Nikon Camera F3AF Manuel d'utilisateur

Nikon/IFINSTRUCTION MANUAL

FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY...48—51Accessory Shoe...

Auto Extension RingsClose-UpAttachmentLenses61

ACCESSORIES —continued-Duplication work and photomicrographyThe F3AF combined with the proper accessory enables you to perform duplication wo

Anti-Cold Battery Pack DB-2In cold weather, use the Anti-Cold Battery Pack DB-2, which accepts two AA-type batteries, as an alternative

DB-2AR-3Rubber EyecupEyepiece Correction Lenses63

ACCESSORIES —continued—FiltersConstructed of Nikon's own optical glass, Nikon filters not only protect the front of the lens, but provide

Typ*FtlterdetlgnalionFiner lactorSert«-inty9i(nB)typ*(Series IX)Bayonet-nount>yp*r”:r39 52 6272 95 122 ISOFor Both Color anO aiKk-and-WhlleFlltnSky

Camera CasesTwo camera cases are available for the Nikon F3AF; The CF-24 Semi-Soft Leather Camera Case houses the camera body with AF-Nik

CF-24AN-6YFB-11ACF-665

EV RANGE OF CAMERAThe camera’s meter may be used only within the shutter speed range covered by the exposure value (EV) range of the meter, which va

FOREWORDCongratulations! You now own one of the most advanced, easy-to-use cameras on the market today.Thanks to a TTL image dispiacement

How to Read the EV ChartSection A of the chart shows the usable EV range depending on the lens' maximum aperture in full-aperture meter

for ASA/ISO 100 in Section B, and go down diagonally until the protruding line intersects with Section C's vertical line for a shutter s

stop-down meteringFor stop-down metering, Section A indicates the usable EV range for various aperture settings. For example, if the lens is

EV RANGE OF CAMERA —continuedSection A Working Aperture32 22 16 11 8 5.6 4 28 2 1.4CC>Chart 1(for the Nikkor 50 mm f/1.4)Section DASA/ISOOièOoo.boo

TIPS ON CAMERA CAREAlthough the F3AF is a tough and durable camera, bear in mind that it is a precision optical instrument and that carele

• Do not force/our camera's con*trols—they are designed towork with aminimum of pres-sure.•Generally, the camera does not need lubrication. To ke

• Avoid touching the camera's interior surfaces, especially the shutter curtains ® and film pressure p•Clean glass surfaces such as t

Caution: Use of a spray-gun type blower to clean the lens may cause possible damage to the glass (especially when ED glass is used

TIPS ON BATTERY USE1 ) Battery power falls off in extremely cold temperatures and this may cause the camera’s photometric circuit to cease to operat

BASIC OPERATION4 Remove the battery clip ' " ® from the camera body.Use a coin to twist the clip counterclockwise to unscrew it.o Load

3) Never mix new and old batteries or batteries of different makes.4) Always check battery power before every shooting session. It is

ABOUT THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD)1) At high temperatures (over approx. 60°C), the whole surface turns black so that the exposure information cann

SPECIFICATIONSType of camera Picture formatLens mount LensesFocus detecting systemBrightness range for autofocus/ focus-aid operation Focus informatio

Metering rangeShutterShutter speedsExposure information dispiaybackup mechanical control; through-the-lens, full aperture metering via silicon photod

Shutter release buttonBackup mechanical release leverViewfinderViewfinder illuminator Finder terminal Focusing screenFilm speed range Exposure compen

Auto flash control systemAccessory shoeSync terminalFlash synchronizationFlash ready-lightTTL direct flash control governs output of Nikon dedicated

SPECIFICATIONS —continued-Film advance leverAutomatic film advance Frame counterFilm rewind Self-timerEyepiece shutterOepth-of-field previewbuttonRe

IMPORTANT!The Nikon F3AF is an Al-type (Automatic Maximum Aperture Indexing) camera which performs full-aperture metering with Al-type

No reproduction in any form of this booklet, in whoie or in part (except for brief quotation in criticai articles or reviews), may be made withou|, wr

^ 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

BASIC OPERATION —continued-y Move the power switch ** ® to uncover the red dot.Turn the switch clockwise until it clicks into place. This m

10 onto the camera.First, make sure that the meter coupling lever .© Is locked In the “down” position. Grasp the iens by its lens barrel. Th

4 4 Open the camera * * back<§).While pushing the camera back lock lever ® counterclockwise with your thumb, lift the film rewind knob @ and the

BASIC OPERATION —continued4 A Install the film cartridge.Drop the film cartridge into the film cartridge chamber ® so that the film leader points

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 th

BASIC OPERATION -—continued4 V Make blank exposures until the frame " counter # reaches frame one.To dispose of the first few frames exposed dur

®i Viewfinder eyepiece

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 fi

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 mech

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 w

Depress the shutter release button halfway and check both the exposure and focus displays.While looking through the viewfinder, depress the shutte

® LCD exposure information @ ADR f-number ® Flash ready-light ® Focus-Impossible warning ® Focus Indicators: near-focus arrow;far-focus arrow ® Centra

BASIC OPERATION —continuedAE Take the picture.Depress the shutter release button all the way down; apply light but steady pressure with the bal

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

FOCUSThe Nikon F3AF features a through-the-lens autofocus system which takes the guesswork out of focusing: just point the camera at what you

Usable LensesFocusing methodLensAutofocusAF-Nikkor 80mm f/2.8, AF-Nikkor 200mm f/3.5 IF-EDFocus-aid operationNikkor (including AF-Nikkor) and Nikon Se

® LCD exposure information ® ADR f-number ® Fiash ready-iight ® Focus-impossibie warning ® Focus indicators: near-focus arrow; tar-focus arrow ® Centr

Eyepiece shutter lever (Film advance lever dFilm takeup spool #

in focusfar 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

FOCUS —continued-AutofocusWith the lens A-M switch © set at A, depressing the shutter re- iease button haifway turns on the camera’s autofocus

function well with the particular subject or shooting situation(please refer to page 26 for further details).Notes:1) After taking a picture duri

i %Focus lockThe AF-Nikkor lens has two focus lock buttons ® on the lens barrel, one on the side and the other on the A-M switch. You can u

► ◄Notes:1) With the locus lock button held down, the in-focus indicationmay change in the following two cases: 1) when you once again dep

FOCUS •—continued -Focus-Aid Operation (Using the FocusWith the AF-Nikkor's A-M switch (@ set at M, or with other Nikkor or Nikon Series E lenses

Manual Focus (Using the Matte Portion of the Focusing Screen)Manual focus is required in the following cases: l) when the batteries in the

FOCUS —continuedSpecial SituationsThe F3AF provides autofocus and focus-aid operation in the majority of cases, inciuding such difficult

Dark subject (lllust. 1 )The red X blinks to show insufficient scene brightness. In this case, focus manually, or perform autofocus/focus-aid

(must. 4)(must. 5)

NOMENCLATURE® Aperture-direct-readout (ADR) window@ Caméra body AF contacts__________d) Depth-of-field preview button ® Mirror lockup lever (D Self-ti

(must. 6)27

EXPOSURE28

To match the convenience of autofocus, the Nikon F3AF features aperture-priority auto exposure. All you do is set the camera at A (Auto) and fire away

16 20 32 40Setting the Film SpeedTo program the F3AF to give the correct exposure with a particular film, you must first set the camera

64 80 12M 250 \ 500 1 lOOOj 2000* 4000i160 320 640 1250 2500 5000Note: In certain situations, you can set the ASA/ISO dial to a s

EXPOSURE —continued-Setting the ApertureThe second factor in determining exposure is the shooting aperture. Aperture, or the opening formed by the di

Setting the Shutter SpeedShutter speed, or the length of time the shutter remains open, also determines the amount of light allowed to strike the film

The shutter speed dial @ has the following settings:A (Auto); Provides aperture-priority automatic exposure control in which you first sel

T(Time): At this mechanical setting, the shutter stays open until the dial is rotated to another setting, making it ideal for really long time exposur

EXPOSURE —continued-* I? O Q O ^ O O O , loOO^ S OO, (? b (3, Ic"d ^ b Cl ^ cl o ^ > b, S ,J LWith one of these indications dispiayed, correc

Viewfinder iliuminator iMeter coupling iever (Meter coupling iever release button (Sync terminal (Lens mounting index ®Lens release button (Reflex mir

Use a larger aperture or slower shutter speed.Use a smaller aperture or faster shutter speed.Within ±1/4 EV.Manual Exposure ControlIn the manual expos

EXPOSURE —Continued-Shutter speed (sec.) 1/2000 1/100011/500 1/2501/125 1/60Aperture (f-number)2.8 4 5.6 1 ______18 11 16Relationship Between Shutter

'4'- .J ' , i’,*?'. • J? 4^“'*' ’ ¿4, ' ^'^ ., ‘ ’ ‘‘i * ' iii Z f - — • .-M- :• &g

By panning the camera, a slow one allows the background to blur.35

EXPOSURE —Continued-Depth of FieldWhen you shoot at a certain aperture and focusing distance, you wiii find that not only the main subject bu

3) The longer the focal length of a lens, the shallower the depth of field at each f/stop; the shorter the focal length, the deeper the depth of field

Depth-of-field preview button d)When a lens with an automatic diaphragm is used, the image in the viewfinder is viewed with the lens at maximum

To illustrate depth of field, the following photos were taken with the AF-Nikkor 80mm f/2.8 lens at a focused distance of 5m; the only difference is t

EXPOSURE —continued-l-38Lens set at f/2.8

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Exposure CompensationIn the vast majority of cases, the F3AF provides the correct exposure on automatic. However, certain situations r

EXPOSURE —continued-Memory lock buttonAnother way of making exposure compensation with the F3AF on automatic is to use the exposure memory lock b

Stop-Down Exposure MeasurementWhen using a non-AI lens or certain close-up accessories, you must push the meter coupling lever release button

For non-AI lenses or accessories without automatic diaphragmsOn auto: Stop the lens down manually until the desired shutter speed appears in the viewf

OTHER CONTROLSShutter Release Button @Depressing the button halfway switches on the exposure meter and autotocus function and activates the view

Backup Mechanical Release Lever ®This lever is provided as an alternative method of releasing the shutter in case the camera's batteries be

Film Advance Lever (§)The film advance lever is coaxial w/ith the shutter release button ® and is specially contoured to fit the thumb. To advance

Frame Counter ®To keep track of the number of exposed frarnes, the frame counter is graduated from two frames below 0 up to 40. Blue numer

OTHER CONTROLS —continued-Eyepiece Shutter Lever ®When it is impossible to keep your eye at the viewfinder (such as when utilizing the self-timer)

) Focusing ring( Focus lock buttons) Depth-of-field indicatorsS Aperture scale) Aperture indexI Meter coupling ridge) Aperture-direct-readout scaleExp

Mirror Lockup Lever ®In the following situations, the F3AF’s mirror ® must be locked in the "up” position: when you want to operate the Motor Dri

Viewfinder illuminator ®A convenient built-in viewfinder illuminator lets you see the LCD exposure information and the aperture, even in dim light. To

OTHER CONTROLS —continuedMultiple Exposure Lever ®For creative and unusual effects, the F3AF allows you to record more than one image on the same fram

Film Plane Indicator ®The film plane Indicator (-®-) Is engraved In white on the top deck just behind the shutter speed dial. It indicates the exact p

Infrared Focusing IndexThe red dot beside the focusing index on most lenses is the infrared focusing index. When shooting with black-

FLASH PHOTOGRAPHYThe Nikon F3AF has been specially designed to make electronic flash photography easier than ever. When used with an accessory Nikon

Accessory Shoe ®Located at the base of the rewind knob @i, the accessory shoe allows direct mounting of a Nikon dedicated flash unit, such as the SB-

Caution: For flash photography, it is recommended that you use a Nikon dedicated electronic flash unit which operates with a low-vo

FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY—continuedSync Terminal ®A separate sync terminal with a protective screw-in cover is provided on the Nikon F3AF. When using

A-M switch index (A- M switch (Distance scale jDistance index (Aperture ring iMeter coupling shoe (Lens AF contacts CSelf-timer lever CShutter speed d

Ready-LightA built-in LED ready-light is provided in the upper right-hand portion of the viewfinder outside the picture area. When a Nikon de

Nikon F3AF/Speedlight Combination ChartSpeedlightCamera'sready-lightShutter speed auto changeoverUsable flash output controlSB-17yes yesTTL, auto

ACCESSORIES^pBrPDE-2 DE-3Interchangeable ViewfindersIn addition to the AF Finder DX-1, the F3AF camera also accepts other interchangeable viewfinder

NiK^W-3DA-2DW-4see the entire frame with the eye up to approx, 25mm away from the eyepiece. The Waist-Levei Finder DW-3 is ideal when you w

To remove the finder, use your thumb and forefinger to siide the finder release levers @ toward the back of the camera; then lift the finder out. Bef

Caution:1) When handling the F3AF with the DX-1 removed, be careful not to soil or damage the electrical contacts at the bottom o

ACCESSORIES —Continued-Focusing ScreensWhen using a viewfinder other than the standard AF Finder DX-1, you have a choice of 21 interchangeabi

Note: For more information on which screens are compatibie with which ienses, consult the instruction manual supplied with the tens.

Focusing Screen Selector GuideType A: Matte/Fresnei field with 3mm4> circular split-image rangefinder spot and 12ттф reference circle. Rapid and ac

шТуре К: Combination of Type А and J screens. Matte/Fresnel fieid with Зттф spilt- image rangefinder spot surrounded by 1 mm-wide microprism doughnut.

CONTENTS------------------------NOMENCLATURE...3—5FOREWORD...

ACCESSORIES —Continued-Electronic Flash EquipmentIndispensable for shooting in dim light and at night or for filling in the shadows in daylight,

F3AF with SB-16AF3AF with SB-17

Speedlights SB-11 and 14For those photographers requiring a separate bracket-mounting unit, Nikon has the SB-11 and SB-14. The guide number of the SB

F3AF with SB-1457

ACCESSORIES —continuedMotor Drive MD-4One of the most exciting accessories for the F3AF camera is the Motor Drive MD-4. This amazingly

Data Back MF-14To keep track of when photos were taken, the F3AF accepts the Data Back MF-14 which slips on in place of the regular camera back ® wit

59

ACCESSORIES —continued-Close-Up EquipmentFor shooting subjects which are iocated cioser than the ciosestpossibie focusing distance of the iens, Nikon

focusing in ciose-up photography, the use of a suitabie interchangeable focusing screen and accessory viewfinder is recommended.When using clos