It is indeed hard to use metering technologies employ in a modern day SLR camera as a yardstick to judge a camera that was evolved from the original F back in 1959, furthermore, remember the Nikon F2 is still a mechanical SLR camera and in fact, it was such a great camera during its time which stretched human imagination to its limit out of pure mechanical structures and engineering.
Although the metering and exposure control was still at large controlled via interchangeable prism housing as with earlier Nikon F, but as our friend Michael Liu putting it correctly - there is nothing original in its concept, F2 metering system was essentially an upgrade but it was a major improvement from the earlier F to enable photographer to be more responsive and assuring to changes in light condition in many picturing situations. One of the BIGGEST improvement made in the F2 finder design is that the power of the metering circuit is supplied by the camera body rather than from the finder therby reduced the size and weight.
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Among all F2 series models, ALL use the same basic camera body, the model differences are the viewfinder supplied separately with the camera body (Or technically, you can interchange the respective metered finder mounted onto a F2 to "alter" a F2 model designiation). Earlier section has outlined the various basic and special purpose viewinders which at large are all non-metered prisms. |
But some newer series of viewfinders introduced later included an exposure metering system built-into the viewfinder housing. These series of metered finders, are called "photomic " by Nikon. They serves as a normal viewfinders that shows you a projected image through the lens and at the same time, measure the brightness of a given photographic scene and offer you with an exposure guide via differing displaying method either by a match needle or a LEDs (Light Emiiting Diode).
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Further, Nikon realized during the introduction of the Nikon F2 back in 1971, metering technologies still has a long way to improve from its first metered prism DP-1 (Nikon F2 Photomic) which incorporates a Cds Cell* and has a metering range from EV1 - EV17 (ASA100). Interchangeable prism looked a logical and less costly options rather than upgrading the basic camera body to insure lower production cost while updating with sensitivity and information display in/outside finder. |
Generally, we all use various metered prisms which carried differently function, display methods and metering sensitivity to denote different Nikon F2 Models over all these years.
* OFF-TOPIC SUPPLEMENT: Metering Cells
Nikon F2 Photomic w/DP-1 Finder (1971-1977)
Instruction
Manual for DP-1
Finder OR Nikon
F2 Photomic camera
body is
available
Along with non-metered DE-1 eye level finder, the F2 also has a companion metered finder called DP-1 which enables TTL metering. It was also one of the most popular finder as it was modestly priced. The popularity of the DP-1 can easily be proven by its sheer numbers in the used outlets or online auction houses. The finder was on sale with other F2 models until 1977 and replaced with the AI- version which we popularly referred the upgrade as Nikon F2A.
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The DP-1 was officially made available with the Nikon in 1971as a optional metered finder along with the eye level finder. It was also the longest serving metered finder where it was only discontinued in 1977 when the respective AI-prism of DP-11 (F2A) and DP-12 (F2AS) were introduced. the Cds cell provides the F2 with a TTL, full aperture, center weighted metering. |
It provides a range of shutter speeds covered from 2 seconds to 1/2000 sec. (* When meter needle stops at centre and speed indicator inside the finder shows "B", set exposure for 2 sec. via self timer lever.) The coupling range of aperture diaphragm is from f/1.2 to f/32 (yes, you will still need to manual set the largest aperture of the lens in use) and an ASA sensitivity ranges from 6 to 6400. It uses a match needle system with a plus and minus (+/-) marks indicating over-or underexposures respectively.
The viewfinders show 100% of the area recorded on the film, enabling the photographer to compose right to the edges of the screen. The shutter speed and f-number in use appear in the viewfinder along with the meter needle and plus and minus marks to indicate over- or underexposure. The brightness of the finder ensures easy viewing and focusing. The image magnification ratio is 0.8X with the normal 50mm lens set at infinity.
All Nikon Photomic and eye-level finders designed for the Nikon F2 incorporate a ready-light lamp for use with dedicated Nikon Speedlight Unit. The ready-light adapter is slid onto the accessory shoe of the camera to make contact with a pin on the side of the viewfinder and with the hotshoe contact.
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* The three Nikon made flash units that couple directly (without the need of any connecting cord) with any of the Photomic/Eye level Prism(s) and retain full flash charge status are SB-2 , SB-7E and the Nikon SB-6 Repeating Flash which is a big handle flash. The SB-2 and SB-7E are compact shoe mount units. |
For older flash units such as Nikon Speedlight Unit SB-1 etc., a cord from the adapter is plugged into the synch socket of the flash. The ready-light lamp lights up when the Speedlight unit is fully charged and ready for firing, so that the photographer need not remove his eye from the finder.
The F2 Photomic Finder DP-1 and other metered prisms all featured center weighted through-the-lens exposure metering. A word of caution is: Unlike the AI-enabled F2A and F2AS with a AI-metered prism (DP-11 & DP-12), It needs to couple to the lens aperture diaphragm and shutter speed dial manually with any non-AI, AI, AI-S lenses* that has a meter coupling shoe on aperture ring of the lens in order to operate correctly, the meter is designed to read the brightness of the entire screen but concentrates some 60% of its light sensitivity on the 12mmdiameter central spot-about 1/8 of the total area of the focusing screen. From this central spot toward the edges of the screen, the light measuring sensitivity of the meter gradually falls off.
* Caution: Nikon Series E lenses and current AF Nikkor optics that come WITHOUT the meter coupling shoe (rabbit ear) on the lens will not function properly with the F2 Photomic w/ DP-1, F2S w/DP-2, F2SB w/DP-3 finders. The CAMERA MAY STILL WORK WITH THESE NIKKOR LENES BUT ONLY WITHOUT ANY METERING INFORMATION OR COUPLING
| Previous | Next | 3/17 More info and some personal comments
| Back | Main Index Page - Interchangeable Viewfinders
System
Accessories:
Motor
Drives
/ Prisms / Screens / Macro / Film
Backs
/ Flash
Other Accessories:
DS-1 / DS-2 / DS-12 / eyepiece / DH-1 / cases / Cable releases / Miscellaneous
| History
& Background
| Semi-FAQ | Various Features and Functions - 6 Parts |
| Message Board | for
your favourite Nikon
F2 Series SLR model(s)
| Message Board | for your Nikon Optics in a shared environment
| Message Board | Specifically for Dispose or Looking for Nikon/Nikkor Photographic
Equipment
| Back | to Main Index Page of Nikon F2 Series SLR models
| Back |
Main Index Page of Pictorial History of Nikon SLRs
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The Eyes of Nikon:- |
Fisheye-Nikkor Lenses - Circular | Full Frame | Ultrawides Lenses - 13mm15mm18mm20mm | Wideangle Lenses - 24mm28mm35mm |
Standard Lenses - 45mm 50mm 58mm | Telephoto Lenses - 85mm105mm135mm180mm & 200mm |
Super-Telephoto Lenses - 300mm 400mm 500mm 600mm 800mm 1200mm |
Special Application lenses:
Micro-Nikkor Lenses - 50mm~55mm -60mm 85mm -105mm 200mm Micro-Zoom 70-180mm
Perspective Control (PC) - 28mm 35mm PC-Micro 85mm
Dedicated Lenses for Nikon F3AF: AF 80mm f/2.8 | AF 200mm f/3.5 EDIF
Depth of Field Control (DC): 105mm 135mm
Medical Nikkor: 120mm 200mm
Reflex-Nikkor Lenses - 500mm 1000mm 2000mm
Others: Noct Nikkor | OP-Nikkor | UV Nikkor 55mm 105mm | Focusing Units | Bellows-Nikkor 105mm 135mm
Nikon Series E Lenses: 28mm35mm50mm100mm135mm | E-Series Zoom lenses: 36~72mm75~150mm70~210mm
MF Zoom-Nikkor Lenses: 25~50mm | 28~45mm | 28~50mm | 28~85mm | 35~70mm | 36~72mm E | 35~85mm | 35~105mm | 35~135mm |
35~200mm | 43~86mm | 50~135mm | 50~300mm | 70~210mm E | 75~150mm E | 80~200mm | 85~250mm |
100~300mm | 180~600mm | 200~400mm | 200~600mm | 360~1200mm | 1200~1700mm
Tele-Converters: TC-1 | TC-2 | TC-200 | TC-201 | TC-300 | TC-301 | TC-14 | TC-14A | TC-14B | TC-14C | TC-14E | TC-16 | TC-16A | TC-20E
Nikon F
| Nikon F2 |
Nikon
F3
| Nikon F4 |
Nikon
F5
| Nikon F6 |
Nikkormat / Nikomat |
Nikon FM
| Nikon FE/ FA | Nikon EM/FG/FG20 | Nikon Digital SLRs | Nikon - Other models
MIR Supports for Photographic Community: Various Message Boards/Community
Forums
Nikon
F-series|
Nikon
F2-series|
Nikon
F3-series|
Nikon F4-series| Nikon
F5-series|Nikkormat/Nikomat-series
Nikon FM-series|Nikon
FE-series|Nikon
FA|Nikon
Digital
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series|Various
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Models|Nikkor
Optic
-shared
Others:- Free Trade Zone - Photography| Free Trade Zone - Business Community |Free To Zouk - Photographic Community
Apple's Mac Public Community Message Board | Windows based PC &
Apple/Mac
Public Community Trade Exchange Centre
Recommended links to understand
more technical details related to the Nikkor F-mount and production Serial Number:
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-153.html by: my friend, Rick Oleson
http://www.zi.ku.dk/personal/lhhansen/photo/fmount.htm by: Hansen, Lars Holst
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/nikonfmount/lens2.htm
http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html
About this photographic site.
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HOME - Photography in Malaysia |
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Copyright © 2000. leofoo ®. MIR Web Development Team.
In
memory of my friend Com.
Augusto Staut,
Brazil, 1971-2000.
Credit: Chuck Hester, US for his patience, encouragement
and help to setup the various content in this site; Robert Johnson for some of his original
images on the F2H-MD appeared in this site; my ex-staff, KiaSu for his superb
3-D logo appeared in this Nikon F2 site; Marc Vorgers from Holland who
generously provide me with some of his images of F2AS; MCLau®, who has so much time with me to
re-edit the content in this site and not to mention buying a Nikon Coolpix 990 just
for this site. Keat Photo,
Kuala Lumpur for providing
their Nikon F2A to take some images for this site; again, Mr Edward Ngoh the
great camera collector who provides us his collection of F2AS with MD-2; hawkeye.photographic.com
for their images on the Speed Magny film backs; Sean Cranor for his image
on Nikon F2 25th Anniversary Model; Ted Wengelaar®, Holland for his continuous
flow of input on some of the early Nikon bodies; CYLeow ® , photo editor of the Star
newspaper, Malaysia for some of his images used in this site. Ms Rissa Chan, Sales manager from
Shriro Malaysia who has helped to provide some of the very useful input. HiuraShinsaku®,
Nikomat ML, Japan for some of his images on various F2 models; my staff, Wati, Maisa, Mai and my nephew, EEWyn®, who volunteered and helping me
did so many of the film scanning works. Contributing photographers or resellers:
Jen Siow, Foo KokKin, Arthur Teng, Mark Fallander, John
Ishii, Ed Hassel, YoonKi Kim, Jean-Louis, M.Dugentas (Dell Corner.com.), Mr "Arsenall" and a few images mailed
in from surfers with no appropriate reference to their origin. Dedicated to KU Yeo, just to express our mutual regrets over the outcome of
a recent corporate event. Made with a PowerMac, broadcast with a Redhat Linux powered server.
