Frequently Asked Questions About Nikon Film SLRs and Lenses

When did Nikon stop making the (fill in camera name)?

April 94: N4004/F-401

February 95: F-401

QDMarch 95: N8008s/F-801

August 95: N90/F90

July 96: N6006/F-601

May 97: F4s/F4e

What’s meant by a “High Eyepoint” (HP) finder?

Most Nikon cameras allow a reasonable distance between the viewfinder and your eyes (called “relief distance”, often 10-14mms for many early Nikon film SLRs). If you wear eyeglasses, you’ll appreciate the High Eyepoint feature, as it allows you to see the entire viewfinder image even with your glasses on. Without extra relief, you’d either have to take your glasses off to see the entire image, or you’d have to move your head around to see the corners.

Even with my glasses on, the viewfinder isn’t quite in focus. What gives?

Nikon designed most of their film SLR viewfinders with a built-in –1 diopter correction. This means that they anticipated a slight nearsightedness in the user. Since most of the population tends to nearsightedness, that was a reasonable assumption. Unfortunately, as you get older and start to use bifocal or trifocal lenses in your glasses, Nikon’s built-in correction might start to get in your way, as the upper areas of such prescriptions are generally corrected for far sight. A few of Nikon’s film SLRs allow you to adjust the diopter correction on the camera (the F series, for example). For others, you’ll have to order an attachment or replacement for the viewfinder lens.

Are there any Nikon film era lenses I should avoid?

Not really. Even the worst performing NIKKORs are quite capable lenses. However, a few lenses have lessor reputations you should know about:

• Any Series E lens: generally excellent optically, but watch for inconsistent workmanship; also look for versions with chrome aperture ring, which have minor changes to keep internal light reflections down

• MF 50mm f/1.4 or f/1.2 AIS NIKKOR: some users report low contrast is evident at larger apertures

• MF 300mm f/4.5 (non ED version): optically inferior to ED-IF version

• MF 500mm f/8 Mirror NIKKOR: early versions don’t focus close, have inferior optics

• MF 43-86mm f/3.5 NIKKOR: a famous lens, but not particularly good optically compared to later zooms

• AF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6D NIKKOR: very plastic feel, no focus indicator, narrow focus ring, optically okay

* AF 80-200mm f/4.5-5.6D NIKKOR: very plastic feel, no focus indicator, narrow focus ring, optically okay

What does the “D” mean on some autofocus lenses? Do I need it?

D-enabled lenses provide the camera with focus distance information during exposure. This is most useful in flash situations, where the camera knows how much light is in a scene. Using flash with a D-enabled lens and more modern Nikon film SLR (N70, N90s, F5, for example) is one of the few times when the camera’s meter is not overly affected by bright or dark subjects. Why? Because the camera knows how much light the flash sent out towards the subject. The camera knows how much light reflected back to the camera (due to the flash exposure sensors that read reflections off the film). If the camera knows the distance to the subject, it can calculate the expected amount of light reflected from the subject versus the real amount reflected, and make a pretty good guess as to the relative brightness of the subject.

With the cameras that have multiple autofocus sensors and matrix metering patterns, the camera can even begin to distinguish subject from background in many situations, and expose accordingly. So, the answer is “yes, there are times when you want D-enabled lenses.”

In non-flash situations, D-enabled lenses still provide some advantage to the camera’s processor in matrix metering modes, although nothing near the clear-cut advantage they provide in flash situations.

Finally, there is a debate about whether D technology is useful with telephoto lenses. Part of this has to do with the way telephoto lenses are used (frame-filling closeups of people, animals, objects, etc.). Everything in the frame of a telephoto shot is often at about the same subject distance from the camera, and thus, unless you’re using flash, not likely to provide important information to the camera.

 

My lens has a special focus mark labeled “IR,” what’s that for?

Infrared light is not in the visible spectrum and has a much different wavelength than the light we see. Because of this, it focuses at a different plane than the normal spectrum, and you must adjust your lens’s focus to correct for this. The IR mark on your lens (labeled “IR” of fixed focal length lenses, and with a focal length for zoom lenses) is the indicator for the actual focus point you should use if you load your camera with infrared film (note that different infrared films respond to light differently—the marks Nikon uses are designed for the original Kodak Infrared film). So, here’s what you do:

(1) focus your lens normally

(2) Note the focus distance on the normal focus indicator

(3) Set that focus point at the infrared focus indicator (or the appropriate focal length IR indicator if using a zoom).

Try to make sure you have enough depth of field to cover minor errors. Finally, read the instruction pamphlet that came with the Infrared film for any other suggestions.

My lens doesn’t have a special Infrared focus indicator, what do I do?

IIf you look at Nikon’s IR marks on other lenses, you’ll find two common generalizations: (1) the infrared marks prompt you to use closer focus distances than normal (e.g., 25 feet instead of infinity); and (2) the shorter the focal length of the lens, the further away from infinity the IR point.

As a starting point, split the difference between the actual focus distance and the next closest marked one (e.g., if you’re focused at 15 feet and the next lower number shown is 10 feet, try setting focus between these two points). Use smaller apertures (f/8, f/11, or f/16) to insure you have enough depth of field to cover any errors. If you have a zoom and you’re using the widest focal length, cheat a little more towards the closer focus mark. Finally, read the instruction pamphlet that came with the Infrared film for any other suggestions.

 

I’ve got a zoom lens with a variable maximum aperture. How do I tell what f/stop it’s at for any given focal length?

Nikon provided a table in the instruction sheet that came with the lens, which should give you a better idea of the maximum f/stop at any given focal length. If you’re using one of the modern D-compatible camera bodies, however (N65, N70, N75, N80, N90s, F100, F5, or F6), the readout in the viewfinder is accurate, and is the preferred way of determining aperture.

 

In your camera guides you list lenses that aren’t compatible with a particular Nikon film SLR. Why aren’t they compatible?

There are several things that come into play:

(1) newer cameras will not work correctly with many older, non-AI lenses because they have a tab that can damage the camera’s coupling lever

(2) some lenses have rear elements that stick out far enough to interfere with the camera’s mirror (which would require you lock up the mirror before mounting the lens)

(3) some lenses have a mounting bracket or large barrel that would hit or rub against the camera

(4) the lens has a supplemental viewfinder that needs to be mounted

(5) the camera requires information from a chip in the lens, and the lens in question doesn’t have that chip.

What’s the difference between AI and AI-S?

AI (Automatic Maximum Aperture Indexing) lenses provide a mechanical coupling of both the selected and maximum aperture to the camera. In addition, an AI lens has ADR (Aperture Direct Readout), which is a fancy way of saying that f/stops painted on the lens are readable through a special window in the viewfinder. AI-S (Aperture Indexing Standardized) lenses add a small depression in the mount and change aperture proportionally throughout their range (necessary to enable program [P] and shutter priority [S] modes on advanced cameras).

For film SLRs that don’t have a program (P) or shutter priority (S) mode, such as the FM2n, AI and AI-S lenses function identically. On the F4, only AI-S lenses allow you to use the P and S modes; AI lenses have to be used in aperture priority (A) or manual (M) modes. On the autofocus cameras other than the F4 and N50, both AI and AI-S lenses must be used in A or M modes. The N50 only allows use of AI and AI-S lenses in manual (M) mode with the aperture stopped down, which is very inconvenient.

It’s important to consult the manual for the more modern cameras, particularly digital (or my book for them), as some later cameras should not have AI lenses mounted as the index coupler can cause damage.