Nikon Photomic FTN Finder User manual

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FINDER
INSTRUCTION MANUAL

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NOMENCLATURE
1. Meter window: houses the meter needle for exposure determination and
battery checking
2. Meter switch-off button
3. Meter switch-on button
4. ASA film-speed dial: for setting the film speed from ASA 6- 6400
5. ASA scale index ring: marked with a red triangular index and exposure
correction scale for exposure compensation with certain lens-focusing screen
combinations
6. Shutter speed selector: turns in either direction for setting the desired shutter
speed
7. Battery chamber cap
8. Coupling pin: connects
the meter mechanism to the lens diaphragm for full-
aperture exposure measurement
9. Finder lock lever: press to remove or attach the finder
10. Maximum aperture scale: check to verify if the meter is set for the maximum
aperture of the lens used
11. Clamps: for positioning the finder on the camera
12. Viewfinder eyepiece: accepts screw-in finder eyecup and eyepiece correction
lenses
13. Shutter speed index
14. Shutter
speed scale
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CONTENTS
6
Nomenclature 5
Foreword 7
Checking the Batteries 8
Attaching the Photomic
FTN Finder 9
Shutter Speed Coupling
Lens Aperture Coupling
Setting the Film Speed
Turning On the Meter
Exposure Measurement With the Photomic
FTN Finder .. 14
Centering
the Needle
Getting the Right Exposure
Measurement by the Stop-Down Method . .
... 18
Bellows Focusing Attachment, Extension Rings
and Focusing Unit
Preset Lenses
Auto Lenses Without Coupling Prong
Reflex-Ni kkor Lenses
Exposure Correction
.. .... . .... . . . . . . . 20
Special Lens-Focusing Screen Combinations
Repro-Copying
Slide Copying
Care and Handling
... . ... ...... .. . . . .... .. 23
Features/Specifications .
.... ... .... . ... . . .. . 24
The Nikon Warranty .
.............. .. .. . .. 25

FOREWORD
The Nikon Photomic FTN Finder incorporates a precise
ce nter-weighted CdS exposure meter which couples to the
camera's lens aperture diaphragm and shutter speed contro
ls.
It makes possible easy, accurate thru-the-Iens exposure meas-
urement with the Nikon F.
This instruction booklet has been prepared to help
you get
the most
out of your Photomic FTN Finder. For best results,
read the instructions carefully and keep this booklet handy
for ready reference until you have mastered its basic steps.
Follow the suggestions for care and handling
on page 24 and
you will
ge t perfect exposures every time.
7

CHECKING THE BATTERIES
The Photomic FT N Finder is powered by two 1.3 volt
mercury batteries located in the battery chamber
on the
bottom of the finder. To check the batteries, press the meter
switch-off
button and observe the needle in the window on
top of the finder. If the needle swings to the center circle or
beyond, the batteries are in good condition. The two mercury
batteries come installed with the Photomic
FT N Finder.
To replace weak or worn·out batteries, unscrew the cap over
the battery chamber using a coin
or key and the batteries
will drop ou
t. Make sure that the positive (+) side faces out
when new ba tt e ri es are in stalled.
Caution: Never throw discarded batteries into a fire as they
wi ll explode when heated.

ATTACHING THE PHOTOMIC FTN FINDER
To attach the finder to the camera with the lens in place,
first set
the diaphragm at f/5.6 and place the finder in posi-
tion loosely.
Then depress the finder lock lever and press
down gently on the finder until it clicks into place. The
Photomic FT N Finder has a pair of pincer-type clamps on
the bottom to hold it securely in place. They are loosened by
depressing the finder lock lever.
Mounting the finder
on the camera body without a lens is
simple. Just depress the finder lock lever and press down
gently on the finder until it clicks into place.
To remove the finder, depress the finder lock lever and
press the finder release
button located on the back of the
camera.
The finder will be unlocked and can be lifted out.
Note: When using flash, be sure to set the camera for flash
by lifting up and turning
the milled synchro-selector ring.
Refer
to the "Flash Synchronization" section in the Nikon F
instruction manual.
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ATTACHING THE PHOTOMIC FTN FINDER
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Shutter Speed Coupling
When the Photomic FTN Finder is attached to the camera,
the shutter speed dial on the camera is covered by the finder
unit. Therefore, an auxiliary shutter speed scale is provided
on
the finder. .
With the FTN Finder in place, twist the shutter speed selector
right and left until it engages
the dial on' the camera and the
two rotate together.

Lens Aperture Coupling
The Photomic FTN takes advantage of the automatic dia-
phragm feature of Nikkor lenses to measure light with the
lens w id e open. Full-aperture metering gives a bright, clear
finder image for viewing and focusing and minimizes
the
effect of light entering the viewfinder from the rear.
In
order for the meter to measure exposure at full aperture
with lenses
of different maximum aperture, it must be cou-
pled with the maximum aperture
of the lens in use. This is
done each time the lens is attached or changed by turning
the aperture ring
of the lens through its entire range.
With the lens mounted on the camera, twist the aperture
ring counterclockwise, then clockwise as far as it will go.
This meshes the coupling prong on the lens with the pin on
the Photomic FT N Finder and adjusts the meter for the
maximum aperture
of the lens.
The adjustment can be verified
by checking the maximum
aperture scale
on the front of the finder. The scale has a
range from f/ 1.2 to f/5.6. For example, if the 50mm f/ 1.4
lens
is mounted on the camera, the red index mark should
appear between 1.2 and 2.8.
For instructions for mounting and removing lenses, see the
Instruction Booklet for the Nikon F.
Nikon
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ATTACHING THE PHOTOMIC FTN FINDER
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Setting the Film Speed
Lift and tum the milled ring around the ASA film speed dial
so
that the red triangular index mark on the ring lines up
with
the number corresponding to the ASA rating of the
film loaded in the camera. The film speed dial covers a range
from ASA 6 to 6400. There are two dots between each pair
of numerical marks for intermediate settings such as ASA 64,
80, 125, etc.
40
32
2000 20
2500
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8

Turning On the Meter
Switch on the meter circuit by pressing in the meter switch-
on button located on the side of the finder. The meter
switch-off
button will then pop up and a red line around its
circumference will be visible. This serves as a warning
that
the meter is on.
To turn off the meter, depress the top button until the
red line is no longer visible and the meter switch-on button
on the side of the finder pops out . Do not leave the meter on
for long periods of time unnecessarily since the batteries are
being drained
as long as it is turned on.
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EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT WI TH THE PHOTOMIC FTN FINDER (F
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OUTSIDE WINDOW
fj]
Correct exposure
Overexposure
..... ; ..... Underexposure
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EYEPIECE VIEW
The Photomic FT N uses a center-weighted thru-the-
lens metering system that reads the light over the
entire focusing screen
but favors the central portion
of the screen. This means that it is possible to get
correct exposure in situations where an averaged read-
ing of the entire screen would result in underex-
posure of the main sUbject-with strongly back-
lighted portraits, for example. And since measure-
ment is always done at full aperture with Auto
Nikkor lenses, the viewfinder image
is bright and
clear.
The amount
of light reaching the film (exposure) is
determined by a combination of lens aperture and
shutter speed. Since
the two are interrelated, dif-
ferent combinations will give the same amount of
exposure. For example, 1/500 second at f/2 is the
same as 1/30 second at f/8.
The choice
of aperture and shutter speed depends
on the results desired. Choose a fast shu tter speed to
"freeze" motion, a slow one to create deliberate
blur. Use a small lens aperture for wide
depth of
field or a large one to make the main subject stand
out and throw unimportant background out of focus.

:ull-Aperture Measuring Method)
Centering the Needle
The correct exposure is found by centering the meter needle, either in the V-shaped nC'tch
which is visible in the viewfinder or at the central mark located beneath the window on top of
the finder. Turn either the shutter speed selector or lens aperture ring until the needle is
centered. For fine adjustments of less than one f/stop, use the lens aperture ring, since it
provides reliable intermediate settings between the marked f/numbers. The
shutter speed
selector is
not set for intermediate values.
As an added convenience, the shutter speed in use appears in the viewfinder, so the shutter
speed can be adjusted while observing the exposure meter needle. In dim light, the accessory
Photomic Illuminator DL-l illuminates the meter needle and shutter speed for easy reading.
Under extremely low light conditions, the meter needle may center at the HB" setting
on the
shutter speed selector.
If so, the correct exposure time is two seconds. If the needle centers at
"T," exposure time is four seconds.
If the needle cannot be centered
or still moves erratically after all possible aperture-shutter
speed combinations have been tried, then the light
is too bright or too dim for the meter. The
meter's effective range (coupling range) varies according to lens used and film speed.
For
example, with the 50mm f/1.4 lens and film rated at ASA 100, it extends from f/1.4 at 1/2
second to f/11 at
1/1000 second.
Note: If the meter
is exposed to bright light at below-freezing temperature, it may
malfunction or cease
to operate until the temperature rises again. Therefore, be careful
not to leave the meter turned
on for more than three minutes at a time in cold weather.
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EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT WITH THE PHOTOMIC FTN FINDER
Getting the Right Exposure
The central part of the focusing screen should always be aimed at the main subject when
centering the needle. Otherwise
unimportant bright or dark areas may influence the exposure
reading.
If an off-center composition is desired, first measure the light striking the main subject and set
the aperture and shutter speed to center the needle. Then move the camera until the desired
composition appears in
the viewfinder.
For subjects of uniform brightness, a reading may be taken from any part of the subject.
However,
if the subject is contrasty (sidelighted portraits, for example), measure the light
falling
on the most important part of the subject in which detail is desired in the final picture.
For landscapes including large areas of sky, tilt the camera downward during measurement or
fill the center
of the finder with the main subject to prevent overexposure caused by the bright
skylight, otherwise the main subject will be underexposed.
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Keep Out Stray Light!
The Photomic FTN Finder is designed to minimize the effect of light entering through
the finder eyepiece under normal picture-taking conditions. However, in the following
situations the use of a finder eyecup is recommended to insure complete exclusion of
stray light .
o
When the stop-down method of exposure measurement is used at small apertures
o When the camera is in suhlight and the subject is in shade
o When a shaft of sunlight falls between the eye and the eyepiece
When the needle on top of the finder is used to determine exposure, the eyepiece
should be covered with the hand to prevent extraneous light from entering the finder .

Exposure measurement area c::b 60
Measuring the bright area in the
center of the screen will cause
underexposure of the main subject.
, - --- - -- ------ --- ---- - -- ----- --- --1
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: Pictu re area rr::::::=J 60 I
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For correct exposure, first measure
the light striking the main subject ,
then compose and shoot.
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MEASUREMENT BY THE STOP-DOWN METHOD
With the following lenses and accessories full-aperture ex-
posur e meas urement is not possible, either because the lens
has no auto-diaphragm
or because the diaphragm will not
couple with the Photomic FTN meter. Therefore, the stop-
down method must be used. This means measuring exposure
with the lens aperture diaphragm
stopped down to the taking
aperture. With the Photomic
FTN finder, the meter coupling
pin must first be pushed up into the finder
so that the red
index on the maximum aperture scale springs to f/5.6.
Mount the lens or lens/accessory setup to the camera and
switch on the meter in the usual way.

Bellows Focusing Attachments, Extension Rings and Focusing
Unit
To determine exposure, select the desired s hutter speed and
stop down the lens manually until the needle centers.
Preset Lenses
Use the same procedure as above for lenses having preset
diaphragms, such
as the PC-Nikkor 35mm f/2.8.
Auto Lenses Without Coupling Prong
Some lenses like the Zoom-Nikkor Auto 200-600mm f/9.5
have an auto diaphragm but no coupling prong.
Use the
depth-of-field preview
button to stop down the lens until the
needle
is centered.
Reflex-Nikkor Lenses
The Reflex-Nikkor 500mm f/8, IOOOmm fill and 2000mm
f/11 len ses have no aperture diaphragm. Adjust the shutter
speed until the
ne edle is ceniered.
Note: Since focusing may be difficult or impossible at small
apertures due to image darkening on the screen, first open
the lens to full aperture to focus. Then determine the correct
exposure by the stop-down method. 19

EXPOSURE CORRECTION
-2
- IYz
- 1
- Yz
+ Yz
Special Lens-Focusing Screen Combinations
Because the light-transmitting properties of some focusing
screens differ from those
of ordinary screens, certain lens-
screen combinations require exposure correction to com-
pensate for the influence of the screen. Compensating marks
from
-2 to +1/2 are engraved around the ASA film speed
dial. Correct settings are given in the table at right.
The numbers in the table indicate the exposure corrections
to be made
in f/stops: this means you have to stop down or
open up the lens diaphragm according to the indicated num-
bers. With the Photomic FTN meter, however, exposure compensation is automatic at all
aperture settings when the proper mark on the ASA scale index ring is set opposite the film
speed dial.
If exposure correction is required, line up the proper marking opposite the number
corresponding to the film speed.
For example, the table indicates a half-stop decrease (-1/2)
for the 135mm f/3.5 lens with Type C screen. If the film speed is ASA 100, line up the number
100 on the film speed dial opposite -1/2 mark. When no exposure correction (0) is indicated,
the
ASA rating for the film in use should appear opposite the red triangular index.
-Measure exposure by the full-aperture method.
-Use the stop-down measuring method.
• - Neither method will work. With these lens-screen combinations the viewfinder can be used
only for focusing,
not exposure measurement.
Combinations represented by a blank space are unusable because
of image darkening or con-
siderable moire over the screen area.
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