Nikon F3 User manual

Nikon
INSTRUCTION MANUAL

NOMENCLATURE--------------------------
CD
ITT •• r-,m",.,n dial
button
2 ®Reflex
mirror
Viewfinder illuminator @
@ Memo
holder

Distance scale @
- direct - readout scale @
Viewfinder illuminator button @
Self- timer lever @
Self- timer ON index @
Power switch ON index @ 3
Power switch ®
Film advance lever @
Shutter - scale @
Shutter speed dial @)
Film indicator ®

TABLE OF CONTENTS------------
NOMENCLATURE . .. . . .. ......... .. ......... . .. 2-3
ABOUT THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD) . . .. .. 32
FOREWORD . .. .. .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . ...... . .. . ..... 5
EV RANGE OF THE CAMERA .. ... . .. . . .. . .... 33- 35
BASIC OPERATION ........ .. .. . . .... . .... . .. . . 6-16
ACCESSORIES .......................... . .... 36-41
CONTROLS IN DETAIL . . ... . .. .. ... . ... ... .. .. 17-31 Interchangeable viewfinders .. ... . ... .. ........ 36
Shutter speed dial. .... . .................. 17-19 Interchangeable focusing screens .............. 37
Exposure memory lock button . . . . . .. . . .. ..... .. 20
Focusing screen selector guide . ... .. . . . . . ... . .. 38
Exposure compensation dial . . . . .. . . .. ... . .. .. . 21 Motor Drive MD-4. . ... .. . . .. .. .. .. . ........... 39
ASA film speed dial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Speedlights . ................... ..... ...... . .. 40
Memo
holder . . .... . ....... . . .. . .. . . . .... . .. . 22 Other accessories . .. . .. .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . . . .. .. .. 41
Shutter release button ........ . . . . .. .. . ..... . .. 22 TIPS
ON CAMERA CARE .. .. ..... .. . .... . . . .. . 42-43
Film advance lever .. . .... . .. . . .. . . .... . .. . . .. 23 SPECIFICATIONS .
.. . . ... . . .. .. .. . .. . .. .. . . .. 44- 45
Frame counter .... . .. ... .. .... .. ... ... .. ..... 23 IMPORTANT. .
.... .. ...... . .. . .. . ..... . .. . . ... .. . 46
Multiple exposure lever . . .......... . .. . .. . .. . . 24
Batteries . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . 24
4
Backup mechanical release lever ... .. ... . ...... 25
Depth -of-field preview button .. ... . . .. . . .. . 25-26
Meter coupling lever .... . . . ...... . . . . . .. . ... . 27
Mirror lockup lever . . . . ................... . .. . 28
Self-timer
... . ................ .. . . .. . . . .. . .. .. 28
Eyepiece shutter lever .. . . . . ... . . . .. . . .. ... .. . 29
Accessory shoe ... .. ... .. .... . ............... 29
Sync term i nal ...... . .... . ................... . 30
Viewfinder illuminator
... . .. .. ................ 30
Film
plane i ndicato r ............... . .... . .... . 31
Infrared focusing index ... . . ... . . .... . . .. . . . . .. 31

FOREWORD---------
Congratulations! You now own one of the most ad-
vanced and easy-to-use cameras on the market today_
With a wealth of exciting new features, the Nikon F3 is
designed to be as up-to-date as you are in your ap-
proach to photography_ However, before actually
taking pictures with the F3, you should familiarize
yourself with its basic operation as presented in the
first section. For more detailed explanations and
special picture-taking situations, refer to the second
section, CONTROLS IN DETAIL_ A few minutes wisely
invested now will pay 011 in years of rewarding photo-
graphic experiences_
5

BASIC OPERATION ------------
1 Remove the battery
6 • chamber lid @ •
Use a coin to twist the lid counter-
clockwise to unscrew it.
2 Install the batteries.
• Insert the two 1.5V silver-oxide
batteries
supplied with the camera ,
making sure that the "+" signs
are up.
3 Replace the battery
•
chamber lid.
Slip the battery clip back into the
camera body and screw it tightly
into
place.

4.Move the power switch ®
to uncover
the red dot ®.
This turns the camera on and makes
it ready for exposure reading and
shooting.
5 Touch the shutter release
•button @ lightly.
This activates the exposure meter.
The meter stays on for 16 seconds
after you take your finger off the
button and turns itself off auto-
matically to
conserve battery power.
6. Check battery power.
Look through the viewfinder @ 7
at
the liquid crystal display (LCD).
The shutter
speed should be dis-
played to show that the batteries
have been properly installed and
their power is adequate. If not, re-
place both batteries.

-BASIC OPERATION-continued------------
1. Mount the lens onto
8 the camera.
Grasp the lens by its mounting ring
@ . Then line up the focusing index
@ on the lens with the white dot @
on the camera body and twist the
lens counterclockwise until it clicks
into
place.
To remove: Push the lens release
button @ and turn the lens clock-
wise until it comes off.
8. Open the camera back .
Push the camera back lock lever
@ to the right with your thumb while
lifting the film rewind knob@. The
camera back will pop open.
9. Install the film cartridge.
Drop the film cartridge into the
film
cartridge chamber so that the
film
leader points towards the takeup
spool.
and push the rewind knob
back down into place .

10. Insert the film leader in the take up
spool.
Pull th e le ad er across th e c am e ra and insert it into one
of the slots in th e film take up spool.
Note: The Iwo dolo back conlacls localed inside Ihe camera below Ihe
film guide rails are for use wilh a dolo back available in Ihe fulure.
11 Wind the film advance lever @ to
•
advance film onto the takeup sprocket. 9
Wind the film advance lever and depress the shutter
release button until the film sprockets e ngag e th e per -
forations
on the edges of the film.

-BASIC OPERATION-continued------------
12. Close the camera back.
10 Close the camera back until it
snaps shut.
13. Take up the film slack.
Fold out the film rewind crank
® and rotate it in the direction of the
arrow until it stops. Then fold the
crank back in.
14 Make blank exposures
• until
the frame counter
@ shows "1."
Continue to wind .the film advance
lever and depress the shutter re -
lease button until the frame counter
shows "1." While making blank ex-
posures, watch the rewind knob to
see that it rotates. This indicates
that the film has been loaded cor-
rectly
and is being advanced.

15. Set the ASA film speed.
Lift up the ASA film speed dial
@ and rotate it in either direction
until the white dot is opposite the
ASA film speed in use. Also make
sure the exposure compensation dial
is
set to the red "0." This programs
the camera's exposure meter so that
it may provide a proper exposure
for the type of film being used .
16. Set th~ camera for automatic
operahon. 11
Rotate the shu t ter speed dial ® until the "A" is oppo-
site
the white dot @. The built -in locking mecha -
nism
ensures that the dial cannot be accidentally
shifted from the auto position during shooting .

-BASIC OPERATION-continued------------
12
17. Hold the camera
steady.
Wrap the fingers of your right hand
around the camera body so that the
index finger rests comfortably on
the shutter release button and the
thumb fits between the body and
film advance lever .
Then, cradle the camera in the left
hand with the thumb and fingers
grasping the lens focusing ring @ .
The ca mera may be switched from
horizontal- to vertical-format shoot-
ing in this pOSition.
18. Focus on the subject. Out of focus ----
Turn the lens focusing ring until the image in the viewfinder becomes
sharp.
The K focusing screen comes with t he camera as standard equipment. With
the split-image rangefinder, turn the ring until the split image becomes whole.
With
the microprism grid, turn the ring until the shimmering image
appears sharp. With the matte outer field, turn the ring until the image ap-
pears sharp. The split-image rangefinder works well for subjects having defi-
nite lines
or boundaries. The microprism collar is for fast-moving subjects or
ones with indistinct lines, while the matte outer field is suitable for close-ups.
In fast-moving
or candid shooting situations, you can measure or estimate the
distance between you and the subject and preset it on the lens using the dis-
tance scale @ engraved both in feet and meters.

---------- Infocus ------ ----
2
3 4 5 6
---- Inside the viewfinder --
I. LCD exposure information
2. ADR
flnumber
3. Fine matte/Fresnel outer field
4. Microprism
collar
5. Split- image rangefinder spot
6.
12mm<t> reference circle
Note: The meter reads the light ave r the entire
focusing screen but is distinctly biased toward
the central 12mm¢area.
19. Set the lens aperture.
T urn the lens aperture ring @ 13
until the desired flnumber is oppo -
site
the index mark on the lens. T he
se l ected flnumber appears in the
viewfinder for convenient reference.

-BASIC OPERATION-continued------------
20. Take the picture.
14 Look through the viewfinder and press the shutter release button
lightly to turn on the exposure meter. The shutter speed display indicates
the shutter speed selected by the camera. As long as neither +2000 nor
- 8 - appears in the shutter speed display, the camera gives the correct
exposure . If either indication appears, adjust the aperture ring on the lens
until a
desirable shutter speed is indicated. Should either indication appear
even after all possible lens apertures have been tried, then the available
light is too bright or too dim for the meter's range . Use either artificial light
to
increase the subject's brightness or a neutral density filter to reduce the
amount of light reaching the film.
21. Advance the film.
Stroke the film advance lever
to transport the film to the next frame
and get the camera ready for the
next shot.

22. Push in the rewind
button @.
After the last e xposure has been
made, the film advance lever will
stop working.
You must then rewind
the exposed film back into its car-
tridge . To do this, first turn the
camera upside down and depress
the rewind button to disengage the
film sprocket drive.
23. Rewind the film.
Lift the film rewind crank and
turn it in the direction of the arrow to
rewind the film . When you feel the
tension lessen, continue winding
one or two more turns until the film
leader is rewound completely back
into the cartridge .
24. Rem~ve the film
cartndge. 15
Open the camera back and take out
the film cartridge. Avoid unloading
the film in direct sunlight. If there is
no shade available, turn your back
on the sun and use your own
shadow to
shield the camera while
unloading film.

-BASIC OPERATION-continued-----------
25. Turn the camera off.
16 To conse r ve ba tt ery power
between takes, return the power
switch to the "off" position.

CONTROLS IN DETAIL------------
+
M ,
-, 5
fe
Shutter speed dial ®
In addition to automatic stepless shutter speed control,
the Nikon F3 offers manual control of all shutter speeds
from 112000 sec. to 8 sec . including X, B, and T. To move
the shutter speed dial off "A," depress the locking button
CD as you rotate the dial counterclockwise to the 1 /2 000
sec. setting.
You can then rotate the dial freely between
any setting except "X" which, like "A," is a locked setting.
Shutter
speeds from 1/2000 sec. to 112 sec . are engraved
in white, 1 to 8 seconds and "B" in orange, and "T" and
"X" in white. 1 /6 0 sec. is in red, indicating the highest
manual shutter speed for proper synchronization with
electronic flash except "X."
When the camera is on manual, an "M" appears to the left
of
the liquid crystal shutter speed display inside the 17
viewfinder. In addition, above the "M," the following
symbols
appear: "-," "+" and "- +" indicating under-
exposure, overexposure and correct exposure, respec -
tively.
To obtain correct exposure, simply turn the shutter
speed dial and /or aperture ring until the "- +" symbol
appears .

-CONTROLS IN DETAIL-continued----------
The F3 has two separate settings for time exposures . On
"B," the shutter remains open for as long as the shutter
release button is depressed. On "T," the shutter stays
open until the dial is rotated to another setting, making it
ideal for really long time exposures. Being a mechanical
setting, "T" will not cause battery drain regardless of how
long the shutter remains open.
"X" provides a shutter speed setting of 1/80 sec. It is used
18 to provide proper synchronization with electronic flash
units
other than the Nikon SB-12.
The
amount of light reaching the film plane is determined
by a combination of the shutter speed and the lens
aperture. Since the two are interrelated, different combi-
nations will
give the same degree of exposure. A one-step
change in shutter speed, or .a one-stop change in aper-
ture setting, will either halve or double the degree of ex-
posure. For example, a shutter speed of 11125 sec. lets
in twice
as much light as a setting of 1/250 sec., and only
half
as much light at 1/60 sec. For an aperture setting of
fill , twice as much light as flI6 and half at much as fl8,
is let in. Thus,
if the correct exposure for a particular
picture-taking situation is 1/125 at fill, then 1/60 at fl16
or 1/250 at fl8 will give the same exposure. The following
table illustrates the interrelation between shutter speed
and aperture .
The
best combination will depend on the results you
want. Use fast shutter
speeds to freeze motion; use slow
speeds to produce a deliberate blur. (See the example
pictures on the opposite page.). Also, small apertures
give greater depth of field, while large apertures restrict
sharp focus to the main subject. (See page 26.)
A
good rule to follow in preventing camera shake is to
select a minimum shutter speed which is the reciprocal of
the focal length of the lens in use. For example, when
using a normal
50mm lens, select a speed no slower than
1/60 sec. (the closest number to 1/50). For a 500mm
super-telephoto, use
no less than 1/500 sec., and so forth.

19
(Stop action)
(Subject motion blur)

-CONTROLS IN DETAIL-continued----------
Exposure memory lock button 0)
When there is a substantial difference between the main
subject and the background, unimportant bright spots or
20 dark spots are likely to fool the camera's metering , result-
ing in under -or overexposure (see Fig. I). One way to
make exposure compensation is to use the memory lock.
This
control allows you to lock in an exposure reading
with the camera on automatic control. To compensate for
an excessive ly bright or dark background, center the
main subject in the viewfinder or move in close to the
subject, depress the memory lock button and hold it in;
then recompose and shoot (see Fig. 2).
(Fig. 1)
So [ill
~ - - -- -------------- ---- ---------- .--- ---- ~
I
(Fig. 2)