Operating Instructions

ABOUT THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD)
1. At high temperatures (over approx. 60°C), the whole surface turns black so that the exposure information
cannot be read. However, this situation will return to normal when the temperature drops.
2. Avoid storing the camera in excessively hot places, such as in a car parked in direct sunlight or inside the
trunk. You may shorten the LCD's life by doing so.
3. When the temperature goes below freezing, the response time decreases as the liquid crystal becomes more
viscose.
EV RANGE OF THE CAMERA
The camera's meter may be used only within the shutter speed range covered by the exposure value (EV) range of
the meter, which varies with the aperture and ASA/ISO settings.
The chart on page 35 shows the relationships between the f/stop, shutter speed and film speed, indicating the
slowest functioning shutter speed (for metering purposes) with any film speed/aperture combination.
Careful attention to the following instructions will assure precise exposure, automatically, over the complete
exposure control and meter range capabilities of your Nikon F3 High-Eyepoint camera.
• Auto exposure control at full aperture
For example, with an f/1.4 lens and ASA/ISO 100 film, the automatic shutter will function down to one second
with the lens set at f/1.4, and proportionately slower as the aperture is closed. However, practically speaking,
even if the shutter speed/aperture combination is outside the guaranteed EV range shown in Section C of the EV
Chart, you can still obtain good exposures at either the AUTO or MANUAL setting unless "+ 2000" or "—8—"
appears in the viewfinder.
Using a standard of ASA/ISO 25 film, you may be assured of at least a four-second speed regardless of the
aperture of the lens used as long as the lens is set at full aperture (refer to Table).
Using ASA/ISO 400 at f/1.4, the slowest speed is 1/4 second; however, as the aperture is closed down, the
functioning shutter speed becomes progressively slower until we reach f/8 when the slowest speed of eight
seconds is functioning.
• Auto exposure control with stop-down metering
When using a bellows or other extension equipment which disengages the meter coupling device, it is necessary
to revert to stop-down metering. Certain limitations are imposed in this mode.
As lens-to-film distance is increased, the metering range (EV range) changes proportionately. For example, when
an f/2 lens is used at 2:1 reproduction (twice life size) the effective f/number is f/5.6. When used at f/8, the
effective f/number is f/22.
When pictures are taken under minimal light levels, it is desirable to use a high speed film (ASA/ISO 160 or
higher). Using Tri-X at film speed 400 with stop-down metering, with an effective f/number of f/8, the shutter
speed range would be from 1/4 second to 1/2000. Should the light level drop below EV 6, it would be out of the
shutter speed range of the meter.