Any Nikon SLR user?

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ulrich.von.lich

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Hi,

I'm going to invest into a SLR system. The Nikon F system has caught my eye. I like the sheet features of their cameras and the fact the F mount has never been uninterrupted.

However I have never owned a Nikon camera. The thing that bothers me is that both the aperture ring and the focus ring of Nikkor lenses seem to turn in the "wrong" way.

So if you own and use regularly Nikon SLRs and Rangefinders, I'd be interested to know whether you have eventually made peace with the difference of ergonomics.

Thank you.

Best Regards
 
I prefer to carry my RFs for their size and wide quality.

For longer lenses I prefer my SLRs.

It's a pleasure using both systems... That's my only peace. If I had to make one system go away from earth forever (ooops...) I would keep RFs for all of us...

Sometimes I carry both of them... I like filters don't get into our vision with RFs.

All that said, the FE2 and FE3a are sooooooo nice...

Cheers,

Juan
 
ulrich.von.lich said:
Hi,

I'm going to invest into a SLR system. The Nikon F system has caught my eye. I like the sheet features of their cameras and the fact the F mount has never been uninterrupted.

However I have never owned a Nikon camera. The thing that bothers me is that both the aperture ring and the focus ring of Nikkor lenses seem to turn in the "wrong" way.

So if you own and use regularly Nikon SLRs and Rangefinders, I'd be interested to know whether you have eventually made peace with the difference of ergonomics.

Thank you.

Best Regards
Click to expand...

Whatever are you talking about?
I've been using and continue to use Nikon manual focus SLRs since 1977, and Nikon rangefinders since 2007, and have never, ever had any of the focusing or aperture rings on any of my 10 Nikkor SLR lenses or four Nikkor rangefinder lenses turn the wrong way. They all turn in the direction they were meant to turn.
I have noticed however, that the rings on almost every other manufacturer's lenses (with the exception of Pentax) do turn the wrong way.
 
Whatever system you finally go with...Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus...to name a few, you'll adjust to whatever quirks they may have at first...just find a system that has what you need...
I use Nikons and whichever way they need to be turned that's the way I turn them...I don't give it too much thought and neither will you...
 
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Leica: since 1969.

Nikon: since 1972.

I find that the two are so different that the discrepancies don't worry me very much, as long as I take lots of pictures to keep in practice.

Cheers,

R.
 
Turning the wrong way? :D

Being an Oly fan we wonder why all those manufacturers chose to put their shutter dials in the wrong place ... Nikon got it right briefly with the Nikkormat then went astray!
 
When my first SLR (Miranda Sensorex) broke three times within the first two years of its three-year warranty, I replaced it with a Nikon F primarily because the other photographers at the newspaper where I was working were using Nikons. I have been using Nikons ever since because I have been very impressed with the dependability and ruggedness of their pro-built bodies and lenses. I am still using the first F2 body I purchased in 1971.

Thanks to the longevity of the Nikon F mount, I am still able to use the first two Nikon lenses (35mm and 85mm) I purchased in the 1960s on my modern digital Nikon SLRs.

Since I have been using Nikons for such a long time, the aperture ring and the focus ring of Nikkor lenses seem to turn in the "right" way for me. Also, since my shooting style for my rangefinders is more slow and deliberate compared to my shooting style for my Nikon SLRs, the difference in ergonomics is not that critical for me.
 
You'll live. I use the Nikon F2 system and Leica M series, and even Nikkor RF lenses on the M-system. No big issues with the focusing and lens mounting going different directions.
 
narsuitus said:
When my first SLR (Miranda Sensorex) broke three times within the first two years of its three-year warranty, I replaced it with a Nikon F primarily because the other photographers at the newspaper where I was working were using Nikons. I have been using Nikons ever since because I have been very impressed with the dependability and ruggedness of their pro-built bodies and lenses. I am still using the first F2 body I purchased in 1971.

Thanks to the longevity of the Nikon F mount, I am still able to use the first two Nikon lenses (35mm and 85mm) I purchased in the 1960s on my modern digital Nikon SLRs.

Since I have been using Nikons for such a long time, the aperture ring and the focus ring of Nikkor lenses seem to turn in the "right" way for me. Also, since my shooting style for my rangefinders is more slow and deliberate compared to my shooting style for my Nikon SLRs, the difference in ergonomics is not that critical for me.
Click to expand...


Now there's a statement that flies in the face of convention ... and I actually feel the same way!
 
I agree it's a matter of habit. I started the film camera experience with an M mount rangefinder and I'm alreay used to the M way. I also have an Olympus OM2 with a "right" focus ring and a "wrong" aperture ring. And sometimes I do make mistakes on the aperture value due to the habit. But again I don't use it much.

I decide to buy a cheap Nikon and use it for a while.

One question for Keith or any OM/Nikon user: how is the viewfinder of an FM/FE comparing to an OM? And the meter?

Btw, I don't like the position of the shutter dial on my OM2 (sorry Keith), for I can never turn both dials simultaneously.

Thanks again everyone.
 
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I've used RF's since 1969, SLR's since 1971, Nikon SLR's since 1977, Nikon RF's since 1999, and Leica since 2004.

No big deal switching between them.
 
Keith said:
Now there's a statement that flies in the face of convention ... and I actually feel the same way!
Click to expand...

Me too...

Normal, after 25 years with SLRs and only two years with RFs...

I think I tried to "feel sure about everything" before hitting the shutter when I use my RFs, just as I feel sure of everything quickly when I use my SLRs...

During the last street shooting months I've started to use my RFs a lot faster... When you really forget about "an image in camera", they're incredibly fast and related to the vision of reality (not the representation of it on an SLR)... For some months focusing a RF was slower, but now it's very fast...

One thing I'll never know is how SLRs feel after a whole lifetime with RFs...

Cheers,

Juan
 
Leica goes clockwise from infinity. Nikon goes cc. Always start at infinity and you soon catch on.

I bought into Nikon waiting for Leica digital and I knew this was a problem, but I was going to buy auto focus so it mattered not. Now I am learning to adjust because I am back to manual focus primes.

Nikon F2 were the best mechanical focus SLR. Mine is mint. Nikon F`s are a different beast not as refined.

I would stay away from the lightweight consumer bodies, FM and FE and FM. Also have a mint FT which has the pro build of the F but lacking some of the features like interchangeable focus screens.

Both the F2 and FT are a joy to use. Right up there but not equaling Leicflexes.

Ai and AiS lenses are the best and relatively cheap. You have to own a 105 2.8 sometime. A real gem. The wides have a lot of distortion if you are used to Leica M or R which have almost none in general. All except the 28 2.8 Ai that focuses to .2 meters. That version is almost distortion free.
 
ulrich.von.lich said:
I agree it's a matter of habit. I started the film camera experience with an M mount rangefinder and I'm alreay used to the M way. I also have an Olympus OM2 with a "right" focus ring and a "wrong" aperture ring. And sometimes I do make mistakes on the aperture value due to the habit. But again I don't use it much.

I decide to buy a cheap Nikon and use it for a while.

One question for Keith or any OM/Nikon user: how is the viewfinder of an FM/FE comparing to an OM? And the meter?

Btw, I don't like the position of the shutter dial on my OM2 (sorry Keith), for I can never turn both dials simultaneously.

Thanks again everyone.
Click to expand...



The viewfinder of an OM-1 or OM-2 is only marginally brighter than Nikon's best but it's bigger ... in fact it's bloody enormous and I still don't know how they did it and why the rest of the SLR manufacturers sat on their hands over this and gave us these damned tunnels to stare through!

I rate the centre weighted metering of my OM-2n as the best of any film SLR I own that has similar metering ... it's really that good!

:)
 
The FM/FE series of Nikon film SLRs are nothing to be scared of using. In my experience they sturdy and reliable enough for most usage. I have a few different cameras and find it does not take long to get used to using a different camera. Just a matter of practice.

Bob
 
ulrich.von.lich said:
One question for Keith or any OM/Nikon user: how is the viewfinder of an FM/FE comparing to an OM? And the meter?
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, if my FM2n and FM3a are anything to go by (and I guess they are) the viewfinder is small and pokey compared to, say, my OM-4T. I like the meter display of the FM3a in good light - but it's pretty much invisible in any degree of darkness. The LED display in the FM2n is good in those circumstances (which is why I bought it). The meter display in the OM-4T is, IMO, far superior to either.
ulrich.von.lich said:
Btw, I don't like the position of the shutter dial on my OM2 (sorry Keith), for I can never turn both dials simultaneously.
Click to expand...
I also dislike the shutter ring on the OM cameras. I shoot my OM-4T in AE mode pretty much exclusively for just that reason - and I bought the Nikons for manual exposure mode because I couldn't come to terms with my OM-1. The focus and aperture rings may turn the wrong way on the Nikons but at least the shutter dial is right! (Oh, and I like some of the lenses for the Nikons too.)

...Mike
 
I have 3 FE2's, an FM3A, an eyelevel F2 (all of these are black), and i have had an eyelevel F, F3HP, FM2N... All of those are great cameras.
The FE2, in my opinion, is the BEST "shooters" camera to live with on a daily basis. Great meter, light and strong body, and very cheap to get ($40-$150).
The F2 is my favorite "classy" Nikon SLR. With the DE-1 Eyelevel finder (non-metered), it's just a big heavy solid chunk of metal... mechanical bliss!
 
I learned on an F3 HP. It's an incredibly smooth machine, and exceptionally well built. As many posters above have said, you'll quickly get used to the focusing being "backwards". However, I find it heavy and very uncomfortable to grip after using Leicas and - more recently - an OM1. If that doesn't bother you, though, it's a fantastic camera.
 
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