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The Metering Systems

The multi metering system was something Nikon photographers have always wished for in earlier F-generation where competing models such as the tri-metering New Canon F-1 has many of us wondering why Nikon cannot answered with a comparing metering system in the F3. Although the Nikon F4 fulfilled such kind of desire and can safely claim to have been able to offer a choice of three metering patterns in the F4 but the fact is, with the except of the Action Finder, DA-20, a F4 without the standard supplied Multi-Meter Prism DP-20 can be quite "toothless" and quite restrictive in real life applications. Even with the DA-20, the F4 will only operate in either center-weighted and spot metering while the more desirable Matrix metering is not permissible in such combination. The remaining two finders of Waist Level (DW-20) and 6X Magnification Finder (DW-21) are not entirely very friendly to meter for general photography as they only offer a highly sensitive and restrictive spot meter, both in terms of varying degree of performance* and practicality.

<<< ---- * The metering range for DP-20 (with 50mm f/1.4, ISO 100) starts from EV0~EV21 (up to EV16+ 1/3 stop) with TTL Matrix metering; EV-2 ~ EV21 (with AE Action Finder DA-20) in Center-Weighted Metering; while spot metering is effectively operative at EV-2 ~ EV21 in TTL Spot Metering. Image from my copyright-free image collection. Malaysian Internet Resources

WHY ? simply because the F4's metering cell design concept somehow differs from the F3. Theoretically, an optimum design would be with an ideal location where any finders attached to use will enjoy all available metering options in the camera but it has been occupied by the autofocus sensors. The Matrix sensors (which also handles the center weighted metering) has been shifted to the prism while the spot and flash sensor are still locating at a tiny space just in front of the CCD AF module. So, a change of a prism may also affect availability of the respective metering systems in the F4 system. The actual scenario is, all FOUR finders provide variable degree of performance. Strangely, Nikon has not patched this flaw with their current generation F5 where improvement was only confined to extend Action Finder DA-30 to be able to make use of the 5 segments Matrix Metering (It is not possible wit the F4, but even then, the Color CCD metering is NOT available with the F5 with DA-30; further, the spot metering which is available for all the F5's finders is actually handled by the AF sensor now !) However, Nikon has designed a truly innovative flexible center-weighted system for the F5 where you can alter the sensitivity from 8mm, 12mm, 15mm and 20mm in a 75/25 ratio - this is essentially how between the F4/F5 differs as a whole.

<<< ---- Image courtesy of Mr. Tony Leong®. Image copyright© 2003. All rights reserved. Please respect the visual property of the contributing photographer.

Technically, we all may conclude Nikon F5 has a far superior metering capability than a Nikon F4, while F4's metering system is a generation ahead of a more simple conservative 80/20 Centre-Weighted system use in the Nikon F3. Well, in terms of metering options, I always thought Nikon can be easily ranked as the most advance than its competitions, even by today's standard, what F4 can offer can still be considered as forerunning. Come to think of it, I hope I didn't step on somebody's toe by quoting why are we so lack of confidence in metering ? Prior to availability of today's advance metering systems offer, great photographers of yesteryears were only depending on their experience and with simple metering guide to take their pictures. In the case of the F4, in fact, technology does not always provide you with convenience, take the example of the spot meter designed in the Waist Level finder, I would rather has a conventional Centre-Weighted metering system installed. Personally, if you want to aim for such a state of perfection, I would think the only disappointment I had thus far was a lack of a true real-time TTL/OTF metering system as created by the Olympus in the F4 for ambient light reading. Anyway, as time progresses, the Matrix Metering, a technology originally pioneered by Nikon has developed into a mainstream metering reference and accepted by even rivaling brands. With the aid of computer sided analysis over light levels, users don't need to think and worry of metering - in real term, we said technologies that help to make photographers concentrate more with making pictures and be responsive to react to changes. But the bottom line is - there will be less likely of picture errors (and that is why it is so popular). Switching the metering system from one another requires a turn of a switch which locates at the side of the standard multi-meters DP-20, it is placed conveniently but some users have complaint it might be accidentally switch if being knocked off position. Well, I am not sure how often you can experienced this but unless you never check inside the finder display at all throughout a shooting sessions (or the differential exposure indication which might alert any seasoned photographers), that is too bad if it ever happens. I don't quite agree with certain suggestion that the meter switch should has a safety lock because it will compromise with responsiveness during shooting, after all, most people only require to switch to other system (such as spot meter) for determine and assure himself of a correct meter reading (I don't deny the fact, some may also use it specifically to meter a tricky light scenes).

Well, frankly if a guy like me who has been living with a F3 for the last twenty years, I could not possibly think with prevailing multi-metering systems employ in a body such as a F4 - it is hard to take badly exposed pictures anymore. And thus, there is nothing more for any photographers to complain about with such kind of technology behind the camera (If you still do - you have been living under technologies for too long, friend...). The incorporation of the Matrix metering in the F4 has, leads the camera's with other possibilities such as the all important Nikon TTL flash system. The balance filled flash in the F4 is not original, it was only perfected based on the F801's flash system.

<<< ---- Credit: Image courtesy of Mr. Jon M. Stine <jcsebay@jackscamera.com> Jack's Camera Shop® 300 E. Main Street Muncie, IN 47305 tel. 765-282-0204 fax. 765-284-6405 http://www.jackscamera.com . Image copyright© 2003. All rights reserved.

However, Nikon flash system can easily be ranked as one of the main focus of the Nikon 35mm SLR photographic system since the Nikon F3 - But it truly blossomed with the advent of Nikon F-801 where many pioneering technologies has been introduced. Today, Nikon flash system is easily the most advance in the market right now and many of Nikon original innovation have evolved into mainstream technologies in the industry. So, without the Matrix system, features such as balance filled-flash can never be made possible. Naturally, with the introduction of the F90 during the early '90, the system has even enhanced further with exposure accuracy with the inclusion of distance information in its computation for optimum exposure control. The F4 lacks such delicate measurements in its exposure data but still, for most photographic situations that require basic features, the F4 can still deliver uniform performance in this respect. One area that truly made the difference in F4 from any of the previous pro-calibre single digit F bodies is the decision to revert the accessory shoe back to industry's standard.

The ISO-type hot shoe has also facilitate easier system inter-changeability with secondary supportive midrange AF Nikon SLRs. Gone are the days where you have to carry two flash units (or flash couplers) just because you will need one for the F3, for an instance and another for the second backup body in a, say Nikon FM2(n). <<< ---- The three generations of the Nikon F ... .Image from my copyright-free image collection. Malaysian Internet Resources

In relation to the flash and metering systems deploy in the F4 (plus various exposure control methods the camera offers), depends from which perspective you are looking at, if you were a photographer that migrated from Nikon F2/F3 era or upgraded from any of the MF Nikon - the F4 can possibly be your last thing you will ever want in a film based SLR. For those who has experience with any previous midrange AF-Nikon from mid '80 onwards, the impact may not be that significant. Naturally, those who has owned the F90 and beyond, you may find everything was at a compromised but as I said earlier, photography is not entirely depends on technologies and automation. Well, as the Nikon F4 also encompasses quite a comprehensive exposure control system which makes it like a hybrid Nikon FA/F301 with AF capability, ruggedness, modular design and great system integrity of a Nikon F3, when combine its awesome metering system with its sophistication in its various exposure control options, it becomes a very usable imaging tool (and very difficult to get failed results). Some has identified the range of shutter speeds in shutter priority as one of its weakness, but come on - how often you take pictures in less than a second in shutter priority ?? A joke ? Anyway, the F4 does has many other areas that shine and I think those guys must have nothing to do and simply pick on something out of nothing, huh ? Well, I have nothing to comment in relation to F4's broad range of exposure control options, but rather, another sector that needs to address is its autofocus feature.

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The Camera Body - Features | Reliability | Focusing | Metering | Exposure Control | Lense Compatibility | Interchangeable Prisms | Data Film Backs | Various Power Sources | Focusing Screens | Flash Photography | Other system accessories | Cases for Nikon F4 Series | Remote Control |

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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

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

W A R N I N G: The New G-SERIES Nikkor lenses have no aperture ring on the lense, they cannot adjust aperture(s) when operating in manual exposure control even with certain earlier AF Nikon SLR camera models. Similarly, not ALL features provide in a modern AF-S series AF-Nikkor lenses can be utilized fully with a Nikon F4. Please refer to your local distributor for compatibility issue(s).

PLEASE NOTE: Complimentary links are appreciative but it is not necessary, I have limited bandwidth here in this server... So, PLEASE don't distribute this URL to any bulk mailing list or unrelated user-groups, just be a little considerate, thank you. (The more you distribute, the slower this server will response to your requests...). I am NOT a Nikon nor Nikkor expert, so don't send me any mails, use the Message Board Instead. While the content prepared herein should be adequate for anyone to understand and evaluate whether you should invest into a used Nikon F4 pro-camera system for your kind of photography. Well, IF you like what you have seen so far, please help to perfect this site by reporting any broken links or any errors made.

About this photographic site.

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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; Paul Armstrong (pkared@ameritech.net) for his explantion of the FF2 Slidemagic and Nikon F2 Pin Camera Keat Photo, Kuala Lumpur for providing their Nikon F2A to take some images for this site; 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; Genesis-Camera for granting permission to use an image of the SS-F2 camera; Mr Sover Wong, Australia for those great images of his rare F2 Gold;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; Hong-sien Kwee of Singapore for all the Nikon F2 Pin camera images appeared in this site; Luigi Crescenzi for many of his images on the Nikon F2 Titan; John for two of his images of the Nikon F2/T used in this site; 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", Yang Zi Xiong and a few images mailed in from surfers with no appropriate reference to their origin. Note:certain content and images appeared in this site were either scanned from official marketing leaflets, brochures published by Nikon and/or contribution from surfers who claimed originality of their own work to publish in this site based on educational merits. The creator of this site will not be responsible for any discrepancies that may arise from such possible dispute except rectifying them after verification."Nikon", "Nikkormat", "Nippon Kokagu KK" & "Nikkor" are registered tradename of Nikon Corporation Inc., Japan. Dedicated to KU Yeo, just to express our mutual regrets over the outcome of a recent corporate event. Made with an Apple IMac.