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Nikon FM3A, Instruction Manual

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Nikon FM3A Instruction Manual Download Page 33

33

TTL flash

With the TTL flash system, the camera measures the flash of a speedlight reflected from
the subject to obtain the proper level of flash illumination.

TTL flash-exposure compensation

In flash photography when the main subject is far away or near the edge of the viewfinder
frame, overexposure may occur, as the reflected light may be insufficient. This may cause
excessive flash illumination. Flash photography with a bright background may also give
unnatural results.

Example: Before compensation

Example: After compensation

In such a situation, shooting with the TTL
flash-compensation button held pressed
can automatically reduce the level of flash
illumination for more natural and better ex-
posure results.
When the TTL flash-compensation button
is used, the illumination of the speedlight
is automatically 

compensated (reduced)

by 1 EV to the – side.

N i k o n

• There is no indication regarding the flash-exposure compensation when you press

the TTL flash-compensation button.

• If exposure compensation is made by the camera, the level of flash illumination is

controlled by adding this compensation level.

• The flash-exposure compensation function of the speedlight is disabled in TTL

mode.

Summary of Contents for FM3A

Page 1: ...INSTRUCTION MANUAL E E ...

Page 2: ...Auto Exposure operation Even when the FM3A s battery power is fully ex hausted all shutter speeds remain functional in Manual Exposure mode The FM3A features a maximum shutter speed of 1 4000 sec a flash sync speed of 1 250 multiple exposure control interchangeable focusing screens and the ability to use the MD 12 Motor Drive for high speed sequence photography The Nikon FM3A s flash system offers...

Page 3: ...rformance has been optimized for use with Nikon brand acces sories Accessories made by other manufacturers may not meet Nikon s criteria for specifications and nonconforming accessories could damage the FM3A s compo nents Nikon cannot guarantee the FM3A s performance when it is used with other than Nikon brand accessories Supplied accessories Body cap white Battery CR 1 3N Tripod mat When using a ...

Page 4: ...rations for Shooting 9 Installing Batteries 10 Checking the Battery Power 11 Attaching Detaching a Lens 12 Loading Film 13 Setting the Film Speed DX Coded Film 15 Holding the Camera How to press the shutter release button 16 Focusing 17 Shooting 18 Aperture Priority Auto Exposure Mode 18 Manual Exposure Mode 20 Rewinding the Film 22 2 ...

Page 5: ...teries 48 Glossary 50 Specifications 54 5 Controls in Detail 23 Shutter Speed Dial 24 Film Advance Lever 25 Manual Film Speed Setting 26 Exposure Compensation Indicator 27 Frame Counter 29 Depth of Field Preview Lever 29 Film Plane Indicator 30 Accessory Shoe and Sync Cord Terminal 30 3 Steps of Advanced Photography 31 Flash Photography 32 AE Lock Photography 36 Self Timer Photography 37 Multiple ...

Page 6: ...e compensation lock release button p 28 Film speed index p 26 Aperture index window Depth of field preview lever p 29 Self timer lever p 37 Shutter release button p 16 Frame counter p 29 Multiple exposure lever p 38 Film advance lever p 25 Auto lock release button p 24 Shutter speed dial p 24 Shutter speed indication Shutter speed index Speedlight sync contact Accessory shoe p 30 Exposure compensa...

Page 7: ...Camera back Motor drive coupling Motor drive shutter coupling Film rewind button p 22 Data Back contacts Film sprockets p 13 Socket for tripod motor drive Battery chamber lid p 10 Film guide pin Motor drive sync contacts Rewind fork About CE marking CE stands for Conformité Européenne This marking guarantees that the product meets all applicable EC regulations DX contact ...

Page 8: ...press of the shutter release but ton power is supplied to the exposure meter and the indicator needle swings according to the brightness of the subject and the aper ture setting and indicates the correct shutter speed When the shutter speed dial is on B the needle will not move 5 5 5 5 5 Aperture indication The current lens aperture setting is indicated 6 6 6 6 6 Ready light p 32 7 7 7 7 7 Exposur...

Page 9: ...s For an out of focus background or foreground For a distant view that requires precedence of definition For sharp focus of both foreground and background In manual exposure shooting you can freeze a moving sub ject by using a high shutter speed or you can accentuate the flow of water by using a low shutter speed With skillful use of shutter speed and aperture you can ob tain the desired effect in...

Page 10: ...V alkaline batteries LR44 type Use new batteries of the same type when you use two batteries 1 Remove the battery chamber lid Use a coin or equivalent to unscrew the lid counterclockwise 3 Return the battery chamber lid to its closed position 2 Install the battery batteries Make sure that the pole faces upward Two silver oxide or alkaline batteries or One 3V lithium battery ...

Page 11: ...ves only when you hold the shutter release button pressed and then falls down at once when you release it 2 Replace the battery or batteries immediately if the shutter curtains do not open and the mirror stays at the upper position disabling film advance or if there is no change in the viewfinder indications when you press the shutter release button with the shutter speed dial set to the A positio...

Page 12: ...to detach Use an Ai type lens with this camera There are some non Ai type lenses that can be used with this camera See page 42 for lens compatibility Avoid direct sunlight when attaching detaching a lens When attaching a lens take care not to press the lens release button When you leave the camera unattended without a lens attached be sure to attach the supplied body cap page 3 or the optional bod...

Page 13: ...ing sure the latch is in the slot such that the film sprocket holes of the film are meshed with the sprockets When you lift the film rewind knob the cam era back will open 3 Insert the film leader into one of the slots of the film takeup spool 4 Fit the film sprocket holes of the film onto the spool s sprockets The shutter curtains are very thin When loading un loading film be careful not to touch...

Page 14: ... press the shutter release button 2 until the frame counter indicates frame 1 Adjust the shutter speed dial to a high speed other than A 1 Slowly close the door of the camera back until it snaps shut into the camera body 2 Pull out the film rewind crank and rotate it in the direction of the arrow until it stops to take up the slack inside the film cartridge 7 Close the camera back and take up the ...

Page 15: ...ection of the arrow If you load non DX coded film with the film speed index set to or if no film is loaded the exposure compensation indicator and the ready light blink alternately as a warning Film confirmation window Tips When using DX coded film set the film speed index to When using non DX coded film set the film speed manually See page 26 When the film speed index is set to the film speed is ...

Page 16: ...imer is activated The timer on duration is for approx 16 seconds from the time you remove your finger from the lightly pressed shutter release button and it is also on for approx 16 sec onds after the shutter is released Moving the camera while pressing the shutter release button may cause camera shake and result in a blurred photograph Choose a high shutter speed of faster than 1 focal length of ...

Page 17: ...ens until the upper and lower images coincide perfectly to form a single unbroken image To focus using the microprism grid or matte turn the focusing ring so that the fuzzy image becomes sharp Get your main subject in focus If you want to photograph a flower focus on a stamen or pistil and for an animal or person focus on the eyes Focusing ring Microprism collar Split image rangefinder Matte field...

Page 18: ...e or no depth of field such as flat wall choose an intermediate aperture setting In Aperture Priority Auto Exposure mode you can make the aperture setting as desired and the camera controls the shutter speed automatically 1 Set the shutter speed dial to A 2 Pull out the film advance lever In the A Auto position the shutter speed dial is locked 3 Make your lens aperture setting 4 Compose your pictu...

Page 19: ...xposure meter needle points in the 1 to 1 focal length of the lens second range Camera shake may occur because the shutter speed is low Use a tripod or flash If the exposure meter needle points to the upper alert zone Make a narrower aperture setting If the indication is still in the alert zone use an ND filter If the exposure meter needle points to the lower alert zone Select a wider aperture set...

Page 20: ... battery power is completely exhausted or diminished in a cold place all the electronic displays are disabled but major mechanical systems such as the shutter and aperture control remain functional enabling you to continue shooting 1 Set the shutter speed dial to a position other than A 2 Pull out the film advance lever To change the dial setting from A rotate the dial while holding the auto lock ...

Page 21: ...r Reference for shutter speed selection If you want to freeze the motion of a fast moving subject choose a shutter speed over 1 500 If you want to create a motion effect by blurring the subject choose a shutter speed under 1 60 If you want to accentuate the flow of the water choose a shutter speed of under 1 15 If you want to shoot fireworks or tracks of lights at night choose B This will cause un...

Page 22: ...pressed 3 Rewind the film 4 Open the camera back and remove the film cartridge Pull up the film rewind knob to open the cam era back and take out the film cartridge Pull out the film rewind crank and turn it in the direction of the arrow As you approach the end of film rewind you will feel a slight resistance in the crank Con tinue turning and stop when resistance to the crank is released and feel...

Page 23: ...and its functions and features Shutter Speed Dial p 24 Film Advance Lever p 25 Manual Film Speed Setting p 26 Exposure Compensation Indicator p 27 Frame Counter p 29 Depth of Field Preview Lever p 29 Film Plane Indicator p 30 Accessory Shoe and Sync Cord Terminal p 30 ...

Page 24: ... dial to another position rotate the dial while holding down the auto lock release button at the center of the dial Depending on the conditions and your intention of shooting align the shutter speed index to the figures or marks on the shutter speed dial You may choose from among the following shooting modes 1 to 1 4000 second Manual mode In Manual mode you can set both the shutter speed and apert...

Page 25: ...ut to the standoff position then wind the lever until it stops This operation advances the film by a single frame and enables the next shutter release The lever stops advancing when the film roll reaches the end In this case rewind the film Do not forcibly advance the lever further or you might damage the film or the camera The film advance lever also provides a lock function for the shutter relea...

Page 26: ...in order to obtain special effects when developing The film speed can be set manually in the range of ISO 12 to 6400 Setting the film speed Pull and rotate the film speed setting ring and set it to the film speed of the film in use Details on readings of the film speed index The corresponding film speeds for the dots between numbers on the film speed index are indicated in the illus tration ...

Page 27: ...ars at the top of the viewfinder Remember to return the exposure compensation indicator to the 0 after shooting Exposure Compensation Indicator If there is an extreme difference in brightness between the main subject and the background e g a person surrounded by heavy shadows it may be difficult to get the correct exposure In this case or when you want to achieve a certain effect exposure compensa...

Page 28: ... 1 1 rotate the film speed setting ring 2 2 2 2 2 2 Set the compensation index to the desired compensation value Confirm the ring is firmly set down and locked in a clicked position When you set the film speed to ISO 12 compensation to the side is disabled the setting ring may rotate but the speed remains at ISO 12 When the film speed is set to ISO 6400 compensation to the side is disabled The set...

Page 29: ...is no film in the camera the frame counter is operative and advances by a single frame every time you wind the advance lever The frame counter is automatically reset to S when the camera back is opened Depth of Field Preview Lever When you press the depth of field pre view lever toward the camera body the lens is stopped down to the specified aperture setting enabling you to check the depth of fie...

Page 30: ...nd Sync Cord Terminal The mark shown on the upper panel of the camera indicates the posi tion of the film plane inside the camera A Nikon cordless type speedlight can only be connected by attaching it to the accessory shoe This accessory shoe is equipped with a safety lock mechanism a lock hole to prevent slippage This camera has a sync cord terminal with a screw to prevent slippage To use a sync ...

Page 31: ...reat results with easy shoot ing However we hope you will also learn more ad vanced photographic techniques to take full advan tage of the wonderful capabilities of your Nikon FM3A camera Flash Photography p 32 AE Lock Photography p 36 Self Timer Photography p 37 Multiple Exposure Photography p 38 ...

Page 32: ... yes yes yes Cordless yes no yes Cordless yes yes yes Cordless yes yes yes 1 2 If the speedlight flash battery power is low or exhausted the ready light on the speed light flash turns on earlier than that in the viewfinder In this case replace the speed light flash batteries with new ones 4000 2000 1000 500 250 125 60 30 15 8 4 2 1 B A Ready Light flash status The ready light is built into the vie...

Page 33: ...pensation Example After compensation In such a situation shooting with the TTL flash compensation button held pressed can automatically reduce the level of flash illumination for more natural and better ex posure results When the TTL flash compensation button is used the illumination of the speedlight is automatically compensated reduced by 1 EV to the side N i k o n There is no indication regardi...

Page 34: ...3 Confirm that the mark lights in the viewfinder Lightly press the shutter release button and check the ready light Compose your picture and focus 4 Tips Applicable film speeds for TTL auto flash are ISO 12 to ISO 1000 The flash sync speed is 1 250 second or lower In Aperture Priority Auto Exposure mode the speed is automatically set to 1 250 second When you use a Medical lens set it to 1 125 seco...

Page 35: ...ips ISO 100 Equation to obtain the camera to subject distance D distance to subject GN guide number f aperture Equation to obtain the aperture f aperture GN guide number D distance to subject Flash attachments from other manufacturers NEVER use a flash attachment from another manufacturer The full performance of this camera can only be obtained with Nikon brand accessories Other brands may apply a...

Page 36: ... highly effective when back lighting is present that makes it difficult to specify the exposure or when subjects of high and low reflectance are intermingled in the viewfinder 1 Locate the subject in the center of the viewfinder and focus 2 Lightly press the shutter release button 3 Press the AE lock button Compose your shot and shoot with the AE lock button held pressed Apply the auto exposure lo...

Page 37: ...me of the self timer can be set from 4 to 10 seconds according to how far you cock the self timer lever You can cancel self timer operation after you set it To cancel pull the lever back toward the lens completely until it stops before you press the shutter release but ton If you pull the self timer lever back when it is already in operation the shutter is released the moment the lever reaches its...

Page 38: ... film does not advance the frame counter does not count up Number of exposures Standard compensation value 2 1 0 EV 3 1 5 EV 4 2 0 EV 8 or 9 3 0 EV Frames may shift slightly in some cases of multiple exposure photography In particular film advance may be slightly unstable at the beginning and end of a roll so multiple exposure photography using the first or last frame of a film roll is not recomme...

Page 39: ...Additional Information Keeping this information in mind may help you avoid problems In particular do not forget to read Tips on Han dling the Camera and Batteries on page 48 ...

Page 40: ...are displayed in the viewfinder of the camera The same EV can result from various possible combinations of shutter speed and aperture setting For example as shown in the EV table below when the correct exposure is obtained with a shutter speed of 1 125 second and an aperture setting of f 11 EV14 you can obtain the same amount of light also at 1 60 second and f 16 or at 1 250 second and f 8 for the...

Page 41: ...ain distance range both in front of and behind the subject appear reasonably sharp This in focus zone is known as depth of field Control of depth of field enables selective blurring of the background elements of a picture or letting the major subject stand out By pressing the depth of field preview lever you can check how the background image will appear in the photograph Light Metering Methods Fu...

Page 42: ...e first preset the aperture on the lens then shift and or tilt the camera 4 In manual exposure first preset the aperture on the lens then measure the light to determine the exposure before shifting and or tilting the camera 5 First make the aperture setting for the bellows focusing attachment then measure the light and shoot Aperture priority auto Exposure mode Manual Remarks yes 1 yes 1 Lens CPU ...

Page 43: ...0 600mm f 8 Product No 174041 174180 ED 360 1200mm f 11 Product No 174031 174127 200 600mm f 9 5 Product No 280001 300490 80mm f 2 8 200mm f 3 5 and TC 16 Teleconverter for F3AF PC 28mm f 4 Product No 180900 or smaller PC 35mm f 2 8 Product No 851001 906200 Old type PC 35mm f 3 5 Old type Reflex 1000mm f 6 3 Reflex 1000mm f 11 No 142361 143000 Reflex 2000mm f 11 No 200111 200310 Tips An Ai type le...

Page 44: ...e mounting position of the light emission block can be changed to horizontal at the right and vertical or horizontal at the left so that you can easily control the shadow of the subject The built in reflective plate enables you to bounce flash upward or to the left The catch light effect to reflect part of flash on eyes and the diffuser to soften the flash allow additional effects for close up pho...

Page 45: ...of vision in the viewfinder clearer and may reduce eye strain The DK 3 is made of rubber Eyepiece correction lens for dioptry adjustment For nearsighted or farsighted photographers This eyepiece can be easily attached just by screwing it onto the camera s eyepiece Nine models 5 4 3 2 0 0 5 1 2 or 3 are available It is recommended to try them before purchasing as proper dioptry greatly differs amon...

Page 46: ...equirements 1 Pull the focusing screen release latch 1 1 1 1 1 towards you using the special tweezers 2 2 2 2 2 2 Grip the screen by pinching the tab of the screen and remove it 3 Place the replacement screen on the screen holder Be sure to place the screen in the right posi tion on the holder 4 Push the front edge of the holder upward to secure the screen Push up on the holder until it snaps into...

Page 47: ...stem with horizontal and vertical lines Works well for general photography close up photog raphy and duplication work Especially useful for people who prefer to focus on the matte focusing spot at the center of the screen or when it is inconvenient to use the split image rangefinder for focusing as is the case with telephoto lenses Extremely useful in pictorial composition It consists of a B3 type...

Page 48: ... with a blower Such actions can crack deform or damage the curtains Avoid locations where strong radio waves or strong electromagnetic fields are generated The camera may not operate correctly in a location where a strong radio wave or strong electromagnetic field is generated such as near a television tower Store the camera in a cool dry well ventilated place To eliminate mold and damage store th...

Page 49: ... 3N type 2 Two 1 55V silver oxide batteries SR44 type 3 Two 1 5V alkaline batteries LR44 type Before important photographic occasions check and replace the battery batteries well before exhaustion or have spare batteries handy Turn the power to the camera off when replacing battery batteries When changing the battery batteries fold the film advance lever and insert the new battery new batteries wi...

Page 50: ...ilm winding initial film advancing is required by repeatedly releasing the shutter and winding the film until the film counter indicates the first frame Cable release A shutter release device designed to eliminate vibration caused by slight movement of the camera from pressing the shutter button with the camera on a tripod Center weighted metering Light is measured with priority given to the cente...

Page 51: ...ffect Increasing the expo sure is called positive compensation and decreasing it is called negative compensa tion Exposure compensation may be effective when the luminance reflection posi tion or size of the subject may cause an exposure error Flash exposure compensation The light control system that automatically controls the illumination level of the flash according to the ambient brightness is ...

Page 52: ...number GN Shooting distance meters ISO film speed A unit to indicate the film sensitivity defined by the ISO International Organization for Standardization Manual exposure Shooting is performed by manually setting the shutter speed and aperture value based on the light level measured by an external or built in exposure meter With manual exposure shooting can be performed independent from changes i...

Page 53: ...rect exposure for the main subject by firing the flash regardless of the ambient light By measuring the amount of the flash light reflected from the subject the camera stops light emission when the correct illumination level is reached This may possibly cause an imbalance in brightness between the main sub ject and the background Underexposure A state in which the total exposure is insufficient wh...

Page 54: ... sync terminal ISO 519 locking screw type Accessory shoe Hot shoe contact ISO 518 sync contact ready light contact monitor contact stop signal contact for TTL flash with a lock hole to prevent accidental dropping Type of camera 35mm single lens reflex with electronically and mechanically controlled focal plane shutter Applicable film 35mm film in a cartridge Frame size 24 36mm Lens mount Nikon F m...

Page 55: ...s are exhausted Number of film rolls that can be shot When repeating the procedure of holding the shut ter release button in the lightly pressed position for 10 seconds pressing it all the way and waiting until the meter on timer counts up to the end with 36 frame film rolls a shutter speed of 1 250 sec ond in Aperture Priority Auto mode Optional exclusive or common accesso ries MD 12 Motor Drive ...

Page 56: ...or in part except for brief quotation in critical articles or reviews may be made without written authorization from NIKON CORPORATION NIKON CORPORATION FUJI BLDG 2 3 MARUNOUCHI 3 CHOME CHIYODA KU TOKYO 100 8331 JAPAN Printed in Japan Y3A00500401 S954 11 ...

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