Nikon FM BOOKLET Product booklet

www.butkus.us

The Nikon FM is a compact 35mm single-lensreflex
camerathat offers a host of advancedfeaturesamateur
photographersand professionalsalike will appreciate.lt
is designedto accept virtually every accessoryof the
Nikon System-the most comprehensiveevercreatedfor
photography-soit can do virtually everythingthe top-
ratedSLR'scan do...  with that uniqueprecisionand
reliabilitywhich you havecometo associatewith Nikon.
To get the mostout of this camera,studythe instructions
in this manual carefully,as well as those in related
manuals,and practiceusingthe controls-beforeloading
the camera with film. Keep the manual on hand for
ready referenceuntil you have masteredoperation.The
few minutes you spend familiarizing yourself with the
camerawill guaranteeyou the best resultsand increase
your pleasurein takingpicturesmany timesover.

PREPARATIONFOR USE
Installingthe Batteries                      CheckingBatteryPower
The Nikon FM's built-inexposuremeter is poweredby  To check batterypower,movethe camera'sfilm advance
two button-celltype 1.5V silver-oxidebatteries.These  leverfrom the flush to the stand-offpositionby pulling
aremountedin the batteryclip,which formsa singleunit    it just far enoughto uncoverthe red indexon top of the
with the battery chamber'scoin-slottedlid, in the  camera.Then,look throughthe viewfinder.lf any of the
camera'sbaseplate.To installthe batteries,first unscrew LED (light emitting diode) exposureindicatorsis on,
the lid by turning it counterclockwise,with a coin or   battery power is sufficientfor proper operation.Other-
somethingsimilar,until  it can be freely removedby   wise, check battery seatingand make adjustments,if
hand. Then, seat the two batteriesin the batteryclip,  necessary.Should the LED displaystill fail to light up,
one on top of the other,makingsurethat their respective changebatteries.
plus (*) and minus (-)  indicationscorrespondwith   lmportant: When the camera is not  in use, make sure that the
similarmarksprovidedin the clip. After seatingthe bat-   film advance lever is positioned flush with the camera body. As
teries correctly, replacethe lid, and securethe con-  the lever doubles as the meter on/off switch, leaving it  in the                                                                  stand-off position will result in the camera's battery being com-
nectionby turningit clockwisewith the coin asfar as it   pletely drainedin just a few days.
will go. lt is advisableto removethe batteries,whenthe
camerais not to be used for a long period, to prevent
battery leakagewithin the camera;f or additionalinfor-
mation on this, refer to "Tips on CameraCare"on page
30.





                                                                                                                   \

www.butkus.us
LoadingFilm                                     side (autt side) facing out. Make sure that the perfo-
First,open the cameraback by slidingits safetylock to   rations along the edgesof the film mesh with the
the rearand lifting the film rewind knob asfar as it will  sprockets.lf necessary,releasethe shutter by cocking
go. Position the film cartridgeor cassettein the film   the shutter releasebutton, and strokethe film advance
chamber,which is locatedon the left-handside,with the  leverslowlyto makesurethat the leaderwindssmoothly
film leaderalignedalongthe film guiderails;then,push  on the spool and that the film edgeperforationsengage
the rewind knob to hold the cartridgein place.Pull the  the film sprocketroller. Whenyou are certainthat the
film leaderout sufficientlyfor feeding into the film   film is beingfed properlyonto the spool-and traveling
take-upspool,and insertits end into any of the spool's correctly along the film guide rails, close the camera
slots.Rotatethe take-upspoolasshownin the illustration backby pressingit until it snapsinto place.
so that the film passesunderthe spoolwith its emulsion

PREPARATIONFOR USE- continued
Prior to Shooting                                  loading.As you advancethe film, confirm that the
Fold out the film rewindcrank,and turn it gentlyin the  rewind crank turns in the directionoppositethe arrow.
directionof the engravedarrow until you feel a slight  This indicatesthat the film hasbeenloadedproperlyand
resistance;this will indicatethat any slack in the filrn   is beingadvanced.
cartridgehasbeentakenup. Then,fold the rewindcrank  After advancingthe film two frames, check that the
into place.                                    framecounteris at "0"; then,advancethe film one more
Advance the film (refer to page 11 for film advance frame to preparethe camerafor taking the first picture.
operation),and make two blank exposures;this will
disposeof the initial portion of the film exposedduring

www.butkus.us

Memo Holder                                    Setting the Film Speed
A specialholder is providedon the camerabackfor con- The camera'sexposuremeter must be adjustedto the
venientstorageof any relevantinformation.You can use speedof the film in use to ensurecorrectmeasurement.
it, for instance,to hold the end flap of a film carton to  Accordingly,the camerais provided with an ASA film
remindyou of the type of film loadedin the camera,the  speedscale.To make the necessaryadjustment,lift the
ASA film speed and the total number of exposures knurled ASA film speedring, and turn it until the tri-
available.                                      angularred index is alignedwith the ASA valueof the
                                                         film loadedin the camera.The meter is sensitiveacross
                                                   the full rangeof from ASA 12 to ASA 3200; there are
                                               two dots betweeneach number for intermediateASA
                                                     settings,i.e.,64, 80, 125, etc.

OPERATIONOF CAMERACONTROLS
Setting the Shutter Speed                        graphy.)Also, at the "B" setting,the shutter remains
The Nikon FM's shutter speedselectoris knurledfor  open for as long as the shutter releasebutton is kept
slip-free,easiermanipulation;the face of the dial is en-  depressed.
gravedwith the 11 shutterspeedsettingsavailable:1 for
one second,and 2, 4,8, 15, 30, 60, 125,250,500and  Setting the APerture
1000 for fractionalvaluesof from 112to 1/1000thof a  The Nikon FM works best with Nikkor lenses.The
second.A "8"  setting,also engraved,is providedfor  apertureringsof theselensesare knurledfor slip-free,
longertime exposures.                            easiermanipulation.
To set the shutterspeed,turn the shutterspeedselector To set the lensaperture,turn the lensaperturering until
until the desiredspeedis alignedwith the shutterspeed the desiredf/numbersettingon the lensaperturescaleis
index.The speedselected(including"B")is shownon the  alignedwith the index mark on the lens;intermediate
left-handside of the viewfinder,too, for instant refer-  settingsarealsousable,when required.
ence.                                        Note that, with Nikkor lensesprovidedwith an aperture-
Note that the125 settingis engravedin red;this indicates direct-readout(ADR) secondarylensaperturescale,the
11125sec.,the fastestshutterspeedavailablefor flash  f/number for the apertureselectedappearson the upper
synchronizationwith electronicflash units. (Refer to   portion of the viewfinderfor convenientreferencewhen
page 29  for additional information on flash photo-  shooting.


                                   ffi

www.butkus.us

Thefilm-advanceleversimultaneouslyadvancesthe film,  Each time the film is advancedone frame by a full
cocksthe shutterand operatesthe framecounter.lt also  stroke of the film advancelever, the frame counter
doublesas the Nikon FM's meteron/off switch.         operatesto show how many frameshave beenexposed.
To advancethe film, stroke the lever with your right    It is automaticallyresetto S (start),two framesbefore
thumb as far as it  will go. This will free the locking  0, when the cameraback is openedto removean ex-
devicebuilt into the shutter,causingthe shutterto be  posedfilm cartridgeand/or load a new roll of film. The
releasedand the film to be advanceda full frame.The  frame counterdial has indicationsfor up to a maximum
leverautomaticallyreturnsto its 30" stand-offposition  of 36 frames,with all odd numberscalibratedin dots
whenreleasedupon the completionof film advance.    and all evennumbersin figures.The figuresare in white,
The film-advancelever switchesthe meter on when  exceptfor 12,20 and36 whichappearin red to indicate
movedto its stand-offposition;it switchesthe meteroff   the maximumnumberof exposuresavailable,respective-
whenmovedbackflush with the camerabody.              ly, with standardfilm cartridges.

-OPERATIONOF CAMERACONTROLS continued
Shutter Operation Mode Selector              Self-T ime r
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           IThe shutter releasebutton of the Nikon FM is fitted  The built-in self-timerprovidesan approximately8 to
with a fingerguardthat servesas the camera'sshutter  14 seconddelay betweenthe time the shutter release
operationmode selector.The black line on the finger- button is depressedand the time the shutteris actually
guard,which is knurledfor easymanipulation,shouldbe  fired. lt can be used with any of the markedshutter
alignedwith the black line (white for black FM camera speedsbetween1/1000 and 1 sec.Avoid usingthe self-
bodies)on top of the camerabody for normalshutter  timer with the shutterspeeddial set to "B" as, on this
releaseoperation.The red line on the fingerguardis  setting,the shutter will only open momentarilyand
alignedwith the sameline when motor drive operation incorrect exposurewill invariablyresult. To take a
with the FM's optionalmotor driveunit is required(see picture using the self-timer,first set the apertureand
the instructionmanualfor the MD-11 Motor DriveUnit  shutterspeedcontrols,advancethe film, and cock the
for details).Note that the fingerguarddoublesasa shut-  self-timerby turning the self-timerlever downwards.
ler releaselock when set for motor drive operation Then, depressthe shutter releasebutton and the timer
withouta motor drivebeingmountedon the camera.      will start.A uniquefeatureof the FM'sself-timerleveris
                                                       that its settingis "cancellable."In other words,should
                                              you decidenot to use the self-timeraftersettingit, you
                                                simplyturn it back upwardsand resumenormalshutter
                                                      tripping operation.For critical close-upphotography,
                                                   the self-timer,in combinationwith a tripod, is parti-
                                                      cularlyusefulin preventingvibration.

UNLOADINGFILM                          www.butkus.us
As soonas the frame counterindicatesthat the last ex-  pulling up the rewind knob as far as it will go;then, re-
posurehas been made,or when the film advancelever move the film cartridge.Note that when the film advance
canno longerbe stroked,the roll of film hasbeenfully   lever is stroked for the next exposure (with the next roll
exposedand can now be removed.                         of film), the rewind button will be releasedto engagethe
To unloadthe roll of film, first pressthe rewindbutton  film-advancemechanismonce again.
on the camera'sbaseplate;then, unfold the film rewind You should not push the rewind button during film
crankand turn it in the directionof the engravedarrow  advance operation; otherwise, film advance will tem-
with smooth,evenpressure.Rewindtensionwill ceaseto   porarily stop and frame-overlapmay result. Note, too,
indicatethat the film leaderhas left the take-upspool.  that the camera back can be removed from the body by
Now,openthe camerabackby slidingits safetylock and  depressingthe locking catch on the hinge.

Camerashakeis one of the most commoncausesof blur-
red, unsharppictures,especiallyat slow shutterspeeds.
To preventthis, study how to hold the cameracorrectly
and practicesteadyshuttersqueezing.
Wrap the fingersof the right hand around the camera
body so that the index finger of your right hand rests
comfortably on the shutter releasebutton and the
thumb fits betweenthe camerabody and the film ad-
vancelever.Positionthe camerain such a way that the
eye looks through the center of the viewfinder.Cradle
the camerawith your left hand for additionalsupport,
usingthe thumb and middlefingerto graspthe focusing
ring.This way, the camera is properlysupportedand can
easilybe switchedfrom horizontalto verticalshooting.





 1 4

www.butkus.us
Correctshutterreleaseoperationis just as importantto
obtainingsharppicturesas holdingthe cameraproperly. The shutterreleasebutton can also be tripped with the
To releasethe shuttercorrectly,hold the camerasteadily use of a cable release(ot some similar accessory).To
and depressthe shutterreleasebutton with smooth,even  attachthe cablereleaseto the camera,screwthe thread-
                                 're                                    in a h urry-a quick jab  ed cableconnectoronto the mount providedwith thepressure. Relaxevenwhenyou
of the index finger at the shutter releasebutton will  button. The shutter is then tripped by depressingthe
causecamerashakeand resultin an unintentionallyblur-  cablereleaseplunger.Cablereleaseoperationis especial-
red photograph.                                             ly recommendedfor criticalshootingsituations,suchas
                                          photomicrographyor time exposure, where vibration-
                                                      free shutter releaseis of prime importance.
                                                                                 lmportant:  lf you mount the Nikon FM
                                                                            on  a tripod  wi'th a large head, con tact
                                                                       between the  lens body and  the head
                                                                 may make it impossibleto turn the lens
                                                                                aperture ring.  lf  this happens, use the
                                                                                    special tripod adapter (tupplied with the
                                                                           camera) between the  tripod  head and
                                                                      camerabody.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    ,il:*!


                                                                                     hl ikmn     j,

When the FM is usedwith a Nikkor lensfitted with an  To focu s, u sing th e spI it-im age rangefin der spot, tu rn th e
automatic diaphragm,focusingis done at full aperture. focusingring of the lens until the two halvesof the.range-
This makes for the brightestpossibleimageson the   finder spot perfectly coincide, forming a single, crisp
focusingscreen,enablingeasyfocusingand composing. image.To focus with the microprism grid, turn the focus-
The focusingscreenitself givesyou a choiceof three  ing ring until the imageseenthrough the microprism pat-
focusingaids: a centralsplit-imagerangefinderspot,an   tern appearssharp and crisp. With the matte outfield,
annular microprismgrid and a fine matte outfield.    turn the ring until the image viewed in the field appears
                                                   sharp.
                                              The split-imagerangefinderspot is consideredthe most
                                                       suitable for precise,pinpoint focusing, and the micro-
                                                    prism grid for rapid focusing in sports or action-type
                                                   photography.The fine matte outfield, on the other hand,
                                                                        is ideal for use with telephoto lensesor in close-upand
                                              macrophotography.
                                             You can also prefocus the lens with the use of the dis-
                                                   tance scaleengravedin both meters and feet on,the lens
                                                          barrel.Simply turn the focusingring until the measured
                                                            or estimatedcamera-to-subject distanceis lined u p with
                                                       the distance scale index on the lens barrel. This tech-
                                                   nique is useful for pictu re-takingsituationswhere either
                                                      the subject is elusiveor time does not permit through-
                                                       the-lensfocusing.

-FOCUSING continued
Infrared Photography                         F i l m - P l a n eI n d i c a t o r
The planeof sharpestfocusfor infraredlight is slightly To ensure the best results in  critical picture-taking
fartheraway than its counterpartfor visiblelight asseen situations,such as close-upor copy photography,it is
throughthe camera'sviewfinder.To compensatefor this,  necessaryto determinethe exact subject-to-film-plane
first focus the image sharplythrough the viewfinder. distance.The Nikon FM is thus providedwith a film                                                                                   IThen, tuin the focusingring counterclockwiseuntil the  plane indicator(*   ); this is positionedexactlyin the
point focusedis alignedwith the red dot (or line) pro-  film plane,which is 46.5mm from the front surfaceof
vided on the lens barrel.For example,in the picture the lensmountingflange.
below,the lenshasbeenfocusedfor infinity (-) infrared
shooting.Note that when lenseswith a focal lengthof
50mm or lessare used stopped-downto f/8 or below,
compensationis not necessarydue to the largedepth of
field available.
TherearesomeNikkor lensesthat do not requirerefocus-
ing for infraredphotography;refer to their instruction
manualsfor details.



                                                                                                                                                                              \1
                                                                                                                          !v



 l 8

www.butkus.us
  Whenyou focus on your subiect,you will find that not  To examinethe depth of field beforetakinga picture,it
   only is the subjectitselfin focusbut that obiectsboth in   is necessaryto stop down the lensmanually.You can dolr
ll  front of and behindit appearto be in focus.This "zone"   this by exertingslightfingerpressureon the FM's con-u   of focusis called"depth of field."                      venientlysituateddepth-of-fieldpreviewlever.Assuming
   Depthof field is not a fixed quantity. lt variesby lens,  that the lens is set to an apertureother than its maxi-''f l   dependingon both the subject's distancefrom the  mum, gentlepressureon the lever will stop down the
                                                      lens to that aperture.You will then be able to seethe                   nJ                                                elementsin front of and behind the main subject that  iH:i:;?',iT,;ffill' l'?;.'['Ji::i,Ji #ii;,.1.: ;:   apparentdepth of field,"i.e., the longer the lens,the   will appear in sharp focus in the actual photograph-
   shallowerthe depth of field appearsto be,and viceversa. althoughsomeof them may haveappearednot to be in
    ln the samemanner,the wider the takingaperture (i...,  focus prior to pressingthe lever. A side effect of this
   the lowerthe f/stop number),the shallowerthe depthof   picture-takingprocessis the "darkening"of the imagein
    field, and vice versa.Also, the closeryou approachyour   the viewfinder(the higher the f lnumber,the "darker"
   subject,the shallowerthe depth of field becomes,and  the imageappears); this is normal and should be no
   vice versa.I n all cases,you will find that the depth of   causefor concern.
    field behindthe subjectis largerthan that in front; this
   enablesselectiveblurringof the backgroundelementsof
   the picture,a techniquemost often usedby the creative
   photographer.

   Most of the N ikkor lensesyou will find yourselfusing
   with the N ikon FM are "automatic." This meansthat!   the aperturediaphragmof the lens is kept open at its
[l ing.Whenwidestsettingyouwhilepressyoutheareviewing,shutterreleasefocusingbutton,and meter-the
   camera'smechanismautomatically"stops down"  (i.e.,
   ctosesthe lens aperture) the lens to the apertureat
   whichit is set.

DEPTHOF FIELD-continued
Depth-of-Field  I ndicators
The Nikkor lens' depth-of-fieldindicatorscome in the
form of the three scalesfitted on the lens barrel.The
first is the lensaperturescale,with the f/numberscolor-
coded.The secondconsistsof two setsof coloredlines,
the colorscorrespondingto the colorsof the f/numbers.
The third is the focusingscalewhich is calibratedin
metersand feet.
To determinedepth of field, note the color of the f/
numberin use.The depth of field at the takingaperture
is indicatedby the numberson the focusingscalewhich
are adjacentto the colored linesthat correspondto the
color of the f/number set.
Example
Taking aperture:f 116
Color:Blue
Focusingdistance:5m                                    depthLens setof atffieldl4:centeredShallowon
ln the exampleabove,the farthestpoint of sharpfocus   the main subject.
behindthe subjectis infinity (-);this is the figureon the
focusingscalewhich is adjacentto the blue line on the
secondscale,which in turn correspondsto the bluecolor
of the f/16 setting.The closestpoint of sharpfocus is
2.7m, although this number does not appear in the
focusing scale.
Note that for exact depth-of-fielddetermination,you
should refer to the depth-of-fieldtables in the instruc-
tion manualfor the Nikkor lensin use.

20

www.butkus.us





I
lE


Lens at f/8: Depth of  f ield                                 Lens at f/1 6: Sharp focus
extendedin front of/behind                                               is extended to encompass
the main subiect.                                              the entire foreground and
                                                       background.

EXPOSUREMEASUREMENT
The Nikon FM's built-inexposuremeterutilizesNikon's  Determining Degree of Exposure
proven center-weightedthrough-the-lensmetering sys- The viewfinderhas three exposureindicatorsvisible
tem which is cross-coupledwith both the shutter speed within the viewfield:+ for overexposure,o for correct
control of the cameraand the aperturecontrol of the  exposureand    for underexposure.These indicators
lens mounted on the camera.The meter readsthe in-  havecorrespondingLED's which light up whenthe film
tensity of the light coming through the lens over the  advancelever is moved to its 30" stand-offposition;as
entire focusing screenat full aperture but favors the  you can seein the chart on the left, there are five com-
central 12mm-diameterarea outlined on the screen-  binationspossible.Also includedinsidethe viewfinderas
allowing you to make precisereadingsand making aids to exposuredeterminationare the shutter speed
for overallbalancedexposures.                      selectedand the lensaperturesetting.With non-Al type
                                                  lenses,the lens apertureis not visible.To determine
             * o                                            correct exposure,first switch the meter on by moving
       o   Overexposureby more than 1 stop          the film advancelever to its stand-offposition.One or
                                              two of the LED's will light up oppositethe correspond-
                             f a                                            ing exposureindicatorfs to show you the precisedegree
                                                         of exposure.lf the + indicatorLED lightsuP, increase       O o  Overexposureby 1/5 to 1 stop                                                    the shutterspeedor decreasethe aperture-or vice versa-
                                                          until the o indicatorLED lightsup and the + indicator      +                                      LED turns off; the procedureis the sameif the - indica-
       O o  Correctexposure                                                         tor LED lightsup aloneor with the o indicatorLED.
                                                                                It is normallyimpossiblefor all threeLED's to lightup
                -r                                                 at the sametime, or for the + indicatorLED and -  indi-
       O o  Underexposurebv 1/5 to 1 stop            catorLED to light up simultaneously.The exceptionto
                - a                                                this is whenphotographinga televisionscreen.The rapid-
      +                                                       ly scanningspot pattern that producesthe TV picture
       o   Underexposrrreby more than 1 stop         resultsin a cyclic effect that causesall three LED's to
                    - a                                                  light up whenthe exposuresettingis correct.

-EXPOSUREMEASUREMENT continued
Exposure Control                               Metering Range
The amountof lightreachingthe film planeis determined  lf the centralexposureindicatorLED (o)  fails to light
by a combinationof the shutterspeedand the lensaper-  up, evenafterall possiblelensapertureand shutterspeed
ture. Since the two are interrelated,different combi-  combinationshavebeentried, then the availablelight is
nationswill give the samedegreeof exposure.A 1-step  eithertoo brightor too dim for the meter'srange.ln this
changein shutterspeed,or a 1-stopchangein aperture case,you can either use artificial light (suchas an elec-
setting,will either halve or double the degreeof ex-  tronic flash unit) to increasesubject illuminationor
posure.For example,a shutterspeedof 11125sec.lets  mount a neutraldensityfilter on the lensto decreasethe
in twice as much light as a settingof 11250sec.,and  amountof light reachingthe film.
only half as much light at a speedof 1160sec.;for an  Remember,too, that the lens in use is an equally
aperturesettingof f 111,twiceas much light asf 116,and  important factor to consider.For example,a 50mm
half as muchasf 18,is let in. Thus,if the correctexposure  f 11.4lens(with ASA 100 film) couplesfrom EV 1 (f 11.4
for a particularpicture-takingsituationis 11125atf 111,  at 1 sec.)ro EV 18 (f 116at 111000sec.),makingit
then 1l6O at f 116or 11250atf 18 will be equallyaccept- suitablefor low-light-levelpicture-takingsituations;on
able. The following table iliustratesthe interrelation- the otherhand,a 135mmf 12.8lensprovesmoresuitable
ship between shutter speedand aperturewe have just   for bright-lightshooting,coupling(with ASA 100 film)
described.                                     from EV 3 (f 12.8at 1 sec.)to EV 20 (f132 at 111000).
 Shutterspeed                                   Thus, choosethe lens carefullyto match the existing
           1/10oo 1is00   l l2so 1112s 1160  lightingconditions.   (second)
   Apertu re       fl4        f ls.6      f l 8       f 111     f 116
The "best" combinationwill dependon the resultsyou
want. Use fast shutter speedsto "freeze" motion; use
slow speedsto producea deliberateblur. Also, small
aperturesgive greaterdepth of field, while largeaper-
tures restrictsharpfocusto the main subject.Makeyour
choiceaccordingly.

24

www.butkus.us
High-ContrastLighting                             After completingthis procedure,makeyour final picture
Whenthere is a substantialdifferencein brightnesscompositionand shodt without readjustingeithershutter
betweenthe main subjectand the background,seeming- speedor lens aperture.When shootinglandscapes,for
ly unimportantbright spotsor dark spotscan adversely example,it is often advisableto aim your cameraslightly
influencethe finder readingand thus affect the actual  downwardswhile meteringto eliminatethe effectsof a
exposure.                                             bright expanse(i.e., the sky); without such compen-
To compensatefor an excessivelybright (or dark) back-  sation,the landscapemay appearunderexposedin the
ground, target the main subject in the center of the   final print. Also,for backlitsubjects,itmaybe necessary
focusingscreen,then performmetering(i.e.,determine  to move closerto ensureproperexposuremeasurement.
the degreeof exposureyou want) by makingthe neces-
sary shutter speed andlor lens aperture adjustments.              E





o Meteringwith a bright area in the centerwill cause    .  For correctexposure,first measurethe main subject;
  underexposureof the main subject.                    then,recomposeand shoot.
                                                                                    25

STOP.DOWNEXPOSUREMEASUREMENT
The vast selectionof lensesavailablefor use with your
Nikon FM includessome which are fitted neitherwith
an automatic diaphragmnor a meter coupling ridge,
both of which are essentialto full-apertureexposure
measurement.The FM works even with such lenses,
through an alternativemethod called "stop-down"
exposuremeasurement.Note that when this type of
lens is used with the camera,the meter couplinglever
shouldbe raisedand lockedup out of way manuallyby
depressingand holdingthe couplingleverreleasebutton;
to avoid accidentaldamage,make sureyou do not use
excessiveforcewhen raisingup the lever.
This is how stop-downexposuremeasurementis per-
formed.After you'vecomposedyour picture,movethe
film advanceleverto its stand-offpositionand pressthe                                                                                                                                           '*jcamera'sdepth-of-fieldpreview lever. Keep the lever                         $r''
pressed,and adjusteither the shutterspeeddial or the
lens aperturering (or both)-until the correctexposure
indicator(o) LED lightsup. Then, releasethe leverand
shoot.
It is advisable,at all times,to refer to the instruction
manual of the lens in us'e-especiallyif  it  is a fixed-
aperturelens (e.g., Reflex-Nikkor)or one requiringa
focusingunit (e.g.,Nikkor 1200mm f/1 1)-when per-
forming stop-downexposuremeasurement.The same
applieswhen bellowsunits, extensionrings,presetlens
(e.g.,PC-Nikkor),etc. areusedwith the FM.

26