roland_larson

In a nutshell, if your FG doesn't have any meter readout in the viewfinder at all even with new batteries, it is probably having a circuit problem.

 

It's an FG, so there's nothing to do with the locking position of the winding lever, because there is no such a lock in FG -- the shutter goes off regardless of the lever position as long as the shutter is cocked, and there is no way to lock a cocked FG.

 

On the other hand, an FG (also F3, FE2, FA, and probably FM3A ...) only goes off at X regardless of the shutter setting until the frame counter reaches "1", from which point the exposure meter switches on, and then it is ready to shoot. This is a courtesy feature by Nikon which allows the user to wind on a new roll fast, and this holds true with or without loading film. However, the exposure readout should blinks two LEDs (60 & 125) in the viewfinder before frame "1", which indicates the camera is not yet ready. This is why I think your FG is probably having a problem, which can be from simply a dirty battery contact, to a fried circuit ...

Jirka

 

 

Please have a look at my old portfolio on pbase :

 

http://www.pbase.com/roland_l

 

There are 3 photos taken by the Nikkor 28/2.8 AIS in each of the first two b/w galleries (with brief description below the pictures ...). May not be in the best size to demonstrate sharpness, but they show what this lens can do.

 

And we can forget using the youtube -- I have no way to get enough contrast to show the rotating front element. Nevermind, that's not the point :}

I'd say the second photo is typically sharp for this lens at wide aperture, at the center. The first one seems to be in focus alright, but is not sharp.

 

The reason to pick those 2 Canon bodies for testing is because both are 135 full frame. Yes you can see how your lens performs with Nikon D bodies, but only at the center. Of course you can shoot film for full coverage testing, but you need more subsequent work to see for it.

Contrary to common belief, the front element of this Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AIS does rotate upon focusing. What stays put is the filter mount, and the first mount ring with the lens spec engravings. I only noticed this when there was a thumbprint on mine's front element. I'll try to post a video clip on youtube so that you can see for yourself, but I'm not sure do I want to put a new thumbprint on the front element ...

 

What concerns me is the loosened front element in the first place. I'm not sure am I helping, but the fastest turnaround is to test shoot with a Canon 5D or 1Ds with a mount adaptor, and check for sharpness with blow up images on a good display.

My pleasure. Good luck Justin :)

Found mine :) A "J" screen for F-801/N8008 with a microprism center spot on a matte field.

 

My F-801 was sold long ago, and so I don't need it anymore. If you are sure you need it, please email your physical mailing address to idontbelievethis63_at_yahoo_dot_com and I will send you by regular air mail from Hong Kong. Don't worry about its cost, I'll let you have my Paypal account and you just have to settle the postage fee when you feel comfortable with it :) If not, please just mail it back to me.<div></div>

If you only see a circle through the viewfinder with no image when a lens is mounted, chance is that the focusing screen is missing altogether (!) Try taking off the lens and compare it with your Pentax K1000, it is pretty easy to verify the presence of a focusing screen.

 

And for that matter, I should have an used spare focusing screen for a Nikon F-801/N8008, have to check whether it is at home in San Francisco or with me in Hong Kong now. Let me know if that helps.

There had been cases of tilted sensors that are out of alignment with the viewfinder, that a carefully aligned composition yielded a tilted final image. This is a qc issue, and could happen to any dslr. I believe many may go unnoticed for quite some time until demanding composition is required.

 

Your case sounds a bit wierd. It seems more likely that the "horizontal surface" your camera rested was tilted. I agree that you could use a spirit level to ensure a proper leveling.

 

I would say that it is more important to check whether the final image agrees with your viewfinder.

Besides the coupling ridge and a second row of aperture numbers, the AI meter coupling prong is hollow, nicknamed "rabbit ear". The prong shown in the picture is solid, typical for a non-AI. As for F3 compatibility, what Michael said :)

And when I say "... a lens faster than f/2.8", I mean f/2.0; it's getting too late and I need some sleep :}

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... sorry but I screw up with the file size, thanks for your patience clicking in the links :)

 

This is the first time I shoot with a lens faster than f/2.8, and I found that it's not that difficult to focus with f/1.2 If you are consistently out of foucs by a wide margin, I suppose the camera may use some mirror alignment.

 

I also shot some Portra 160VC and get some good 4R prints, but well, it's already 4 in the morning in here and I have to go to bed. Will come back with more scans, with the right file size :)

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A bit late on this boat. A friend in Shanghai asked me to buy an FM3A and 50/1.2 for him. The camera is out of stock in China well before that fateful Nikon announcement, and when Nikon finally did it, I hurried to Man Shing in Hong Kong for probably the last FM3A in stock. I went for a roll of BW400CN flat out to make sure the thing is working, and am posting some of the scans. All of them are shot at full aperture, film speed at DX, and I left the exposure thing to the camera.<div></div>

What Wai Leong said.

 

And I started using mine without consulting the manual in the first place, under AF, power on to P, and shoot like what I used to shoot with any other P&S. In A mode, it can override your chosen aperture by going for a smaller setting if the shutter is pushed beyond the top speed (1/400 sec) for a bright scene, so it's more or less fail-safe.

 

Minilix is infamous in its shutter lag, so give it a little bit of time to focus before shooting it away.

 

The three buttons on the left side control flash modes, self-timer and +/-ev, and they're not more difficult to set than other P&S (except for the ev, which you have to keep pressing for 5 seconds before anything would happen ...)

 

Well I come to think of, given that your Minilux comes without a manual, do you buy it used ?<div></div>

Mine was fixed for E02 twice in 9 years (in the fourth and fifth year), and still going strong today. But Schmidt HK never sort out the grinding noise of the focusing mechanism which developed just a few months after the extended warranty.

 

There are few compact film cameras in the market capable of its picture quality, however, having spent approx $1,100.- on camera + repair, I'm not so sure whether this is good value for money.

As for manual focsuing aid, I'm also interested to know whether the D200 screen is user replacable. Appreciate if someone with firsthand experience would shed some light, thanks :)

Ditto to N8008(S). Though showing its age as an AF camera, it's still very good value for money as an MF.

 

As for focus aid, N8008(S) do have screen options. For that matter, it happens that I do have a J screen (microprism spot) for F801/N8008. I bought it from ebay for trimming down to fit my wife's D70, though that yet to happen - when her D70 works so well with the kit zoom, why bother :-)

I came across a <a href="http://www.nyanko-web.com/20050702-sigma30mm/">Japanese site</a> comparing these two lenses. The shots on the left are taken by the Sigma.

 

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http://www.nyanko-web.com/20050702-sigma30mm/

Raymond, yes, by moving the rear of the lens away from the film/imaging plane, a Distagon won't block the metering cell like a Hologon will do, and that also facilitates a less oblique angle of incident light, which is desirable for today's sensor arrays, and is very well explained in Andrew's works. Distagon is intrinsically more complex and costy than a Hologon. I believe Zeiss isn't doing this just for metering.

Zeiss adopted a Distagon configuration instead of a Hologon for their latest 15mm in the recent Zeiss Ikon line up; an indication of a future digital route.

Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar.

... one more.<div></div>

Vivek, yes, friends said I tend to avoid including people in my pics let alone shooting some :) For the Guangzhou pics, I was warned against flashing around a camera in public because the place is no longer as safe as before, a sad fact ...

 

The terrace was wife's family property, when at the peak accomodated a family of 14, grossly neglected since all moved out. Now the place faces imminent redevelopment -- well, given its condition, it will fall anyway, hence the rush for some more pictures.

 

Robert, that was my first trip to the Rock too, and I was amazed to find that it was quite a small place. If I don't get the audio guide-tour in the cell house, the trip can be concluded in less than an hour. A good place for photographing ruins :)<div></div>