Nikon F Video Manual, Video 1 of 3
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- Nikon, in 1959, revolutionized the SLR industry and, writ large, professional and consumer photography. The Nikon F represented nothing short of a paradigm shift in photography and, to that end, is one of the most important camera designs ever released to market.
This video 1 presents a general camera overview. Video 2 presents an in-depth discussion of how to use the camera. Video 3 discusses the Photomic TN metering prism.
Link to Video 2:
• Nikon F Video Manual, ...
Link to Video 3:
• Nikon F Video Manual, ...
Video Index:
Skip the Intro: 0:07
Camera Overview: 0:46
Camera's History and Market: 2:11
Camera Features -- Top: 4:09
Camera Features -- Front: 6:56
Camera Features -- Back: 7:45
Camera Features -- Bottom: 8:10
Camera Features -- Inside: 9:02
Notes: 11:14
Camera Don'ts: 11:44
Begging for Plus Ones: 13:45
Closing Thoughts: 13:41
References:
www.cameramanuals.org/nikon_pd...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_F
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...
www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/...
www.cameraquest.com/nfinder.htm
camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Nik...
imaging.nikon.com/history/chro...
www.destoutz.ch/typ_production...
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www.5119photography.com/
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I read somewhere a person asked "How tough is a Nikon F"....the reply was "Well, if you tie a rope and drag it a few miles behind a truck, it may quit on you". That sort of sums up the ruggedness this camera has instilled in it. In 1970, Photojournalist Don McCullin's Nikon F stopped a Khmer Rouge AK47 bullet in Cambodia, saving his life. The Nikon F was “a hockey puck that could still take pictures,” according to legendary New York City camera repairman Marty Forscher.
My stepmom recently gave this camera to me and I've been dying to figure out how to use it and this is a godsend!!! Thank you so much!
Nice! That's a fantastic gift. And thank you!
You have to consider the vast number of high award winning photographs that have impacted our lives and whole generations, were taken with this camera. Modern digitals cannot hold a candle to the warm colors and stark monochrome images these cameras produce, even in the hands of an amateur.
The "red" memo arrow is for color, the "black" one is for B&W film. Great videos!
Thank you, on both counts!
so if you put the red arrow to the iso , then it will shoot in color?
No @@Yoshimitsu739
@@Yoshimitsu739 No
Excellent presentation. All of your videos for the Nikon F have been helpful, especially the Photomic T finder. Thanks a million.
Thank you!
I've had Fs, and one F2. I enjoyed them, including self-repairing them. In practice i do not like the camera as a user as it is too unsealed and clunky but i am fascinated by its mechanilnality.
Hi David
I've a Nikon F which serial 657 black body which takes it between 64/65. This video explains a lot of what I've never known. Looking forward to watching the others. You will hear from me again. By the way, it sits pride of place on a living room cabinet just like a piece of fine art 🎨
Nice!
Ya I know, I'm a little late in making a comment but just today, December 26th, 2019, I purchased my first Nikon F Photomic FTN on eBay. And yes I am one of those guys who have dreamed of purchasing one of these since the 70's when I could only afford a Minolta SRT 101. I saw the camera up for sale, in excellent condition with a Nikon 50mm f/1.4 Pre AI lens included for $144.50 and just went for it. Ok that makes 26 cameras on the shelf. I suppose that makes a collection...lol. Christmas may have slipped by a day but it's never too late to for a Boxing Day present to yourself. Happy New Year David...
Happy New Year and nice find! That's a great camera combo.
David, you and I are very alike in what we love. Great overview of Nikon F. Great camera.
Kris Bochenek Thank you. The F is pretty darn easy to love, though.
Nice overview, and nice commentary at the end.
Thank you very much.
This is such a great video.
Thank you!
I have the Photomic FTN version of this camera and I like it almost as much as my F2's. I used it recently at the Reno Air Races. Great camera. : )
Nice!
Me too. I love it, and it is always a talking point 👍
LAST 3 MIN OF THIS VIDEO WERE JUST AWESOME!!!
+Ivan Pelčić Thank you!
I am now watching other parts. Whot is the highest price for this camera today, if you maybe know?
+Ivan Pelčić Hard to say. I've seen these go for north of $200 (body only) in great condition. I got mine for $17.50, but it needed some work and a new light meter prism (which was like $65.) If you wanted to get a good shooter copy, a bit of wear but reliable, it would be worth budgeting about $135-150 for a camera, no lens.
+David Hancock Thank you, verry much!
The imposing finder on this beast was a definite turn on back in the day, slung from the shoulder of many a photojournalist in Southeast Asia and other places of conflict about the globe.Ached for one something awful,glad I opted for something else. One could buy a camera and several lenses for the cost of an F and normal lens alone.Eighteen bucks for an F, nearly 50 years later? Good work,David,now that you showed me it's features and such don't feel I missed a great deal.
:D Yeah, there was far less difference between cameras back in the day. The F wasn't even as tough as the Nikkormats, I'm told (but I haven't done any testing to check that for myself.)
David Hancock Would love to run into a Nikkormat,or at least having you run into one and giving your assessment of them,here's hoping that you do!
I do have (very old) videos on the FTn and FT2. The FT2 is my Nikkormat of choice were I to have one, but the FT3 is also really good. They're big and really heavy to carry, though. I know a guy who accidentally left his Nikkormat on the wheel of his truck once and then backed out of his driveway right over the camera. It needed a new top plate.
David Hancock Thankyou,once more, David.
15:05 "Your modern camera thinks you are a decerebrate moron." That needs to go on a T-shirt.
LOL
Perfect.
Thank you!
awesome video!
Thank you!
I do have a quick question, I bought an F and it has a zoom lens and it has the bunny ears thing that aligns with the prism so it can tell the prism what aperture it is using. Do all manual nikon lens have the ability to have an attached ear thing and can you get them? thanks
Not all, no. The E series and later lenses, such as the digital lineup, can't. Even after Nikon changed the mount away from the bunny ears, they left marks on the Nikkor lenses so that ears could be added later. Putting the ears in the wrong place will cause incorrect metering.
Are you planning on doing an F2 video at some point? Would love to see that camera get some love even though it is very similar to the original F.
:D I am. I have the manuals scripted and just need to make them. It took me YEARS to get a working F2. Well, in honesty, to get ANY F2. But I have one now and it's great. Not sure if the manuals will be in the February or April batch yet. I may just have April be Nikon month because I have the F5, F100, D1, and a bunch of other great Nikon cameras with complete scripts that haven't been filmed yet.
THANKS FOR YUOR VIDEO, DAVID. AND I LIKE YOUR BW PHOTOS AND, JUST LIKE IVAN, I THINK THAT THE 3 OR 4 LASTS MINS. OF YOUR VIDEO ARE WONDERFULL....
+GaleriaPuntoCiego Thank you very much, too.
Regarding the A/R switch and removable back:
The Nikon F can be considered as a reflex version of the SP, and the Nikon CRF can be considered as a Leica camera wrapped up in a Contax body. This helped Leica users to adopt the Nikon F with much greater ease, such as the A/R switch on the top deck.
Its removable back was a Contax influence: being one of the first 35mm system cameras, the official Contax film was supplied as a spool with paper leader and trailer: think of it as a 35mm version of 220. But the point of the camera was to use available 35mm ciné films, so for home loaders, self-opening cassettes were sold, offering the option of cassette-to-cassette transport. By operating the back locks, the cassettes were opened or closed for secure loading and unloading. Of course, Nikons had fixed take-up spools which demanded rewinding, so one lock for the feed chamber was enough rather than two, on the take-up side as well.
So these aspects in the F are part of the bloodline, the DNA, so to speak, and it took more than a decade for Nikon to have a cleaner start for the F2.
+Seele2015au That all makes a lot of sense, thank you, and explains a lot of about the F. But I'm surprised to hear that the F was intended for cine film. I thought that by the time the F came out 35mm was a pretty well established format in its own right.
+David Hancock The 35mm film we know and love started out as a ciné film, which explains the two rolls of perforations. Since still cameras started using it for the benefit of low cost, and multiple shots per load, we tend to forget its true origin. Once the 35mm film form factor became adopted as a still camera standard, films never intended for the ciné cameras were made in this form factor for still cameras. But of course, I was referring to the bare film for bulk loading there.
Seele2015au Got it. I knew that Leica developed the first 35mm cameras for testing exposure on cine film in small batches prior to starting shoots, but always figured that still film broke that mold early on because the perf holes are different and the engineering and developing processes behind the stocks are different. I know that Nikon has a long history with movies. The F3, in fact, was used to film the Indiana Jones mine cart scene (they modified an F3 to run cine film.)
+David Hancock Barnack's camera was not only for exposure testing but was also designed as a still camera for using the available ciné film; according to his calculation (which admittedly used too many arbitrary figures), he considered a 22mm x 33mm negative format as sufficient for stills photography, and by using two 35mm movie frames together to make a 24mm x 36mm frame was serendipitous; the perforations of the 35mm ciné film remains the same now as it was first devised by Edison, likewise the 35mm width: Edison took a roll of film from the 100-shot Kodak, sliced it down the middle, joined the ends together, and perforated the edges, thus unwittingly established the industrial standard. The Nikon F3 as used for filming the mine chase was of course much much later.
Just ordered one of these waiting for it to arrive. This is one of several videos I've bookmarked for reference. I understand the metering head required mercury batteries..which of course are no longer available. What are the equivalent battery options? Worse comes to worse I can use it without batteries (thus no metering) as I can use one of my other SLR's for metering reference or a hand-held light meter. (or use the 'sunny 16' rule). Just had to have one of these babies. Great video.
Thank you! So you have a few options (from most expensive to free):
1- Professional circuit modification (or if you're comfortable dismantling the camera you can do this yourself and the Fix Old Cameras channel has a video on how to do basic diode modifications in old cameras, though not using this model.)
2- Voltage-adapting MR9 battery adapters, of which you'll need two, and they're not hard to lose.
3- Weincell batteries
4- dumb adapters (solid brass) or modern batteries with ISO compensation. For this, you'd use the sunny 16 rule and with the sun to your back you'd set the aperture to 16 and shutter speed to the number nearest your film's ISO. Then adjust the ISO dial until you have a proper reading.
5- Sunny 16 rule
4 is a good option but will limit your overall ISO range somewhat, though only on the extreme ends.
@@DavidHancock I'll probably get the closest modern battery equivalent; set the ASA for the same as my Nikon FM; meter off of a grey card in normal mid-day outdoor light with the FM and see how that compares: then fudge the ASA setting on the F if need be until aperture/shutter speed required for correct exposure is same as the FM. I may get a hand-held light meter anyway been meaning to learn how to use one in the event I acquire 'vintage' film cameras without built-in light meters (or if I can't use the metering on the F). Just want that luscious F camera. Thanks I'll keep all your suggestions in mind.
Hi great videos! I just picked one of these up yesterday
It's a 69. However the shutter locks open when fired at 1/15 or slower. I turn the dual back to 1/30 or faster to release it. Any advice on why it's doing that would be very appreciated. Thanks. Mark
Thank you!
The shutter issue is pretty common with these, and many older mechanical cameras. There are some springs in it that are either gummy with thick oil or in need of adjustment. That issue could also indicate other, latent issues with the camera. It may be worth sending it in for a professional overhaul.
David Hancock Thanks for your quick response, and I think I will do just that and get it a CLA at my local repair shop.
Hi David! Great video! My dad just gave me this camera and I’m trying to figure out which film suits it? Do you know what type?
That's fantastic! Any 35mm film will work. If you've never shot film, try inexpensive film until you learn how to use it well.
David Hancock thanks!!!
David Hancock can I use the viewfinder without batteries? I’m having a hard time locating the 625a
@@leticianazarian3266 You can as an optical viewfinder but the meter won't work. Everything else will because the batteries only power the meter.
Apparently the film indicator on the button has a red mark and a black mark to indicate what type of film your'e using..black for B&W and red for colour film...at least thats what I found out from another video,so cant be sure its 100% true.
That makes sense and I believe you are correct.
Can you install a cable release onto the Nikon F? and does the "T" function work as a substitute to a cable release if you don't have one?
You can buy it takes an older style screw-over instead of screw in. You need either a Nikon F cable release or an adapter that screws onto a standard release.
Man i'd love to have one of these
They are pretty nice. :D
But im guessing expensive and hard to find one in a good condition?
Depends. If you're willing to wait for who knows how long and try flea markets, estate sales, and so forth, the price could be reasonable. If you want want quickly, they yeah, the price will probably be $150-ish or so. I'm not 100% certain what these go for right now.
Damn, well almost i'm done with school, time to get a job and look for this camera :P
Hi David,
I have a question. Does the camera have an AE lock? Can I press the shutter half way so I can focus and recompose?
No. The F is a full manual camera. You'd have to take a reading, adjust settings, and recompose.
+David Hancock good to know. Last question. I was doing some research but I could not find any answers. Can I use 800 or 1600 speed film? I have the Nikon f with eye level viewfinder.
JayR Dy I believe that the ISO range on that prism is either 1600 or 3200, so you'll be a-okay with either. And if you ever wanted to shoot film beyond the meter range what you'd need to do is know how many stops differ from your film speed and the end of the meter range. For instance, I have an ISO 1.6 film I shoot sometimes and no cameras have a range that low. I have seen a few hand-held light meters that do, but it's easy to just calculate the difference.
So when I shoot ISO 1.6 on a camera with a minimum ISO range of 25 I know that ISO 1.6 is four stops slower than the meter. (25 --> 12 --> 6 --> 3 --> 1.6) So if the camera says 1/250th at f/2.8, I know I need to shoot at 1/15th instead. Likewise, if you wanted to shoot at 3200 ISO and the meter only hits 1600, just remove an extra stop of aperture or shutter speed to compensate. The F will do whatever you tell it to do.
+David Hancock cool. So the Asa dial on the bottom of the camera doesn't do anything?
JayR Dy That's just a reminder. The ASA dial on the meter controls light meter function.
The removable back for the Nikon F, I think, was so that you could attach a motor drive with a bulk film pack that would allow you to take 250 pictures at a time.
Also, a piece of useless trivia, and I have absolutely nothing to back it up is that you can tell the year of manufacture from the serial number on top of the camera. I believe that the year of manufacture for this camera is 1968. Of course, this might be common knowledge, which is why my wife calls me "Captain Obvious".
Thank you! I had forgotten about the bulk film back when I made this. And My wife says the same thing to me, too.
I assume the red an black markers are for color and monochrom
Grasyl That would make sense, yes.
The Exakta Varax was also an early system SLR. Very well made and expensive as well.
Thank you!
@@DavidHancock$18 is an incredible bargain for one like that. I don't suppose it came with the lens(?)..
@@Mme.Swisstella oh man, that was more than a decade ago. I honestly don't recall.
@@DavidHancock my favourite nikon film camera, in terms of actually using it, was the FE.
@@DavidHancock I got a hold of a(nother) f with photomic ftn the other day, promising to buy it based on one photo, and figuring I can't go wrong as it came with the renowned nikkor 105mm f2.5; however, not only is the meter head not working but on beginning of disassembly of it I can see it has started to dissolve: those foam cushion seals are chemically interacting with the prism (thank God the 105 is in very good condition).
As I mentioned in another comment, I do have a fascination with the nikon f and the f2 in terms of its engineering and mechanics and the challenge of working on them but I do not view them as good user cameras.
I have an F that works fine except the 1/4, 1/2 and one second shutter speeds lock the shutter open and do not work. Any advice? Where can I get it repaired? Thank you.
Sounds like the curtain springs need tension. There are a few places that are repairing F bodies still. I use a small shop in Topeka for my repairs. Abilene Camera has a good reputation (I've never used them) and may be able to handle this. There's a shop in Chicago I'm blanking on the name of, too, that could be a good choice. I've sent Nikons to Garry Airapetov in Chicago and he did a good job on them.
The issue is the slow speed governor
I just watched video of a guy that got his repaired by a guy in England. Suver Wong? Something like that. Apparently spendy too, not to mention shipping 2 ways from the states. The guy is something like the F series guru!
"F" may also be for Nikon's head engineer at the time, Masahiko Fuketa
That would have precedence with the naming conventions of other Japanese camera makers, too. Thank you!
Where did you get it serviced?
I forget the name of the guy who repaired mine. He's outside of Chicago. There are some other places that will work on these like Phototronic in topeka, Kansas; and Vermont Camera Works in Vermont.
Ihagee Exakta Varex from 1935 has bayonet connection, 35 mm, interchangable viewfinders, 12 s - 1/1000 s shutter, selftimer, 100´s of lenses, macro + bellows equipment.
Nikopn is good, but not first.
Thank you!
Where is the battery housing?
The F's body doesn't have one and doesn't need a battery to operate. If you have a light meter prism, it's on that. Here's a link to video 2 that should help you locate it:
czcams.com/video/TnGucwdl6l0/video.html
I'll guess F stands for focal (shutter). I have one, and a F2a.
Thank you!
What distinguishes the F2a from the 2, please?
I'm torn?? F or F2. Help?
+Futbol For Kids I've never used an F2 but it has some improvements, chief among them a hinged film door instead of a removable film door (I believe.)
+David Hancock... Thank you for quick reply. I'm a sucker for Classics. Many forums are torn between the two. I guess it's personal taste. Either way they are great cameras. Thanks again and thanks for sharing 3 great videos.
Yes..your'e right..the F2 has a hinged door..but Futbol For Kids..go with either one..both are old school fully manual film cameras that you have to learn how to use..a little hard at first but once you get the hang of it you wont want to shoot any other way...so long as the camera you get is in good working order you'll be fine.
I own both. The F2 is superior. The F is excellent too
Also don't move the camera from cold to warm places unless you zip it up inside a plastic bag and let it heat gradually.
I hadn't heard that, but it makes sense. Thank you!
@@DavidHancock I think it's more relevant in digital cameras, since moisture will build up on the camera parts if it's colder than the environment.
While the whole video was great. The disclaimers were a bit...too much?
Cameras are made to be used, the Nikon F, such as the Olympus OM, and Canon AE, where built like tanks. Use it until it breaks, then fix it.
+Carl Lovén Thank you.
The disclaimers are boilerplate. A lot of people learning cameras now are completely new to them. I'm taking a photo course for fun this semester and one of the students left her Canon A-1 in her car on a 105-degree day. It didn't do the camera any favors, to say the least. And reliable repair people are becoming harder to find, too.
Well, that is just stupidity. I did a similiar thing with a tent in Australia. But we are talking closer to 120 degrees. Needless to say the film had bubbles all over, which was kind of a fun experience.
And repair...well yes and no. People that are experts there are less of, so it will cost. But there is also heaps of people that are learning to repair themselves (like myself). It is a great way to trouble shoot your camera!
thats not what the f means at all. the f actually stands for SLR. Japanese people can't say the letter r so nikon made it f.
+Mark Dymek Having worked with my employer's Japan team for almost seven years, that hasn't been my experience, including the time I spent in Japan working with the group there.
Several Nikon F books I have state that the "F" stands for "reFlex", this being Nikon's first SLR design. The hope was that it would help wordwide sales as the letter F is easy to pronounce in most languages. Another possibility is that it was named for Nikon's Chief Designer at the time, Mr. Fuketa.
You are correct in saying it was named for their chief designer at the time, Mr Fuketa who was the one that came up with the bayonet mount design for all their lenses which is still in use to this day.
PLEEEEASE pronounce the name properly. NIKON that's pronounced N I K O N NOT N [eye] K O N
I think you have a long quest ahead of you if you want people to change. About 85% of the people I hear pronounce it like I do.
@@DavidHancock Mostly Americans pronounce it this way, no one else. If you learn the Japanese vowel sounds you will then understand the correct way to pronounce this word.
@@tompaste387 I understand that, yes. In my previous career I was able to work extensively with my Japan team and even visit them. It's a great language and yes, vowels are pronounced differently.
@@DavidHancock Good to know sir. Maybe that 85% may not be such a long quest after all lol
It's not just mostly Americans saying NY Kong.
At this point in history, it IS pronounced NY kon in practical reality.