My Nikon F is a rangefinder

[kshapero]

Pete Smith at Nikonsmith just modified my F so that I have a choice on how I shot.

1. Hit shutter hard for clunky SLR mirror slap and advance lever..
2. Activate shutter slightly and the exposure is taken with no mirror slap, then push a little harder to slap it and advance lever. When done this way the exposure is taken but there is almost no shutter sound. Cool.

Thanks, Pete. He is such a nice Nikon bigot.😀

 

[FrankS]

I don't get #2. How is exposure made without mirror moving up out of the way?

Oh, maybe #1 is the mirror pre-release step.

You'll need an external finder in order to frame.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I'm guessing #2 disables the instant return action of the mirror.

Kind of like my Kodak Retina Reflex-S. It really does make a big difference. I can see how to do it- the Mirror lockup of the Nikon F is basically a non-instant return mechanism. Probably for high-speed motor operation, frame up to the last minute in "mirror lock-up mode", then mirror stays up for the sequence. It is very different from other cameras with "mirror lock-up".

 

[Cale Arthur]

Akiva, more details, s'il vous plait? Is/was this a common mod that Pete has performed over the years? Is this basically a situation where the act of pressing the shutter button brings the mirror up as it's being depressed? And is this option enabled via the MLU switch itself? Sorry for all of the questions, just curious.. thanks!

I need to give Pete a call. Been a few years since we've spoken. Such a super fella. And i have two F's now that need some assistance.

 

[kshapero]

Hell I do not know what he did but if I activate the shutter button softly the camera takes the exposure and the sound was near silent during that time plus the VF is black, then when I push harder on the shutter button, I hear the clap of the mirror and I can advance the film. It really gives me a RF feel. BTW I heard that the Nikon D7000 has a similar capability. I also can shot as a normal SLR by just giving the shutter button the normal hit.

 

[Cale Arthur]

Very interesting! So, this is as the camera functions all the time now, and the MLU switch still performs it's normal function or no? Is this mod taking you some time to get used to?

Thanks again for the info!

 

[kshapero]

I can press softly and get the RF effect or I can press shutter normally and it acts like a regular SLR (CLAP!!)

 

[FrankS]

I can press softly and get the RF effect or I can press shutter normally and it acts like a regular SLR (CLAP!!)

But before you press softly (to get the RF effect) you have to lock up the mirror, right?

 

[Cale Arthur]

But before you press softly (to get the RF effect) you have to lock up the mirror, right?

As it turns out, you do not. Just got off of the phone with Pete (who sounds good as new, by the way) who says that all functions work as normal with this modification, including the MLU. Apparently, what happens with the modification is this: the mirror is manually activated by depressing the shutter release (begins to swing upward when you hit the release). When it reaches the end of it's travel, the shutter is released. Continuing to depress the release then brings the mirror through the rest of it's cycle until it returns to it's normal 'at rest' position, thus minimizing vibration.

I'm all over this. Now i just need to figure out which ailing F to send! 🙂

 

[ferider]

Cale, does that mean that most of the F noise is generated when the mirror returns, meaning after shutter closure ? That is, also in an un-modified F ?

Thanks.

 

[Cale Arthur]

Cale, does that mean that most of the F noise is generated when the mirror returns, meaning after shutter closure ? That is, also in an un-modified F ?

Thanks.

Roland, it would certainly seem that way. If you lock the mirror up, and then fire a normal F, the noise and vibration is considerably less than if you're in the regular shooting mode where the mirror comes back home with force. My guess is that, since the mirror actually locks when it returns, that this is causing the lion's share of the noise & vibration.

If i understand Pete's explanation of this mod correctly, the mirror will still return to a locked position, which i know to be crucial for view/focus accuracy.

 

[ferider]

Thanks, Cale. If I understand right then, the modification shouldn't make a difference optically (meaning on film), correct ?

 

[retro]

But, vibration after the shutter closes doesn't affect the image.
I don't get the advantage. It seems like it's essentially had its
instant return mirror feature removed (like many 50s SLRs)
except instead of returning the mirror by advancing the film, one
does it by continuing to press the shutter release.

What's the advantage? I have several non-instant-return-mirror
SLRs already. I never thought that design would produce less
vibration during exposure. Does it?

 

[Cale Arthur]

Thanks, Cale. If I understand right then, the modification shouldn't make a difference optically (meaning on film), correct ?

I sure hope not.. 😉

What's the advantage? I have several non-instant-return-mirror SLRs already. I never thought that design would produce less
vibration during exposure. Does it?

As far as vibration is concerned, i can't say for sure, as i have no experience with non-instant-return-mirror SLRs (NIRMS? 🙂). I think the biggest advantage would be shooting in situations that call for a bit more stealth, since you're effectively controlling the travel of the mirror relative to the travel of the release. Stealth has been in short supply for me - my S2 is quite a bit louder than any of my Fs. An F with the mirror locked up is very quiet, so i'm hoping that the ability to control that factor will be the way forward. I hope that makes sense?

I hope that Akiva will rejoin us at some point - he's the one with the modified camera.. i'm just going off of Pete's explanation.

 

[rover]

It sounds to me like the vibrations that are controlled are from the return of the mirror after the exposure is taken, so I think Cale is thinking correctly that the difference is the stealth issue.

 

[ferider]

Thanks, Cale. One last question, and maybe Akiva can chime in: what does the self-timer do with this modification ?

Roland.

 

[Cale Arthur]

Thanks, Cale. One last question, and maybe Akiva can chime in: what does the self-timer do with this modification ?

Roland.

That's a good question. Pete did say 100% functionality across the board for everything else, so i have to think it functions as it usually would. I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around the 'how' of that, though, on a mechanical level..

 

[Cale Arthur]

Alright, i'm officially obsessing over here. Interesting post on the Nikon Repair Forum on this subject.. this thing even has a name!

I'm thinking that just the ability to reduce sheer mirror speed overall (up or down) is worth the small price of admission. The question that remains for me is how you know when the shutter is going to release..

 

[kshapero]

Cale, does that mean that most of the F noise is generated when the mirror returns, meaning after shutter closure ? That is, also in an un-modified F ?

Thanks.

yes but you control when that happens since you can make it a two stage affair.

 

[kshapero]

But, vibration after the shutter closes doesn't affect the image.
I don't get the advantage. It seems like it's essentially had its
instant return mirror feature removed (like many 50s SLRs)
except instead of returning the mirror by advancing the film, one
does it by continuing to press the shutter release.

What's the advantage? I have several non-instant-return-mirror
SLRs already. I never thought that design would produce less
vibration during exposure. Does it?

Of course it does because when you press the shutter first stage:
1. It makes almost no sound (as quiet as any Leica)
2. There is no vibration so you can shot safely at much slower speeds.