Film cameras
Nikonos III User manual
User manual for Nikonos III. 35 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
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Document details
- Brand
- Nikon
- Model / document
- Nikonos III
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 35
- File size
- 10.4 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
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Page 5 · Read text
CONTENTS
Foreword 5 Viewfinder 17
Camera design 6 Built-inviewfinder.. 17
O-ring gaskets 6 Accessoryviewfinder. .17
Loading the camera 7 Focusing .i..- 18
Removing the lens 7 Exposurecontrol ... 19
Removing the body 8 Setting the shutter speed 20
Loading the film 9 Setting the aperture . 20
lnstalling the body 10 Depth-of-field indicator 21
Installing the lens . 10 Depth of field 21
Prior to shooting 11 Ffash synchronization 22
Film advancelshutter release operation . . . 12 Tips on camera care . 23
Film advance action 12 Tips for underwater photography 24
Shutter release action 13 Underwater flash photography . 28
Frame counter '14 Close-up photography . 29
Safety lock . . Nikonosllllenses... 30Unloading film 45 Nikonos III accessones 32
Hofding the camera. . 6 Features/specifications 35
4View original page 5Page 7 · Read text
CAMERA DESICN
The special capabilities of the Nikonos III stem Body: This section firmly fits into the housing. The
from the uniqueness of its construction. The entire assembly is made watertight through the adop- tion of O-ring gaskets at all joints. Mounted within arecamera consists of three main sections which the bright-line viewfinder and most of the camera's
interlock to form a completely watertight unit moving mechanical parts.
capabfe of withstanding pressure of up to 6kgl Lens: The standard lens for the Nikonos III is the
cmz (8.5 lblin2) at deprhs of up ro 50m (160 W-Nikkor 35mm t12.5. The lens locks the entire
camera together for safety during underwater photo-feet). graphy. To ensure proper adjustment to the varying
has a specialHousing: This outer section is made of die-cast alumi- effects of water pressure, each lens barrel
num alloy and specially treated for protection against spring-loaded mount.
the corrosive effects of salt water and underwater pres- O-ring Gaskets
are sealed by means ofsure. To ensure gripping, even with wet, bare or gloved All joints of the Nikonos III
ensurehands, a non-slip rubber covering is applied. O-ring gaskets. These synthetic rubber rings
absolute watertightness and can withstand water pres'
as sure at depths down to 50m (160 feet) - as deep you can dive with scuba equipment. As pressure
increases, the seal becomes even tighter.
Periodic lubrication improves the life of the gaskets
and facilitates component removal and attachment.
Make it a practice to lubricate the gaskets before each
underwater picture-taking session using the lubricant
supplied with the camera for this purpose. Remember,
a good seal is possible only if you use lubricant. (Also,
see "Tips on CameraCare" on page 23.)View original page 7Page 8 · Read text
TOADING THE CAMERA www.butkus.us Removing the Lens either direction until the focusing and aperture The lens in its bayonet mount locks the entire knobs are positioned vertically. Pull the lens camera together; thus, it must be removed first firmly outward once more and the lens will slip in order to load the camera. Grasp the lens by free of the bayonet mount. lt should be noted the milled surface and pull outward slightly un- that lens removal should be performed only af- til the seating ridges on the lens mount are free ter the camera has been properly washed and of the seating grooves on the camera body's dried. bayonet mount. Then rotate the lens 90o inView original page 8
Page 9 · Read text
LOADING THE CAMERA - continued Removing the Body After the lens is dismounted, the body can be removed from the housing. Position the strap- attachment levers under the lip of the body and push firmly downward to pry the body free of the housing. Once loosened, the body is lifted vertically out of the housing. lt should be noted that any attempt to pry the body free of the www.butkus.us housing prior to removal of the lens will result in damage to the camera. (Also, see "Tips on Camera Care" on page 23.)View original page 9
Page 10 · Read text
www.butkus.us Loading the Film Push upward on the film pressure plate latch to release the plate. Then, swing the plate down- ward to permit placement of the film. Fit the film cartridge in the left-hand portion of the body with the film leader aligned with the film guide rails. Rotate the film take-up spool until the slot faces outward, and feed the end of the leader into the slot. Begin to slowly advance the film, checking that the leader winds smoothly on the spool and the film edge perforations en- gage with the film advance sprocket. When sat- isfied that the film is properly feeding, complete the advance stroke and close the film Dressure plate. Caution: Failure to seat properly may result in film slippage, incomplete closure of the film pressure plate, or uneven film travel along the guide rails.View original page 10
Page 11 · Read text
LOADING THE CAMERA - continued
Installing the Body Installing the Lens
The procedure for installing the body is the re- Place the lens in the camera's bayonet mount
verse of that for removing. Slide the body verti- with the focusing and aperture knobs posi-
cally into the housing until the O-ring at the lip tioned vertically. Then, push the lens inward
is contacted. Now, press firmly on both sec- and twist it 90" clockwise until the seating
tions until the lip of the body contacts the up- ridges on the lens mount click and lock into
per edge of the housing. During installation of position in the seating grooves on the camera
the body, be careful not to exert excessive pres- body. For greater convenience when reading
sure on the shutter speed dial or film-advance/ the scales, the lens may be mounted upside
shutter-release lever. down on the camera.
Note: lf the lens cannot be mounted smoothly, lubri-
cate the O-ring gasket around the lens base.
www.butkus.usView original page 11Page 12 · Read text
www.butkus.us Prior to Shooting Note: Be sure to drop the rewind knob back to its Set the shutter speed dialto any position except recessed position. Failure to do so may result in water "R." Advance the film to dispose of several entering the camera when used underwater. . frames exposed during film loading (for advance operation, see pages 12 and 1 3), and to set the frame counter to "1." Now, you're ready to start shooting.View original page 12
Page 13 · Read text
FILM ADVANCE/SHUTTER RELEASE OPERATION
The functions of film advance and shutter re- Film Advance Action
lease are performed via the operation of a single When pressure is released from the film-
lever on the Nikonos III. This technique vastly advance/shutter-release lever at the completion
simplifies camera operation for underwater pho- of shuttering, the lever swings out approximate-
tography. This lever, called the film-advancef ly 60" preparatory for the film advance action.
shutter-release lever, is operated as follows: The camera is now ready to be cocked and film
is ready to be advanced for the next exposure.
Press inward on the lever with a smooth, con-
stant stroke until the lever reaches the end of
travel. During this period the camera will be
cocked, the film will advance one frame, the
frame counter will advance one position, and
the white dot in the frame counter will rotate
and realign with the frame counter marking.
Release the pressure on the lever and it will
spring back slightly to the "ready" position,
flush with the front of the camera body, to
indicate that the camera is set for exposing
the next frame.
Three special conditions should be noted con-
cerning film advance operation. (1) When press-
ing the lever inward, make sure you press it as
far as it will go, until the lever's stroke is com-View original page 13Page 14 · Read text
www.butkus.us pleted; only then is film advance operation Shutter Release Action completed. (2) The film advance stroke can When the film-advance/shutter-release lever is in only be started from the fully extended posi- the "ready" position, parallel with the front of . tion; shorter strokes are prevented by the the camera body, it is set for shutter release. internal mechanism. (3) Should the advance Simply squeeze the lever to release the camera's stroke stop during winding at the end of the shutter for the time interval set on the shutter roll, remove pressure from the lever, set the speed dial. When pressure is removed from the shutter speed dial to "R," complete the stroke, lever at the completion of shutter release, the and lock the lever (to prevent accidental shutter lever will spring outward 60" for the start of release during unloading) via the built-in safety the next film advance stroke. lock. The camera should then be unloaded.View original page 14
Page 15 · Read text
SAFETY IOCK
Frame Counter The film-advance/shutter-release lever of the
The frame counter operates automatically to Nikonos III is fitted with an easy-to-operate
show how many frames have been exposed. safety lock used to prevent accidental shutter-
When the camera housing is removed for load- ing of the camera. To secure the lever in the
ing, the counter is reset to the start position, "ready" position (flush with the front of the
camera is camera body), slide the safety lock toward thethe red line before "0". Once the
loaded and the housing is in place, each film- shutter speed dial until the "L" is visible. In
advance/shutter-release sequence will cause the this position, the camera cannot be shuttered.
frame counter to advance one position until the To disengage, slide the lock in the opposite di-
maximum 2O or 36 frames have been exposed. rection until the "O" appears; the shutter can
The dial of the frame counter is indexed for now be released.
each frame, with numbers at every fifth frame.View original page 15Page 16 · Read text
UNTOADING FILM www.butkus.us
When the frame €ounter indicates that the last Set the shutter speed dial to "R" (rewind) and
exposure has been made, the roll of film has pull the rewind knob up until it locks in place
been fully exposed and it should be removed. and cannot be pushed back down. Unfold the
Before unloading, however, the film-advancel rewind crank and turn it in the direction of the
shutter-release lever should be secured in place engraved arrow, using a smooth, even pressure.
at the "ready" position (flush to the body) to During film rewinding, the frame counter goes
prevent accidental exposure during unloading. backwards. Stop when the counter reaches "0,"
To secure, perform a regular advance stroke as explained in "Loading the Camera" on pages
'l'1.(should binding occur, remove finger pressure 7 -and set the shutter speed dial to "R"-then CAUTION: NEVER UNLOAD THE CAMERAcomplete the stroke) to return the lever to the UNDERWATER!
"ready" position' and, then, slide the safety
lock to the right.View original page 16Page 17 · Read text
HOLDING THE CAMERA
Camera shake is one of the most common
causes of unsharp pictures, especially at slow
shutter speeds. Learn to hold the camera cor-
rectly and practice steady shutter squeezing.
The photos show the best ways to hold the
camera for sharp pictures.
Grasp the camera firmly so that the camera
rests securely in the palm of the left hand. Wrap
your right hand around the camera so that the
index finger rests on the advance lever. Position
the camera so that the eye looks through the
center of the viewfinder. From this basic
stance, the camera can be easily switched from
horizontal to vertical format.
Underwater, weightlessness makes steady camera
holding even more difficult. Concentrate on
steadiness even when using fast shutter speeds.
16View original page 17Page 18 · Read text
VIEWFINDER www.butkus.us
Built-in Viewfinder Accessory Finders
The Nikonos III is fitted with a bright-line view- Two accessory frame finders are available for
finder for use on land. As this type of viewfind- both underwater and on-land use. These units
er produces a field of view larger than that of mount securely in the accessory shoe at the top
the lens, framing marks are provided to indicate of the camera body. One unit is used exclusive-
the area within the field that will be recorded ly with the 28mm lens, while the second unit is
on the film. Framing marks are for both the used with either the 35mm or the 80mm lens.
35mm and 80mm lenses. In addition to the Each frame finder provides the photographer
main framing marks for the two lenses, parallax with framing and centering references corrected
correction marks are included to indicate the for paratlax at a close-focus of 2m (6.5 feet).
proper framing for subject distances as close as For details, refer to the instructions supplied
0.8m (2.7Fn5 feet). with each unit. r-]
17View original page 18Page 19 · Read text
FOCUSING
Since the Nikonos III is not provided with a
coupled rangefinder, camera-to-su bject distances
are normally estimated. The depth-of-field
indicator on the distance scale of each lens
shows just how much error you can tolerate
and still get sharp pictures. The standard 35mm
lens has considerable depth of field; thus, rea-
sonable estimates will usually result in sharp
pictu res.
Turn the focusing knob at the right side of the
lens until the estimated distance appears above
the white triangular distance index. As long as
www.butkus.us the subject remains within the limits of sharp-
ness shown by the red depth-of-field pointers
on the distance scale, sharp focus is assured.
Depth of field decreases sharply at distances
cfoser than 1.5m (5 feet), so it is good practice
when shooting close-ups to stop down the lens
to the smallest possible aperture, or measure
the distance. The closest distance at which the
standard 35mm lens can be focused is 0.8m
(2.7 5 f eet).View original page 19Page 20 · Read text
EXPOSURE CONTROT www.butkus.us
receives choice is The settings of control on will depend
speedI determinedThe amountbyofa exposurecombinationthe offilmshutter the result desired. fast shutter speed wilt A
and aperture size. The larger the lens aperture, freeze motion, while a slow speed will causeI or the slower the shutter speed, the greater the image blur; for small apertures, depth of field is
exposure. Aperture size is expressed in f/num- extended, while large apertures restrict sharp
bers with larger numbers representing smaller focus to the main subject.
apertures and vice versa (e.g.,f l8 gives greater
exposure than f/1 1 ).
Camera aperture and shutter speed controls are
calculated so that an increase of one f/number
compensates for a decrease of one step in shut-
ter speed. The table below shows how control
settings are interrelated;all combinations shown
give the same exposure.
I
t
t9View original page 20Page 21 · Read text
EXPOSURE CONTROL - continued Setting the Shutter Speed Setting the Aperture The numbers engraved on the shutter speed dial The aperture knob at the left side of the lens stand for fractions of a second (e.g., 30 repre- controls aperture settings and operates the sents 1/30 second). Turn the shutter speed depth-of-field indicator on the upper distance dial until the desired number appears opposite scale. Turn the knob until the desired f/number the white shutter speed index line on the film- appears below the white triangular aperture in- advance/shutter-release lever; you can change dex on the lower scale. The white line leading speed at any time between strokes of the lever. from the aperture knob to the aperture scale Speeds from 1/30 to 1/500 second plus "B" are makes identification easY. engraved on the dial and identified by click- stops; use of intermediate settings, however, is not recommended. At the "8" setting, the shut- ter will remain open as long as the lever is held depressed. The "R" setting is used only when rewinding the film.View original page 21
Page 22 · Read text
www.butkus.us
Depth-of- Field I ndicator pointers show that the depth of field extends
Depth of field can be read directly from the from about 1.5m (5 feet) to infinity (-).
distance scale in either meters or feet with the
aid of the depth-of-field indicator coupled to Depth of Field
the lens aperture control knob. As you change Depth of field refers to the zone of acceptable
aperture settings, two red pointers move to- focus extending in front of, and behind, the
gether or apart automatically to indicate the plane of sharpest focus. Within this zone, image
near and far limits of sharpness at each aperture blur is negligible and everything can be consid-
setting. For example, with the standard 35mm ered as being in sharp focus. Three factors
lens focused to 3m (1 0 feet) and set at f/l 6, the greatly influence the depth of field: the focal
length of the lens in use, the camera-to-subject
distance, and the taking 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 shallower the depth
of field. These three factors can operate inde-
pendently or in conjunction with one another,
with any one factor capable of partially cancel-
ing the effects of the others.
21View original page 22Page 23 · Read text
FLASH SYNCHRONIZATION
The Nikonos III is designed to synchronize with No special adapter is necessary when using the
Nikonos Under-most types of flashbulbs at almost all shutter Nikonos III camera with the
speeds and with electronic flash at speeds to water Flash Unit for underwater flash photo-
1/60 second. The synchro-socket at the camera graphy. Simply unscrew the synchro-socket
baseplate has an FP contact for use with bulb- protective cap and connect the two units to-
land,type flash units (for M, FP and MF) and an X gether. When using the Nikonos III on
contact for electronic flash units. The table be- the Flash Unit Adapter is available to adapt the
low shows which shutter speeds may be used camera for use with regular, bulb-type flash
with different types of flashbulbs. units or electronic flash units.
Shutter Speed
Contact Flashbulb 50c 25( 125 60 30 s
M
FP FP
MF
x Electronic Flast
cannot be used [ l, Synchronized [*-:l,View original page 23Page 24 · Read text
TIPS ON CAMERA CAREwww.butkus.us 1. After using the camera in salt water, and whenever dirty, rinse it thoroughly in fresh running water to remove any residue. Then dry with a soft cloth before opening. Never dry the camera by heating. 2. Do not submerge the camera in water with the synchrosocket pro- tective cover removed. And whenever using the Flash Unit, make sure that the flash connector is securely attached to the camera before entering the water. 3. O-ring gaskets should be protected from cuts or scratches, as might be caused by grains of sand. Whenever the gaskets appear to be worn, they should be replaced. Spare gaskets for the lens mount and the lip of the body are furnished with the Nikonos III. Replacement of other gaskets should be left to an authorized serviceman. 4. Should the lens or body be accidentally dropped in salt water during loading (or at any other time when the interior is exposed), rinse immediately in fresh water and take the unit to a Nikon Service Center or Dealer as soon as possible. 5. Do not attempt to adjust the focusing knob or aperture knob past the end limits of travel; forcing these knobs will result in damaging the lens mechanism. 6. Never attempt to change lenses, open the camera, or load/unload film underwater. 7. Lubricate all gaskets and the flash contactafter each dive.View original page 24
Page 25 · Read text
TIPS FOR UNDERWATER PHOTO The underwater world is a challenging dimen- sion for the photographer, amateur and profes- sional alike. And part of this challenge is the mastering of new skills essential for even the most basic underwater photography. The fol- lowing are some tips designed to help beginners improve their underwater pictures. With a little practice and experimentation you will learn to get good results consistentlY. Visibility Underwater visibility varies depending on sever- al factors, including the degree of turbidity of the water, the amount of light reflected at the water surface, and the reflectivity of the bot- tom. Since visibility decreases with increased subject-to-camera distance, move in as close as possible to your subfect and use lenses with the widest possible field of view. Shooting at close distance will also make colors more life-like and improve sharpness and contrast. Photo: A. TATEISHI 24View original page 25
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