Nikon F2 BOOKLET Product booklet

NOMENCLATURE


Neckstrapeyelet
                               Nikon
Mirrorlock                                                                   Synchterminal

Depth-of-fieldpreviewbutton

Self-timer                                                                    Lens releasebutton



Shutterreleasecoupling*                                                                   Tripod socket

Film-advancecoupling                                                                    Batterychamber

Rewindbutton

Cameraback



                                                                                  releaseplungerof the motor drive.                              www.orphancameras.com*Shutterreleasecoupling:connectswith the

FOREWORD
The Nikon F2 offers the quality performance,
handlingconvenienceand versatilityyou need
for truly professionalshooting.To get the best
resultsfrom your camera,a thoroughfamiliarity
with its operationis essential.Study the instruc-
tions carefully and practiceusing the controls
before you load any film in the camera.Keep
this booklet handyfor readyreferenceuntil you
have masteredits basics.Follow the instructions
for cameracareon page30 and your Nikon F2
will give you a lifetime of dependableservice.

TOADINGTHECAMERA
Fold out the O/C key and turn counterclockwiseuntil  Closethe camerabackand lock it by turning the O/C key
the arrow pointsto the "O" (open)mark and the hinged clockwiseuntil the arrow pointsto "C" (close).Fold out
cameraback pops open. Pull up the rewind knob and  the rewind crank and turn it gently in the directionof
drop a film cartridgeor loadedcassetteinto the film   the arrow until you feel a slightresistance.This will take
chamberwith the film leaderpointing toward the take- up any slackin the film cartridge.
up spool.                                  Advancethe film and make two blank exposuresto dis-
Now, push the rewind knob down to hold the cartridge poseof the first few inchesof film which have beenex-
in place and insert the end of the film leaderinto any  posedduringloading.Whenyou do this,watchthe rewind
one of  the slots in the take-up spool. Stroke the  knob to make sure it rotates in the direction opposite
film-advancelever slowly to make sure that the film   the arrow whilethe film is beingadvanced.This will indi-
perforationsmeshwith the sprocketsand that the edges cate that the film has beenloadedcorrectlyand is being
of the film run parallelto the film guiderails.          advanced.





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The frame counter in the window in front of the film-  the sprocketsand the camera may be opened. pull the
advancelevershould now be at "0". Advancethe film   rewind knob up as far as it willgo, and the film cartridge
one more frame and you are ready to take the first    will drop out. As soon as the film-advancelever is stroked,
p rctu re.                                               the rewind button will pop out and the film-advance
                                            mechanismwill be engagedagain.C a u t i o n : D o n o t  l o a d t h e c a m e r ai n b r i g h t s u n l i g h t .l f n o o t h e r
s h a d ei s a v a i l a b l es, h a d et h e c a m e r af r o m t h e s u n w i t h y o u r b o o y                                                    Note:The film canalsobe rewoundusingthe MotorDriveMD-1.w h i l el o a d i n g .
                                                    For detailssee the instructionmanualfor the Motor Drive.T h e O / C k e y c a n b e u n s c r e w e da n d r e m o v e df o r m o u n t i n g t h e
M o t o r D r i v eM D - 1. H o w e v e r n, o r m a l l yi t s h o u l dn o t b e u n s c r e w e d ,
e s p e c i a l l yw h e n  t h e c a m e r a i s  l o a d e d w i t h  f i l m a s  t h i s m a v
e x p o s et h e f i l m .

Note: The camera back can be removed from the body by
depressingthe locking catch located on the hinge. This must be
done when the camerais used with the 250 magazineback MF-1,
which wraps around the body in place of the back.


U n I o a d i n g
Whenthe frame counterindicatesthat the lastexposure
has been made,or when the film-advancelevercan no
longerbe stroked,the roll of film hasbeenexposedand
shouldbe removed.
To unload,pressthe rewind but.tonon the camerabase-
plate,pull up the rewindknob,unfoldthe rewindcrank
and turn it with a constant,gentlepressurein the direc-
tion of the arrow until you feel an increasedtension.
Give it a few more turns until no more tensioncan be
felt and the crank turns loosely.Now the film has left

-continuedLOADING THE CAMERA
Film-Planelndicator                          Film-Advance Lever
The exact positionof the film planecan be determined The film-advanceleversimultaneouslyadvancesthe film,
by picturingan imaginaryline drawnalongthe top edge cocksthe shutterand operatesthe framecounter.Stroke
of the digitswhich make up the cameraserialnumber.  the film-advancelever with the right thumb in a single
This is importantto know when measuringthe film-to- stroke of 120" or a seriesof strokes.A built-in locking
subjectdistancein closeupsor macrophotography.The  devicepreventsthe shutterfrom beingreleasedunlessit
distancefrom the film planeto the surfaceof the bayonet  is fully cockedand the film has been advanceda full
mountis 46.5mm.                                 frame.
                                          The leverspringsbackto its originalposition,with a 20o
                                               angle of clearancefor the thumb after each complete
                                                      stroke.
                                                            Caution: Be careful not to push the rewind button (on the
                                                        camera'sbaseplate)during film advanceoperation. Should this
                                                             occur, temporary stoppageof film transport and double expo-
                                                           sure of the negativemay result.
            (bayonet mount front surface)

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The frame counter works automatically to show how  A pieceof paperor top torn from an empty film carton
many frames have been exposed. lt  is calibrated in even  can be insertedin the metalpocketon the backto serve
numberswith the figures5,12,20 and 36 colored orange. as a reminderof the film type, speedand numberof
The counter stops just past the 4}-frame mark and resets exposures.
itselfautomaticallyto "S", two frames before "0", when
the cameraback is opened for reloading.





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EXPOSURECONTROLS
 The amountof exposurethe film receivesis determined Setting the Shutter Speed                              J
 by a combinationof shutterspeedand lens aperture. The Nikon F2 can be set for any shutter speed from
 The largerthe lens aperture,the more exposure.Like-  1 12000second to 10 seconds.Speedsfronr  I /2000 to 1
 wise, the slower the shutter speedthe greaterthe ex-  second are set with the click-stoppedshutter speeddial.
 posure.Aperture is expressedin f/numberswith larger  The numbers on the dial stand for fractionsof a second. 1
 numbersrepresentingsmalleraperturesand vice versa. 125 represents11125 secondand so forth. The red line
  For example,f/8 givestwice as much exposureas f 111. between1/60 and 11125standsfor the X synchro setting                                                                    .l/80  Shutterspeedis expressedin secondsor fractionsof a   of     second-  the highestshutter speedwhich can be
 second.Thenumbersonthe shutterspeeddial arerecipro- used with electronic flash. At the B (bulb) setting,the
  cals of the actuil speg{s..(2J0represents1 1250second, shutterremainsopen as long as the shutter releasebutton
  etc.)                                                                                                                                i s h e l d d o w n .
 Lensapertureandshutterspeedcontrolsarecalculatedso
  that an increaseof one f/numbercompensatesfor a one-
  stepdecreasein shutterspeed.For example,l 1250atf l8
  is equivalentto 11125at f/l 1. The tablebelowshows
 how apertureand shutter-speedcombinationsare inter-
  related.All the combinationsgive the sameexposure.
   Aperture  f11.4  f12        t 12.8   tl4        f ls.6
   Shutter
   speed'   1/s00 1l2so 1112s 1160 1130
   (second)




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Turn the shutter speed dial until the desired speed A pin on the dial providesdirect coupling with the
appearsoppositethe black line. The dial rotatesa full   Photomicfinder.
 3600 in either directionand can be set either before or
 after the shutter is wound. lt can also be set for inter-                                                          ( 1 )
mediatespeedsbetweenthe marked settingsfor more
preciseexposure,except at speedsslower than 1/80
second.
Extra-LongExposures
                       '10For exposuresof 2 to    seconds,first set the shutter
speeddial at "B"  (1). lift up and turn the T-L finger-
guardso that slot in the ring points to "T"  (2). Then
turn the self-timer until the desired exposure time
in secondsappearsoppositethe black dot (3). When
the shutter releasebutton is pressed,the shutter will
remainopen for the indicatednumber of secondsand
closeautomatically.The shutter releasebutton will pop
out as soon as the film-advanceleveris strokedfor the
next exposure.
Note that when the shutter is not releasedwith the self-
timer, the shutter releasebutton will not return to its
normal positionuntil the T-L fingerguardis turned back
so that the slot is in the center.The self-timercannotbe
cockedwhen the black dot is in the red region.
A black line in the centerof the shutterspeeddial indi-
cateswhetheror not the shutteris cocked.ln the cocked
position,the line points to the shutterspeedin use. lt
returnsto the seveno'clock positionwhen the shutteris
released.
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-EXPOSURECONTROLS continued
Time Exposures                                   Setting the Lens Aperture
To make an exposurelonger than 10 seconds,set the  To presetthe lensaperture,turn the aperturering on the
shutter speeddial at "8" and turn the T-L fingerguard lens barrel until the desiredf/number is oppositethe
to "T"  as describedearlier.Pressthe shutter release black indicatorline on top of the milledring;this line
button to open the shutter.lt will remainopenuntil the  alsoservesas the distancescaleindex.The aperturedia-
ring is turnedto its normalposition.                phragm can be set for intermediateopeningsbetween
The ring can alsobe usedto preventaccidentalexposure the click-stoppedsettingsfor more preciseexposure.
when the shutteris cocked.Pull up and turn the ring so
that the slot pointsto "L" (lock).The shuttercannotbe
releasedin this position.





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Depth of field refers to a zone extending in front of and
behindthe plane of sharpestfocus. Within this zone, blur  The depth-of-field preview button lets you check depth
(or unsharpnessof the image)will be negligibleand every-  of field before shooting and make desiredadjustments.
thing can be acceptedas in sharp focus. Depth of field   Pressthe button and the lens stops down to the preselect-
extends a greater distance behind the subject in focus  ed apertureto allow you to seehow much backgroundor
than in front. Depth of field depends on three factors:  foreground is in or out of focus.
focal length of  the  lens, lens-to-subjectdistance and
aperture. The smaller the aperture and the shorter the
focal length of the lens, the greater the depth of field
Also, the closer the subject, the smaller the depth of
field. These three factors can be adlusted independently
or  in combination to  give the photographer creative
control over the final picture.

HOLDINGTHECAMERA
  Steadycameraholdingis importantfor bestresults,since  shutterreleasebutton and the thumb fits betweenthe
 even the slightestcameramovementat the momentof   bodyandfilm-advancelever.This way you can strokethe exposurecan result in an appreciablelossof sharpness,film-advanceleverwithout removingyour eye from the I
  especiallyat slow shutterspeeds.The photographsshow  viewfinder.Cradle the camerain the left hand for ad-  the best way to hold the camerafor rock-steadypicture- ditionalsupport,with the left thumb and indexfinger 0
  taking.                                         graspingthe focusingring, and pressagainstyour fore-
 Wrap the fingersof the right hand around the camera head.The cameramay be switchedfrom horizontalto
 body so that the index finger restscomfortablyon the   verticalformat in this position.




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FOCUSINGAND SHUTTERRELEASE
                                              Focusingis alwaysdone at full aperturewith Nikkor
                                               Auto lenses.This givesthe brightestpossibleimageonI                                                   the focusingscreenfor easeof focusingand composing.
                                                                                     It also minimizesdepth of field so that the imagesnapsI                                                            in or out of focusdistinctly.
                                            The Nikon Type K FocusingScreencomes with the
                                             camera as standard equipment. To  focus, turn the
                                                    focusingring until the two halvesof the centralrange-
                                                          finder imagecoincide to form a single,sharpimage,or
                                                                 until the microprismpatternshifts to a sharpand crisp
                                                 image. You can also focus on the surroundingmatte
                                                              field.
                                             The lens can also be prefocusedusing the distancescale
                                               engravedin both feet and meterson the lensbarrel.Line
                                              up the black indicatorline on top of the lensopposite
                                                      the camera-to-subjectdistanceas measuredor estimated.
                                                   This techniqueis usefulfor candidshotsof elusivesub-
                                                         jectswhen time doesnot permit through-the-lensfocus-
                                                         ing.





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fffiCUSlNfr ANffi SF{il.-JTTEffimffiLFA$fi*-cCIntinued
For sharp pictures, correct shutter releasingis just as im-  For long time exposures,with the camera mounted on a
portant as steadycameraholding.A quick, jabbing move-  tripod, use a cable release.The shutter releasebutton is
ment of the finger on the shutter releasebutton will   threaded to accept the Nikon cable release.For hand-
result in camera movement and blurred pictures. Hold   held exposuresat speedsslower than I /30 second, greater
the camerasteadyas shown previously,relax and squeeze sharpnesscan be obtained if the shutter releaseis tripped
the shutter releasewith a gentle,even pressure.          by meansof the self-timer.
Be careful not to apply pressureto the film advancelever
when the shutter is being released.




 Out of focus                                                              ln focus





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CHANGINGTHELINJS
                                           To removethe lensfrom the camera,pressthe lensrelease
                                                    button.Graspthe lensby the white milledring and twist
                                                                                          it to the right as far as it will go. The lenswill comeloose
                                           and can be lifted out. To mount a lens,positionit in the
                                              camera'sbayonetmountso that the indicatordotson the
                                                   lens and the cameraline up with eachother. Twist the
                                                   lens counterclockwiseuntil it clicksinto place.Always
                                            shade the camerafrom the sun with your body when
                                             changinglenses.

CHANGINGTHEVIEWFINDER
The eye-levelviewfinderwith Type K focusingscreenis
standardequipmenton the Nikon F2. Five other inter-
changeableviewfindersare availablefor the Nikon F2:
F2A Photomic,F2AS Photomic,Action, Waist-Level
and 6X Focusingfinders.
To remove the Eye-Levelfinder,pressthe finderrelease
buttonon the backof the camerabody.The findersnaps
looseand can be lifted out. To attach,set it in position
and pressdown gentlyuntil it clicksinto place.
The F2 Photomicfinderhasa pair of pincer-typeclamps
to positionthe finder and hold it snuglyin place.These
clampsmust be loosenedby depressingthe finder release
lever when removingthe Photomicfinder. For details,
seethe instructionbookletsuppliedwith the Photomic
finder DP-l1, DP-12,Nikon F2A, or F2AS Phoromic
cameras.





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CHANGINGTHEFOCUSINGSCREEN
Nineteendifferent focusingscreensare availablefor the
Nikon F2 to match exactly any focal length lens or
picture-takingsituation.The Type K focusingscreen
comeswith the cameraas standardequipment.Any of
the screensmay be usedwith any of the findersavailable
for the camera.
To changethe focusingscreen,first removethe finderas
describedearlier.Thenturn the camerabody upsidedown
and pressthe finder releasebutton a secondtime. The
screenwill drop into your hand.
To attacha screen,placeit in positionwith the flat side
facingdown and the Nikon mark pointingtowardsthe
front of the camera.Pressthe finder releasebuttonand
the screenwill drop into place.

Caution: When changing the focusing screen,be careful not to
touch the surfaceswith the fingers as this will result in greasy
marks.When removing the screen,it isadvisableto placea clean,
dry cloth over the palm of the hand for the screento drop onto.





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= Excellent              FocusingScreenSelectorChart
I  = Acceptable
The imageis brilliantfrom edgeto
edge,but the central rangefinder,
microprism or cross-hairarea is
dim. Focus on the surrounding
matte area.
   = Acceptable
Slight vignetting or  moire phe-
nomenon (in  the case of  the
microprism)  affects the  screen
image. But the image on  film
showsno tracesof this.
I  = Acceptable
Incompatiblewith any lenshaving
a maximum aperture larger than
f/2.8 since this discreasesthe ef-
ficiencyand accuracyof the screen
rangefinder.The in-focus image
in the central spot may prove to
be slightly out of focus on film.
Focuson the surroundingmatte
area.

Caution:The rear surfaceof the
screen is made of  acryl resin.
 Specialcare should be taken to
 protect it from scratchingor ex-
 cessivepressure.




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SELF-TIMER
Ready-light                                The built-in self-timercan be used to trip the shutter
The Nikon F2's eye-levelfinderhasa built-inready-light after a delay of 2 to 10 seconds.The numbersmarked
for usewith the Nikon SB-7Espeedlightunit.The lamp  aroundthe leverindicatethe delay in seconds.To cock
lightsup to let you know when the speedlightis fully   the self-timer,turn the leverdownwarduntil the desired
chargedand ready to fire without removingyour eye  numberof secondsdelayis oppositethe blackdot. press-
from the viewfinderand goesout afterthe speedlighthas  ing the small button locatedunder the end of the lever
fired.The ready-lightis connectedto the speedlightby    in its uncockedpositionstartsthe countdown.If you
meansof an optional ready-lightadapter.For details,  decidenot to usethe self-timerafterit is alreadycocked,
seethe speedlightinstructionbooklet.                usethe shutterreleasebutton to makethe exposureand
                                                          to shut off the self-timer.The self-timercan be seteither
                                                 beforeor after the shutter is wound. lt shouldnot be
                                            usedat the "B" setting.

MIRRORLOCK             N4ULTIPLEEXPOSURES
Thereflexmirrormustbe lockedin the up positionwhen  lntentionalmultipleexposurescan be made with the
usingeither the Fisheye-Nikkor6mm f 15.6or the OP  Nikon F2 as follows: after makingthe first exposure,
Fisheye-Nikkor1Ommf/5.6 lenses,sincetheir rear ele- depressthe rewind button on the baseplateand stroke
mentsprotiude into the camerabody and interferewith  the film-advancelever.This windsthe shutterandcocks
mirror movement.Locking-upis alsonecessaryfor shoot- the mirror for the secondexposurewithout advancing
ing with the Nikon Motor DriveMD-2 at its top speed. the film. Repeatthe procedureas many times as you
Pressin on the lock-upleverand turn it downwarduntil  wish. Exposuresmay be madeat differentshutterspeeds.
the white dot is oppositethe white line.The mirror will  The frame counterremainsunchangedduringthe opera-
remainlockedin the up positionuntil the leveris return- tion.
ed to its originalposition.                    When the above procedureis followed, the film may
                                       moveslightlywhen the film-advanceleveris wound.To
                                                avoid this, depressthe rewind button and hold it down
                                                  while you stroke the lever and make the exposure.
                                            Repeatthis procedureas many timesas desired.
                                                       After the last exposure,stroke the film-advancelever
                                            once more. This time do not hold the rewind button
                                            down. The rewind button will pop out to indicatethe
                                                film-advancemechanismbeing re-engaged.Then cover
                                                   the lens with a lens cap and pressthe shutter release
                                                 button to open the shutter.Now, advancethe film to
                                                    the next frame.




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INFRAREDPHOTOGRAPHY
ln infrared photography,the planeof sharpestfocus is
slightlymore distant than the one producedby visible
light and seenby the nakedeye through the viewfinder.
To compensatefor the shift in focus,Nikkor lenseshave
a red dot or line on the lens barrelnearthe color-coded
depth-of-fieldscale.After focusing the image sharply
through the viewfinder,turn the focusingring to the left
until the red dot linesup with the prefocuseddistance.
For example,in the picturebelow 50mm f l'1.4lenshas
beenfocusedat infinity 1-). The focusingring is turned
slightly to the left so that the infinity mark is opposite
the red dot. When lenseshavinga focal lengthof 50mm
or lessare stoppeddown to f/8 or smaller,no adjustment
is necessary:at such small aperturesthese lenseshave
enough depth of field to compensatefor the shift in
focus.





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