Nikon F3AF User manual Part IX Flash Equipment

Indispensable for shooting in dim light and at night or for filling in the shadows in daylight, Nikon Speedlights are dedicated electronic flash units which complement your F3AF perfectly. Everything about these Speedlight units is automatic- all you have to do is set the aperture and the flash output is measured through the lens, ensuring the correct exposure regardless of the lens in use.

Speedlight SB-12

Compact and light, the Nikon SB-12 mounts directly on the camera to provide automatic TTL control of the flash exposure. The SB-12 has a guide number of 25 (ASA/ISO 100 and meters) or 40 (ASA/ISO 25 and feet).

Compatible (Direct or indirectly) flash units: SB-11 | SB-12 | SB-14 | SB-140 UV-IR | SB-15/17 | SB-16A | SB-21A (SB-29) Macro flash | Accessories

For those photographers requiring a separate bracket-mounting unit, Nikon has the SB-11 and SB-14. The guide number of the SB-11 is 36 (ASA/ISO 100 and meters) or 60 (ASA/ISO 25 and feet), while the SB-14, which requires a separate battery pack has a guide number of 32 (ASA/ISO 100 and meters) or 52 (ASA/ISO 25 and feet).

For automatic TTL control, BOTH these flash units must be used with the TTL sensor cord SC-12. Featuring tilting flash heads, the SB-11 and 14 allow you to bounce the light easily off the ceiling or walls for softer, more flattering lighting for portraits.

Newest in Nikon's lineup, the Nikon Speedlight SB-16A mounts directly on the camera's accessory shoe and features four zoom settings for 28, 35, 50 and 85mm lenses with a guide number of 32 (ASA/ISO 100 and meters) or 52 (ASA/ISO 25 and feet) for the 35mm setting. For truly creative bounce flash, it has two flash heads: the main head not only tilts back 90° but rotates 270°, while the smaller secondary head faces straight ahead to provide a catch light for the eyes. Other features include an MD (motor drive) setting for rapid flash recycling up to 4 flashes per second for a total of four consecutive frames.

You can also look at the SB-17 that came very late with the SB-15 for the Nikon FG, FA during mid of the '80. It was a more compact size flash with similar spec (Without the auxiliary flash) which provides greater mobility and it is cheaper as well.

(Go to Instruction manual for SB-16A section)

To mount other direct mounting flash units on the F3AF's accessory shoe, a Nikon Flash Unit Coupler is required. The AS-3 coupler is necessary when mounting the Nikon SB-7, while the AS-4 or AS-7 is for the SB-15, SB-E or SB-10.

A special feature of the AS-7 is that it lets you change film without removing the flash unit.

One of the most exciting accessories for the F3AF camera is the Motor Drive MD-4. This amazingly compact, light and streamlined unit attaches to the bottom of the camera in seconds and advances the film either singly or in sequence up to 6* frames per second - making it the fastest regular production motor drive on the market today. Actual controls have been reduced to only those necessary for convenient operation. In addition to the electromagnetic trigger button (which also turns on the camera's meter when depressed halfway), there are its concentric S-C (Single/Continuous) mode selector, a battery check button and LED indicators, two interlocking rewind slides for automatic film rewinding, and a subtractive frame counter which stops the motor at the desired number of frames.

Eight AA-type penlight batteries fit into a quick-release clip housed in the base of the motor drive. An optical NiCd. battery pack is available for use in cold weather or when you want the fastest possible firing rate. Once you attach the MD-4 to your camera, you'll never want to take it off.

Warning: The MD-4H specifically designed for the Nikon F3 High Speed Motor Drive Camera is NOT usable with this F3AF body.

More info on Motor Drive MD-4

The Firing Rate Converter MK-1 is available as a special accessory for the motor-driven F3AF. It screws into the tripod socket of the MD-4 and plugs into the remote terminal to provide three firing rates - 1,2 or 3 frames per second - allowing you to operate the motor drive on continuous while the camera focuses automatically. It has its own handy trigger button for use in vertical-format shooting

The Magazine Back MF-4 for shooting up to 250 frames without changing film is also available as an option.

* Possible with NiCd battery pack at 1/125 sec. or above with the mirror locked up. Warning: The MK-1 is NOT usable on the MD-4H specifically designed for the Nikon F3 High Speed Motor Drive Camera.

Data Back MF-14

To keep track of when photos were taken, the F3AF accepts the Data Back MF-14 which slips on in place of the regular camera back with no sync cord needed. Three imprinting modes are possible: year/ month/ day, day/ hour/ minute, or picture counting, information is displayed clearly on the data back via an LCD and then is imprinted on the film at the instant of exposure.

Serving as a handy clock, a quartz timer with an alarm function is also incorporated.

Other optional Databack: MF-18, MF-4, MF-17