01-1BC(E)_Cover 11/15/01 7:26 PM Page 1 Optical Equipment Group 2-14-9 Tamagawadai, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158-8610 Japan Tel:(03) 3708-4506 http://www.kyocera.co.jp/ KYOCERA OPTICS, INC. 2301-200 Cottontail Lane, Somerset, New Jersey 08873, U.S.A. Tel:(732) 560-0060 KYOCERA OPTICS, INC. 6020 Irwindale Avenue, Unit A-C, Irwindale, California 91706, U.S.A. Tel:(626) 812-8888 KYOCERA OPTICS, INC. 6200 Dixie Road, Unit 11 Mississauga, Ontario, L5T 2E1, Canada Tel:(905) 564-9385 YASHICA Kyocera GmbH Eiffestraße 76, D-20537 Hamburg, F.R.Germany Tel:(040) 25 15 07 0 YASHICA Handelsges. mbH Rustenschacherallee 38, A-1020 Wien, Austria Tel:(01) 728 09 260 YASHICA AG. Zürcherstraße 73, CH-8800 Thalwil, Switzerland Tel:(01) 720 34 34 KYOCERA YASHICA (U.K.) Ltd. Unit 7, Suttons Industrial Park, Sutton Park Avenue, Earley Reading, RG6 1AZ, U.K. Tel:(0118) 935 6300 KYOCERA YASHICA (FRANCE) S.A. ZAC de Paris Nord l l -13, rue de la perdrix B.P. 40067 Tremblay en France 95913 Roissy CDG Cedex France Tel: (01) 49 89 38 60 KYOCERA YASHICA DO BRASIL-INDUSTRIA E COMERCIO LTDA. Av. Bernardino de Campos No. 98, 5-Andar Paraiso,S ão Paulo CEP: 04004-000, Brazil Tel: (011) 889-8055 UNIVERSAL OPTICAL INDUSTRIES LTD. 14/FL. Piazza Industrial Building, 133 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: 2343 5151 Instruction manual · Bedienungsanleitung RI110010 Printed in Japan GB /D 01-1BC(E)_Cover 11/15/01 7:26 PM Page 2 ENGLISH We greatly appreciate your purchase of this Contax NX camera. The Contax NX is an autofocus single lens reflex camera based on the Contax' fundamental principle of "building cameras for creating works of art". Automatic or manual focus can be selected according to the subject and setting so that the user can achieve the desired results with accuracy. Read these instructions carefully before using the camera to ensure proper use and a long service life. This camera incorporates `Custom Functions' which may be used in applications beyond the normal requirements of photography. See page 87 for details. The abbreviation ` ' used throughout this manual indicates a custom function. Safety warnings This manual contains the following warnings to ensure safe use of the camera. Please read the explanations thoroughly before use. Caution Failure to use the product correctly may result in injury to the user or damage to property. Warning Failure to use the product correctly may result in serious injury and/or death of the user. Cautions in Handling · Any foreign matter on the lens or mount should be removed with a blower or by wiping with a soft lens cloth. Fingerprints should be removed by wiping gently with a commercially available lens paper. Foreign matter on the mirror should be removed by wiping gently with a soft lens cloth. · Remove dust and dirt from the camera body by wiping with a soft cloth. Use of organic solvents such as benzene or thinners may result in damage to the body and should be avoided under all circumstances. 2 02-1BC(E)_P003-007 11/15/01 7:27 PM Page 3 Caution · Clean the camera thoroughly after use at the beach or in dusty areas. Salt spray may corrode metal components, and may result in damage to, and short-circuit of, electronic components, with the possibility of smoke or fire. The presence of sand in the mechanism of the camera will cause problems in operation. · The lens may fog-up if the camera is moved immediately from a cold area into a warm room. The condensation on the lens will disappear after a few minutes, however if this process is repeated water droplets will form in the lens and camera body, and may result in damage to, and short-circuit of, electronic components, with the possibility of smoke or fire. Avoid moving the camera suddenly between areas of differing temperature. · Do not place the camera in direct sunlight. The focusing effect of the lens on nearby objects may result in damage or fire. Always fit the lens cap, and store out of direct sunlight. · The camera contains precision electronic equipment. Damage to the electronic circuits may result in smoke or fire and consequent damage to the mechanism, and care should be taken to avoid dropping the camera or subjecting it to physical shocks. · Check operation of the camera, or take test photographs before using it for important occasions such as overseas trips or weddings. Always carry spare batteries. Warning · If the batteries becomes overheated the camera may emit smoke or a burning smell. In this case, remove the batteries immediately to prevent fire or burns (take care to avoid burns when removing the batteries). · Do not use the camera in locations where it will be in direct contact with water or in locations with a high moisture content, and do not use the camera with wet hands. Use under such conditions may result in electric shock, short-circuit of electronic components, overheating, smoke, fire, or corrosion. (Note that it is particularly important to be careful when using the camera in rain, snow, or at the beach.) · Do not use the camera in the vicinity of inflammable gases. Use in such situations may result in fire. · Do not disassemble or modify the camera. The camera employs high voltage, and modification may result in electric shock. · The camera contains high-voltage circuits. If it has been dropped, care must be taken not to touch the internal mechanism as this may result in electric shock. · During flash photography, ensure that the flash is not close to the human eye (particularly the eyes of infants). Use of the flash near the eyes may result in vision disorders. · Do not look directly at the sun or a strong light source through the camera. Such use may result in vision disorders. 3 02-1BC(E)_P003-007 11/15/01 7:27 PM Page 4 Warning · Do not take photographs while moving. In particular, do not move while looking through the viewfinder. Use in such situations may result in a fault in the camera. · Do not pay excessive attention to the subject at the expense of your surroundings during photography. · Do not leave the camera within reach of infants or children. Take particular attention when using the camera near infants or children, and do not leave it unattended. Infants and children do not understand the safety warnings and cautions, and this may result in the following. · The camera dropping or falling, with consequent injury. · The camera strap being wrapped around the neck, resulting in suffocation. · Leaving the camera in a warm place (e.g. at the beach during the summer, in direct sunlight inside a vehicle) for a long period of time will result in deterioration of the film and batteries, having a negative effect on the camera. · If the camera is to be left unused for a long period of time, remove the batteries to guard against damage from fluid leakage. · Avoid storing the camera in humid and dusty locations, wardrobes containing insecticide, or laboratories containing chemicals. Storage under these conditions may result in damage to, and short-circuit of, electronic components, with the possibility of smoke or fire. Ensure that the camera is stored in a location with good ventilation. Caution The shutter curtain is made of very thin material. Never push it with a finger, or touch or wipe it. When changing film, take care to ensure that the film tip does not touch the shutter curtain. When using an air blower, ensure that only a gentle jet of air is used. If the jet is too strong it may damage or deform the curtain. Never use a pressurized blower. · Battery performance generally deteriorates as temperature is reduced. In cold areas, the camera should be placed under thermal protective covering, or inside the clothing, before and after use. Batteries which have deteriorated due to low-temperature will recover if returned to normal temperatures. · Contamination of the + and - terminals of the batteries with sweat and oils may prevent good contact. Always wipe the terminals thoroughly with a dry cloth before using the batteries. · Always take new, spare batteries on long trips etc. · The camera will not operate if the battery contacts do not match those in the battery compartment. · Do not touch the battery terminals with conductive metal objects (e.g. tweezers). This will reduce the life of the batteries, and may result in a short-circuit. This camera incorporates a safety circuit to protect its microcomputer again strong external static electricity. Operation of the circuit may prevent operation of the camera in rare cases. In this case, set the main switch to OFF, remove and reload the batteries, and continue using the camera. Caution The characteristics of this camera prevent the use of infrared film for photography. Warning · Adhere strictly to the following requirements. Failure to do so may result in damage to the batteries, fire, injury or contamination of the immediate surroundings. Use only the specified batteries in the camera. Do not throw batteries in the fire, short-circuit while charging, dismantle, or heat under any circumstances. Do not mix new and used batteries, batteries from different manufacturers, or different types of batteries, in the camera. CR2 batteries (3V lithium batteries) must not be charged under any circumstances. · When disposing of batteries, insulate the terminals by covering with tape etc. to prevent contact with other metal objects which may result in splitting of the batteries, or fire. · Store batteries out of reach of children. Contact a doctor immediately if a battery is swallowed. Swallowing may result in a leak in the battery, causing damage to the stomach and intestines. 4 5 02-1BC(E)_P003-007 11/15/01 7:27 PM Page 6 CONTENTS Safety warnings ....................................................2 Cautions in Handling ............................................2 1. Fitting the strap and viewfinder shade adapter............................................................14 2. Fitting the eye cup/diopter correction lens......15 Names of Parts........................................8 Display Panel and Viewfinder Display...10 BASIC OPERATIONS PRIOR TO SHOOTING 3. Inserting the batteries and checking the battery power ...............................16 4. Mounting and removing lenses..........18 5. Holding the camera............................19 6. Loading film .......................................20 7. Setting the film speed manually.........23 8. Removing film ....................................24 BASIC OPERATIONS 1. Main switch .....................................................26 2. Shutter release button ....................................27 3. Position dial.....................................................28 4. F and R dials .....................................29 5. Mode button and mode details ..........30 6. Selecting the mode ............................31 7. ABC/ button..................................33 8. Focus button ......................................33 9. Sync switch........................................33 SIMPLE SHOOTING PROCEDURE FOCUSING SELECTING THE METERING MODE Using the " "(green) setting on the position dial .....................................................36 1. Selecting focus frames ...................................39 1. Types of metering modes and their features ..48 2. Focusing in the autofocus mode .......40 2. Metering range...................................49 4. Focusing manually.............................44 APPLIED PHOTOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES 1. Autoexposure photography <1. Taking photographs with the aperture priority mode "Av" (aperture priority auto exposure)> ...............................................51 <2. Taking photographs with shutter speed priority settings "Tv" (shutter priority auto exposure) mode> .....................................52 <3. Taking photographs in the program auto mode "P" (program auto exposure) mode> ......................................................53 1. Taking photographs using the internal flash ...72 2. Taking photographs using a Contax TLA flash..76 1. List of custom functions ..................................87 1. Basic information on photography ..................91 2. Manual exposure photography <1. Taking photographs with the exposure set manually "M" (manual exposure) mode> ..........55 <2. Using the bulb exposure mode> .........................................57 3. Taking photographs with exposure compensation <1. Setting exposure compensation manually (with Av, Tv, P)> ...........58 3. Taking photographs using other flashes with the X contact..................81 2. Setting custom functions ...................89 2. Troubleshooting .................................92 <2. Taking photographs with the AE lock>................... ...