Nikon FA INSTRUCTION MANUAL NOMENCLATURE 1 Aperture-direct-readout (ADR) window LCD illumination window 12 2 Shutter speed indication illumination window Meter coupling lever 13 3 Neckstrap eyelet Sync terminal 14 4 Focusing screen holder release latch Lens mounting index 15 5 Depth-of-field preview lever Lens type signal pin 16 6 Handgrip Lens release button 17 7 Handgrip attachment screw Lens release pin 18 8 Self-timer lever Focal length indexing lever 19 9 Metering control button Maximum aperture indexing lever 20 10 Aperture coupling lever Reflex mirror 21 11 Lens mounting flange 3 22 23 Shutter speed dial locking button Viewfinder eyepiece Film sprockets 35 Film take-up spool 36 Camera back locking catch 37 24 25 Eyepiece shutter lever Film rewind fork Shutter curtains Film cartridge chamber Film guide pin Film guide rails Data back contacts Film pressure plate 38 26 27 28 29 30 Film roller 39 Camera back 40 31 32 Motor drive shutter release coupling (for MD-12) Motor drive coupling Film rewind button Tripod/motor drive coupling socket 41 Motor drive electrical contacts (with cover) 42 Battery clip 43 33 34 Memo holder 4 44 45 Aperture/distance index Focusing ring Mounting ring Infrared focusing index Meter coupling ridge Meter coupling shoe Hot-shoe contact Exposure compensation index Exposure compensation scale Exposure compensation dial Film rewind knob ASA/ISO film speed index ASA/ISO film speed scale Film rewind crank Camera back locking lever Exposure compensation dial locking button Ready-light contact TTL flash auto-stop signal contact Depth-of-field indicators 62 Distance scale 63 46 47 Aperture scale 64 Aperture ring 65 Aperture-direct-readout (ADR) scale 66 Monitor contact 67 Shooting mode selector 68 Shutter release fingerguard 69 Shutter release button 70 Frame counter 71 Multiple exposure lever 72 Shooting mode index 73 Film advance lever 74 Shutter speed dial 75 Film plane indicator 76 Shutter speed index 77 Accessory shoe 78 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 5 CONTENTS NOMENCLATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 - 5 FOREWORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 BASIC OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 - 38 INSTALLING BATTERIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 CHECKING BATTERY POWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 MOUNTING THE LENS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 -11 Usable Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Al-S Nikkor: An Updated Version of Al-Nikkor Lenses . . . . . . . . . 11 LOADING FILM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 - 15 Frame Counter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Film Advance Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Memo Holder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 SETTING FILM SPEED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 SELECTING THE SHOOTING MODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 - 31 Viewfinder Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 P(Programmed) Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 - 23 S (Shutter-Priority) Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 - 27 A (Aperture-Priority) Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 - 29 M (Manual) Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 - 31 HOLDING THE CAMERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 - 33 Detachable Handgrip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 FOCUSING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 - 35 TAKING PICTURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 UNLOADING FILM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 - 38 TECHNICAL INFORMATION / PHOTOGRAPHlC TECHNIQUES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 - 62 EXPOSURE METERING SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 - 45 Metering Control Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Comparison of Automatic Multi-Pattern and Centerweighted Metering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 - 45 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SHUTTER SPEED AND APERTURE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 - 47 DEPTH OF FIELD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 - 49 EXPOSURE COMPENSATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 - 53 In Automatic Exposure Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 - 51 In the Manual Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Duplication Work and Photomicrography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 STOP-DOWN EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 MULTIPLE EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 UNMANNED PHOTOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 - 57 Self-Timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Eyepiece Shutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 - 61 Accessory Shoe and Sync Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Ready-Light Indication in the Viewfinder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Nikon FA/Speedlight Combination Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 CLOSE UP PHOTOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Close-Up Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 ACCESSORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 - 69 ELECTRONIC FLASH UNITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Speedlight SB-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Speedlight SB-16B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Speedlight SB-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 MOTOR DRIVES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Motor Drive MD-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Motor Drive MD-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 MISCELLANEOUS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 - 69 Data Back MF-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Interchangeable Focusing Screens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 - 67 Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Lens Hoods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Anti-Cold Battery Pack DB-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Cable Release AR-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Right-Angle Viewing Attachment DR-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Eyepiece Magnifier DG-2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Rubber Eyecup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Eyepiece Correction Lenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Camera Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Neckstraps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 EV RANGE OF THE CAMERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 - 71 What is EV? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 EV Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 - 71 TIPS ON CAMERA CARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 - 73 TIPS ON BATTERY USE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 ABOUT THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD) . . . . . . . . . . . 74 SPECIFICATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 - 77 6 FOREWORD Welcome to Nikon's exciting world of picture-taking ease. To put you in total control, the Nikon FA offers three automatic exposure modes, in addition to full manual override. For fastbreaking events, the programmed mode automatically sets both shutter speed and aperture for correct exposure in any light. Or when action must be stopped or blurred, such as in sports photography, shutter priority lets you choose the shutter speed manually, then the FA automatically sets the aperture to match. If depth of field is important, aperture. priority allows you to select the precise aperture with the matching shutter speed set automatically. But possibly even more important are the FA's two separate metering methods. In Nikon's revolutionary automatic multipattern metering system, the brightness from 5 areas of the focusing screen is analyzed by the camera's microcomputer; this automatically ensures the correct exposure-even in tricky lighting situations-without any exposure compensation whatsoever. Traditional centerweighted metering is reserved for the manual mode, but is usable in any of the three automatic modes with the metering control button. Other features of the FA include 1/4000sec. top shutter speed, 1/250sec. flash sync, interchangeable focusing screens, and a comprehensive line of Nikon accessories. Before using the camera, please read this instruction manual from cover to cover. A few minutes invested now will pay off in years of rewarding picture-taking experiences. 7 BASIC OPERATION INSTALLING BATTERIES 1. Remove the battery clip. 43 Use a coin to unscrew it in counter clockwise direction Insert batteries. Wipe the battery terminals clean and insert the batteries, making sure that the + signs are up. Useable batteries for the Nikon FA camera are: · One 3V lithium battery · Two 1.55V silver-oxide batteries (3.1V) · Two 1.5V alkaline-manganese batteries (3V) 2. 3. Reattach the battery clips. Slip the clip back into the camera body and screw it tightly into place. 8 CHECKING BATTERY POWER Pull out the film advance lever 74 to unlock the shutter release button 70 . The lever doubles as a shutter release button lock. 1. Depress the shutter release button halfway to activate the exposure meter. 2. Check the LCD. Confirm that the LCD (liquid crystal display) is shown at the upper left in the viewfinder. This indicates that battery installation is correct and power is sufficient. If necessary, replace with a new set. With sufficient battery power, the LCD stays on for 16sec. after you take your finger off the button. If the batteries are almost depleted, the LCD will turn off immediately when you take your finger off the button. In this case, replace batteries as soon as possible. With exhausted batteries, you cannot trip the shutter unless the shutter speed dial 75 is set at a mechanical setting of M250 or B. 3. · The LCD does not appear when the shutter dial is set at M250 or B 9 BASIC OPERATION MOUNTING THE LENS continued Usable Lenses The following lenses are usable with the Nikon FA: Al-S Nikkor lenses Nikon Series E lenses Al Nikkor (including Al-modified Nikkor) lenses Reflex Nikkor 500mm f/8 PC Nikkor 28mm f/3.5 Medical-Nikkor 120mm f/4 IF Ref ex-Nikkor 1000mm f/11 (No.143001 or higher) Ret ex-Nikkor 2000mm f/11 (No.200311 or higher) PC-Nikkor 28mm f/4 (No 180901 or higher) PC-Nikkor 35mm f/2.8 (No 851000 or lower or No. 906201 or higher) Zoom-Nikkor 180-600mm f/8 ED (No.174167 or higher) Zoom-Nikkor 200-600mm f/9.5 (No.300491 or higher) Zoom-Nikkor 360-1200mm f/11 ED (No.174088 or higher) · The last seven lenses having serial numbers not listed above cannot be mounted on the FA as they hit the cam era's meter coupling lever 13 However, they can be used after modification. In addition, Al-modification of most non-AI lenses having a meter coupling shoe 49 is available. Do not attempt to mount older Nikkor lenses which have not been Al-modified, as they might damage the camera. For further information concerning lens modification, please contact your local authorized Nlkon dealer · The following lenses cannot be used on the FA even if they are modified to have the Al facility: 55mm f/1.2 (No. 184711-970110) 28mm f/3.5 (No. 625611-999999) 35mm U14 (No. 385001-400000) · If you use lenses other than those manufactured by Nikon, proper performance may not be obtained and they may even damage the camera. Lenses usable with the Nikon FA are Al-S Nikkor, Nikon Series E, Al-Nikkor, most Al-modified, and certain special lenses shown at the right. First line up the aperture/distance index 44 ...