When Nikon introduced the two AI-spec F2 cameras ( Nikon F2A and F2AS), it also offered two separate viewfinder display system. One of them is the more conventional match needle design (F2A w/DP-11) and the other being the LED display (F2AS w/DP-12).
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An easy identification of an AI metered prism is the omission of the tiny maximum aperture scale window in front of the two finders and full aperture is automatically set via the meter coupling ridge once an AI-Spec lens is mounted and previous semi-automatic indexing setting for maximum aperture of the lens in use is NOT REQUIRED ANYMORE. |
The Nikon - F2A Photomic
(With DP-11 Finder)
(Instruction
manual for DP-11
Photomic Finder
or Nikon
F2A Photomic
camera body)
The F2A's DP-11 Photomic finder, although less sophisticated than DP-12's metering capability, also provides accurate and reliable exposure determination for most photographic situations with its Nikon's proven center-weighted TTL metering system.
 |
Among the two AI finders, the DP-11 was more popular. Strangely, despite there were significant improvements over metering technologies, other than the AI feature, Nikon shown little effort in this upgrade and has not done much to improve basic features it had with the DP-1 which was first shown back in 1971. |
It provides thru-the-lens (TTL) Centre-Weighted metering system; both full-aperture and stop-down measurement are provided (when using a non-AI Nikkor lens, you would be limiting to use Stop-Down method), and during its early days of its debut, Nikon offered factory modifications service to convert the non-AI lenses into an AI lens.*
* Some smart cookies called
such modified Nikkor as "AI'd Nikkor"; I don't know what significant meaning
does it carries. Anyway, those modified lenses are limiting to changing lens mount
with an added meter coupling ridge but did not replace the back portion of the lens
with features found on any common AI/AIS lens, such as focal length indexing ridge,
lug for metering function, and programmed AE mode. Naturally, the mount was not provided
with an AI-S lens type signal notch and may restrict certain metering function with
other exposure control modes such as shutter priority AE or programmed AE was introduced
along with many advance electronic models during the early '80.
 |
DP-11's AI meter coupling lever is NOT situated at the lens mount as commonly found in other newer AI bodies; instead, it is a protruding lever locates just below the model designation letter "A" (1). When a Non-AI lens is used with the Nikon F2A, it should be retracted by pushing the lever inward. The retracting button (2), when slide or push will enable it to be retract back to normal position in order to couple the prism meter with any lens with a minimum spec of AI (or AI-modified). |
Determining Exposure
 |
The meter readout is also displayed both inside the finder and as well as at the top of the prism. |
|
|
The match needle exposure meter display visible within the view field is easy-to-understand and simple to operate while you are viewing and focusing through the viewfinder. The midrange AI models such as the Nikkormat and Nikon FE introduced a year later in 1978 also adopted similar system. The Nikon FM, was more inclined to the Nikon F2AS w/DP-12 which uses LEDs display.
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A distinctive advantage of such system is undeniably in its simplicity while the weaker point is, at low light level match needle system tends to be difficult to read and view as compared to LEDs. The DP-11 was not equiped with a built-in illuminator lamp in its finder as with the DP-3 or DP-12. Additionally, the selected shutter speed and lens aperture settings are visible on either side of the meter display to allow the photographer to check at a glance the camera settings in use. |
The illustration at left (Or picture below) shows the various meter needle indications. Note that the same metering operation may be performed using the external meter window positioned atop the finder.
| Previous | Next | 11/17 More infor on DP-11, dedicated accessories 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
 |
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
SLR
series|Various
Nikon
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.
