LED arrows) will light up.
10 onto the camera.
locked In the “down” position. Grasp the iens by its lens barrel.
Then, line up the aperture index ® on the lens with the lens mount
ing index ® on the camera body and twist the lens counterclock
wise until it clicks into place. Confirm that the aperture index is
right on top.
To remove: Push the lens release button ® and turn the lens
clockwise until the lens comes off.
Notes:
2) Never touch the AF contacts ® inside the camera's lens mounting
3) When changing lenses with film loaded in the camera, be careful not to
First, make sure that the meter coupling lever .© Is
1) Lenses usable with the Nikon F3AF, plus DX-t Finder, are listed on
page 20.
flange 9 or those ® on the lens ba yonet mount.
expose the mirror box to direct sunlight.
4 4 Open the camera
* * ■ back<§).
While pushing the camera back lock lever
® counterclockwise with your thumb, lift
the film rewind knob @ and the camera
back will pop open.
Note: If you have used a motor drive, be sure
that the motor drive coupling cover @ is re
turned to the camera's baseplate: otherwise, the
film might be inadvertently exposed while
shooting.
11
BASIC OPERATION —continued
4 A Install the film
cartridge.
Drop the film cartridge into the film car
tridge chamber ® so that the film leader
points towards the takeup spool ®, and
push the rewind knob back down into
place.
Notes:
1) Any 35mm film Cartridge can be used.
2) Handle film in the shade to avoid direct ex
posure to sunlight.
12
4 O 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. Advance the takeup spool slightly
with your finger to engage the film’s perforations with the teeth
of the takeup spool and sprocket ®.
4^ Wind the film advance
lever 39 to advance
film onto the takeup spool.
Wind the film advance lever and depress
the shutter release button until the film
sprockets engage the perforations on the
edges of the film.
Close the camera
back.
Make sure that the perforations are per
fectly meshed with the sprockets and
that the film is set between the film guide
rails ®. Then, close the camera back until
it snaps shut.
40 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.
13
BASIC OPERATION -—continued
4 ■V Make blank exposures until the frame
" counter # reaches frame one.
To dispose of the first few frames exposed during film loading,
continue to alternately advance the film and depress the shutter
release button until the counter reaches frame one (the first dot
past 0). While making blank exposures, check that the rewind
knob is rotating, indicating the film has been loaded correctly
and is being advanced. If the knob does not rotate, reload
the film.
Notes:
1) When making blank exposures, set the shutter speed dial ® to A or to
1/125 sec. or above, and the shutter will be released at 1/80 sec. with
80 or M 80 displayed by the LCD in the viewiinder.
2) Do not take pictures prior to the first frame, as the meter does not
function until the counter reaches one.
14
40 Set the ASA/ISO film
speed.
Lift up the ASA/ISO film speed dial @ and
rotate it in either direction until the white
dot @ is opposite the ASA/ISO film speed
in use. Also make sure that the exposure
compensation index @ 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.
Note: The film speed is printed on the film
carton and cartridge. Details on setting the dial
to intermediate settings can be found on
page 29.
Nikon '
4Q Set the shutter speed
dial @ at A.
Rotate the shutter speed dial until the A is
opposite the shutter speed index ®. The
buiit-in locking mechanism ensures that
the dial cannot be accidentally shifted
from the A (Auto) position during shoot
ing. To set the dial to other positions, turn
the dial while depressing the shutterspeed diai iock button
Slide the A-M switchd
on the AF-Nikkor
lens to A.
Slide the switch as far as it will go.
04 Set the f-number on
^ ■ the lens.
Turn the aperture ring # on the lens until
the desired f-number is opposite the aper
ture index. The selected f-number appears
in the viewfinder for convenient reference.
Use the foilowing suggestions as a guide
in setting the f/stop on the lens (when the
80mm f/2.8 is used):
indoors: f/2.8~f/4
Outdoors(cloudy):f/4~f/8
Outdoors (clear): f/8~f/16
Outdoors (clear at the beach or in the
mountains): f/16~f/32
Note: Depending on your preference, the depth
of field as well as the shutter speed can be
controlled by your selection of the shooting
aperture. For more information, refer to page 36.
15
BASIC OPERATION —continued-
OO Hold the camera steady.
As you look through the viewfinder, use your left hand
to cradle the camera, with your fingers wrapped around the lens
and your thumb beside the focus lock button ®, while your
elbow is propped against your body for support. Use the index
finger of your right hand to depress the shutter release button
and your thumb to wind the film advance lever. Wrap the other
fingers of your right hand around the camera body. You can
adapt this basic posture to both horizontal and vertical format
shooting. To hold the camera steady, it is advisable to lean on or
against something strong and stable (e.g., a wall).
16
no Compose the picture.
Look through the viewfinder,
compose your photo with the main sub
ject (if possible, a subject’s vertical line)
in the center of the focusing frame to
assure correct focus and exposure.
Depress the shutter release button
halfway and check both the exposure
and focus displays.
While looking through the viewfinder, depress the shutter re
lease button halfway to turn on the exposure meter and auto
focus functions. The LCD indicates the automatically selected
shutter speed to match the aperture set on the lens. As long as
neither +2000 nor “8“ appears in the shutter speed display,
the camera gives the correct exposure. If either indication ap
pears, adjust the aperture ring on the lens until a desirable
shutter speed is indicated, referring to page 32. The f-number
you have set on the lens is also shown in the aperture-direct-
readout (ADR) window. When both red arrows light up, they indi
cate that the image is in focus. If the red X appears, refer to
page 26.
®®
® LCD exposure information
@ ADR f-number
® Flash ready-light
® Focus-Impossible warning
® Focus Indicators: near-focus arrow;
far-focus arrow
® Central focusing frame
® Half-mirror
® Fine matte/Fresnel field
17
BASIC OPERATION —continued
AE Take the picture.
Depress the shutter release
button all the way down; apply light but
steady pressure with the ball of your
index finger to avoid camera shake which
might result in a blurred image.
18
26.
transport the film to the next frame.
Advance the film.
stroke the film advance lever to
27.
When the film reaches the end of the roll,
the film advance lever will stop working.
Then, turn the camera upside down and
press the film rewind button, so that the
exposed film can be rewound back into
its cartridge. You do not have to continue
depressing the button.
Press the rewind
button ®.
OO Rewind the film.
Lift the film rewind crank and
turn it in the direction of the arrow. When
you feel the tension lessen, oontinue
winding one or two more turns until the
film leader is rewound oompletely back
into the cartridge.
9Q
Remove the film
cartridge.
Push the camera back lock lever counter
clockwise as you lift the film rewind crank
to open the camera back. Take out the
film cartridge. Avoid unloading film in
direct sunlight.
30.
the camera is not in use. This prevents
inadvertent battery drain in case the
shutter release button is accidentally
depressed.
TUrn the camera off.
Turn the power switch off while
19
FOCUS
The Nikon F3AF features a through-the-lens autofocus system
which takes the guesswork out of focusing: just point the camera
at what you want to photograph, depress the shutter release
button ® halfway, and watch the subject literally snap into sharp
focus... automatically.
The system consists of three parts: the special F3AF camera
body, the AF Finder DX-1, and an AF-Nikkor lens, either the
80mm f/2.8 or the 200mm f/3.5 IF-ED. The AF Finder DX-1 is
interchangeable and covers approx. 92% of the Image area of
the actual photograph, meaning that the final photograph will
be larger than the image seen in the viewfinder. The focusing
screen is built into the bottom of the viewfinder and cannot be
interchanged. Flowever, when other Nikon F3 interchangeable
viewfinders are used with the F3AF, you have a choice of 20
interchangeable focusing screens (refer to page 55).
Nikon’s autofocus system is unique in that it features exception
ally quick response, allowing you to keep up with active, fast-
moving subjects.
The Nikon F3AF offers you three different ways of focusing:
l) autofocus, 2) focus-aid operation (using the focus indicators
inside the finder), or 3) manual focus (using the matte portion of
the focusing screen). As shown in the following table, however,
only AF-Nikkor lenses are usable for autofocus. With other lenses
having maximum apertures of f/3.5 and faster, you can use the
focus indicators as a guide in focusing as you manually rotate
the lens focusing ring в.
Note: Because of the cropping which occurs in the case of mounted
slides or regular snapshot-size prints, the actual picture might come out
slightly smaller than the image seen in the viewfinder.
20
Usable Lenses
Focusing method
Autofocus
Focus-aid operation
Manual focus
Notes:
1) Even with lenses slower than 1/3.5, the focus indicators will light up
when the shutter release button is depressed halfway. This indication,
however, is not reliable.
2) Although the following Nikkor lenses have a maximum aperture of //3.5
or faster, they cannot be used for focus-aid operation: 16mm //3.5,
20mm 1/3.5, 28mm f/3.5, 135mm //3.5, Micro 55mm //3.5, PC 28mm
//3.5, PC 35mm f/2.8, and PC 35mm f/3.5; the Micro-Nikkor 55mm
f/2.8 cannot be used at closer than 280mm; the Zoom-Nikkor 35105mm f/3.5-1/4.5 can be used only at 35mm zoom setting.
3) When the Nikon Teleconverter TC-14, 200 or 300 is attached to the lens
and it makes the lens' effective aperture slower than f/3.5, the
camera's autofocus and focus-aid operation cannot be used.
4) The following lenses cannot be mounted on the F3AF with the DX-1
Finder: Nikkor 13mm f/5.6, Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f/8, and ReflexNikkor 1000mm 1/11.
5) Certain filters cannot be usëd for autofocus/focus-aid operation. (For
details, please refer to page 64.)
Lens
AF-Nikkor 80mm f/2.8, AF-Nikkor 200mm f/3.5
IF-ED
Nikkor (including AF-Nikkor) and Nikon Series
E lenses with a maximum aperture of f/3.5
or faster
Nikkor (including AF-Nikkor) and Nikon Series
E lenses
® LCD exposure information
® ADR f-number
® Fiash ready-iight
® Focus-impossibie warning
® Focus indicators: near-focus arrow; tar-focus arrow
® Centrai focusing frame
® Flaif-mirror
® Fine matte/Fresnei fieid
in focus
far focus (the lens is focused behind the subject)
near focus (the lens is focused in fronf of the subject)
autofocus or focus-aid operafion is impossijDle. (This
warning also lights up momentarily at the start of
autofocus or focus-aid operation, if there is a big
difference between the actual camera-to-subject
distance,and the lens distance setting.)
21
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