Nikon F
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| Nikon F | |
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| Type: | 35 mm SLR camera |
| Lens mount: | Nikon F-mount |
| Focus: | manual |
| Exposure: | manual |
| Flash: | non-ISO hot shoe, or PC socket for off-camera flash |
Introduced in 1959, the Nikon F camera introduced the concept of the 35 mm single-lens reflex camera (SLR) system; that is to say, it introduced a lineup of the following interchangeable parts connected to the camera body:
- The Nikon F camera, which evolved from the rangefinder Nikon SP camera, had a standard pentaprism and is a completely mechanical camera that does not require batteries.
- A lens with the "F" bayonet mount that is still in use today, essentially unchanged except for minor refinements to keep pace with current technology. Nikon lenses are usually known as Nikkor lenses, except for the "Series E" lenses of the early 1980s.
- A viewfinder. The original standard pentaprism viewfinder did not contain a light meter. Later viewfinders were offered that included a meter, the Photomic series.
- An interchangeable focusing screen.
- A camera back. Variants were available that could support 100-foot bulk film instead of the standard 36 exposures.
- An optional motor drive that advances the film automatically. In initial variants, this required a modification to the camera body.
 High capacity back for 30 meters of bulk film |
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Contents |
[edit] History
The Nikon F evolved from a rangefinder camera, the Nikon SP.[1] "In the trial model, based on the body of the Nikon SP, the mirror box was inserted in the central part. Only the three principal components, mirror box, pentaprism and bayonet mount, were newly developed, and the other components were virtually identical to those in SP/S3."[2]
Upon its debut, the Nikon F SLR system revolutionized the photographic market, stealing the thunder of German manufacturers Leica and Zeiss. The F also had a reputation for being extremely resilient to damage or mechanical failure. It became known as "the hockey puck". Many professional photographers, especially photojournalists, began using the F camera system.
The first Nikon F Photomic viewfinder had an independent photocell, then Nikon introduced the Photomic T (superseded by the Photomic Tn), which featured through-the-lens TTL metering. The final metering prism for the Nikon F, the Photomic FTn, provided 60% center-weighted TTL which became the standard metering pattern for Nikon cameras for decades afterwards. Additional viewfinders included a waist-level viewer and an "action finder" with a larger viewable area.
One possible disadvantage the Nikon F had compared to other professional cameras was the fact the entire bottom and rear plate was made in one piece, and had to be removed to reload the camera. Even so, the camera was a mainstay of professional news photographers desiring a 35 mm SLR. A specially modified Nikon FTn was also taken on the Apollo 15 mission to the Moon.
The Nikon F was succeeded in 1972 by the Nikon F2 series. Subsequent "single-digit" F cameras continued as the top of Nikon's professional line of film SLRs, through the Nikon F6 introduced in 2004. The naming system changed for digital SLRs, beginning with the Nikon D1 in 1999, but Nikon's DSLRs continue to use the F lens mount introduced in 1959.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nikon F |
- The Nikon F's Place in History
- The Nikon F and its System
- Nikon F Collection and Typology
- Debut of the Nikon F, by Nikon
- Comprehensive Nikon F website by Michael Liu
- Nikon F & F2 by Karen Nakamura
[edit] Literature
- Comon, P. (1996): Magic Lantern Guides Classic Series: Nikon Classic Cameras Vol.1 for F, Nikkormat Series, Fe, Fe2nd Fa (Nikon Classic Cameras), Magic Lantern Guides (ISBN 1-883403-31-6)
- Koch, U.: Nikon F, Coeln, Peter (England) (ISBN 3-9501443-0-7)
- Koch, U. (2003): Nikon F. The Camera, Lindemanns (ISBN 3-9501443-1-5)
- Koch, U. (2003): Nikon F. The Lenses, Lindemanns (ISBN 3-9501443-2-3)
- Koch, U. (2004): Nikon F. The Accessories, Lindemanns (ISBN 3-9501443-3-1)
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