ragland31.DeleteThis@gmail.com wrote:
> There are also so many choices! It's overwhelming. I recently saw the
> NIKON 35mm film F5 and it
> looks impressive; just as good as as the HP3. I saw B&H offerring a
> few used models. Body about
> $400.00 to $500.00.
KEH has "users" from $400, too.
> Then I need an autofocus lense since apparently
> this camera is autofocus. My
> hunch it is not totally manual but can be made manual. How do
> autofocus lenses works?
When Nikon first made autofocus lenses, they copied the Minolta
"look" with a very thin manual focusing ring on the front of the
lens and a very range from closest focusing to inifinty.
The lenses were not well received amoung professionals who wanted
to use them both in manual and autofocus. Nikon changed the ergonomics
of the lenses to a similar pattern to the older lenses.
They are not exactly the same, the manual focus lenses use a
helical focusing mechanism which was very expensive to make.
The autofocus lenses us a rack an pinion mechanism similar
to the steering on expensive cars. It was so much cheaper to
manufacture that the equivalent autofocus lens was 30% cheaper
than the manual focus one.
Here is a photo of a new version 50mm f1.8
http://www.keh.com/ProductImages/fullSize/NA06010200583.jpg
Note that the focusing ring is large enough to use comfortably
and looking at the other end of the lens, it has the necessary
meter couplings to work with any AI type meter (1977 on),
and what you can't see is that it is AIs, so it will work
with manual focus cameras that require it.
The F3, F4 and F5 and many of the autofocus cameras will
meter with AI or AIs lenses, usually in very limited
(center weighted) aperture priority and manual modes.
The F3 and F4 will also meter in stopped down mode with
pre-AI (made before mid 1977) lenses by pushing a little
button on the coupling ring and pivoting the sensor pin
out of the way. Not all lenses work, some protrude too
far into the camera and can damage the electronic contacts.
Considering we are talking about lenses that were made over
30 years ago, it is probably a moot point.
The F5 may also have the ability to move the sensor pin,
I don't know.
The actual autofocusing mechanism is in the camera, not the lens,
so if you set the camera to manual focus, the lens focuses
manualy. If you get a newer design lens (which almost all of
them are) then it works just like a manual focus lens when
in manual focus mode, but it won't be as stiff or likely
to jam from age.
I think that the only functions on the F5 that can not be made
manual are film wind and rewind.
> I will check
> out Adorama plus Penn Exchange near where I live. I don't mind bells
> and whistles but I also want
> simplicity. I'm shooting some ISO color high definition film to see
> how it turns out. Does F5 comptatible
> with motorpak. I thought it could take 10 frames a shot.
Personally, I would buy a "user" 8008 from KEH and try it.
It's a cheap investment and would give you a good feel
how Nikon autofocus cameras work. If you like it, buy an
F5 and keep the 8008 for a spare. If you don't buy an F3.
Note that ISO is the name of a standards organization,
in this case used to define the sensitivity of the film.
The number after the ISO is the speed and is the important
part.
So if you say "100 speed color film" or "100 color film",
we will understand that it is ISO 100 color film, but just saying
ISO color film, leaves us wondering what it is.
Since you are trying this to see if you like it, I would use
the same film you are going to us normally in it.
Geoff.
--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm.DeleteThis@mendelson.com N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838
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