Nikon Photomic T Finder Instructions
- June 4, 2024
- Nikon
Table of Contents
Nikon Photomic T Finder
OVERVIEW
NIKON PHOTOMIC-T FINDER FOR NIKON F
Pholomic-T Finder is an eye-level viewer, under incorporating a CdS exposure
meter, designed 10 be a “Through-The-Lens” system exposure meter. It measures
the average
brightness over the entire picture need of whichever interchangeable lenses.
Mounted on the top of the Nikon F camera, the meter couples to both the
shutter speed dial on the camera and aperture diaphragm in the lens, showing
its indicator needle on the outside top of the camera and inside the view
finder field as well. No consideration is needed about exposure factors in the
use of niter, in close-up focusing, in photomicrography, etc
Characteristics
- Type: Through-The-Lens system
- Measuring range of average brightness: 0.5-16000 cd/m2 Iwith Fi lA lensl EV2 -17 {corresponds to Fi lA, l/2 sec. – Fi ll , 1/ 1000 sec.l with the film speed ASA 100
- Aperture scale: F/ 1.4-F/22
- Shutter speed scale: 2 sec. Iwith BI – 1 II 000 sec_
- Film speed scale: ASA 25 – 6400
- Adjustable range of max. the aperture of lens: F/ 1.2 – F/4.5
- Mercury batteries: 2_6V IL3V X 21
- Weight: 230 g
MOUNTING THE FINDER
Set the shutter speed dial on the camera to any speed except T, and the aperture ring of the lens to F/ 5.6. Move the slider at the bottom of the Finder to a position. so that the figure 5.6 appears in the aperture window on the bock of the Finder. Then, mount the Finder onto the camera top. Press it in position until a click is heard.
Note : To mount the Photomic-T Finder onto the earlier type (up to serial No. 6700000) of Nikon F camera, contact your dealer.
Rotate the shutter speed selector of the Finder, until the small pin on the camera shutter speed dial fits the groove on the select. The selector can be turned together with the dial. Be sure that the slider is coupled to the prong on the aperture ring of the lens. To detach the Finder from the camera, press the lock ~utton on the back of the camera.
EXCHANGING THE LENS
For attaching or detaching the lens, it needs to set the aperture ring to 16. First, bring the ‘ slider at the bottom of the Finder to the right limit (as viewed toward the front. Attach the lens onto the camera by bayonet fitting and engage the prong on the aperture ring to the slider.
EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT
Full-aperture measurement
The Photomic-T Finder is so ingeniously designed that, so for as the lens is
coupled to the Finder with the prong, the exposure can be determined with the
aperture of the lens fully open, no consideration being required as to the
pre-selected aperture, to take advantage of using the “Auto” lens, which
permits getting view of the brightest under image in focusing and composing.
Stop-down measurement
When a lens which is not provided with the coupling prong or when the coupling
is prevented by any intermediate attachment between the lens and the camera,
the expcsure setting should be made with the operture of the lens stopped down
to the aperture actually being used see p. 191.
ORDER OF USING THE FINDER
The use of the Finder proceeds in the following order :
- Set the film speed (ASAl to the max. aperture of the lens (see p. 101.
- Push side button on the Finder to switch on the meter (see p. 11 I.
- Look in the Finder eyepiece to focus and compose the picture.
- Set pointer needle inside the viewfinder or outside the Finder, by revolving shutter speed selector on the top and/or aperture ring of the lens.
SETTING FILM SPEED TO THE MAX. LENS APERTURE
Be sure that the speed (ASA) of the film being used is_set to the max. aperture of the lens. If it is not, turn the DIm speed (ASA) dial on the top of the shutter speed selector, using two pins, so that the film speed (ASA) lines up with the max. F. number of the lens engraved on the edge. For example, the ASA 100 is set to the max. aperture F/ 1.4 as shown in the top figure, and to F/ 2.8 in the bottom figure.
The intermediate dots in the film speed scale and in the max. aperture scale
correspond to the F·number as below:
DETERMINING THE EXPOSURE
First, depress the side button so that the top button pops up, showing a red band around. The red color will serve to arouse attention. Viewing the finder field, rotate the shutter speed selector and/or the aperture ring of the lens, until the pointer needle inside the viewfinder comes to the center.
The needle moves in the same direction as the shutter speed selector and the aperture ring rotate. The meter pointer needle is also visible in the outside top window. The camera is now ready for taking picture of the subject.
IMPORTANT!
- After the camera has been used, depress the top button so that the side button pops up, to avoid the unnecessary drain of the mercury battery.
- The shutter speed selector clicks at each marked selling. The shutter does not give an intermediate exposure time’. Therefore, if the needle does not come exactly to the center at the moment the shUller speed selector clicks, correct the deviation of the needle by slightly revolving the aperture ring of the lens.
- When the needle comes to the center at B·2 selling on the shutter speed selector, the COrrect exposure time will be 2 seconds. Depress the shutter bu”lOn for 2 seconds at the B·2 position. In this exposure, use a tripod to avoid camera movement. T-exposure cannot be made with the Photomic-T Finder mounted on the camera. For this purpose, use the B-2 selling and a cable release.
USING FILTER OR ClOSE-UP ATTACHMENT
It is one of the great advantages of the Photomic-T Finder that the exposure factor need not be considered in using -a rllter or close-up attachment lens attached on the lens, because the exposure decrease caused by it will give the same effect to the meter and to the film. The correct exposure is always obtained by the meter setteng without any alteration.
For the same reason, the adjustment of F-number, which is required when the lens is extended for close-ups such as in the case using an extension ring or bellows, can be disregarded. In these cases, however, it is necessary to observe the order: . Set the exposure after focusing. It is also important that no picture should be taken with the filter removed after the exposure is set with the filter attached.
BRIGHT OR DARK SCENE
The Photomic-T Finder measures the average brightness over the entire image area of the finder. Therefore, if a subject much brighter than – the main subject is included in the finder view field, or any bright or dark scene occupies a large part of the image field, the measuring result will be incorrect. For example:
- Bright sky; snow; white wall; sand beach, etc. extending over one-third of the under image area.
- Electric lamp; bright window; etc. illuminating as backlight.
- Black wall; dark scene; etc. occupying one-third of the finder field. Measurement should be made by slightly changing the direction of the camera or by approaching the subject so that the aimed subject or scene covers a large part of the finder view field.
COUPLING RANGE OF METER
It may happen that by an extremely bright or dark scene, the meter needle stops or make a discontinuous movement and can not be set to the center. This does not indicate any disorder but the fact that the brightness of the scene is out of the coupling range of the meter. For example, when using a lens of F/ 1A and a film of ASA 100, a brightness over the aperture Fj22 at the shutter speed of 1/500 sec. or under F/1A at sec. will not be within. the coupling range.
The same movement of the needle may be possible even within the coupling range when the combination of aperture and shutter speed is selected too far away from the correct exposure toward the opposite limit. In this case, reset the shutter speed to 1/15 or 1/ 60 sec. and try again the measurement, then the correct centering will be obtained.
Note : The least coupling brightness varies with the max. the aperture of the lens in use. Therefore, for example, if the F/ 4 lens is replaced with the F/ 1.4 lens, a brightness under F/ 4, 1 sec. will become out of the coupling range of the meter.
INFLUENCE BY FINDER SCREEN
Some types of finder screens exert an influence on the measuring result of the
meter. To compensate the influence, change the film speed setting to the
figure as
shown by the number printed in a bold block in the table See the opposite
page, depending upon the type of lens being used. However, for the lenses of
small max, aperture, where such adjustment goes beyond the limit of the max.
aperture adjustment, it must be made by decreasing the exposure determined by
meter as many steps as shown by the red numbers in the table, the film speed
is set to the max. the aperture of the lens. For example, when using the lens
300 mm F/4.5 and the finder screen type H2, the necessary adjustment will be 1
Liz steps wi th the film speed set to F/ 4.5. Then, provided the meter setting
is obtained with the shutter speed 1/ 125 sec. and the aperture of the lens
stopped down to F/8, change the shutter sp~ed to 1/250 sec. and the aperture
setting to the position halfway between F/8 and F/ 11, or with the shutter
speed unchanged, set the aperture to the position between FI ll and F/ 16.
When the readjustment is a w hole number, it can be done only by changing the
shutter speed.
LIGHT ENTERING THE EYEPIECE FROM BEHIND
As the Photomic-T Finder is designed ingeniously to eliminate an objectionable influence of light coming from behind the finder eyepieces, there is no need of worrying about such an influence under normal conditions. Under the special conditions as below, the use of the eyecup on the eyepiece is recommended so os to avoid as much as possible the entrance of intense light into the eyepiece.
- When exposure measurement by the “top-down” method is made with the lens stopped down to quite a small aperture.
- When 0 dark subject or scene is measured from the camera located in 0 bright places, e.g. a subject or scene in the shade taken from the camera placed in the sun. When bright light directly enters one eye, it is also effective to look into the finder with the other eye.
- When exposure determination is made by looking at the pointer needle in the outside meter window on the camera top, cover the finder eyepiece with the hand.
STOP-DOWN MEASUREMENT
Some interchangeable Nikkor lenses do not have extremely long focus and other special-purpose lenses have no coupling prong on their aperture ring. Even when they are provided with the coupling prong, they are sometimes used with the prong not coupled, on account of the attachment inserted between the lens and the camera, such as the extension ring, bellows, or for any other reason. In these cases, proceed as follows
Set the film speed (ASA) (for example, ASA 100 in the figure) to the red dot (corresponding to F/l.2 position!. Move the slider at the bottom of the Finder to the right until it clicks in a position slightly before it comes to the limit. Determine the exposure (P. 11) with the aperture of the lens stopped down to that to be actually used. In this “stop-down” method, the screens G or H series cannot be used. For the use of Micro-Nikkor 55 mm F/3.5, refer to the next page.
MICRO-NIKKOR-AUTO 55mm F/3.5
When Micro-Nikkor-Auto 55 mm F/ 3.5 is used with the Photomic-T Finder, engage the coupling prong on the aperture ring of the lens to the slider. Fully open the aperture and set the speed IASAI of the film to the max. aperture IF/ 3.51 of the lens. Then, after the exposure is determined, reset the diaphragm a half stop smaller for the reproduction range I, 9 – I, 4 and one stop smaller for I , 4 – I , 2. The “stop-down” method can also be used Use special caution, however, to prevent light from entering the finder eyepiece from behind When M-ring is used for a magnification between 1/2 and 1/1, set the film speed IASAI to the red dot and apply the “top-down” method. The above descriptions are tabulated as follows,
Although the “top-down” method can be employed for repro ratios shown by up to 1,2, the full-open measurement followed by stopping more will be preferable for 1: 9-1,2, when taking pictures of rather dark subjects.
MERCURY BATTERY
One of the outstanding features of the Photomic-T Finder is that it can afford its everlasting efficiency by exchanging mercury batteries. Mercury batteries will keep good for over one year so for as the meter is properly used. To exchange the batteries, open the battery chambers by unscrewing the lid. Insert new batteries into the chamber each with the plus 1+) side turned outward. SCrew in the lid with the inside plus 1+) mark in contact with the outside battery.
The mercury batteries to be used for the Finder are chosen from Mallory PX-13 RM-625R.
Eveready E625
G.E. No. 625
National M-ID
Toshiba TH-Me (except type Y)
- If the meter is exposed to bright light _at a low temperature (below O°CI for a long time, the meter may show a great error or even stop its function. This abnormal condition will naturally be recti need when the temperature rises again. Therefore, in cold weather, take caution not to leave the side button depressed longer than 3 minutes ot a time.
- The motive power of the mercury battery will suddenly drop when the life is ended, causing no more movement of the pointer needle.
- No old battery should be thrown into the fire. Avoid heating it.
- Never form a short circuit between the plus and minus sides of the batteries.
- Never try to disassemble or recharge the battery.
- If the camera will not be used for a long time, it is advisable to remove the battery from the Finder.