Nikon FM User manual

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INSTRUCTION MANUAL

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NOMENCLATURE
Motor drive shutter couplling
Film rewind button
Motor drive coupling
Tripod socket
Motordriveelectricalcontacts
Battery chamber lid
Memo holder
Shutter Speeed/ASA selector ring
Shutter release button
Shutter release fingerguard
Neckstrap eyelet
Depth-of field preview lever
Self-timer lever
Lens mounting flange
Lens aperture direct readout window
Meter coupling lever
Meter coupling lever release
Sync terminal (cover provided)
Lens mounting index
Lens release button
Reflex mirror

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Focusing distance scale
Focusing ring
Aperture ring
Meter couplling ridge
Aperture/distance scale index
Meter coupling shoe
Depth-of-field indicators
Aperture-direct-read out scale
Film rewind crank
Film rewind knob
Safety lock
Film plane indicator
Hot-sync shoe
Hot-shoe contact
Viewfinder eyepiece
Shutter speed index
Shutter speed selector
Frame counter
ASA film speed window
Meter ON index
Film-advance lever
ASA film speed indx
Multi-exposure button

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Foreword........................................5
Preparation for use.........................................6
Installing the batteries . .........................6
Checking battery power..........................6
Loading film.......................................7
Prior to shooting................................8
Memo holder........................................9
Setting the film speed.......................9
Operation of camera controls........................ 10
Setting the shutter speed.................. 10
Settingtheaperture................................10
Film-advance lever............................. 11
Frame counter................................... 11
Self-timer........................................ 12
Unloading film......................................... 13
Holding the camera..................................14
Shutter release operation...................15
Operation by cable release...................15
CONTENTS
Focusing.....................................................16
Infrared photography.........................18
Film-planeindicator................................18
Depth of field............................................19
Depth-of-field preview lever..............19
Depth-of-field indicators.................20
Exposure measurement...............................22
Determining degree of exposure...........22
Exposure control................................24
Metering range ....................................24
High-contrast lighting.....................25
Stop-down exposure measurement...................26
Exposure compensation adjustment...................27
Multiple exposures.......................................28
Flash synchronization ....................................29
Tips on camera care....................................30
Mounting and removing lenses ....................31
Accessories. .. . . . . . . . .. . . ............................32
Features/Specifications.. ..............................34

5
FOREWORD
The Nikon FM is a compact 35mm single-lens re-
flex camera that offers a host of advanced features
amateurphotographersandprofessionals alike will
appreciate.It is designed to accept virtually every
accessory of the Nikon System-the most compre-
hensive ever created for photography-so it can do
virtually everything the top rated SLR’s can do . .
. with that unique precision and reliability which
you have come to associate with Nikon. To get the
most out of this camera, study the instructions in
this manual carefully, as well as those in related
manuals, and practice using the controls—before
loading the camera with film. Keep the manual on
hand for ready reference until you have mastered
operation. The few minutes you spend familiariz-
ing yourself with the camera will guarantee you
the best results and increase your pleasure in tak-
ing pictures many times over.

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PREPARATION FOR USE
Installing the Batteries
The Nikon FM’s built-in exposure meter is powered by two
button-cell type 1.5V silver-oxide batteries. These are
mounted in the battery clip, which forms a single unit with
the battery chamber’s coin-slotted lid, in the camera’s base-
plate. To install the batteries, first unscrew the lid by turning
it counterclockwise, with a coin or something similar, until it
can be freely removed by hand. Then, seat the two batteries
in the battery clip, one on top of the other, making sure that
their respective plus (+) and minus ( - ) indications corre-
spond with similar marks provided in the clip. After seating
the batteries correctly, replace the lid, and secure the con-
nection by turning it clockwise with the coin as far as it will
go. It is advisable to remove the batteries, when the camera
is not to be used for a long period, to prevent battery leakage
within the camera; for additional information on this, refer
to “Tips on Camera Care” on page
Checking Battery Power
To check battery power, move the camera’s film advance le-
ver from the flush to the stand off position by pulling it just
far enough to uncover the red index on top of the camera.
Then, look through the viewfinder. If any of the LED (light
emitting diode) exposure indicators is on, battery power is
sufficient for proper operation. Otherwise, check battery seat-
ing and make adjustments, if necessary. Should the LED dis-
play still fail to light up, change batteries.
Important: When the camera is not in use, make sure
that the film advance lever is positioned flush with the cam-
era body.As the lever doubles as the meter on/off switch, leav-
ing it in the stand-off position will result in the camer4’s bat-
tery being completely drained in just a few days.

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Loading Film
First,openthecamera back by sliding itssafetylock
to the rear and lifting the film rewind knob as far as it will
go. Position the film cartridge or cassette in the film cham-
ber,whichis located ontheleft-hand side, with thefilmleader
aligned along the film guide rails; then, push the rewind knob
to hold the cartridge in place. Pull the film leader out suffi-
ciently for feeding into the film take-up spool, and insert its
end into any of the spool’s slots. Rotate the take-up spool as
shown in the illustration so that the film passes under the
spool with its emulsion
side (dull side) facing out. Make sure that the perforations
along the edges of the film mesh with the sprockets. If neces-
sary, release the shutter by cocking the shutter release button,
and stroke the film advance lever slowly to make sure that the
leader winds smoothly on the spool and that the film edge
perforations engage the film sprocket roller. When you are
certain that the film is being fed properly onto the spool and
traveling correctly along the film guide rails, close the cam-
era back by pressing it until it snaps into place.

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PREPARATION FOR USE - continued
Prior to Shooting
Fold out the film rewind crank, and turn it gently in the di-
rection of the engraved arrow until you feel a slight resis-
tance; this will indicate that any slack in the film cartridge
has been taken up. Then, fold the rewind crank into place.
Advance the film (refer to page 11 for film advance opera-
tion), and make two blank exposures; this will dispose of the
initial portion of the film exposed during loading. As you
advance the film, confirm that the rewind crank turns in the
direction opposite the arrow. This indicates that the film has
been loaded properly and is being advanced.
After advancing the film two frames, check that the frame
counter is at “O”; then, advance the film one more frame to
prepare the camera for taking the first picture.

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Memo Holder
A special holder is provided on the camera back for conve-
nient storage of any relevant information. You can use it, for
instance, to hold the end flap of a film carton to remind you
of the type of film loaded in the camera, theASA film speed
and the total number of exposures available.
Setting the Film Speed
The camera’s exposure meter must be adjusted to the speed of
the film in use to ensure correct measurement. Accordingly,
the camera is provided with anASAfilm speed scale. To make
thenecessaryadjustment,lift the knurledASAfilm speed ring,
and turn it until the triangular red index is aligned with the
ASA value of the film loaded in the camera. The meter is
sensitive across the full range of from ASA 12 to ASA 3200;
there are two dots between each number for intermediateASA
settings, i.e., 64, 80, 125, etc.

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OPERATION OF CAMERA CONTROLS
Setting the Shutter Speed
The Nikon FM’s shutter speed selector is knurled for slip-
free, easier manipulation; the face of the dial is engraved
with the 11 shutter speed settings available: 1 for one sec-
ond, and 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500 and 1000 for frac-
tional values of from 1/2 to 1/1000th of a second. A “B”
setting, also engraved, is provided for longer time exposures.
To set the shutter speed, turn the shutter speed selector until
the desired speed is aligned with the shutter speed index.
The speed selected (including “ B”) is shown on the left-
hand side of the viewfinder, too, for instant reference.
Note that the 125 setting is engraved in red; this indicates 1/
125 sec., the fastest shutter speed available for flash syn-
chronization with electronic flash units. (Refer to page 29
for additional information on flash photography.) Also, at
the “B” setting, the shutter remains open for as long as the
shutter release button is kept depressed.
Setting the Aperture
The Nikon FM works best with Nikkor lenses. The aperture
rings of these lenses are knurled for slip-free, easier manipu-
lation.
To set the lens aperture, turn the lens aperture ring until the
desired f/number setting on the lens aperture scale is aligned
with the index mark on the lens; intermediate settings are also
usable, when required.
Note that, with Nikkor lenses provided with an aperturedirect-
readout (ADR) secondary lens aperture scale, the f/number
for the aperture selected appears on the upper portion of the
viewfinder for convenient reference when shooting.

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Film-Advance Lever
The film-advance lever simultaneously advances the film,
cocks the shutter and operates the frame counter. It also
doubles as the Nikon FM’s meter on/off switch and shutter
button lock.
To advance the film, stroke the lever with your right thumb
as far as it will go. The film will be advanced a full frame.
The lever automatically returns to its 30°stand-off position
when released upon the completion of the film advance.
The film-advance lever switches the meter on when moved
toitsstand-off position; itswitchesthe meter offwhen moved
back flush with the camera body. With the lever set flush
against the camera body, it serves also as a lock to prevent
accidental tripping when the shutter is cocked.
Frame Counter
Each time the film is advanced one frame by a full stroke of
the film advance lever, the frame counter operates to show
how many frames have been exposed. It is automatically re-
set to S (start), two frames before 0, when the camera back is
opened to remove an exposed film cartridge and/or load a new
roll of film. The frame counter dial has indications for up to a
maximum of 36 frames, with all odd numbers calibrated in
dots and all even numbers in figures. The figures are in white,
except for 12, 20 and 36 which appear in red to indicate the
maximum number of exposures available, respectively, with
standard film cartridges.

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OPERATION OF CAMERA CONTROLS - continued
Self-Timer
The built-in self-timer provides an approximately 8 to 14
second delay between the time the shutter release button is
depressed and the time the shutter is actually fired. It can be
used with any of the marked shutter speeds between 1/1000
and 1 sec. Avoid using the selftimer with the shutter speed
dial set to “B” as, on this setting, the shutter will only open
momentarily and incorrect exposure will invariably result.
To take a picture using the self-timer, first set the aperture
and shutter speed controls, advance the film, and cock the
self-timer by turning the self-timer lever downwards. Then,
depress the shutter release button and the timer wiLl start. A
unique feature of the FM’s self-timer lever is that its setting is
“cancellable.” In other words, should you decide not to use
the self-timer after setting it, you simply turn it back upwards
and resume normal shutter tripping operation. For critical
close-up photography, the self-timer, in combination with a
tripod, is particularly useful in preventing vibration.

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UNLOADING FILM
As soon as the frame counter indicates that the last exposure
has been made, or when the film advance lever can no longer
be stroked, the roll of film has been fully exposed and can
now be removed.
To unload the roll of film, first press the rewind button on
the camera’s baseplate; then, unfold the film rewind crank
andturnit in the directionofthe engraved arrow withsmooth,
even pressure. Rewind tension will cease to indicate that the
film leader has left the take-up spool. Now, open the camera
back by sliding its safety lock and pulling up the rewind knob
as far as it will go; then, remove the film cartridge. Note that
when the film advance lever is stroked for the next exposure
(with the next roll of film), the rewind button will be released
to engage the filmadvance mechanism once again.
You should not push the rewind button during film advance
operation; otherwise, film advance will temporarily stop and
frame-overlap may result. Note, too, that the camera back can
be removed from the body by depressing the locking catch on
the hinge.

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HOLDING THE CAMERA
Camera shake is one of the most common causes of blurred,
unsharp pictures, especially at slow shutter speeds. To pre-
vent this, study how to hold the camera correctly and prac-
tice steady shutter squeezing.
Wrap the fingers of the right hand around the camera body
so that the index finger of your right hand rests comfortably
on the shutter release button and the thumb fits between the
camera body and the film advance lever. Position the camera
in such a way that the eye looks through the center of the
viewfinder. Cradle the camera with your left hand for addi-
tional support, using the thumb and middle finger to grasp
the focusing ring. This way, the camera is properly supported
and can easily be switched from horizontal to vertical shoot-
ing.

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SHUTTER RELEASE OPERATION
Correct shutter release operation is just as important in ob-
taining sharp pictures as holding the camera properly. To re-
leasetheshutter correctly,move theadvancelever to itsstand-
off position, hold the camera steadily and depress the shutter
release button with smooth, even pressure. Relax even when
you’re in a hurry—a quick jab at the shutter release button
will cause camera shake and result in an unintentionally
blurred photograph.
Operation by Cable Release
The shutter release button can also be tripped with the use of
a cable release (or some similar accessory). To attach the cable
release to the camera, screw the threaded cable connector onto
the mount provided with the button. The shutter is then tripped
by depressing the cable release plunger. Cable release opera-
tionisespeciallyrecommended for critical shootingsituations,
such as photomicrography or time exposure, where
vibrationfree shutter release is of prime importance.
Important:: If you mount the Nikon FM on a tripod with a
large head, contact between the lens body and the head may
make it impossible to turn the lens aperture ring. If this hap-
pens, use the special tripod adapter (supplied with the cam-
era) between the tripod head and camera body.

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FOCUSING
When the FM is used with a Nikkor lens fitted with an auto-
maticdiaphragm,focusing is doneat full aperture.Thismakes
for the brightest possible images on the focusing screen, en-
abling easy focusing and composing. The focusing screen
itself gives you a choice of three focusing aids: a central split-
image rangefinder spot, an annular microprism grid and a
fine matte outfield.
To focus, using the split-image rangefinder spot, turn the fo-
cusing ring of the lens until the two halves of the rangefinder
spot perfectly coincide, forming a single, crisp image. To
focus with the microprism grid, turn the focusing ring until
the image seen through the microprism pattern appears sharp
and crisp. With the matte outfield, turn the ring until the im-
age viewed in the field appears sharp.
The split-image rangefinder spot is considered the most suit-
able for precise, pinpoint focusing, and the microprism grid
for rapid focusing in sports or action-type photography. The
fine matte outfield, on the other hand, is ideal for use with
telephoto lenses or in close-up and macrophotography.
You can also prefocus the lens with the use of the distance
scale engraved in both meters and feet on the lens barrel. Sim-
plyturnthefocusing ring until the measuredorestimatedcam-
era-to-subject distance is lined up with the distance scale in-
dex on the lens barrel. This technique is useful for picture-
taking situations where either the subject is elusive or time
does not permit throughthe-lens focusing.

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FOCUSING - continued
Infrared Photography
The plane of sharpest focus for infrared light is slightly far-
therawaythanits counterpart for visible lightasseenthrough
the camera’s viewfinder. To compensate for this, first focus
the image sharply through the viewfinder. Then, turn the fo-
cusingringcounterclockwise untilthepoint focusedisaligned
with the red dot (or line) provided on the lens barrel. For
example, in the picture below, the lens has been focused for
infinity (oh) infrared shooting. Note that when lenses with a
focal length of 50mm or less are used stopped-down to f/8 or
below, compensation is not necessary due to the large depth
of field available.
There are some Nikkor lenses that do not require refocusing
for infrared photography; refer to their instruction manuals
for details.
Film-Plane Indicator
To ensure the best results in critical picture-taking
situations, such as close-up or copy photography, it is neces-
sarytodeterminethe exact subject-to-film-plane distance.The
Nikon FM is thus provided with a film plane indicator ( - );
this is positioned exactly in the film plane, which is 46.5mm
from the front surface of the lens mounting flange.

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DEPTH OF FIELD
When you focus on your subject, you will find that not only
is the subject itself in focus but that objects both in front of
and behind it appear to be in focus. This “zone”of focus is
called “depth of field.”
Depth of field is not a fixed quantity. It varies by lens, de-
pending on both the subject’s distance from the camera and
thespecificlens aperture in use.Athirdfactor, the focallength
of the.lens, also influences the apparent depth of field, i.e.,
the longer the lens, the shallower the depth of field appears
to be, and vice versa. In the same manner, the wider the tak-
ing aperture (i.e., the lower the f/stop number), the shallower
the depth of field, and vice versa. Also, the closer you ap-
proachyoursubject, the shallower thedepthof field becomes,
and vice versa. In all cases, you will find that the depth of
field behind the subject is larger than that in front; this en-
ables selective blurring of the background elements of the
picture, a technique most often used by the creative photog-
rapher.
Depth-of-Field Preview Lever
Most of the Nikkor lenses you will find yourself using with
the Nikon FM are “automatic.” This means that the aperture
diaphragm of the lens is kept open at its widest setting while
you are viewing, focusing and metering. When you press the
shutterreleasebutton,the camera’smechanismautomatically
“stops down” (i.e., closes the lens aperture) the lens to the
aperture at which it is set.
To examine the depth of field before taking a picture, it is
necessary to stop down the lens manually. You can do this by
exerting slight finger pressure on the FM’s conveniently situ-
ated depth-of-field preview lever. Assuming that the lens is
set to an aperture other than its maximum, gentle pressure on
the lever will stop down the lens to that aperture. You will
then be able to see the elements in front of and behind the
main subject that will appear in sharp focus in the actual pho-
tograph— although some of them may have appeared not to
be in focus prior to pressing the lever. A side effect of this
picture-taking process is the “darkening” of the image in the
viewfinder (the higher the f/number, the “darker” the image
appears); this is normal and should be no cause for concern.

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DEPTH OF FIELD - continued
Depth-of-Field Indicators
The Nikkor lens’ depth-of-field indicators come in the form
of the three scales fitted on the lens barrel. The first is the
lens aperture scale, with the f/numbers colorcoded. The sec-
ond consists of two sets of colored lines, the colors corre-
sponding to the colors of the f/numbers. The third is the fo-
cusing scale which is calibrated in meters and feet.
To determine depth of field, note the color of the f/ number
in use. The depth of field at the taking aperture is indicated
by the numbers on the focusing scale which are adjacent to
the colored lines that correspond to the color of the f/number
set.
Example
Taking aperture: f/16 Color: Blue
Focusing distance: Sm
In the example above, the farthest point of sharp focus be-
hind the subject is infinity (on); this is the figure on the fo-
cusing scale which is adjacent to the blue line on the second
scale, which in turn corresponds to the blue color of the f/16
setting. The closest point of sharp focus is 2.7m, although
this number does not appear in the focusing scale.
Note that for exact depth-of-field determination, you should
refer to the depth-of-field tables in the instruction manual
for the Nikkor lens in use.