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 Nikon

MANUAL
INSTRUCTION c( trf
CONTENTS
*.
F 0 R E W 0 R 0. . , . . . . . . . . . . . : . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 SETTINGEXPOSURE MCDE ...,.,...54 T(
NOMENCLATURE . . , . . , , . . . . , . . . . . . . 5 - 1F0L E X I B LPER O G R A M .,,................,55
BASTCOP E RA T |O N. . . . . .,.., ....1 1 -2 6 OPERATION IN SHUTTER-PRIORIry AUTO L(
MOU NTING THELE NS .......1 2 E X P O S U RM EO D E , . , . . . . . . , . . . . , 5 6 - 5 9T(
T NSTAL LBTANG T T E RT E S ..,..,.,..............13 OPERATION IN APERTURE-PRIORITY AUTO IN
C HECKIN BAGT T E RY P O W E R ...... ....,,.,.1 4 E X P O S U RM EO D E ....2........60-62 L
L o A D I NFG
I L M. . . . . . . . . ..15-17 OPERATION lN MANUALEXPOSURE MODE...,,'r,,......63-66F
BASfC SHooTING ........18-24VARI.PROGRAM ..67-85 N
R E W I N DF f Nf 1GM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4 WHAT
- 2 6 ISVARI-PROGRAM? ..,.,.,.,...68-69
GENERAL FUNCTIONS .......27-66 S E L E C T I N VGA R I - P R 0 G R.A. .M ....... ..................70-71
FILMADVANCE MODE .28-29 SHOOTING WITHVARI-PROGRAM ,.72-85
S T N G L E - F RS AH MO EO T | N G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 P O R T R A IPTR O G R A M .............72-73
c o N T T N U OSUHSO O T T.N, .G ........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2PORTRAIT
9 PROGRAMWITHRED-EYEREDUCTION
EXPOSURE METERING SYSTEM .....30-32 ( w i t hS B - 2 8 / S B - 2 7 / 5 , 8 - 2 6 ) . . . . . , . . . . . . ..........74-75
MATRIX METERING .....30 H Y P E R F O C APLR O G R A M ......,....,.. ...........76-77
CEN TRE - W E I G HT M EETDE R IN G '
.................,..31L A N D S C A PPER O G R A M . . . . . . . , . . . . ................78-79
SPOTME T E RI NG .,.,....3 1 S t L H O U E T TPER O G R A M ..,.,......... ..,.,...,....80-81
SETTING METERING SYSTEM ......32 SPORTPROGRAM
F o cu s ,..,.,3 3 -4 8 c L o s E - u P P R O G R A M ,.,..,.......84-85
FOCUS ARE A .........3 3 -3 4S P E C I A L F U N C T | O N S . . . . , . , , . , . . ........,.,.,86-1Or
AUTOFOCUS............... . . . . . . . . . . , . , 3 5 -E 3X 9 P o S U RCEo M P E N S A T | 0 N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 7 - e 3
AUTOFOCUS WITHMAINSUBJECT OFFCENTRE.....,40-43 AE-L (AUTOEXPOSURE LOCK)LEVER .....88-89
SPEC IAFO L CUS T S NG
|T U AT | ON S......,.,....., ................4 4 -4 5TO OBTAINMETERREADINGFORA PARTICULAR
MANUAFO L CUS , . . . . , ................4 6 -4 8 S U B J E C TI N M A N U A LE X P O S U RM EO D E . . . . . . . . . , . , . . . 9 0 - 9 1
EXPo SUM RE oDE . . . . . . . . 4 e -6 6 EXPOSURE COMPENSATION BUTTON ...,.92-93
SEL ECT |NG E X P O S URE M OD E .............,...5 0 -53 SELF-T|ME 0RPERAT|oN ......,.,......e4-e5
\ --\-
-.\ www.orphancameras.com
.,;,fiidlr:;,*litr,u,
TO CONFIRMSHARPNESS BEFORE SHOOTING MISCELLANEOUS .......,.....126-146
-D E PTH -0 F - F |E LD V |EBW
P RE UTToN ,..,.,.......e A 6 C C E S S oR Y A Tl B l Ll TY ...,...... ..,.................127
C oMP
LONG TIMEEXPOSURE-USING b.,TbSETIING ...97-98 CAMERA CARE TIPS 128-130
T0usEN o N -D X - CoDE F I LM
D ,,........,.e eN 0 TE0N S B A TTE R | E S .,........... ..130-131
|]{TERCHAN F0GC| NUGS ISNC GR E E N S . . . . . . . , . , , . . . . . . . . . . . . . S . 1E0C0I-F1I0C1A T, ,I.o, N
. ,P , , .S. . . ............,132-136

FLASHPH OT O G RA P HY . . . ..............,.,1 0 6 -1L2C5DP A N E W IE W FININ DD

ER ..,........i qt/qa
IC A T| oN S ..,.,....,.,..,
| \ I I K SPEEDLI
ON CoM
G 10 7 -10 8
HT P A T |81 1 | T Y.............,,,..,,,.,.,.....
FLASH MODES AVAILABLE
WITHNIKON SPEEDLIGHTS ..,107
WHATYOUCANDO
N r K OS
w r T HY O U R NP E E D L | G H T . , . . . , . . . . . . . , .1.0. ,8. . . . . . . . , . . . .
nL AUToFIJASH-AUT0MATIC BAI-ANCED
FILL.FI.ASH AND STANDARD TTLFI.ASH. ................,.. 109-.1 17
ryPEOFTTLA UT OF LA S H . . . , . i ...,.,...... .1 0 9 -1 13
SHUTTER SPEED/APERTURE FOREACHEXPOSURE
M OD E tNTT LA UT OF LA S H ..,.......,....1 1 4 -11 5
T T LA U T OF L A S O H P E R A T | O N , . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1. 6. .-.1.1. 7. . , . , . . . . ' 1
TOMAKE NIGHT BACKGROUND MORE VISIBLE :I
-slowsYNc0PERAT|0N,........... .....,.118-11e
TOCREATE NATURAL-LOOKING STREAM OFLIGHT
-R E AR-C URT ASIY NNC. , . . . .,., .,.,.,.,.......' 1 2 0 -1 2 1
RED-EYE REDUCTION
(forusewith58-28/58-27158-26) ........,.'1 22-123 #
N OT ES 0 NFIAS H P HoT oG RA PH Y...,.,........ ........j 2 4
EVCHART FORFI.ASH PHOTOGRAPHY.........,... ..j25

3
 Thankyou for choosingthe new Nikon F90Xcamera.lt's a high-performance
camerathat offerstoday's newestand most advancedcapabilities,all designedto
enableyou to take more excitingpictures.
Becausethe F90Xcamerahas a host of new features,many of which you may not
be familiarwith, beforeactuallytaking picturesyou shouldthoroughlyreadthe
instructionmanualsprovided,includingthe "PHOTOGRAPHIC SYSTEM"leaflet'
Thesewill helpyou understandthe technicalterminologyused and how the various
new featureswork.
The F9OX,in its standardconfiguration,iSa powerfulcamerawith important
featuressuch as Nikon'sexclusiveAdvancedMatrixMeter,many autofocusfeatures
includingFocusTracking,and Nikon'slatestinnovation, TTL Multi-Sensorflash
control.To expandthe camera'sperformanceand take full advantageof all its
capabilities,you will want to considerusingthe F90Xwith accessoriessuch as the
NikonMF-26Multi-Control Back,the NikonSB-28AF Speedlight,NikonPhoto
Secretaryfor F9OVF90software and the Nikon Data Link Systemwith Nikon AC-2E
card which works exclusivelywith the sharp@Electronicorganizer.
Pleaseread this manualthoroughly,then enjoyexperimentingwith all of the F90X's
excitingfeatures.Good luck, and havea greattime with this high-techNikon.

trademark
Sharpis a registered CORPORATION'
ofSHARP

www.orphancameras.com
.
 NOMENCLATURE
Once you know the names of the parts of your new Nikon F9OX,
as well as their functionsand the camera'sother controls,you will
be surprisedhow simpleand logicalthe F90Xsystem'soperation
can be.

iJd&tla{}*id.ffir*.-*ae4tu --..d&L.
LCD panel(p.9) Accessoryshoe: ForNikondedicated
Speedlights. Therearedgeof the shoe
indicatesfilmplane,Exactdistancefromlens
mounting flangeto filmplaneis 46.5mm,
Shutterreleasebutton:To
activateexposuremeterand Sync terminal
autofocus function,lightly
press;to releaseshutter, /.
depressfully;exposure /-
meterautomatically 1O-pinremoteterminal:
switchesoff after8 sec. For ElectronicOrganizer
Connecting CordMC-27,
Self-timerindicatorLED RemoteCordMC-20,
(p.e4) etc. (seeattached
PHOTOGRAPHIC
Depth-of-fieldpreview SYSTEMleaflet).
button (p,96)
Lens releasebutton
AF-L (AutoFocus Lock) Focusmode selector:
button: Locksfocuswhen S for SingleServoAF (pp.
pressedand heldin. 36-37).
Cfor Continuous Servo
AF (pp.38-39).
Minimumaperturelock:
M for Manualfocus(pp.
Settingfor all Programmed 46-48\.
and Shutter-PriorityAuto
exposuremodes, Lensmountingindex

Aperturescale Focusingring
Optionallens illustrated
(AFZoom-Nikkor28-70mmf/3.5-4.5D)
www.orphancameras.com
Eyepieceshutterlever:Usedto pre-
ventstraylightfromenteringvieMinder.

AE-L (Auto ExposureLock)

lever:Slidingand holding
Viewfinder/LGD panel leverin locksaufoexposure.
illumination button: /'
Pressto illuminate Vari-Program list
vieMinderand LCD
panel,usefulin dim Batteryholder MS-8:
light.lllumination Interchangeablewith
automatically switches optionalMulti-Power
off8 sec, afteryou
removeyourfingerfrom
button.
Battery holder
lock screw

Camerastrap eyelet
Tripod socket

Cameraback lock releases:To

CPU contacts:Don'ttouch!
opencameraback,slidecamera
backlockreleases
together.

Filmcartridge Focusingscreentype B:
confirmationwindow Interchangeable with
optionaltype E screen
Viewfindereyepiece ( p p .1 0 0 - 1 0 1 ) .
 Meteringsystem (3€)button*:
Resetbutton: Pressand holdthis Seepage32.
buttonand exposurecompensation/
resetbuttontogetherfor instantreset Filmrewindbutton
of basiccamerasettings(p, 19)

ExposurecorDpensation/
Exposuremode (M0DE)
button*: reset button (Z)": See
Seepage54. pages19 and92,

Vari-Program(Ps)button*:See
pages70-71.

Powerswitch
Flashsync mode (l) button*:
Seepages'119,121and 123.
Focusarea button:See
page33,

Filmadvancemode (DRIVE)
button*:Seepages28-29, Gommandinputcontrol
dial (Gommanddial):
Rotateto set various
functions,
Film speed/fifmrewind (ffi)
button:Seepages 25 and 99. Self-timerbutton ({r)*:See
page94,
* Usedwith commanddial

www.orphancameras.com
 10

'ffira+l
H.H)F
11
12
13
EEE 14

LCDpanelindications
1. Focusarea Organizer.
12. Electronic
2. Exposure mode/FlexibleProgram 13. Custom.
3. Meteringsystem 14. Battery
4. Filmspeedsettingmode 15. Filmadvancemode
5. Exposure compensation speed/Self-timer
16. FramecounterNari-Program/lSO
speed
6. Shutter pensation
duration/com value
7.Autofocus 17. Filmloading
8.Aperture 18. Filmadvanceand rewind
9. Release/Focuspriority 19. Self-timer
10.Flashsyncmode .Appears
11.Red-Eye Reduction onlywhen isinuse.
DataLinkSystem
 Viewfinderindication

56 7 I I 10 1112 13

)o( gf 8fl8$rB.B

1. Wide-Area focusbrackets 7. Exposuremode/FlexibleProgram

2.12mm-dia.reference circlefor Centre- 8. Shutterspeed
WeightedMetering 9. Aperture Lightlypressingthe shutterrelease
3. 3mm dia.reference circlefor Spot 10. Electronic buttonto turnon the exposure
analogdisplay/exposure
Metering/Spot-Area focus difference* meterswitcheson the vieMinder
4. Clearmattefield 11. FramecounterA/an-Program/ illuminatorat a low lightlevel.
5. Focusarea compensation In dim light,whenthe exposure
value/amountof
6. Focusindicators: O indicatesa exposuredifference* meteris on,the illuminator
subjectis in focus;) ( showsFocus 12. Exposure compensation automatically switcheson at full
Tracking,alsoindicatesthat a moving 13. Flashrecommend/ready brightness.
light
subjectis expectedto be in focus;
blinking) ( indicatesautofocusis " Appearsonlywhen theAC-2E
card'slJserCustom
impossible; ( and ) arrowsindicate )ptionletsyousetexposure
difference
indicator.
frontand rearfocus,respectively.

10 www.orphancameras.com
I r#llTlfu0Fr
AUii $111,

BASICOPERATION /
Thissectionshowsyou howto preparethe camerafor shooting-
e.9.,howto mountlens,loadfilm,etc.-as wellas howto actually
t a k e p i c t u r e s .W h e t h e ry o u ' r e a b e g i n n e ro r a s e a s o n e d
photographer, you shouldmasterthis sectionbeforeproceeding
further.

'11
MOUNTING
THELENS

n Positionthe lensin the camera's To remove

Z bavonetmount so that the Pushand hold lensreleasebuttonand
mountingindexeson lensand camera turn lensclockwise.
body are aligned.Takingcare not to
pressthe lens releasebutton,twist lens
counterclockwise untilit locksinto olace.

-l Removecamerabody cap and front

I and rearlenscaos.

rJ{ft {FrP.t{4m*Js{{4t4i,i"a1d}i*rd;4fi
s,/r,tn4F}.iP:iriry!*dt#ii4t#wdtr
:,:
H . Whenmounting/removing
lens,makesurethat the camera'spoweris turned $

12 www.orphancameras.com
 BATTERIES
INSTALLING

Loosenbatteryholderlock screw
witha coinor similarobiect.

Pressholderinto placeas you

e lnstallfour AA-typealkaline-
\) manganese,NiCdor high-
performancemanganesebatterieswith
4 Returnbatteryholderto battery
chamber. 5 tightenlock screwwith coin.

"+" and "-" terminalspositionedas

showninsideholder.
1Q
 BATTERY
CHECKING POWER

Slidepower switchto ON position,
batterymarkappearson LCDpanel,
power.Thebatterymark and
turn off after8 sec.
Aboutexposuremeter
You can check batterypower anytimeby lightlypressing
the shutterreleasebutton,This actionactivatesthe
exposuremeter;the LCD paneland viewfinderLCD show
aperture/shutterspeed indications,and autofocUs
operationstarts (unlesscamerais set for manual.
focusing).The exposureindicationsand batterVfuarkstay
on for approx.8 sec, afteryou take your fingeroff the
shutterreleasebutton,then automaticallyturn off. lf the
shutteris released,these LCD readoutsgo off approx.2
that a full sec. afteryou take your fingeroff the button.
sufficientbattery
automatically

q=a {:
Sufficient power,
battery Batteries
arenearing
exhaustion,
Havea freshsetready,

llll/ Data Link Systemusers

-{:- You can set automaticmeterswitch-offas desired:4
/ltt\ sec,,8 sec.,'16sec.,30 sec.,60 sec, For details,see
lf ca blinks with/without
blinking lf noindication/mark
appears, Nikon AC-2Ecard instructionmanual.
arejustabout
Er r , batteries batteries
arecompletely
exhausted
exhausted. Slidepowerswitchto or improperly Replace.
installed,
OFFandreplace witha
batteries
freshset,

14 www.orphancameras.com
LOADING
FILM

o To avoidfoggingfilm (especiallyhigh-lSOfilm),do not

load/unloadfilm in directsunlight.
o Usablefilmspeedrangefor DX-codedfilm is ISO25 to

Confirmwhether[X for DX-codedfilm is shownon the

LCD oanel.

DataLinkSysternusers
. The AC-2Ecard's UserCustomOptionletsyou set the
camerato DX-priority.
. The AC-2Ecard's UserCustomOptionletsvou activate
the electronicbeeperfor film operationalert.
For details. seeAC-2E card instructionmanual.

lf not, pressand hold ISObuttonin, then rotatecommanddial

untilDXappears.
 Do not touchthe shuttercurtains
with yourfingeror with film leader.
Insertfilmcaftridge.
togetherto opencameraback.fi 3

EEEIOOO

EIEISEE]EIEIgOE

Checkto ensurefilm is properlypositionedwith no slack(seeillustration).

4 Pullfilm leaderout to red index
marK.
6,
\,'

to www.orphancameras.com
 t.

Gentlyclosecameraback until 7 Fullydepressshutterreleasebutton panelblinkand the shutteris locked.

releasessnao closed. I to advancefilmto frame#1. Set lS0 speedmanually(seep. 99).
o lf non-DX-coded filmor filmwith an
unacceptable DX code is loaded,the
Err, lS0and [X marksin the LCD

To confirmISOnumberof DX-
codedfilm,pressfilmspeed
. lf film is incorrectly button.
B Confirmframecountershows i and
O- symbolappearson LCD panel.
positioned,E
remains,O- symbolblinksand shutter
is locked.Ooencameraback and
reloadfilm properly.
BASICSHOOTING
Thissection featuresthe settingsfor
most common picture-takingsituations
when AF Nikkor*/ensesare used:
Film advance mode: single-frame
shooting
Metering: Advanced Matrix MeterinQ
Focus Area: Wide
Focus mode: SingleServoAF
Exposure mode: Auto Multi-Program
(lf you are usingAl-P-Nikkor/ens, use
manualfocus /see pp. 46-481.lf you are
using other non-AF Nikkor /enses,use 1 Set focus mode selectorto $ for O Set lensto its minimumaperture
Centre-Weightedor Spot Metering/see I SingleServoautofocus.lf lens has Z (highestf-numbermarkedin orange
p. 321,manualfocus, and Aperture- an A-M switch,set switch to A. lf you are on AF Nikkorlenses)and lock lens
PriorityAuto or Manual Exposuremode usingan AF-I/AF-SNikkorlens,set the apertureof AF Nikkorlens at its
[see pp. 60-62 or 63-66]. To confirm lensfocus mode to A or M/A. minimumsetting(seelensinstruction
usablemode by lens, see chart on p. manual).
104.)
. AFNikkorlenses
includes
D-type
AFNikkorlenses
andAF-I/AF-S
Nikkorlenses.

18 www.orphancameras.com
 MF-26 userEi
Pressingthe resetbuttonsalso cancelsthe MF-26's
,15 F5.E followingfunctions:
.Illt t Auto ExposureBracketing
MultipleExposureOperation
t,) Auto SequenceShooting
LongTime Exposure t
O-q: IntervalTimer
FlashExposureBracketing
FocusPriority
e PressO resetbutton and CIZ button simultaneously for
\,1 two secondsuntilP,@, E and E appearin the LCD
panel,indicatingthat the camerasettingsare automatically
resetfor basicshootingshownhere:
Filmadvance: Singleframe(E)
Metering system: Matrix(@)
Exposure control: Auto Multi-Program (P)
Focusarea: Wide (@)
Flexibleprogramsetting: Cancel
Exposure compensation: t0
Flash sync mode: Normal(lfSpeedlightis set at
rear-curtainsync, rear-curtain
sync willbe performed.)
Data Link System users
When activatingCustom Resetwith the Nikon AC-2Ecard's @ also appearswhen "Storeshootingdata" is selected
CustomizedSettingsfunction,pressand holdthe O and and/or"Downloadstored data" is likewiseselectedin the
O% buttonsfor two secondsto retrievethe Custom Reset Memo Holderfunction.In this case,you alsocan make M
settings, disappearfrom the LCD by followingthe instructions given
Whenone or morefunctions/options (including
Custom above.
* When Custom Reset and/or"Simultaneous
LockofAFandAE"ofUser
Reset)of the CustomizedSettingshave been set, IIIEM
appearsin the camera'sLCD panel*,To cancelthe Custom )ptiln is setwiththeMF-26attachedtothecamera,
ElEIildoes
functions/optionsof the CustomizedSettingsand resetyour nztappear. Tocancel Custom 0r "Simultaneous
Reset LockofAFandAE"
camerato the defaultsetting(whichwill make EM withtheMF-26,usetheMF-26's @ buttonandthecamera's
command dial.(Fordetails,
seetheMF-26'sinstruction
manuaL)
disappearfrom the LCD),pressand hold the O and Ol4
buttonsfor more than four secondsuntil @ starts
blinking;then removeyourfingersfrom the resetbuttons
and pressthem againwithintwo seconds.(0M stops
blinkingwhen the resetbuttonsare leftuntouchedfor two
seconds.)

www.orphancameras.com
A Holdcamera,lookthroughviewfinderand positionfocus bracketson mdn
+ subject. Althoughthe viewfindercovers
approx.92o/oof the imageareaof
the actualphotograph,a negative
filmwillshow you an imagelarger
than what you see throughthe
viewfinder.
Note:The imagein a slidefilm
may be partiallycroppedby the
mount,Also,the edgesof
negativefilm are partiallycropped
by most labs.
tr Lightlypressshutterreleasebutton to start autofocus
U operationand switchexposuremeteron. Note on Single Servo AF with a stationary subject
With.astationarysubject,confirmthat the in-focusindicatorO Afterfocusingis achievedand in-focusindicatorO
appearson the vieMinder'sLCD readout.With a moving appears,focus is lockedas long as the shutterrelease
subject,confirmthat FocusTrackingindicator) a appears. buttonis lightlypressed.lf the distancebetweenyou and
Confirm,too, that the shutterspeedand apertureindications the stationarysubjectchanges,removeyour fingerfrom $
are shown.Exposurereadoutsalsoappearin the camera's shutterreleasebutton,then lightlypressit againto lii
externalLCD panel.
. lf ( appears,subjectis locatedcloserthan the lens'closest
refocus.
FordetailsaboutSingleServoAF, see page36, $
i{
focusingdistance.Move away from the subjectand refocus. ,iil
. lf ) appearswhenTC-164 is used,the lensfocusingringis
not set at infinity(-). See p. 36.
$
ii
. lf ) ( blinksin the viewfinder: Autofocusis not possible(p. ):
iii
44). ,rrrli!r'
o lf shutterspeedindicatedis 1/(lensfocallength)sec. or
slower,the picturemay come out blurred.To avoidthis,hold
camerafirmlyor use a tripod.

22 www.orphancameras.com
lf H i appears in the shutter speed
position-Overexposure alert: Use NikonND
or similarfilter. lf I mark in green appears-Flash-
photographyrecommended:lf available
I markappears.ise
lightis insufficient, H
NikonTTL-typeSpeedlight. t.

lf ia appears in the shutter speed position-

Underexposurealert: Usea NikonSpeedlight,
higherISOfilm or lenswith fasterapefture,
whicheveris suitable.

lf rEEblinks in the aperture position-Lens

setting error alert: Lensis not set to smallest
apefturesetting,so shutteris locked.Set lensto
smallestaoefture.
 REWINDING
FILM

Filmadvancestopsautomatically at end of rollwith Fnd

A To take picture,fullydepressshutterreleasebutton.
L/ Cameraautomatically advancesfilm by one frame,and
LCDframecounterincreasesbv one.
I
I and O- symbolin LCDpanelblinking.
At the end of film roll,eachtime you pressshutterrelease
button,Endand @- blink,reminding you to rewindfilm.
o Alertsignalsoundsif "Beepfor FilmOperationAlert"is set
with the NikonDataLinksvstem.

'iii
l!i:'
fiShutterspeed/apertureindicationsinLCDpane|and
turn off approx.2 sec. afteryou release
insideviewfinder
shutterand takeyourfingeroff shutterreleasebutton.

www.orphancameras.com
,'1!.iiait

z4
f) Presso* buttonand 36buttonto startfilm rewind.During
I filmrewind,O- appearson LCD panel,and framecounter
countsbackwardsuntilrewindis complete.
. Youcan rewindfilm,beforeit reachesend of roll,in the same
manner.
. lf filmdoes not startrewindor if film rewindhas stoppedat
mid-roll,checkbatterypower.lf batterypoweris insufficient,
turn power switch off, replacebatterieswith a freshset, turn
poweron, then pressthe film rewindand filmspeed lf film advancestops, the LCD panel shows
setting/filmrewindbuttonsagainto restadfilm rewind. Fr,d,but the frame counter will not indicate
. Do not openthe cameraback duringfilm rewind.lf the
cameraback is opened,film rewindwill stop at mid-roll;to the end of the roll.
restartfilmrewind,pressthe o* and 36buttonsagain. lf c-a blinks,turn the poweroff and replacebatterieswith
a freshset.Thenturn the poweron to continueshooting.
lf s is shown,to resumenormaloperation,turn the
poweroff,then on again.Next,lightlypressthe shutter
releasebuttonto confirmthat Fnd disapoears.

ii
I

25
 *

a After rewindautomaticallystops, confirmframecounter Open cameraback and removefilm cartridge'

\) shows [. and film installationsvmbolQ blinksfor a few 4
seconds.

To conservebatterypower,turn off the power switch

when you are not usingthe camera.Alwaysremove
batteriesbeforestoringa camerato preventdamagedue
to leakingbatteries.

26 www.orphancameras.com
 ffi '}rr

t-
GENERALFUNCTIONS
rQr
..+

This chapterexplainsthe variousmodesof the F90Xcamera's

Pleasereviewit thoroughly.
operation.
I
I
ta
I

I
I

I
I
I

-
rt 27
.
 MODE
FILMADVANCE
SINGLE-FRAME
SHOOTING
,f,5 F5.h
IJEmr
t,l
O-m

Thereare three automaticfilm advancemodes.To choosea Withthe filmadvancemode at E, fullydepressingthe shutter

mode,pressand holdthe filmadvancemode buttonand rotate
the commanddial.Set E for single-frameshooting,E::r-for
continuouslow-speedshootingor E::Hfor continuoushigh-
speedshooting,and so on.
releasebutton takes one pictureand automaticallyadvances
the film by one frame.Filmis advancedimmediately afterthe
shuttercloseswhetheryou removeyourfingerfrom the shutter
releasebutton or keeo the button deoressed.To take the next
shot, liftyour fingerfrom the button,then fullydepressit again.

28 www.orphancameras.com
 SHOOTING
CONTINUOUS
lr.5 F5.E ,15 F5.E
@Emr EEmr
mil Ex il

*
Shotsare takencontinuously as longas you keepthe shutter
buttonfullydepressed.You havea choiceof shooting
release
speeds:approx.4.3 fps (framesper second)in the EJHmode,
andapprox.2.0 fps in the s::r mode-with freshalkalineAA-
typebatteriesat normaltemperatureand at shutterspeedof
1/250sec. or higherin the Manualexposureand Manualfocus _4)
modes.Withshutterspeedsslowerlhan 1/250 sec.,the Nikon Multi-ControlBack MF-26 users
framingratebecomesprogressively slowerin proportionto the . Whenimprinting FrameCountor SequenceNumberin
speedin use.
shutter continuousshooting, set the camera'sfilmadvance
lfFocusTrackingis on, the maximumshootingspeedis modeto EJ:r.In the trl::xmode,FrameCountor
approx.4.1 framesper secondin E:-rH mode. SequenceNumbermay be incorrectly imprinted.
. Whenimprinting withan ISO25 or lower-speed filmin
continuousshooting,set the camera'sfilmadvance tl
; modeto El:r. In the E::Hmode,the date and time may 4
I be resetand any otherfunction(s)you haveset may be ,)
I cancelled.
9)

29
EXPOSURE
METERING
SYSTEM
The Nikon F90Xhas threetype of exposuremeteringsystems- MatrixMetering,
Centre-WeightedMeteringand Spot Metering,

MATRIX
METERING
l---]l----l
L__=12"R\___J
t---l\\\u )f-l
L_)<__l !i
Thissystemis idealfor quick operationin any exposurerof" whetherthe mainsubjectis centredis alsoconsideredin the
(pp.a9-66).With D-typeAF NikkorlensesincludingAF-I/AF-S computation.By analysingthesedata,the F9OX'sbuilt-in
Nikkor,3D MatrixMeteringis automaticallyactivated.3D Matrix microcomputer is ableto providecorrectexposureevenin
Meteringusesthree types of data: (1)scene brightness,(2) extremelycomplexlightingsituations.lf a non-D-typelensis
scenecontrastand (3)focusedsubject'sdistance(Distance used,AdvancedMatrixMeteringis performed.Althoughlens'
Information).
Dataon scene brightnessand contrastare DistanceInformation is not given,8-segmentMatrixsensor
detectedby the camera's8-segmentAdvancedMatrixSensor, providesthe correctexposurein most lightingsituations.
whiledata on the focused subject'sdistanceis detectedand Notethat MatrixMeteringsystemcan be usedonlywith lenses
relayedby the D-typeAF Nikkorlensin use.In addition,the that havea built-inCPU (suchas AF Nikkorand Al-P lenses.)
informationsent by the camera'sautofocussystemindicating

DataLink SystemUsers
The AC-2Ecard's UserCustomOptionletsyou check the
exposuredifferencefrom Centre-Weighted
Meteringwhen
MatrixMeteringis activated,

30 www.orphancameras.com
T

HTEDMETERING
CENTRE-WEIG SPOTMETERING

*
With75% of the meter'ssensitivityconcentratedon the 12mm-{
dia,circlein the vieMinderand 25% outsidethis circle,this
meterbecomesusefulin situationswhereyou want to base
exposureon a specificarea in the scene.In the auto exposure
mode,to measurethe brightnessof the picture'soff-centre
portion,use the camera'sAE-L lever(pp.BB-89).
Nearly1OO%of the meter'ssensitivityis concentratedon the
Usethis meter
3mm-dia.circlein the centreof the viewfinder.
for reallyselectiveexposurecontrol-achievingthe best results
requiresexperience.

31
-"rye; ,,,,,.';t:ti*$,iti$'S*iji
SETTING M ETERING SYSTEM

MatrixMetering Centre-Weighted SootMeterino

Metering

Whilepressingthe meteringsystem(3.!)button,rotate
commanddialuntilthe desiredsymbol-E for MatrixMetering,
@ for Centre-WeightedMeteringor El for Spot Metering-
appearsin the LCD panel.

ir.ir+,tri!,iiii{ii:i1t!i1.::r,:illl::ii\iiiidri:.if!!i:i!'i1i{d!tlllr::tillrliiiriiriiii'i,i-i6!11[:rlxilliia:i!lii*

lf you are using a lens without CPU, or accessoriessuch as bellows or |{

extension rings $
$ | B-segmentMatrixMeteringautomatically switchesoff and Centre-Weighted Meteringswitcheson $j
ii I whilethe El symbolblinks.(lfAuto Multi-Programor Shutter-Priority
Auto is set on the camera, ii}
ti' I the exposuremode alsoswitchesautomatically Auto with F - - and blinking
to Apefture-Priority $
i.}i
l$ I exposuremode indicator.)In this case,use Centre-Weighted Meteringor Spot Metering. $
ltsJ_J \z - 4: li
riri iili
ril lii
r:ri lll
;tr i-rt
iir iii
!1. it

32 www.orphancameras.com
I

I rocus
FOCUSAREA

s
TheF9OX'sautofocussystemoffersa choiceof two focus
areas:Wideand Spot.
Whilepressingfocusareabutton,rotatecommanddialuntilthe
desiredsymbol-E for Wide Area or E for Spot Area-
appearsin the LCD panel.

When using Nikon dedicated Speedlight

Whena NikondedicatedSpeedlightconnectedto the
camerais turnedon, WideArea is automaticallyswitched
overto Spot Areafocus.In this case,E blinksin the LCD
paneland E appearsinsidethe viewfinder.
The Wide-Areafocusbracketsdelineatethe focusdetecting
areain the viewfinder.
Subjectsof sufficientbrightnessand
detailcan be detectedwithinthesebrackets.In additionto
generalphotography, autofocususingWide-Areafocus
bracketsis suitedto actionphotographyin whichthe moving
subjectrequiresa wide-rangefocusdetectionarea.
However,focusdetectionmay not be possibleif the subjectis
too smallto fullycoverthe Wide-Areafocus brackets.lf various
subjects,eachat a differentdistance,fallwithinthe focus
g,
I
detectionarea,focuswillbe confirmedfor a singlesubjectas
follows:
.For subjectsof equalbrightness:the closerone will be
focused.
.For subjectsof unequalbrightness: the brighterone willbe
focused.
Spot AreaAF, in whichthe focusdetectingareais shown by
the 3mm-dia.circleat the centreof the viewfinder,
is
recommendedin the followinosituations:

a. Subjectconsiderably b. Subjectobscuredby an c. A particularportionof the d. Stronglybacklitsubject,

smallerthan the Wide-Area object,such as a fence,in subjectmust be in focus, such as someonestanding
focus brackets. the foreoround such as the eyesin a besidebrightwindow**
poftrait

. Usefocuslock.See'AUT)F)CUS WITHMAINSUBJECT jFF CENTRE'

0npages40 to 43.
.. Togiveclrrectexplsureonyoursubject,see"AE-LLEVER"
onpages88 to 89 or "T0)BTAINMETER F)R A
RFADING
PARTICUUR
SUBJECT
INMANUAL MODE''
EXPOSURE onoaoes90 to 91.

34 www.orphancameras.com
AUTOFOCUS
TheNikonF9OXhas two autofocusmodes, SingleServoAF
withFocus-Priority
and ContinuousServoAF with Release-
Priority.
Ineitherautofocusmode and in any film advancemode, Focus
Trackingautomaticallyactivateswhen the subjectstarts
moving. FocusTrackingenablesthe camerato analysethe
speedof the movingsubjectaccordingto the focus data
detected,and to obtaincorrectfocus by anticipatingthe
subject'sposition-and drivingthe lensto that position-at the -
exactmomentof exposure.You can thus obtaincorrectly
J ln addition to AF Nikkor lenses (including D-type AF
focusedpicturesfor manymovingsubjects.
,-
Data Link System users
o You can activatedouble beep for in-focussignal.
o You can giveFocus-Priority to ContinuousServoAF
and/orRelease-Priority to SingleServoAF.
r ForSingleServoAF in continuousshooting,you can
cancelfocus detectionand lens drivingfor the next shot
afterthe first shot is taken so that the subjectfocus
remainslocked.
For details,see fhe NikonAC-2E card's instruction
manual.
Caution
Do not attemptto turn the lensfocusingring or impedeits
rotationwhenthe focus mode selectoris set to S or G.
t
Nikkor and AF-I/AF-S Nikkor lenses except the AF Nikkor
lenses for F3AF), autofocus is possible with AF
TeleconverterTC-164 attached to non-AF Al-Nikkor
'f/3.5
lenses with a maximum apefture of or brighter. Al-
Nikkor lenses that cannot be used with the TC-164 are:
. Al-Stype 20mm f/2.8
r Al-S type ED 4OOmml/2.8\F
o Al-S type ED4OOmm f/3.5 lF
. 28mm I/2 (wilhfactoryserialNo. 540020 or smaller)
o 28mm f/2.8 (No.500000 or smaller)
. 3 5 m mf / 1 . 4
r 35mm f/2 (No.931000or smaller)
r 35mm f/2.8 (No.880000 or smaller)
o SOmmf/1.4 (No.398000or smaller)
r SOmmf/2 (No.364000 or smaller)
o ED 400mmf/3.5 lF
o Micro55mm f/3.5
r All rnodified-Al-Nikkor
and PC-Nikkorlenses
For details, see fhe TC-16A's instruction manuaL

35
 tl5 F5.E
FJ@tr
u til
Itri-lo:ca
* focus
Single Servo AF with Focus-Priority
For SingleServoAF with Focus-Priority,
set the focus mode to
s.
You lightlypressthe shutterreleasebutton,the lensstarts
adjustingfor focus. Becausethe priorityis on correctfocus, the
shutterlocks untilthe stationarysubjectis in focus (withO) or
untilthemovingsubjectsexpectedto be in focus (with) ().
Afterfocus is achievedwith a stationarysubject,the focus
remainslockedfor as long as the shutterreleasebutton is
lightlypressed.Thisfeatureis useful,especially when
recomposingthe picturewith the mainssubjectoff centre.
However,if the camera-to-subjectdistancechanges,you have
to refocus.
36 www.orphancameras.com
Stationary
subject
isin
With a stationary subject: Lightlypressthe shutterrelease
button.Whenthe subjectis in focus,the lensstops moving,the
in-focusindicationO appearsin the vieMinder,and focus is
locked.You can releaseshutter.
lf the subjectmoves beforeshutterrelease,removeyour finger
from the shutterreleasebutton,then lightlypress it againto re-
start autofocus.
Subjectis locatedcloserthan the closestfocusing
distanceof the lens.Move away from subjectand
refocus.
AppearswhenTC-.164is used,alertingthat the lens
focusingring is not set at infinity(-). Set focus mode
selectorto M, set lensfocusingringto -, set focus mode
$ selectorto S again,then refocus.
Mtt{tksniu\$}$
 6,i@i@)i@r*Y;;^li1ap,r@),4':

r SingleServoAF with Focus-Priority is convenientfor off-

centresubjects.See pages40 to 41.
. After shootingwith the film advancemode selectorset
at E, you do not haveto removeyour fingerfrom the
your 7i6
shutterreleasebutton for the next shot. Slightly"lift
fingerfrom the button(butmaintaining the buttonin the 'ij
half-depressed position)then fullydepressit to release ft
Movingsubjectis
to bein
expected
focus
$
Witha moving subject: Lightlypressthe shutterrelease
buttonand FocusTrackingis automaticallyactivated.Confirm
) ( appearsin the vieMinder,then fullydepressthe shutter
detectsfocus everytime the shutteris released. ,i
release button. . Witha movingsubject,dependingon subjectstatusand 'l:i
FocusTrackingremainsactivatedas longas you keep lightly pictures may result.
lensin use,slightlyout-of-focus 7a
pressing the shutterreleasebutton.lf subjectstopsand O r"
appears, focus is locked.lf subjectmovesagain,removeyour E
fingerfrom the shutterreleasebuttonand lightlypressit again E

,3
to staft autofocuswith FocusTrackinq. 1?r
tr
i6)
i€
\1

@
)7 17 F
(- lf ) { blinksin the viewfinder:
Autofocusis not .- 'iI
|\ 0
possible(p.44).
f
d
i.@)
tji
t!
jt.i
t)l

l:;,
dl
.a
@
B
.A dlriil Yl *:Ai/st6.dd)@ -@,)

37
 i;'5 F5.F
EE
u t,l
Itri--l@-ca
*
Continuous Servo AF with Release-Priority
Undersomeconditions,such as veryfast actionsituations, you
may want to take a pictureeven if focus has not been
successfullyaccomplished. In such cases,use this mode.Set
focus modeto Cto use ContinuousServoAF with Release-
Priority.
In ContinuousServoautofocusmode,as you lightlypressthe
shutterreleasebutton,focusdetectionbeginsand the lens
focusesfor as long as you keep the shutterreleasebutton
lightlypressed.Sincethe priorityis on shutterrelease,you can
fullydepressthe shutterreleasebutton regardlessof focus
status.
www.orphancameras.com
ea
I
Stationary is in
subject
focus
With a stationary subject: Lightlypressthe shutterrelease
button to start autofocusoperation,When the subjectis in
focus,the camera'sautofocusmotor (orthe built-inmotor of an
AF-I/AF-SNikkorlens)stops drivingthe autofocuslens and O
lightsup. Unlessyou removeyourfingerfrom the shutter
releasebutton,the motorwillstartdrivingthe lensagainto
obtainan in-focuspictureif the focusdistancechanges.
f ( Subjectis locatedcloserthanthe closestfocusing
distanceof the lens.Move awayfrom subjectand
refocus.
) Appearswhen TC-l64 is used,alerlingthat the lens
focusingringis not set at infinity1-). Set focus mode
liilr
1,?-; yr Xria.ar igt X ar@t
ae
 d
@
Movingsubject
is z t Q
I
ti
to bein *
expected
focus
With a moving subject: Lightlypressthe shutterrelease
buttonand FocusTrackingis automaticallyactivated.To take a
in-focuspictureconfirmthat ) ( appearsin the vieMinderthen
fullydepressshutterreleasebutton
FocusTrackingremainsactivatedas long as you keep lightly
pressingthe shutterreleasebutton.When the subjectstops,
theviewfinderwillshow O indicatingthe stationarysubjectis in
focus.

p:i6tlll,s.Aid.,p,y,lt:dtq.tr,#@l9xn$/,gr:N$i@l.f*lialP:*rd:@.v,aRa*
y,alg^i:;@e-ilx@rlei.v,ji0j

selectorto M, set lensfocusingring to -, set focus

to Cagain,thenrefocus.
modeselector
$
lf ) ( blinksintheviewfinder: is not
Autofocus ft
possible (p.44).
H

tpiliid@:.Vi;tdktlt' n!'s'l'*@,P)

39
AUTOFOCUSWITHMAINSUBJECTOFF CENTRE
In SingleSeruoAF mode
As previouslynoted, in SingleServoautofocus,focus is locked
as long as the shutterreleasebutton is kept lightlypressed.
Use this featurefor off-centresubjects.In the following
procedure,Spot-AreaAF demonstrationphotos are used.

J
.fu

o lf there is substantialdifferenceof brightnessbetween

subjectand background,switchto Centre-Weighted or
Spot Meteringand useAE-L lever.See pages88 to 89.
. Witha movingsubject,focuscannotbe locked, 1. Positionfocusbracketson subjectand lightlypressshutter
releasebutton to start autofocusoperation.

40 www.orphancameras.com
 *
{
2.Confirmin-focusindicatorO appearsin the vieMinder. 3. Keepingthe shutterreleasebuttonlightlypressed,
recompose,then fullydepressshutterreleasebutton to take
oicture.
ln ContinuousServo AF mode
Withan off-centresubject,use AF-L button.In the following
procedures,Spot-AreaAF demonstrationphotos are used.

1. Positionfocus bracketson subjectand lightlypressshutter

releasebutton to start autofocusoperation,

42 www.orphancameras.com
2. Keepingshutterreleasebuttonlightlypressed,confirmin- 3. WhileholdingAF-L buttonin, recompose,then fullydepress
focusindicatorO appearsin vieMinder.Thenpressand hold shutterreleasebutton to take picture.
AF-Lbuttonto lockfocus,KeepholdingAF-L buttonuntil
nextstep is completed.
SPECIALFOCUSINGSITUATIONS
Autofocusoperationdependson generallighting,subjectcontrastand detail,and
) (F ir'5 F't.E (,1 othertechnicalfactors.In raresituationswhereautofocus(andmanualfocusw1h
ElectronicRangefinder) is not possible,) ( blinkstellingyou to focusmanuallywith
clear matte field (p. 48) or performautofocuson anothersubjectlocatedat same
distance.

A. Very dark subject
Focusmanuallywith clearmattefield,or
for autofocus,focuson anotherbrighter
subjectlocatedat samedistance,then
usefocuslock (pp.38-43).Or, use a
NikonautofocusSpeedlightto perform
autofocuswith Speedlight's
AF
illuminator.
B. Low contrast subject
Focusmanuallywith clearmattefield,or
for autofocus,focus on anothersubject
at same distancebut with more contrast,
then usefocus lock (pp 38-43),
G. Strongly backlit subject or bright
subject with shiny surface such as
silveror aluminum,or scene in which
there is a pronounceddifferencein
brightness,such as the light patterns
created by blinds.
Focusmanuallywith clearmattefield.

44 www.orphancameras.com
Inthefollowingsituations,ignorein-focusindicatorO or Focus
Tracking indicator) (.
. Scenewith subject located at different distances. (For
example,when shooting a person over a fence or when
shootinganimals inside a cage)
UseSpot Areafor autofocus(page34) or focus manuallywith
clearmattefield.
r Withan extremely bright object near your subject '
UseSpot Areafor autofocus(page34) or focus manuallywith -
clearmattefield. I'
. Whenusing a linearpolarisingfilter*,or other special filter
such as a soft-focus filter.
Focusmanuallywith clear mattefield.
- Circular
polarising withautofocus
filtercanbeusedinconnection operation.

45
MANUALFOCUS
Manual focus with Electronic Rangefinder
The ElectronicRangefinderenablesyou to see focus status
with the vieMinderindications whileyou are manuallyfocusing.
It workswith most Nikonlenses(including AF Nikkorwhen
operatedmanually)which havea maximumapertureof f/5.6 or
faster,(Fora completelist of usablelenses,see LENS
COMPATIBIUryCHARTon p. 104).

J
,n
To focus manually,set the focus mode selectorto M, (lfthe
lenshas an A-M switch,set it to M. lf you are usingan AF-l/
AF-S Nikkorlens,set the focus mode to M or M/A.)
Thereare two ways of assuringprecisemanualfocus: with the
ElectronicRangefinder or with the vieMinder'sclearmattefield.

1. Lookthroughviewfinderand positionfocusbracketson main

subject.Then lightlypressshutterreleasebutton.

40 www.orphancameras.com
 . Ar i?5 F5.5 ti) ) )o !15 F5.5 ( 0

2.Keepingshutterreleasebuttonlightlypressed,rotatelens 3. Confirmin-focusindicatorO appears,thenfullydepress

focusingringin directionindicatedby focus-to-leftarrow( () shutterreleasebuttonto take picture.
or focus-to-rightarrow( )), untilarrowdisappearsand in-
focusindicatorO appears.
arrow( () does not disappearwhen you turn
lf focus-to-left
focusringcounterclockwise to the limit,subjectis closer
thanthe distanceat whichthe lensis ableto focus.Move
backfrom subject.

ilti^f
N1?
It-
e {4

Forspecialfocusingsituationsshownon page44, ) ( blinksto indicatethat

v
does not correctlywork. Focuswith clearmattefield
the ElectronicRangefinder ft
(p.48).
d
ft

47
Manualfocus using clear
matte field

LookthroughvieMinderand rotatelensfocusingringuntilimageon clearmattefield

appearssnarp.

48 www.orphancameras.com