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5

F O R E W O R D

The Nikon F2AS Photomic camera offers the serious photog-
rapher the ultimate in quality, performance, convenience and
versatility. At the same time, it is engineered to take the guess-
work out of photography with automatic features anyone can
learn to use in minutes. To get the most out of your Nikon
F2AS Photomic, study the instructions carefully and practice
using the controls before you load any film in the camera.
Keep this book, let handy for ready reference until you have
mastered its basics, and follow the suggestions for camera
care given on page 36. The few moments you spend familiar-
izing yourself with the camera will guarantee you the best
results and increase your picture-taking enjoyment many times
over.

          WWW.LENSINC.NET

Summary of Contents for F2AS PHOTOMIC

Page 1: ...1 INSTRUCTION MANUAL NIKON F2AS Photomic WWW LENSINC NET ...

Page 2: ...utter Speeed dial T L fingerguard Shutter speed scale Mirror lockup lever Depth of field preview button Self timer Timer Index Extra long exposure scale EE aperture control contacts Coupling lever release Threaded sync terminal Neckstrap eyelet Lens release button Reflex mirror Timer Scale Lens mounting flange Lens mounting index Meter coupling lever WWW LENSINC NET ...

Page 3: ...d knob Accessory shoe Film rewind crank Hot shoe contact Finder release button Ready light contact Eyepiece shutter control ASA film speed scale Frame counter Shutter speed dial lock Meter ON index Film advance lever Illuminator switch Viewfinder eyepiece w ready light Meter couplling ridge External correct exposure indicator Focusing ring Shutter release button ASA film speed index ring WWW LENSI...

Page 4: ...tors 20 Exposure measurement 22 Determining degree of exposure 22 Exposure control 24 C O N T E N T S Metering range 24 Extreme low light metering 25 Time exposure 25 Eyepiece shutter operation 26 High contrast lighting 26 Stop down exposure measurement 28 Exposure compensation adjustment 30 Adjustment for focusing screens 30 Adjustment for film compensation 32 Multiple exposures 33 Mirror lockup ...

Page 5: ...tes To get the most out of your Nikon F2AS Photomic study the instructions carefully and practice using the controls before you load any film in the camera Keep this book let handy for ready reference until you have mastered its basics and follow the suggestions for camera care given on page 36 The few moments you spend familiar izing yourself with the camera will guarantee you the best results an...

Page 6: ...nditions otherwise the batteries may fail to function See Tips on Camera Care on page 36 for additional i nformation Checking the Batteries The camera s film advance lever serves as the ON OFF switch for the Photomic finder To check battery power perform the following Pull out the lever just far enough to uncover the red meter ON index on the top of the camera then look within the finder to see if...

Page 7: ...e and film leader properly push the rewind knob down to hold the cartridge in place and in sert the end of the film leader into any of the slots in the film take up spool If necessary release the shutter and then stroke the film advance lever slowly to make sure that the leader winds smoothly on the spool and that the film edge perfora tions engage with the film sprocket roller When satisfied that...

Page 8: ...ring loading for film advance operation see page 11 While advancing the film check that the rewind crank turns in the direction oppo site the arrow Crank rotation indicates that the film has been loaded properly and is being advanced Then fold the crank flat for storage After advancing the film two frames to dispose of the initial portion of the leader the frame counter at the upper right of the c...

Page 9: ...xposure meter must be adjusted to the speed of the film in use to ensure correct measurement thus a film speed scale ASA graduations and an index ring are provided on the finder To adjust lift the milled ASA film speed index ring and turn it until the red index triangle is aligned with the ASA value for the film in use The meter is sensitive across the full range of from ASA 12 to ASA 6400 The fil...

Page 10: ...c settings indicates 1 80 second the fastest shutter speed providing X synchro nization for use with electronic flash units When more pre cise settings are required intermediate shutter speeds of from 1 80 sec to 1 2000 sec are usable At the B setting the shutter speed remains open as long as the shutter release but ton is depressed See Flash Synchronization on page 34 for additional information o...

Page 11: ...return to the 20 standoff position ready for shutter re lease Note Do not apply pressure to the film advance lever while mak ing an exposure Frame Counter The frame counter operates automatically to show how many frames have been exposed When the camera back is opened for loading the counter is reset to the S start position two frames before 0 Once the camera is loaded and the back closed each fil...

Page 12: ...r a delay of from 2 to 10 seconds The numbers marked on the timer scale indicate the delay in seconds To take a picture using the self timer to fire the camera first set the aperture and shutter speed controls advance the film and cock the self timer by turning its lever downward until the index line on the lever aligns with the figure on the scale corresponding to the desired number of seconds de...

Page 13: ...has left the take up spool and the camera back may be opened After opening the camera back pull the rewind knob up as far as it will go and remove the film cartridge Note that as the film advance lever is stroked for the next exposure the re wind button will be released to engage the film advance mechanism Caution Be careful not to push the rewind button during filmadvance operation Should this oc...

Page 14: ...ks through the center of the viewfinder Cradle the cam era in the left hand for additional support with the left thumb and index finger grasping the focusing ring From this basic stance the camera can be properly supported and easily switched from horizontal to vertical format shooting As a general rule the slowest shutter speed you should use with the camera hand held is equal to the reciprocal o...

Page 15: ...f the finger will cause camera movement and may result in a blurred photo graph Operation via Cable Release The shutter release button can also be operated via a cable release or similar accessory attached via the threaded mount provided With the cable release operation is more vibration free and often leads to sharper images under critical shooting situations such as photomicrography time exposur...

Page 16: ...finder image coincide to form a single crisp image when using the microprism ring turn un til the microprism pattern shifts to a sharp and crisp image You can also focus on the matte field that surrounds the rangefinder microprism central area The lens can also be prefocused using the distance scale en graved in both meters and feet on the lens barrel Simply turn the focusing ring until the desire...

Page 17: ...17 Out of focus In focus WWW LENSINC NET ...

Page 18: ... focal length of 50mm or less are used stopped down to f 8 or below no adjustment is necessary due to the large depth of field avail able Note Some new optics using Nikon s Extra low Dispersion ED glass as well as reflex catadioptric lenses do not require refocus ing for infrared photography Refer to individual lens instruction manuals for details Film Plane Indicator U nder various precision shoo...

Page 19: ...dently or in conjunction with one another with any one factor capable of partially canceling the effects of the other Thus by careful selection and use the photog rapher can exercise wide creative control over the final pic ture Depth of Field Preview Button As most Nikkor lenses are operated at full aperture for ease of focusing visualization of the depth of field at the shoot ing aperture may be...

Page 20: ...dex line corresponds to f numbers of the same color on the aperture scale To find the depth of field at a particular aperture first focus the lens on the subject while looking through the viewfinder Then check the numbers on the distance scale to determine the zone of focus for the aperture in use The three photos shown clearly depict the changing depth of field with the photo to the right the fie...

Page 21: ...21 Lens at f 8 Depth of field extended in front of be hind the main subject Lens at f 16 Sharp focus is extended to encompass the entire foreground and background WWW LENSINC NET ...

Page 22: ...ase of operation for setting the desired exposure To determine the correct exposure with the Nikon F2AS Switch ON the meter by moving the film advance lever to the 20 standoff position with this action one of the LED indica tors will light indicating overexposure correct exposure or underexposure If the plus indicator lights increase the shutter speed or decrease the aperture until the center indi...

Page 23: ...23 WWW LENSINC NET ...

Page 24: ...ur Small apertures give greater depth of field while large apertures restrict sharp focus to the main subject The creative selec tion of both speeds and apertures will greatly enhance your photography Metering Range If the center correct exposure LED fails to illuminate even after all possible lens aperture shutter speed combinations have been tried then the available light is too bright or too di...

Page 25: ...or by continuously viewing through the finder Refer to accompanying photos for details Time Exposures The Nikon F2AS Photomicofferstime exposure shooting con venience via built in controls which enable long exposures without the need for accessory equipment To make an expo sure longer than 10 seconds set the shutter speed selector to B and turn the T L fingerguard to T as described in Ex tra long ...

Page 26: ...tuations When there are substantial brightness differences between the main subject and the background unimportant bright spots or dark spots can adversely influence the finder reading and thus the final exposure To prevent under or overexposure of the main subject under these shooting conditions some correc tive action must be taken to ensure proper exposure of the main subject Fortunately the fi...

Page 27: ...27 Metering with a bright area in the center will cause underexposure of the main subject For correct exposure first measure the main subject then recompose and shoot WWW LENSINC NET ...

Page 28: ...ed up for stop down exposure measurement to release the lever after removing the lens accessory push the release to the right as described in Coupling Lever Lock Release Operation on page 39 After setting the finder mount the lens or lens accessory combination on the camera switch on the meter by moving the film advance lever to the standoff position and then set the controls for correct exposure ...

Page 29: ... indicates con tinuous overexposure use a neutral density filter or slower film If continuous underexposure is indicated supplemen tary lighting or a faster film is necessary This technique is also suitable for photography using a telescope or microscope For bellows units extension rings and preset lenses set the camera to the desired shutter speed then stop down the lens manually until the center...

Page 30: ...il theASAvalue for the film in use is aligned with the appropriate mark engraved on the ring In the example figure shown ASA 100 is aligned with the 1 2 mark to pro vide the correction required when using the Type C screen with the Nikon F2AS Photomic camera and the Fisheye Nikkor 6mm f 2 8 lens as indicated in the table When O is indicated in the table no compensation is requ ired Exposure measur...

Page 31: ... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 0 0 1 2 1 2 1 2 11 2 1 1 1 0 0 1 2 1 2 0 1 2 0 1 2 1 2 1 2 0 1 2 1 2 1 2 ...

Page 32: ...orrection required however will depend on the type of film and the specific application The following table lists the exposure corrections in Estops re quired for various film shooting requirements Compensation is possible by adjusting the shutter speed or the aperture by the indicated amount also compensation is possible by ad justing theASAfilm speed index ring In the example shown the index rin...

Page 33: ...on the camera s shutter speed can be changed to any setting for the desired shooting effect Also throughout the multiple exposure operation the camera s frame counter will remain at the same setting as long as the rewind button is held depressed while stroking the filmadvance lever The reflex mirror must be locked up when using either the Fisheye Nikkor 6mm f 5 6 or the OP Fisheye Nikkor 10mm f 5 ...

Page 34: ... with the Speed light Unit SB 2 or SB 5 For other Nikon flash units with ISO type hot shoe contacts mounting on the camera is via the Flash Unit Coupler AS 1 with the AS 1 no sync cord is required as it provides full connection via the camera s hotshoe con tact Caution When the reflex mirror is locked in the up position the shutter will not synchronize with flashbulbs at speeds faster than 1 80 se...

Page 35: ...er know the condition of the flash either ready when on or not ready when off at all times even while viewing For additional information see the instruction manual supplied with the Speedlight When shooting under low light levels the finder s shutter speed indicator located just below the viewfinder image is often difficult to read To solve this problem the Photomic finder is fitted with a finder ...

Page 36: ...sing cloth paper towels ordinary tissue or any other material that might scratch the lens surface also use cleaning fluids sparingly to prevent seepage and resulting damage to mechanical components When interchanging lenses finders etc your camera is susceptible to the entry of dust or other contaminants It is a good idea to clean moving body partsfrequently to prevent the build up of dust here a ...

Page 37: ... lubricate any part of the camera Lubrication should be left to an autho rized service center Prior to a holiday trip or important shooting assignment test your camera including changing batteries if necessary for proper operation Observe normal battery handling procedures for maximum performance at all times Be sure to Clean batteries periodically wiping with a rough cloth will remove residues th...

Page 38: ... flange so that the mounting indexes on the lens and camera body are aligned and then twist the lens counterclockwise until it clicks and locks into place These steps provide for full mounting of the lens while simulta neously indexing the lens maximum aperture setting to the camera s Photomic finder To mount a lens not fitted with a meter coupling ridge first lock the meter coupling lever in the ...

Page 39: ... lenses andior accessories not provided with this feature the lever must be locked up to permit exposure measurement via the stop down method To lock up the lever prior to mounting the lens simply push upward and to the right until the lever clicks and locks into position To release the lever for opera tion with a lens or accessory capable of automatic maximum aperture indexing simply slide the co...

Page 40: ...and locks into place on the camera To attach a Photomic type model including the F2AS Photomic finder included with the camera first set the aper ture ring of the lens if mounted to the maximum aperture setting then gently position the finder on the camera and firmly press it down until it clicks and locks into place see Photo A Once in place turn the finder s shutter speed se lector left or right...

Page 41: ...turn the camera body upside down and press the finder release button a second time to release the screen To mount a screen simply place it in position with the flat side facing downward and the Nikon mark to the front of the camera Then press the finder release button and the screen will drop into place Caution When changing the focusing screen be careful not to touch the optical surfaces When rem...

Page 42: ...at a smaller angle and horizontal and vertical lines to aid proper comPOsition Works best with lenses having maximum aperture of from f 3 5 to f 5 6 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 Availabje in four models Hl H4 corresponding to part cular foca...

Page 43: ... is made of acryl resin Special care should be taken to protect it from scratching or excessive pressure 6mm F2 8 8mm F2 8 16mm F3 5 13mm F5 6 15mm F5 6 18mm F4 20mm F4 24mm F2 24mm F2 8 28mm F2 28mm F2 8 28mm F3 5 35mm F1 4 35mm F2 35mm F2 8 50mm F1 4 50mm F2 55mm F1 2 85mm F1 8 85mm F2 105mm F2 5 135mm F2 135mm F2 8 135mm F3 5 180mm F2 8 200mm F4 300mm F4 5 ED 300mm F4 5 400mm F4 5 ED 400mm F3 5...

Page 44: ...ds The use of a lens hood is recommended at all times to prevent extraneous light from striking the lens surface and causing flare or ghost and to protect the lens against damage Nikon lens hoods come in four types depending on the lens screw in snap on slip in and built in They are calculated precisely for each focal length Nikkor lens to provide maximum pro tection against stray light To attach ...

Page 45: ... The soft rubber finder eyecup screws directly onto the finder eyepiece to prevent extraneous light from entering the viewfinder When using an eyepiece correction lens with a finder eyecup it is recommended to use the Nikkormat type eyecup First fit the lens into the eyecup in advance Then screw the assembly onto the finder eyepiece Eyepiece Correction Lenses The nine eyepiece correction lenses ar...

Page 46: ...timage rangefinder surrounded by microprism ring 12mm diameter refer ence circle defines area of meter center weighting Nikon Type K screen Reflex mirror Instant return type lockup leverprovided Exposure metering Through the lens center weighted fu 11 apertu re measurement emp loyi ng two si I icon photodiodes SPD for fast response exposure correctly set by adjusting for illumination of single cen...

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