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CONTENTS
FOREWORD . . r SHUTTER-PRIORITY AUTOEXPOSURE MODE, . ., . 36-38
NOMENCLATUR : .E: : . . : : : : - : : : : : : : . .4-7 APERTURE-PRIORIry AUTOEXPOSURE MODE . . . . 39-41
BASICOPERATION.... 8 MANUALEXPOSURE MODE .. 42-44
MOUNTING THE LENS 8 Bulb Setting 44
INSTALLING BATTERIES 9 PHOTOGRAPHICTECHNIQUES.. ...45-63
CHECKINGBATTERY POWER . . 10-11 EXPOSUREMETERINGSYSTEMS ....45-51
LOADINGFILM. .12-13 MatrixMetering 45
B A S I CS H O O T T N G ..... 14-18 C e n t r e - W e i g h tM
edetering... 46
REWINDING FILM . 19 SpotMetering... 46
C o N T R O L S t N D E T A | L . .f .. ....20-42 MeteringSystemSetting 47
FILMSPEEDSETTING. . . .: . When to Use Matrixor Centre-Weighted Metering. . . 48-51
UsingDX-CodedFilm . 20-21 EXPOSURE COMPENSATION .. 52_58
ManualFilmSpeedSetting 21 ln AutomaticExoosureModes 52
FILMADVANCEMODE. . . .,.,. 22 AE (Auto Exposure)Lock Lever 52-53
ModeSelection ...:.. 22 ExposureCompensatronButton .....54-55
FOCUS ... 23-33 ln ManualExoosureMode . . . 56-57
A U T O F O C U. .S. . .... 23-28 Auto ExposureBracketing, , 58
ContinuousServoAutofo Mcoudse .....";24 DEPTH-OF-FIELD PREVIEWBUTTON 59
FocusTracking . 24:-25 Stop-DownExposureMetering 59
TakingPictureswith an Off-CentreMain Subject . . . . 26-27 SELF-TIMER ... . 60-61
Autofocusing with OptionalAutofocusSpeedlights. . . . . 28 Two-ShotSelf-Timer 61
MANUALFOCUSWITH MULTIPLEEXPOSUREPHOTOGRAPHY..... 62-63
E L E C T R O NRI C ANGEFINDER ..... 29_30 FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY 64-72
FreezeFocus 31 MatrixBalancedFill-Flash ....... 66
MANUALFOCUSUSINGCLEARMATTEFIELD 32 Centre-Weighted Fill-Flash 67
SPECIALFOCUSINGSITUATIONS 33 SootFill-Flash 67
EXPOSURE ..... 34-44 StandardTTL Flash 67
ExposureMode Setting 34 ShutterSpeed/Aperture and FlashMode
PROGRAMMED AUTOEXPOSURE MODES 34 Combinations for EachExposureMode . . . . , . . 68-69
FlexibleProgram 35 MatrixBalancedFill-FlashOoeration ... 70-71

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 FOREWORD
Rear-Curtain Sync FlashPhotography T2 Thank you for purchasingthe Nikon F-801s.We're
Ready-Light Warnings 72 sure it will make photographya much more exciting
VIEWFINDERINFORMATION 73 part of your life.
L C Df N F O R M A T T O N ... 74-75 With the F-801s,Nikon has taken the limitsof SLR
LENSES .76-77 technologyto new heights.Ultra-fastautofocusing,
LensCompatibilityChart. ....76-77 focus tracking for movingsubjects,versatileMatrix
ACCESSORYCOMPATIBILITY 77 Meteringwith Centre-Weightedand Spot Metering
I N T E R C H A N G I NFGO C U S I N GS C R E E N S ... 78_79 overrides,MatrixBalancedFill-Flashand an unpre-
CAMERACARETIPS. .. BO_81 cedentedfast metal shutterwith 1/8000 second top
NOTESONBATTERIES......?. ....... 82 speed are just the beginningof what you'll discover
SPECIFICATIONS ....1.;..... .....83-86 in this sleek,ergonomically designedcamera.
The other side of this success story is that while
offeringthese breakthroughs,Nikon has maintained
the integrityof its lens mount,givinglong-timeNikon
users an opportunityto upgradeto the most ad-
vancedphotographictechnologyavailable,while
providingnew users with the largestselectionof
fine-qualitylenseson the planet.
Get to know your F-801s,but before using it, be
sure to read this manualthoroughly.

',*+* -,--'*
-"oso--
NOMENCLATURE
Focusing ring Distancescale

Lens (AF Zoom-Nikkor

Distance/focallength index line
35-70mm 113.3-4.5)
Focal length scale Zoom ring

Aperture indexes M i n i m u ma p e r t u r el o c k

Aperturering Aperture scale

Meter coupling ridge CPU contacts

Self{imer indicator LED CPU contacts

Handgrip Meter coupling lever

Aperturecoupling lever L e n s m o u n t i n gi n d e x

Depth-of-field preview button Remotecontrol terminal

AFL (Autofocus Lock) button Lens release button

Battery chamber Lens releasepin

Battery holder MS-7 Focus mode selector

AF coupling Reflexmirror

Lens mountingflange Focusing screen releaselatch

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L C D i l l u m i n a t i o nw i n d o w

Accessory shoe Film rewind button

Meteringsystem selection button Exposurecompensationbutton

Exposuremode button Shutter release button

Filmspeed button Power switch

Camera strap eyelet Camera strap eyelet

Filmadvance mode button C o m m a n d i n p u t c o n t r o ld i a l

Multipleexposure/
film rewind button LCD panel

Filmcartridge confirmationwindow AE (Auto Exposure)Lock lever

Self-timerbutton Viewfinderilluminationbutton

Camera back
 Film takeup spool

Camera back hinge release

Viewfinder eyepiece

Shutter curtainS

Film rewind fork

Camera back lock releases

Film cartridge chamber

DX contacts Film pressure plate

Data back contacts Film pressure roller

Tripod socket Film leader index

F i l mg u i d e r a i l s Film sprocket

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Meteringsystem LCD Panel
Exposurecompensation

Exposuremode Shutter speeds/filmspeeds

Filmspeed setting Electronicanalogue display

DX-codedfilm speed setting Aperture/exposurecompensationvalue

Frame counter/self-timerduration/
Filmadvancemode numberof multipleexposure

Filminstallation Multipleexposure

Self-timer Film advanceand rewind

Inside Viewfinder

12mm-dia.reference circle Clear matte field

Focusbrackets
3.5mm-dia.referencecircle

Exposuremode Electronicanalogue display

Focus indicators Exposurecompensationmark

Shutterspeed/film speed Ready-lightLED

Aperture/exposurecompensationvalue
BASIC OPERATION
THE LENS
MOUNTING

A l i g n i n gl e n sm o u n t i n gi n d e xo n t h e To remove
camerabody with lens'distance/focal Pushlens releasebuttonand turn lens
lengthindexline,twistlensanticlockwise clockwise.
untilit lockssecurelyinto place.

Removecamerabody cap and frontand

rearlenscaps.

_i

lf you depredsshutterreleasebuttonwithoutloadinga film (e.g.,for operation

See page 76 tor Nikon lens com- check),a whirringsoundis heard;this is not a malfunction.
patibilitychart.

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INSTALLING
BATTERIES
5

Usinga coin,loosenbatteryholderlock Removebatteryholder, Installfour AA-typebatterieswith "+"

screw. and "-" ends oositionedas shown
insidethe holder.

. Batteriesinstalledincorrectly(i.e.,
in reverseorder)may resultin
leakageand evenexplosion.
oBatteries witha "+" terminal
exceeding6mm in diameter
cannotbe used.

Returnbattervholderto battervchamber. Whilepressingthe holderintoplace,

tiohtenlock screw.
CHECKINGBATTERY
POWER

li5 F5.5

Slidethe powerswitchto O* ot rt)) Next,lightlypressthe shutterreleasebuttonand confirmshutterspeedand aperture

positionso LCD paneland viewfinder appearin the LCD paneland vieMinder.This indicatessufficientbatterypower.
'''
LCDsappearas shown.

Withthe powerswitch,1 rrt),the electronicbeepersounds oWhen "Hl" or "Lo"appearsfor over-or underexposure

in the followingsituations: alertin ProgrammedAuto (PD,P,PH),Shutter-Priority Auto
Operationsignals: (S) or Aperture-Priority
Auto (A) exposuremode.
oWhenyou reachthe end of the film roll. oWhen lens is not set to the smallestaperturesettingin PD,
oWhenfilm rewindingis complete. P,PH or S mode.
o Duringself{imeroperation. oWhen film speedselectoris set at DX,and a non-DXfilm
Alertsignals: or film with a damagedor unacceptable DX code is
oWhen the automatically selectedshutterspeed is slowerl., loaded.
than 1/30secondand the shutterreleasebuttonis lightly oWhen the cameradetectsabnormalitysuch as torn or
pressed.(Exceptwhen usingAuto ExposureLockor a t damagedfilm duringfilm advance.
Nikonspeedlight".) * Beepersoundswhen SB-24 is used in rear-curtain svnc.

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Shutterspeedand apertureindicators
remainon for approx.B sec.afteryou
takeyour fingeroff the button,unless
you releasethe shutter.

Whennot usingthe camera,t6 . P( tl5 F5.5

conservebatterypower,be sure to
turn the oowerswitch ofi. lf it turnsoff immediatelyafteryou removeyour fingerfrom the button,replacebatte-
t, ries.(Evenwith sufficientbatterypower,the shutterspeedand apertureindicatorsgo
off approx.2 sec.afteryou removeyour fingerfrom buttonfollowingshutterrelease.)

The batteriesoperateboth auto-

focusfunctionand cameramotor;
when ooerationbecomesnotice-
ably slower,changebatteries.

lf the LCDpanelblinkswhenyou lightly

pressthe shutterreleasebutton,battery
lf the shutterdoes not operateand data does not appearin the LCD panelor view-
Doweris not sufficient.
finder,batteriesare exhaustedor improperlyloaded.

't1
LOADINGFILM

ToselectDX positionfor DX-codedfilm,rotatecommanddialwhilep.ressing

film S l i d e c a m e r a b a c k l o c k r e l e a s e st o
speed (lSO)button.DX posi{ionis locatedbetween6 and 6400. ooen camera back.
"DX"will appearin the LCDpanel.

.Usable film speedrangefor DX-

codedfilm is ISO25 to 5000.
eTo avoidspoilingfilm (especially
high-lSO film)d , o n o tl o a d /
u n l o a df i l m i n d i r e c st u n l i g h t .
.For detailson manualfilm speed
setting,see page21.

Insertfilm cartridge. Pullfilm leaderoverto red indexmark.

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tz
 O- t ii)

Checkto ensurefilm is properlyposi- Lightlypressshutterreleasebutton;film Fullydepressshutterreleasebuttonto

tionedwith no slack. installation
mark Q will appearin the automatically
advancefilm to frame1.
Closecameraback and confirml6ck LCDoanel. Confirmframe"1" appearsin the LCD
releases
snao closed. panel.Whenfilm is correctlyloaded,
O--- mark appears.

tflfl
I t-t t-l
,{ lf film is not correctlypositioned,
O.- mark blinks,beepersounds
To confirmthe ISO nqmberof DX-coded (if set),and shutterlocks.Open
film,pressfilm speedbutton. camerabackand reloadfilm.

IJ
BASICSHOOTING
The NikonF-801soffersdual autofocusand
manualfocus modes,fiveauto exposurecontrol
modeswith manualoverride,threeexposure
meteringsystemsand threefilm advancemodes.
providethe easiestset-
The followinginstructions
tingfor mostpicture-takingsituations,
usingan
AF Nikkorlens:
SingleServoAutofocusMode
Dual ProgramAuto ExposureControl
MatrixMeteringSystem _.'
SinoleFrameFilmAdvanceMode
For Single Servo Autofocus:
lf the camerastopsope;pting,pressthe Setfocus mode selectorto S.
lf lens in use has an A-M switch,set the switchto A.
shutterreleasebuttonto checkthe battery
oFor detailson focusmode,see page23.
power.lf the LCD panelblinks,turn the
powerswitchoff and replacethe batteries
with a freshset.
lf the camera has stopped during film ad-
vance:the film will completeits advanceto
the nextframeas soon as you installfresh
batteries.Turnthe oowerswitchon and
continueshooting.
lf camera has stopped during film rewtnd:
you can continuerewindingthe film after
installingJreshbatteriesby turningthe
powerswrtchon and pressingboth the film tf,
a

rewindbuttonand the multipleexposure/

film rewindbutton. For Dual Program Auto exposure:
Notethatno indication appearsin the LCD Whilepressingthe exposuremode button(MODE),
rotatecommanddial
panelwith completelyexhaustedbatterres. until FnJmarkappearsin the LCDpanel.
cFor detailson exposuremode,see page34.
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 it5 F5.ft
O-^-t il

For Matrix Metering: Instant Auto Mode

Whilepressingthe exposuremeteringmode button,rotatecommanddial
'Appears.
untilthe MatrixMeteringmark (.)
rFor detailson meteringsystems,see pages 45lo 46.
By pressingexposuremode (MODE)and film
advancemode (DRIVE)buttonssimultaneously
for a few seconds,you can automaticallyset the
exposuremodeto DualProgram, film advance
modeto SingleFrameand exposuremetering
systemto MatrixMetering. Thiscancelsflexible
program,exposurecompensation and multiple
exposure.For all othermodes,priorsettings
remainthe same.Whenusingthistechnique, it
is not necessaryto rotatethe commanddial.

For Single Frame film advance:

Whilepressingthe film advancemode button(DRIVE),
rotatecommanddial
untilthe $ mirf<appears.
o Fordetailson film advancemode, see oaoe 22.
1 r
Set lensto its minimumaperture(largest Aim cameraat subiect. o
Confirmin-focusLCDindicator
f-number). apoearsin the viewfinder.
WithAF Nikkorlenses,lock lbnsaper-
tureat its minimumsetting.(Seelens
instruction manual.) 26 f:'oJr':
u 15 F5.

o ;= (ll :i F :i.;i

Confirmexoosure.
When exposureis correct,shutterspeed
and apertureappearin the viewfinder
Lightlypressshutterreleasebutton. and in the LCDoanel.
Do not touchfobusringwhenthe focus
mode selectoris set to S or C.
Positionviewfinderfocus bracketson
mainsubject.
to
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 lf a shutter speed of 1/30 sec. or slower
t:' ll\ F5.li appears in the LGD display panel, pictureblur
olf x appearsin the viewfinder, may occur due to camerashakeor subjectmove-
ment.Use a tripodto avoidcamerashake,or
autofocusis not oossiblewith
considerusingflashexposure.
thatsubject.Set focus mode
selectorto M and focuson the
clearmattefield.See Focus
section,pages23 to 33. lf "Hl" appears in the shutter speed position,
oln S (SingleServoAutofocusJ it indicatesoverexoosure:
use film with a lower
mode,shuttercannotbe released ISOspeed.
untilthe inJocusindicatorLCD
appears;once it does appedr,
focusis lockedas long as the
shutterreleasebuttonremains
lightlypressed. lf "Lo" appears, it indicatesunderexposure;
lf subjectmovesand focusing usea Nikonspeedlight.
distancechanges,refocusby
brieflyremovingfingerfrom
shutterreleasebuttonand lightly
pressingagainto reactivate
autofocusooeration.
lf "FEE" appears in the aperture position, lens
is not set to the smallestaperturesettingand shut-
ter locks.Set lensto smallestaoerture.

.ln all cases,beepersounds(ifset).

Whenshootingin darksituations, viewfinder displayis Fullydepressshutterreleasebuttonto take the pictureand
automatically by lightlypressingthe shutter
illuminatefl advancefilm by one frame.LCD panelframe counterin-
releasebutton.Whenevdr.you wantto illuminate the creasesby 1.
viewfinderdisplayregardless of the lightconditions, Aftershooting,in SingleServoAutofocusmode,you do not
pressviewfinder illumination
buttonwhileviewfinder haveto removeyour fingerfrom the shutterreleasebuttonfor
displaystayson. In bothcases,the illumination turnsofi the nextshot evenwith film advancemode set at S. Slightlylift
as viewfinderdisplaydisappears. lt alsoturnsoff during' your fingeroff the buttonthen fullydepressit to releaseshutter
exoosure. aoarn.

Shutterspeedand apertureindicators'turn off approx.

2 sec.afteryou releasethe shutterand removeyour fin-
ger from the shutterreleasebutton.

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REWINDING
FILM

Filmadvancestopsautomaticallyat end Pressfilm rewindbuttonand multipleexposure/film rewindbutton.

of rolland @.- mark blinks.Bee-per O -. markappearsin the LCD panel,and the framecounterwill countbackwards
sounds(ifset). untilrewindingis complete.
.To rewindfilm beforereachingthe end of the roll,pressboth buttons.

lf you do not rewindfilm when you

cometo the end of the roll,each
timethe shutterreleasebuttonis
depressed, O.^ mark blinksfor
a few secondsand a beeper
sounds(ifset)to remindyou to
rewindfilm.

Afterrewindingstops(automatic),
con- Ooen camera back and remove film
firmframecountershows"E,"and film cartridge.
installation
mark blinks.

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CONTROLS IN DETAI
FILMSPEEDSETTING
The F-801sofferstwo waysto set film speed,dependingon film in use.

ff lnn

trafa
| )_t t_t

Filmspeedappearsin the LCDpaneland

Using DX-GodedFilm viewfinderwhilefilm speedbuttonis
Usablefilm speedrangefor DX-codedfilm is ISO25 to 5000. pressed.To confirmspeedof DX-coded
1. Slidepowerswitchto ON or.t)) position. film,pressthe film speedbutton.
2. Whilepressingfilm speedbutton(lSO),rotatecommandlpial and setto
DX position."DX"will appearin the LCDpanel.
3. Cameraautomatically sensesfilm speed (lSO25 to 5000)of DX-coded
film when insitalleo.

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 (.,!
lr

trf )- ,-'
til
Withdial setat DX position,
us6 onty
DX-coded film.lf non-DX-codedfilm or film
withan unacceptable DX code is loaded,
the Err,ISOand DX marksin the LCD
panelblink,beepersounds(ifset)and the
shutterlocks.Set manuallyto the correct
ISOsettino.
Manual Film Speed Setting
Usablerangefor manualfilm speedsettingsis ISO6 to 6400.
1. Slidepowerswitchto ON or !,))position.
2. Whilepregsingfilm speedbutton,rotatecommanddial and set to film's
ISO number.
oFilm speedsettingdisplaychangesas follows:
; [8-6-8-10-12-16-20-25-32-40-50-64-80-100-125-160-200-250-320-
| 400-500-640-800-1 000-1250-1600-2000-2500-3200-4000-5000_
I 6400r
oAfterloading,you can confirmthe ISOnumberby pressingthe film
speed button.
o lf DX-codedfilm is loaded,but the film speedis set manually,
the
cameragivespriorityto the manuallyset ISO number.

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FILMADVANCEMODE
NikonF-801shas threeautomalicfilm advancemodes.

,,3d.t
i,l5 FI.f'
S) O---[ i]
Single-frameshooting -
buttontakesone picture
Fullydepressingthe shutter"release
thenautomaticallyadvancesthe film by one frame.
Mode Selection
Whilepressingthe film advancemode button(DRIVE),
rotate
tt commanddialto selectfilm advancemode.S, CL or CH will
r.3!J" ,"--|d appearin the LCD panel.
rThe displaychangesas follows:
ll5 F5.f, lr:'5 F5.f'
3l- -[ i] 0 -.[ i] r8-0 r-0tt-r
oWith the autofocusmode setto SingleServoso the shutteris
Continuousshooting releasedonlywhenthe subjectis in focus,continuous shoot-
Shotsaretakencontinuously as long as the shutterrelease ing speedsmay vary.
buttonis depressed.High-or low-speedcontinuous shoottng oWith the autofocusmode setto Continuous Servo,the auto-
can be selected. focus lens does not operatebetweenexposuresin CH (Con-
In CH (Continuous High)shootingmode,shootingspeedis t i n u o u sH i g h )s h o o t i n gm o d e .l t w i l lw o r ki n C L ( C o n t i n u o u s
approx.3.3fps; in CL (Continuous Low)shootingmode,shobt- Low)shootingmode however, and to do so, requiresa short
ing speed is approx.2.0 fps (in ContinuousServoAutofocusor lensooeration time.
manualfocusmode,with new batteries at normaltemperatures,
and a shutterspeedfasterthan 1il25 sec. in manualexposure
mode).As the shutterspeed becomesslower,the motorspeed
becomesproportionately slower.

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FOCUS
AUTOFOCUS
NikonF-801sprovidestwo autofocusmodes,SingleServoAutofocusand
Continuous
ServoAutofocus.

Single Servo Autofocus mode Continuous Servo Autofocus mode

In SingleServoAutofocusmode (S);the shuttercannotbe re-
leaseduntilsubjectis correctlyfocri'sed,
and once in focus,the
focusremainslockedfor as long as the shutterreleasebutton
is lightlypressed.
oAftershooting,you do not haveto removeyour fingerfrom
the shutterreleasebuttonfor the nextshot.Slightlyliftyour
fingeroff the buttonthen fullydepressit to releaseshutter
again.In SingleServoAutofocus,focus remainslockedeven
aftershutterreleaseunlessyou removeyour fingerfrom the
shutterreleasebuttonwith film advancemode at S.
In Continuous ServoAutofocusmode (C),the cameracontin-
ues focusingfor as long as you keepthe shutterreleasebutton
lightlypressedand the reflexmirroris in the viewingposition.
The shutterreleasebuttoncan be fullydepressedanytime.
roln Continuous Servomode,focusingsharpness depends
; on subjectspeedand direction;autofocusmay not always
operatefast enoughto followcertainsubjects.

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Continuous Servo Autofocus Mode
1. Setfocus mode selectortg C for ContinuousServoAuto-
focus.
lf the lens has an A-M switch,set switchto A,
2. PositionvieMinderfocus bracketson main subject.
3. Lightlypressshutterreleasebuttonto startContinuousSe.ryo
Autofocusfunction. ;'
4. Confirmthe vieMinderin-focusindicatorappears,then fully
depressshutterreleasebuttonto take a correctlyfocused
oicture.
lf inJocusindicatorLCDdoes not appearand X appears,
see page 33.
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Focus Tracking
When shootinga movingsubject,with the focus mode set to
ContinuousServoAutofocusand the film advancemode to
CL (ContinuousLow),FocusTrackingis automatically activated
to ensurefocusedimages.In FocusTracking,the camera
analysesthe speedof the movingsubjectaccordingto focus
detectiondata,and drivesthe autofocuslens by anticipating
the positionof the subjectat the exactmomentof exposure.
.When focustrackingis activatedand a focusedimage is
assured,) { appearsin the viewfinder.In FocusTracking
mode,the inJocusindicator(O) does not appearevenif a
correctlyfocusedimage is assured.
.lf the subjectspeed becomeserratic,FocusTrackingwill be
automatically deactivatedand standardcontinuousfocusing
will ooerate.
. FocusTrackingabilitywill vary accordingto subject's
brightnessand movement,lens in use and shootingdistance.
o DuringFocusTracking, the subjectmustremainwithinthe
focus brackets.
.In FocusTrackingwith the film advancemode set at CL,the
shootingspeed is approx.2.8 fps (specifiedspeedfor CL).
 Ed"
G'5 F5.F
--- [ t]

1. Setfocus mode selectorto C, and film advancemode to CL. 2. Positionviewfinderfocus bracketson subiect.

3. Lightlypressshutterreleasebuttonto startFocusTracking. 4. ConfirmbOtharrows(){) appearin the vieMinder,then

fullydepressshutterreleasebuttonto take an inJocus
picture.
Taking Pictures with an Off-Centre Main Subiect
Single Servo Autofocus mode

1. Positionfocusbracketson subjectand lightlypressthe 2. Confirmrn-focusindicatorLCDappearsin the vieMinder.

shutterreleasebutton.

3. Keepingthe shutterreleasebuttonlightlypressed,recom-
pose,then fullydepressshutterreleasebutton.

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to
GontinuousServo Autofocus mode UseAF-L (AutofocusLock)button.

1. Positionfocus bracketson subjectand lightlypressthe 2. Keepingshutterreleasebuttonlightlypressed,

confirmin-
shutterreleasebutton. focus indicatorLCD appears,then depressAF-Lbuttonand
h o l di n .

oWith AF-Lbuttondepressed,focuswill be lockedeven

if you removeyour fingerfrom the shutterrelease
button.
oAF-L buttoncan also be used in SinqleServoAuto-
focus mode.

3. WithAF-Lbuttondepressed,recomposeas desiredand fullv

deoressshutterreleasebutton.
Autofocusing with Optional
Autofocus Speedlights

Althoughthe F-801s's autofocusworksat lightinglevelsas low as EV

minus1, performance may varydependingon subjectdetailand con-
trast.Underthesedim conditibns,however, you may wantto use Nikon
Speedlights duringAF operation(1) if it is too dark,or (2) if it is dim and
the subjecthas poor contrast.
The AF llluminator
lightsup only in SingleServoAutofocusmode.

1. MountNikonAutofocusSpeedlightSB-24,SB-23,SB-22or SB-20on
the F-801s's
accessoryshoe.
2. Composesubjectin viewfinderand lightlypressshutterreleasebutton.
3. Speedlight's
AF illuminator
lightsup and autofocusoperationbegins.

Fordetails,see NikonSpeedlight
instruction
manual.

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MANUALFOCUSWITH ELECTRONIC
RANGEFINDER

1. Setfocusmode selectorto M (manual)lf lenshas an A-M
switch,set to M.
tl\ F5.,5
3. Keepingshutterreleasebuttonlighilypressed,watchin-
focusindicatorLCDinsidethe viewfinder.
o lf focus-to-left
arrow(rearfocus)or focus-to-right arrow
(frontfocus)appears,manuallyrotatelensfocusingring in
the directionindicateduntilthe in-focusindicatorLCD
appears.
olf focus-to-left
arrowdoes not disappearwhenyou turn
focusringcounterclockwise to the limit,subjectis closer
than lens'closestfocusingdistance.Moveback from
subject.
olf focusrnot-possible indicator x appears,use clearmatte
fieldfor focusing.See page32.

2. Lookinsideviewfinder and positionfocusbracketson the

mainsubject.
Lightlypressshutterreleasebutton.

29
4. Confirmin-focusindicatorLCD,then fullydepressshutter
releasebutton.
o Manualfocus usingthe electronicrangefinderworks
with all AF Nikkorand otherNikon lenses.(Fora com-
pletelistof usablelenses,see lens compatibility chart,
page 76.) Lenseswith a maximumapertureslower
than f/5.6 are not suitablefor electronicrangefinder
focusing,eventhoughfocus indicatorLCDsappear.
Focuson clear mattefield or changefocusingscreen
to J type.

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Freeze Focus
TheoptionalNikon Multi-Control Back MF-21,when attached
to the F-801s,offersafreezefocusfunctionwhich automatically
firesthe shutterwhen subjectis in a presetfocus position.This
featureis especiallyconvenientfor manualfocuswith electron-
ic rangefinder.Fordetails,see instructionmanualof the MF-21.
MANUALFOCUSUSINGCLEARMATTEFIELD

1. Setfocus mode selectorto M 2. Focussubiectusinoclearmattefield.

(manual).

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SPECIALFOCUSINGSITUATIONS
Autofocusoperationand electronicrangefinderdependon
generallighting, subjectcontrastand details,and othertechni-
cal points.In situationswhereautofocusis not possible,we
recommendmanualfocususingthe clearmattefield.Focus-
not-possible alertx appearswiththe followingsubjects:

2. Low-contrast subject
Focusmanually,or for autofocus,focus on anothersubjecl
at the samedistancebut with morecontrast, untilin-focus
indicatorLCDappears.

1. Very dark subject In the followingsituations,ignorein-focusindicatorLCDand

Focusmanually,or for autofocus,focus on another,brighter
subjectlocatedat samedistanceand waituntilthe in-focus
indicatorLCDappearsin the vieMinder. Or use a Nikon
autofocus speedlight
withAF illuminator.
focusmanuallyusingthe clearmattefield.
1) Whenshootingthe following:
oBrightsubjectwitha shinysurface,suchas silveror
aluminum.
o Stronglybacklitsubject.
oScene with subjectslocatedat differentdistances.
2) When usinga linearpolariZing filter,or specialfiltersuchas
a soft-focusfilter.(Circularpolarizing filtercan be usedfor
autofocusoperation.)

JJ
EXPOSURE AUTO EXPOSUREMODES
PROGRAMMED
Exposurecontrolconsistsof two-parts- apertureand shutter ProgrammedAuto exposuremodescan only be usedwith
speedcontrol.Together, thesedeterminethe amountof light lenseshavinga built-inCPUsuchas AF Nikkorsand the
that strikesthe film to ensurepreciseexposurecontrol. 500mm t/4 P.For lenseswithouta CPU,exposuremode is
NikonF-801soffersthreeProgrammedAuto modes plus automatically Auto (A) and metering
set to Aperture-Priority
Shutter-Priority Auto,and Manual
Auto,Aperture-Priority systemto Centre-Weighted. (Exposuremode indicatorand
exposuremooes. MatrixMeteringmark blink,if set.)
ThreeProgrammedAuto exposuremodesare provided- P
DUALfor dual,P for normal,and P Hl for high-speedprogram.
In P DUAL (Dual Program) mode,the cameraautomatically
selectseithernormalor high-speedprogramdependingon
the focal lengthof the lens in use.Normalis selectedfor
lenseswithfocallengthsshorterthan135mm.High-speed is
'135mm
for lenseswith focal lengthsof or longerto reduce
the possibilityof blurredpicturesdue to subjectmovementor
camerashake.With zoom lenses,dependingon the focal
lengthsetting, eithernormalor high-speedprogramwill be
selected.
Settingthe exposuremode to P (Normal Program) or P Hl
$l
a
(High-speed Program) letsyou choosenormalor high-
speed program.For a highershutterspeed,such as when
Exposure Mode Setting usinga telephotolens or for shootinga fast-movingsubject,
Whilepressingexposuremode button(MODE),rotatecom- P Hl is recommended.
manddial.Exposuremode changesin the followingsequence.
P DUAL(DualProgram)-S(Shutter-PriorityAuto)-
A(Apefture-PriorityAuto)-M (Manual)-
P Hl(High-speedProgram)-P(NormalProg
P o ,S , A , M , P H ,o r P w i l l a p p e a r i n t h e L C D p a n e l a c c o r d i n g l y .
P (P DUAL,P,P Hl),S, A, or M will appearin the vieMinder.

34
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Dual Program Chart Flexible Program
(e.9.,AF 50mm tl1.4,lSO100) In ProgrammedAuto (PD,P,PH)exposuremodes,you can
The EV (exposurevalue)chartdemonstrates the difference temporarily
changean automatically set combination of shutter
betweenF-801s'snormaland high-speedprograms.Follow speed/aperture by 1 EV stepwhile maintainingthe correctex-
eithercolouredlineto whereit intersects
a diagonalline.This posure.This is particularlyusefulfor selectinga specificshutter
showsthe combinationof aperture(verticalline)and shutter speedor aperturewhen you wantto automatically returnto
speed(horizontal line). standardprogrammedexposurecontrolafter.

",/ $,bb1$

t/l

t.4

2 I

2.8
r$.S
,\-
4 $

56
Ea Fn
8
,Ls 1. Lightlypressshutterreleasebutton.
,l,t 2.Turncommanddial untildesiredshutterspeedor aperture
t6
.P valueappearsin the vieMinderand LCDpanel.
22
,"]} .When programis shifted,exposuremode indicatorblinks
8" 4" 2" t" 2 4 8 r5 30 60 1252505001000200040008000
in the LCD paneland viewfinder.
Normal program
oAs soonas the displayin the LCDpaneland vieMinder
High-speed program
disappears, flexibleprogramis cancelled.
H i g h - b r i g h t n e s sl i m i t f o r M a t r i x M e t e r i n g

35
 AUTO EXPOSUREMODE
SHUTTER.PRIORIW
This mode letsyou chooseshutterspeedsmanuallyto freezethe actionwith sharp,
clearimagesusinga fastshutterspeed,or createmotioneffectsby choosingslower
shutterspeeds.F-801s'smicrocomputer automaticallyselectsthe correctapertureto
matchyour shutterspeed.
Thismode is availablewith lenseshavinga built-inCPUsuchas AF Nikkorsand the
500mm f/4 P.

At a fast shutter.speed

1. Set lensto its minimumaperture

setting(largestf-number).
WithAF Nikkorlenses,lock lensaper-
tureat minimumsetting.

At a slow shutterspeed

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JO
 ,5= r' 5 ,:) F,!l
2. Whilepressingexposuremode button(MODE), rotatecom- 3. Removefingerfrom exposuremode button,and rotate
manddial until"S" appearsin the LCDpaneland viewfinder. commanddial to selectdesiredshutterspeed.
.Shutterspeedchanges1 stepat a time in the following
seouence:
30"-15" -9"- 4" -2"- 1" -2 - 4 -g-15 -30-60-12 5-250-500-
1000-2000-4000-8000

4. Lookrnsideviewfinder
and lightlypressshutterrelease
button.

5. Confirmaoerturevalue.
Cameraselectscorrectapgrtureto
the shutterspeedyou set.
6. Fullydepressshutterreleasebuttonto
take a picture.
38
lf the followingindicationappearswherethe aperturevalueis shown:
'Hl" appears*
Selecthighershutterspeedor use NikonND filter.
ttLo" appears*
Selectslowershutterspeed,or use a Nikonspeedlight.
il
"FEE" appears
Set lensto smallestaperturesetting.Shutterspeed
disappearsand shutterlocks.
* Electronic,AlralogDisplayappearsto showvaluedifferencefrom correct
exposure. f'
oln all cases,beepersounds(ifset).
o For lenseswithoutbuilt-inCPU,exposuremode is automatically set to
Auto (A) and meteringsystemto Centre-Weighted.
Aperture-Priority
(Exposure mode indicatedand MatrixMeteringmark blink,if set.)
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APERTURE.PRIORIry
AUTO EXPOSUREMODE
TheF-801s's microcomputer automaticallyselectsthe correctshutterspeedto matcn
theapertureyou set.Thisis the recommended modewhen depthof fieldis your
primeconsideration. Forsofter,lessdistinctbackgrounds, as in portraitures,
use
largerapertures.For overallsharp,clear pictures,such as scenicphotography, use
smallerapertures.

At wide aperture At small apefture

39
 so I

=Fl
1. Whilepressingexposuremode button(MODE), rotatecom- 2. Removefingerfrom exposuremode settingbuttonand set
mand dial until'4" appearsin the LCD paneland viewfinder. lensto desiredf-numberby r,otating lensaperturering.
.Aperturechangesin the followingsequence, as indicated
in the LCDpane,.
F1-F1.4-F2-F2.8-F -Fl6-F22-F32-F45-F64
4-F5.6-FB-Fl1
An intermediatefigure(e.9.F1.8,F3.3)appearsto indicate
a lens'maximumaperture. Also,withzoom lenses,the
maximumaperturefor different focallengthsettings
aooearsin 1/6 EV steos.

and lightlypressshutterreleasebutton.
3. Lookin viewfinder

40
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4. Confirmshutterspeed.
Cameraselectsthe correctshutter
speedto matchyour aperturesetting.
5. Fullydepressshutterreleasebuttonto
takethe oicture.
lf the followingindicatron
appearsin the shutterspeedposition:
1/30 sec. or slower
Subjectmovementand camerashakemay causepicture
blur.Selectfasteraperturesetting,or use tripod.
t'Hlttappears*
S e l e c t s m a l l e r a p e r t u r e s e t t i n g ( l a r g e rf - n u m b e r ) .
"Lo" appears*
Selectlargeraperturesettingor use a Nikonspeedlight.
* ElectronicAnalog Displayappearsto showvalue
differencefrom correct
exposure. j
oln all cases,beepersounds(ifset).
oFor lenseswithouta built-inCPU,"F--" appearswherethe aperturevalueis
shownin the LCDpaneland viewfinder
41
MANUALEXPOSUREMODE
In Manualexposuremode,bothshutterspeedand aperture
can be set manuallyto achieveyour desiredeffect.Usefast
shutterspeedsto stop the action,slowerspeedsto create
Manuallysettingthe
motioneffectsor lessdistinctoutlines.
exposuremode also letsyou controldepth of field,eitherby
softeningthe background so the mainsubjectof the picture
standsout.or bv creatinooveralluniformsharpness.

t-!
1. Whilepressingexposuremode button(MODE), rotatecom-
mand dial until"M" appearsin the LCDpaneland viewfinder.

3)?:!
llj
m,:a5 ,:r(F5.i
so I

t-!( l r';, FiJ +z"t",o;;1"2- l'l r'5 ( r 5.F)*2"1"flii1"2-

"r
2. Removefingerfrom exposuremode button,and set shutterspeedusingthe commanddial,and
apertureusingthe lensaperturering.

42
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 Examples:
+ 2 . . 1, . 0 . . .1. 2 -
<lrrlrtl
Over+2EV

+ 2 , . 1. . 0 , . 1. 1 2 -
Irtlttl
+2EV
and lightlypressshutterreleasebutton.
3. Lookinsideviewfinder
+2,.1,.0..1..2-
I
+OEV

+2.,1..0..1..2-
ltt
-2/3EV

+2..1..0..1,.2-
IrrIrrI>
Befow -2EV

4. Adjustapertureand/orshutterspeeduntilthe Electronic
AnalogDisplayindicates
0 or the desiredexoosure.
The ElectronicAnalogDisplayrangeis +2EVto -2EV in increments
of 1/3EV.
{ and } appearwhen exposureis beyond+2EV.
+J
 l"t(h., t h)F5.8
5. Confirmcorrectexposureand fullydepressshutterrelease Bulb Setting
buttonto takethe picture. At Bulb setting,
the shutterremainsopenas longas the shutter
,,
releasebuttonremainsdepressed.This settingcan only be
usedin manualexposuremode.Rotatecommanddial clock-
wiseuntil"bulb" appears.

Forlenseswrthouta built-inCPU,"F--" appearswhere i Withthe bulb setting,changingthe exposuremodeto

the aperturevalueis shownin the LCD paneland autocauses"bulb" to blink,and shutter
shutter-priority
viewfinder. is locked.

44
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 PHOTOGRAPHIC TEGHNIQUES
EXPOSURE
METERING
SYSTEMS
TheNikonF-801sprovidesthreetypesof exposuremetering
systems- MatrixMetering,Centre-Weighted
Meteringand
SpotMetering.
f--][_-l
L_Ja--l\_--J

[S4
ffi t' :-

Matrix Metering
Thissystemis ideallysuitedfor quick operationand for the
most dependableauto exposurecontrol.lt can also be usedfor
manualmeteringand flashexposurecontroloperationwith any
NikonTTLSpeedlight.
In MatrixMetering,the meterautomaticallyprovidesthe correct
exposureof the mainsubjectin virtuallyany lightingsituation,
withoutrequiringmanualexposurecompensation. The Matrix
Meteringsensordetermines scenebrightness by dividingthe
scene intofive areas,then analysingeach areafor brightness
and scenecontrast.
I 'itr

I itPI
iar

'.*
.*tr,.':.-tl,it-.. Pi ,, .
Centre-Weighted Metering Spot Metering
ChooseCentre-Weighted Mete,ringwhen you want to base For selectivemeteringof tiny subjectsor for advancedmanual
exposureon eitherauto or manualexposurecontrolfor a cen- meteringtechniques,use Spot Metering.
trallylocatedsubject.SelectingCentre-Weighted Metering The area meteredis representedby the approx.3.Smm-dia-
overridesMatrixMeteringand concentrates 750loof the meter's metercirclein the centreof the vieMinder.This meteringsys-
intothe centreof the vieMinderoutlinedby a'12mm,
sensitivity tem is effectivewhen precisemeasurementof a specialportion
diametercircle. of the subjectis required.

,r.tr-
ii4
uf
t

46
.... www.butkus.us
 MatrixMetering Centre-Weighted Spot Metering
Metering

MeteringSystem Setting
1. Slidemainswitchto ON. ,ti
2. Whilepressingmeteringsystem'button, rotatecommanddial
untilyour desiredsymbol- (.! for MatrixMetering, i<.1for
Centre-Weighted Meteringor I.l for Spot Meteringappears
in the LCDpanel.

For lenseswithoutbuilt-inCPU,the meteringsystemis

automaticallyset to Centre-Weighted.
lf set to Matrix
Metering,(.! blinks.

47
When to Use Matrix or Gentre-Weighted Scene containing the sun
Metering
In sceneswith bothverybrightand verydark areas,thesetwo
meteringsystemsproducevaryingresults.Forexample:

1. Scene containing the sun or scenes with high reflec-

tivity
such as the sun,snowor
lf a scenecontainshighlights,
Centre-Werghted
brightreflections, Meteringrendersthe
mainsubjectas a silhouett6.WithMatrixMetering, however,
resultingin an
the lightvalueof darkerpartsis evaluated,
overallwell-balancedexPosure.

2. Outdoor backlit subiect

WithCentre-Weighted Metering,a backlitsubjector scene
MatrixMetering
with peopleagainsta brightsky and/orcloudsmay leadto
an underexposed shot.With MatrixMetering,however, the.:'
cameraautomatically givesmoreexposureto dark subjects
to ensurea correctoverallexposure,

3. Front-lit subiect against dark background

subjectis positioned
lf a brightlylit off-centre againsta dark
background, Centre-Weighted Meteringplacestoo much
emphasison the dark centreof the picture.So althoughthe.
backgroundis correctly exposed,the mainsubjectwill be
overexposed. MatrixMetering,however, inte--
automatically
;
gratesa dark background witha brightsubjectto ensure
the bestoverallexPosure.

Metering
Centre-Weighted

48 www.butkus.us
 Outdoor backlit subject
Front-lit subject
.i.,r..iiiliiliiiiiiiiiii:.:iiiiiii
ii.iii+tiiii.iiii=.ri
i.,.+iii
''f..ii.+..ii.l+.Wli.iit,
,],:"tItlml+:l
iiiii+t
iiii.l
..r,.*.ii..liirr.r+.ii
.,.r,,iliirrEffirtr{"$t
,rrrrriiiiiiii(i:ii.l+rriiii

MatrixMetering MatrixMetering

Centre-Weighted
Metering Centre-Weighted
Metering

49
4. Small dark subiects against a bright background
smallerthanany of the MatrixMeter-
A subjectsignificantly
ing sectionsmay not be recognisedand integratedintothe
automaticexposureevaluation.Forsuch subjects,use AE
Lockor Centre-Weighted Meteringwith manualexposure
compensation.

- *:ffi**
w',"".$''-$ -
Centre-WeightedMetering(w/AE Lock)

Centre-WeightedMetering(w/o AE Lock)

50
www.butkus.us
5. Sunset scenes
Whenyou wantto emphasise a dramaticsunsetbut don't
wantMatrixMeteringto lightenthe scenefor a dark fore-
groundsubject,use AE Lockor Centre-Weighted Metering.

MatrixMetering

Metering
Centre-Weighted

51
EXPOSURE
COMPENSATION
In Automatic Exposure Modes AE (AutoExposure)Lock Lever

fpj EJ El
5-J
fi.J
t:. t= ,:;
1. Setexposuremodeto Programmed(PD,P,PH),Shutter-Priority
Auto (S)or
Auto (A).
Aperture-Priority

2. Centremainsubjectinsideviewfinder 3. Lightlypressshutterreleasebutton,and confirmshutterspeedand aperturein the

or move in closer. viewfinder.

52
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4. Whilelightlypressingshutterrelease 5. Recomoose
and shoot.
button,slideAE Lockleverand hold
tn.

o In SingleServbAutofocusmode,when recompostng may changethe

subject-to-cameradistance,refocusby brieflyremovingyour fingerfrom the
shutterreleasebuttonand lightlypressingit again.
o In ContinuousServoAutofocusmode,when recomposing may not change
subject-to-cameradistance,push and hold the AF-Lbuttonbefore
recomposrng.
. Centre-WeightedMeteringsystemis recommended.
oWhen usingAE.Locklever,beeperdoes not soundfor exposure.

53
Exposure Compensation Button

r-.i]i *3iiliior"r"z-
*
Usingthe exposurecompensationbutton,you can compen-
sateexposurewithinthe rangeof +5EV.
Whilepressingexposurecompensationbutton,rotatethe
commanddial to set desiredcompensationvalue.The follow-
ing displayappearsin the LCD paneland vieMinder:
fA mark r set again.
ElectronicAnalogDisplaywith indicationsfrom -2lo +2 EY
in 1/3 steps
Compensation value (from-5 to +5 EV in 1/3 steps)
.lAmark stayson duringcompensation, but compen-
sationvalueand ElectronicAnalogDisplaydisappear
afteryou removefingerfrom exposurecompensation
button.To confirmcompensationvalue,pressbutton
agarn.
oOnce set,exposurecompensationremarnsfixed until
/
oExposurecompensationcan also be achievedby set-
See page21.
ting film speedmanually.

54
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(ln Centre-Weighted
Metering)

Examples:
re over+2EV m -2t3Ev
1 iA (rrrrilt I (+SEV) 1 ia lrr I
|t t l 5.Ii| | t:1.'l
I

Withoutcompensation +2EV
m m Betow-2Ev
I tz trrtilt I I fz rilrrrt>| t_g%EV)

lr:r'
|
I
,, I
lt.ll

+2EY compensation

55
In Manual ExposureMode

,"i
(M).
1. Setexposuremodeto Maq,ual and lightlypress
2. Centremainsubjectinsideviewfinder,
shutterreleasebutton.

+2"t"!;;1"2-
t-! (i '-'5 ) r Il ti i'tr5 (r 5.f,;rt"'"9"'"'-
3. Adjustshutterspeedand apertureuntilthe ElectronicAnalogueDisplayindicates0 or desiredexposure.

6A
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 oln SingleServoAutofocusmode,
when recomposing may change
the subject-to-cameradistance,
refocusby brieflyremovingyour
fingerfrom the shutterrelease
buttonand lightlypressingit
agarn.
o In ContinuousServoAutofocus
o t-! F\{+z |
2
mode,when recomposing may
not changesubject-to-camera
4. Confirmshutterspeedand apofiurein the vieMinder. distance,pushand holdthe AFL
buttonbeforerecomposing.

and shoot.
5. Recomoose
Auto Exposure Bracketing
By attachingthe optionalNikonMulti-Control
Back MF-21to the F-801syou can take advan-
tage of auto exposurebracketingto producea
varietyof exposuresfor the same subject,each
one suitrngspecificneedsand/ortastes.This
letsyou shootup to 19 continuousframes,
each with a differentexposure.For details,see
the MF-21instruction manual.
z

lf the F-801sis not mentioned in your

MF-21instruction manual:
Followthe same proceduresas for the
F-801exceptfor the explanationon
the leftof page 57. Whenthe F-801sis in
manualfocusor continuousservoauto-
focusmode,depressingthe shutter
releasebuttonletsyou performauto ex-
posurebracketing the sameas in single
servoautofocus, describedon the right
of the page.

5B
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DEPTH-OF.FIELD
PREVIEWBUTTON
Whena lenswith an automaticdiaphragmis used,the view-
finderimage is viewedwith the lensat maximumaperture.By
depressing pre#iewbuttonhowever,
the depth-of-field the lens
is stoppeddown to the apertureset,enablingyou to examine
depthof fieldbeforeshooting. The viewfinder
imagenormally
darkensas the aperturegets smaller.Thoseportionsof the
picturethatappearin focuswhen the buttonis pusheddown
arein the zone of sharoestfocus.
Whilethe depth-of-field previewbuttonis depressed,
shutterspeeddisappears and F-- appearsin the aper-
ture oosition.Shutterlocks.
Depthof field can only be previewedin Aperture-Priority
Auto (A) or Manual(M) exposuremodes.
Stop-Down Exposure Metering
For lenses without automatic diaphragm
Whenthe automaticdiaphragmring does not couplewiththe
metercouplingleverof the camera,suchas when usinga
PC-Nikkoror bellowsattachment, focusingshouldbe done
withthe lenswide openwhileexposuremeasurement and
shootingmustbe donewiththe lensstoppeddown.
InA mode:
Takea.shotwith the lens stoppeddown.With a PC-Nikkor,
,coffectexposuremust be determinedbeforeshifting. To do
this,first use the AE Lock,then the lenscan be shifiedto
takethe shot.
In M mode:
Stop down the lensto determinethe correctexposure,then
takethe shot.
For lenses with fixed aperture
Becauseapertureis fixedwhen using Reflex-Nikkor lenses,for
photomicrography or for telescopicphotography,
it is impos-
sibleto changethe exposureby varyingthe aperture.
In A mode:
Takethe shot by simplydepressingthe shutterrelease
button.
ln M mode:
Selectthe appropriateshutterspeedfor correctexposure.lf
a correctexposurecannotbe obtained,use eitheran ND
filter(ifthe sceneis too bright)or supplementary illumina-
tion (iftoo dark).
(o
SELF-TIMER
t:d.'
u
s

Usingthe self-timeractivatesautofocusand auto exposure 4. Composepictureand confirmfocusand exposure.

ooeration. 5. Whilepressingself-timerbutton,fullydepressshutterrel-
1 . S l i d ep o w e rs w i t c ht o O N 6 r ' t ) ) . ease button.
2. Whilepressingself-timer button$, rotatecommanddialto SelflimerLEDstartsblinking,beeperwill sound(if set)and
set desiredtimerduration. indicatorblinks.Forthe finaltwo seconds,the
self-timer
Timerdurationcan be selectedbetween2 to 30 seconds"in blinkingLEDand beeperspeedup,tellingyou to get ready.
one secondincrements. ",
3. Confirmselltrmermark U and timerdurationin the LCD"
panel.

60
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Two-ShotSelf-Timer
It is possibleto taketwo consecuJive self-timerpictures.
Whilepressingthe selttimerbutton,rotatethe commanddial
counterclockwise until"2F" appearsat the timer durationposi-
tionin the LCDpanel.In consecutive selttimershooting, the
shutteris releasedfor the firstshot afterapprox.10 sec.,and
thesecondshot is taken5 sec. later.
.To cancelself-timerafteractivating,pressself-timer
buttonagain.
.ln self-timer operation,shutteris releasedwhethersub-
ject is in focusor not,even in SingleServoAutofocus
mooe.
o In selttimeroperation, whenfocusmode is set to
eitherSingleServoAutofocusor Continuous Servo
Autofocus,lightlypressingthe shutterreleasebutton
activatesautofocusooeration.
.Exposure is lockedwhen self-timeroperationstarts.
. In Programmed,Shutter-Priority, or Aperture-Priority
Auto exposuremode,use eyepiececoverDK-8
(provided)to preventstraylightfrom enteringthe
vieMinderand affectingexposure.
oRegardless of film advancemodesetting,continuous-
frame shootingis not possible(exceptfor two-shot
self-timeroperation).
 PHOTOGRAPHY
EXPOSURE
MULTIPLE
Multipleexposuresare createdby takingpicturesof different
subjectsor successivepicturesof one'subjecton the same
frame.Up to 9 exposurescan be set,usinga varietyof expo-
suretechniques.

1. Slidepowerswitchto ON o1 rt)).
2. Whilepressingmultipleexposurebutton(ME),rotatecom-
mand dialto set desirednumberof exposures.
3. Confirmmultipleexposureindication"ME"and numberof
exposuresin LCDpanel.

62
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 ,,:rd.t

4. Whilepressingfilm advancemode button,rotatecommand

dialto selectS, CL or CH. tr oln ME-Cmode,exposures are takencontinuously as
ME-S:Forsingleexposureat one shutterrelease. long as the shutterreleasebuttonis fullydepressed.To
ME-C (CH or CL mode):For multipleexposures at a single stopshooting, removefingerfromthe button.
shutterrelease. .When multipleexposureis complete, film automatical-
C o m p o s e p i c t u r e , c o n f i r m f o c u s a n d e X p o S U r e , a n d f u | | y ly advancesto nextframeand multipleexposureis
deoressshutterreleasebutton.The exoosuresnumberindi-.' cancelled.
cationin the LCD oanelcountsdown with each exoosure. oTo cancelmultipleexposuremidway,whilepressing
"ME"markblinksduringmultipleexposures. the multipleexposurebutton,rotatethe commanddial
untilno numbershows.Filmadvanceswhenyou
removefingerfrom the button.

63
FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY

Matrix Balanced Fill-Flashin daylight

M a t r i x B a l a n c e d F i l l - F l a s ha t n i g h t

64
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TheNikonF-801s's accessoryshoe letsyou directlymounta SB- 24 sB-23/22/20/ SB- 24
widerangeof NikondedicatedelectronicSpeedlights, includ- at TTL IEI 1B/168/15 r. l

at TTL -E
ingSB-24,SB-23,SB-22,SB-?0,SB-18,SB-'168and SB-15. at TTL , / l

Eachunittakesfull advantageof the F-801s's built-incomputer,

whichautomaticallysynchronises the camera'sshutterand lens
apertureto providepreciselycontrolledexposures. This means Matrix PD/P/PH/S/A M atr i xBal anc er
youcan performautomaticbalancedfill-flashin TTLmode in M eter i ng Fill-Flash I
M
everyflashshootingsituation,for beautiful,
naturallybalanced Centre- PD/P/PH/S/A C entr e- W ei ghte StandardTTL
foregrounds and backgrounds with a trulyprofessional look. We i ghted
Fill-Flash I Flash
Automaticbalancedfill-flashletsyou chooseany of the four M eter i ng M

different
flashcategoriesshown,matchingyour SpeedlightTTL Spot PD/P/PH/S/A Spot
modewith the appropriatemeteringsystemand exposure Meter i ng
M Fill-Flash
mode.
FordetailsaboutMatrixBalancedFill-Flash, Centre-weighted
Fill-Flash
and standardTTLflash,referto the NikonF-801/
N8008cameraexplanation in your NikonSpeedlight instruction
manual.

65
Matrix Balanced Fill-Flash
Whentakingflashpictures, althoughthe subjectis usuallywell
illuminated, backgroundlightingcan varydramatically.This is
especially truewhenthe main subjectis veryclose,and the
backgroundis relativelydark or only moderatelybright.
MatrixBalancedFill-Flash balancesboththe subjectand
backgroundillumination, automatically.How?MatrixMetering
adjustsfor the backgroundand the TTLflashexposurelevel,
is balancedand won'toverpower
so the flashillumination the
foregroundsubject.This createsa naturaland pleasingeffect,
fillingin harshshadowsand bringingout subjectdetailwithout
losingthe correctbackgroundexposure.
Thissystemoperatesautoma{ically: basedon a combinationof
generalscenebrightness and contrast,the exposurevaluefor
the backgroundis determined by one of fivecomputation
methods:Low-Brightness Weighted, Centre-Segment, Average,
Hig h-BrightnessWeighted,or Very-H igh-BrightnessWeig hted,
Flashexposurevalueis controlledin a similarway.The combi-
nationof ambientlightand flashlightis balancedto producea
naturaland pleasingeffect.
In ProgrammedAuto (PD,P,PH) modes,the sync speedof
1/250sec. has priority,but when the aperturereachesits larg-
est limit(variableaccordingto ISOfilm speed),the program
linefixesthe shutterspeedat 1/60second.Apertureis con-
trolledbetween1/4(aI ISO100)and the lens'smallestaperture.
Auto (S) mode,you can choosesync speeds
In Shutter-Priority
lrom 1/250to 30 sec.,enablingyou to shoot,for example,a
city-scapeof night lights,with automaticflashexposurefor
foregroundsubjects.Apertureis controlledbetweent/2.8 (at
any ISOfilm speed)and the lens'smallestaperture.
In Aperture-PriorityAuto (A) mode,you selectapertureand the
cameraselectsa suitablesyncspeed,withina rangeof 1/60to
1/250sec.(atany ISOfilm speed).
WithManual(M),you controlbothapertureand shutterspeed
whilethe flashexposureis determined by scenebrightness
and contrast, with MatrixBalancedFill-Flash controlthroughout.
In S and M modes,whenyou selecta shutterspeedfaster
than1/250sec.and thenturnthe JlashunitON,the F-801s
automaticallv shiftsto 1/250sec.

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66
t
f C"n.r"-WeightedFill-Flash StandardTTL Flash
Forflashphotographyin ordinaryTTL,or to emphasisedetailed In this mode,althoughexposurefor the backgroundis metered
backgroundareas,use Centre-Weighted Fill-Flash.
In this by each meteringsystem,flashoutputlevelis not determined
mode,when value measuredby centresegmentis withincon- However,
automatically. you can manuallyselectflashoutput
trolledshutterspeed/aperture range,flashoutputcompensa- compensation(on the SB-24)at levelsfrom +1 to -3 EV for
tion is automatically set 2/3 EV lowerthan standardTTLJlash greaterpersonalcreativity.
output,for naturalfillJlashphotography. (lfthe value is less
thanthat o{ the controlledrange,standardTTLflashwithout
compensation is selected.) r,.
.
Spot Fill-Flash
Automaticflashoutputcompensationis performedin the same
manneras in Centre-Weighted,Fill-Flash.
As the area measuredis represented by the 3.5mm-diameter
NikonSpeedlightSB-24 letsyou take advantageof a
circlein the centreof the viewfinder, Spot Fill-Flashis recom-
specialphotographic techniquecalledrear-curtain
sync
mendedwhen shootinga subjectwith high-conlrast back- flash.For details,see page 72.
groundand when you want to emphasisepicturecontrast. :,
In this case,firstmeasureexposureon the desiredpart of the ."
background, recomposeusingauto exposurelock,and then
shoot.

,rr^
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iitr

ol
Shutter Speed/Apertureand Flash Mode Combinationsfor Each ExposureMode

'.x
In Matrix Metering (With50mm f/l.4 lensat ISO100)
sB-24 sB-23 / 22t 20/1 8/1 68 /1 5
Front-curtainsync Rear-curtainsync
Non-TTLauto
TTr t-'\ Non-TTLauto TTr f-=\
TTL
TTr l-=!l TTr l--t Manual
Manual
PD P ,F E Eb l i n k 30"-1/250: P ,F E Eb l i n k
P Shutterlocks t/+-v16 Shutterlocks
PH SelectA or M (1) SelectA or M
As sei (3) S, FEEblink ,As,set(3) S , F E Eb l i n k
S .I/.2,8+f/16 Shutter locks Shutterlocks
t2) , Select A or M 'l!21;u'rt'o S e l e cA
t or M
' :1L60:1/250 1/60-1/250 30i''11250 1/60-1/250
A As set As set
l ,,
;jA9'set',
AS Set
(4) (5)
As set {31 As set (3) Ab set (3) As sbt (3J As set (3)
M As set As Set
(4) (5)

: M a t r i x B a l a n c e d F i l l - F l a s h( b a c k g r o u n d c o r r e c t l y
exposed; TTL flash level automatically compensated)
:StandardTTL flash

6B
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 il
'!a

iil
[(1) Maximumusableaperturevariesaccordingto film speedin
i l r ,

use;minimumapertureis the smallestapertureof the lens o Usablefilm speedfor TTLflashphotographyis ISO

In use. 25-1000;for non-TTLflashphotography, it is 6-6400.
(2)Maximumusableapertureisf/2.8;minimumapertureis the oFor detailson speedlight operation, see the speedlight
smalleslapertureof the lensin use. instructionmanual.
(3)When set from 1/250to 1/8000sec..the shutteris automati- .Use NikonSpeedlights. Otherunitsmay damagethe
I? callyset to 1/250sec. camera'selectronical circuitdue to incompatible volt-
(4)Recommendedbackgroundexposureis displayed.Extra age requirements, electriccontactalignmentor switch
flashlevelcompensationnot possible. onase.
(5)Recommended background exposureis displayed.Normal .When usinga specialspeedlight witha time-lag
flashcontrol. provision or when usinga speedlight witha longflash
duration(i.e.,NikonRepeating Flash58-6 all/2 or
ll full outputor Medical-Nikkor120mmf/4),adjustshutter
speed down to 1/125sec.or slower.
oWhen usinga speedlight thatdoes not allowautomatic
sync speedsetting,set the camera'sexposuremode
to Manual.

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i
Matrix BalancedFill-Flash
Operation
are for Matrix
The followinginstructrons
BalancedFill-Flashshootingin Pro-
grammed(PD,P,PH)mode,the easiest
way for normalshooting.For otherexpo-
sureor TTLmodes,or for non-TTLauto
and manualflashshooting, see your
speedlight manual-,
instruction
tf,

1. Setthe F-801sto P DUAL,P or P Hl 2. Setthe F-801sto MatrixMetering

mooe. system.

3. Set lensto its minimumaperture mode selectorto TTL

4. Setspeedlight's 5. Turnthe speedlight on.
(largest
f-number). (WithSB-24,setflashsync mode (WithSB-24,TTLm markappears
selectorto NORMAL.) in the LCD oanel.)

70
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 o F c'5X r5.ii,

6. Lookinsidethe vieMinderand lightlypressthe shutter 7. Withthe ready-light

and inJocusindicatorLCDon, as long
releasebutton.(WithSB-24,angle of coverageis automati- as you havenone of the followingwarningindications, you
callyadjusted.) can shoot.
oWhen ready-light comeson but ambientlightis insufficient
for autofocus
operation,
AF illuminatorturnson to start
N o n - C P Ul e n s i s u s e d . E x p o s u r em o d e i s
autofocusooeration. automaticallyset to A, and metering system
to Centre-Weighted.

olf the ready-light

blinksfor a few secondsaftershooting,
movecloserto the main subjector selecta wideraperture
by settingthe camerato A or M exposuremode.Forflash
shootingdistancerange,see the speedlight instruction
manuat.
r
;r

71
Rear-curtainSync Flashf hotography Ready-LightWarnings
Whenusingthe SB-24,you can synchronise the flashto the When usingNikondedicatedSpeedlights, the F-801s's
view-
instantwhen the rear (second)curtainstartsmoving. finderready-lightLEDlightsup when the flashis recycled.The
Setthe SB-24'sflashsync mode selectorto "REAR".This lets are usedfor warnings:
indications
followingready-light
you turnavailablelightintoa streamof lightthatfollows the
flashilluminatedsubject. Recharging
Rear-curtainsync flashphotographyis most effectivewith Poor connection between camera and
slowershutterspeeds.Althoughthe slowestpossibleshutter s p e e d l i g h t ( K e e p s p e e d l i g h ta n d c a m e r a
syncflash photographyin TTL mode, electricalconnections clean.)
speedfor front-curtain
with cameraat PD,P,PH or ,t isonly 1/60second,with rear-
curtainsync flashphotography, you can slowthe shutterdown
to 30 seconds,dependingon background.

Front-curtainsync

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UIEWFINDERINFORMATION
1 12mm-dia.referencecirclefor Centre-Weightedmetering
2 3.5mm-dia.referencecirclefor Spotmetering
3 Focusbrackets
4 Focus
O In-focusindicationfor a stationary
subject

X Focus-not-possiblealert
5 Exposuremode
t= DualProgram/NormalProgram/High-speedProgram
,5 Shutter-Priority
Auto
,q Aperture-Priority
Auto
t1 Manual
6 Shutterspeed/filmspeed
nFiEi:,FEi.Ei*. Sameas LCDpanel.
7 Aperture/exposurecompensationvalue
Sameas LCDpanel.
8 Electronic
AnalogDisplay
Sameas LCDpanel.
9 Exposure compensation mark
Sameas LCDpanel.
1 0Ready-light
LED

73
LGD INFORMATION
2 Exposure meteringsystem
(.) MatrixMetering
i<.f Centre-WeightedMetering
i. ] SpotMetering
lillrrlillrrl> 3 Exposurecompensation
5
fl ln use
6 -. off
7 4 Electronic AnalogDisplay

t) Examples:
*i 2 * 1. .-i .l.-i 2 ( ) V e f
. . j . . i0
{rIlill
.l:!..9.:J.:?
+2EV

a27y
lillill
?:!..!.1..-?
+orv
I
.?.:1..!,J..?
_uzgi
ltl
1 Exoosuremode ?1"!,1'12Betow -zEv
program ltrlltl> ""'
,!:r.olouat 5 Shuttersoeeds
Auto
EJ sr'rter-PrioritY buLb-30"-15"-B"-4"-2"-1"-2-4-B-15-30-60-125-250-500-
1000-2000-4000-8000
Auto
Oo"rture-Priority Alertindications
EJ fli.
f,i'
Hl,Lo,Err
tj) Manual { Filmsoeeds
m -6-8-10 -12-16-20
-25-32-40-50-64-80-1
00-125-160-
,Il Prosram
Hish-speed 200 250 320 400 00-640-B00-1000-1250-1600-2000-
- - - -5
f.! 2500-3200-4000-5000-6400
NormalProgram

74
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I'
6 Aperturesettings 11 Filminstallation
F1-F1.4-F2-F2.8-F
4-F5.6-FB-F11-Fl6-F22-F32-F45_F64
* An intermediate O lnstalled
. figuremay appearin the caseof a
Not installed
lens'maximumaperturevalue.
"t Alertindications
12 Filmadvanceand rewind
7-l Correctlyloaded
h FEE,F--, Hl, Lo
I

V txposurecompensationvalues z-. Loadingnow

, 0.0-0,3-0.7-1.0-1.3-1.7-2.0-2.3-2.7-3.0-3.3-3.7-4.0-4.3_ .^ Rewinding
| +.t-s.o 13 Multioleexposure
d.
7 Self-timer
t " ME In operation
In operation off
Iv - o f,9
f 14 Framecounter
8 Film speed setting n,
I El-t 0l-t 1l-t2l-t 3l-l4l-....-t241-....-t361_
Self-timerduration
lS0 When film speed is disptayed
2-3-4-.....-28-29-30-2F
Not displayed Numberof multipleexposures
9 DX-coded film speed setting 2-3-4-.....-B-9
m DX position selected
Not selected
10 Film advance mode

S sinste
[lg Continuous
Low
0H continuous
High 'if^
l;ri
iar

75
LENSES F
The NikonF-801sis designedfor autofocusphotographywith AF Nikkorlenses(exceptAF-Nikkorlensestoi f3nq.
However,mosl otherNikon lensescan be usedfor standardphotography
accordingto the conditionslistedin the followingchart. t
Lens CompatibilityGhart
t
Focusing Exposure mode Meteringsystem
Manual with Pro- Shutter- Aperture- Centre-
Matrix Weighted Spot
Autofocus electronic grammeo Priority Priority Manual
Metering M e t e r i n g Metering
rangefinder Auto Auto Auto
AF Nikkor lenses (except AF Niklor
lenses for F3AF)
o \J \J

Al-P-type Nikkor lenses O*1

a*2 al a) o
Al- or Al-S-type Nikkor lenses r)*1 a*2
X X X o o
Al-modified Nikkor lenses X a*2
X X a) X o r)
Medical-Nikkor120mm f/4 lF X n X X X O*3 X X*+ x*4
Reflex Nikkor lenses# X X ",x X O*5 O*5 X o
PC-Nikkor lenses# X X x X O*6 O*7 X o o
Teleconverter
TC-16A O*8 X X X ^ o X o a\

Al- or Al-S-type Teleconverters

(except TC-l64)
X O*9 X X o X o
Bellows Focusing Attachment PB-6 X O.9 X X O*10 O*10 X o
K Ring Set (Kl, K3, K4 and K5)## X *q
X X O*lt a\*11 X o o
Auto ExtensionRings
(PK-11A, 12,13 and PN-1'l)###
X o*s ,*; X o X o o
# Some lensescannot be attached to the F-801s. I
## K1 ring cannot be attaahed to AF Nikkor /enses.Ihe ring may damageCPU contacts. Use PK-1lAor BR-6 instead.
###PK-1,PK-2,PK-3 and PN-1rings cannot be attached to the F-801s.PK1l ring cannot be attached to AF Nikkor lenses.
These rrngs may damage CPU contacts.Use PK-17Afor AF Nikkor /enses lnslead of PKll.

76
www.butkus.us 'irr';l**i$$a:uffi.
I ACCESSORY COMPATIBILITY
;
O Compatible The followingaccessoriescannotbe used with the NikonF-
X Incomoatible 801s.
* Close-upAttachmentsPK-'l-
I.1 Withmaximumeffectiveapertureof t/5.6 or fasterwhen 3, PN-1,K2, BR-z
F usingthe TC-l64 AutofocusConverter. . Body Cap BF-1
-2 With maximumaperture{asterthan f/5.6. . EyepieceAccessoriesfor
-3 Setshutterspeed to1/125sec. F3HP/F3T
or slower.
*4 Becausethe diaphragmis oPK-1,PK-11,
coupledto the focusingring, BR-4and K1 ringscannotbe mounteddirecily
I determining exposureis independent from camera's on AF Nikkorlenses.
F meteringsystem. + oThe Nikon Matrixmeterevaluatesscenebrightnessand
*5 Aperturecannotbe selected.'
contrastusinga five-segment sensor.Sincecolouredfilters
.6 Set presetring,then use AE-lock
leverbeforeshifting. and neutraldensityfilterswhich havea high exposurefactor
*7 Set presetring,then determine
exposurebeforeshifting. will also significantly
affecta scene'scontrastrendition,they
.8 WithAl- or Al-S-typeNikkorlenses
havingmaximum may causethe meterto incorrectlyidentifythe scene'sactual
apertureof f/3.5 or faster. contrast/brightness condition.The blue (812),orange(056)
.e With maximum effective
apertureof f/5.6 or faster. and red (R60)filtersare examplesof such colouredfilters.
-10Shultershouldbe released
afterexposureis measuredby . o Linearpolarisersare not compatiblewith the viewingsystem
stoppingdown PB-6. .' used in NikonAF cameras.Forthe best resultsand to main-
-11Stop-downexposuremeasurement
will be performed. :. tain autofocusand exposureoperation,we recommendustng
a circularpolariser,whichis fullycompatible withthe Nikon
system.Usinga linearpolariser,however, will not damagethe
Nikonsystem,and it may be usedfor fully manualfocusing
and exposuresettingsmadewithoutusingthe built-inmeter
or electronicrangefinder.
uoSpecialfilters,such as softfocusfilters,cannotbe usedfor
io' autofocusor for manualfocuswith electronicrangefinder.

77
INTERCHANGINGFOCUSINGSCREENS
In additionto the advancedB-typeBriteViewscreensupplied
with the F-801s,the TypeE clear Matte/Fresnelscreenwith
focusingbracketsand grid is availableas an option.TypeE
screenis suitablefor copyingand architecturalphotography.

TypeJ screenfor Nikon F-801cameras can also be used with

the NikonF-801s;withTypeJ screen,howaner,Spot Metering
cannot be pertormed.

1. Removethe lens.

Be sure not to touchthe focusinoscreenor reflexmirror:

with your fingers.

2. Slip the tip of the specialtweezers(providedwith optional

screens)underthe focusingscreenreleaselatchand pull
outwardto springoPenthe holder.

78
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3. Removethe screenby graspingthe smalltab with the 4. Carefullypositionthe replacementscreenin place,making
tweezers. surethe flashside is facinodown.

5. Usingthe tweezers, push the frontedge of the holderup-

ward untilit clicksintoplace.An improperly placedfocusing
screencausesunreliablefocus informationin the viewfinder.

79
CAMERA GARE TIPS

1. Nevertouchthe reflexmirroror 2. Nevertouchthe shuttercurtains. 3. Nevertouchthe DX contacts.Keep

focusingscreen.Removedustwitha cleanwith blowerbrush.
blowerbrush.

wipe in a spiralmotionfrom centreto

7. Clean the viewfinder eyepiece with a
s o f t ,c l e a n c l o t h . D o n o t u s e a l c o h o l .
8. Cleanglassqurfaces suchas the lens
with a blowerbrush;avoidusinglens
tissueas much as possible.To remove
dirt and smudges,use softcotton
moistened with ourealcoholand
periphery.Be carefulnot to leavetraces.
Caution
A spraygun-typeblowermay damage
the glassif usedto cleanthe lens,espe-
ciallywhen ED glassis usedfor the front
lenselement. To avoiddamage,holdthe
bloweruprightwith its nozzlemorethan
30cm from the lens surfaceand keepthe
nozzlemovingso the streamof air is not
concentratedin one soot.

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BO
4. Do not leavethe camerain an
excessivelvhot olace.
9. Do not lubricate
the camera.
5. Keepthe cameraawayfrom wateror
excessivemoisture.When usingthe
cameranearwater,guard agarnst
splashes,especiallysaltwaterspray.
10. Storethe camerain a cool,dry place
awayfrom naphthalene or camphor
(mothrepellents).In a humidenvi-
ronment,storethe camerainsidea
vinyl bag with a desiccantto keep
out dust,moistureand salt.
6. lf the cameramalfunctions,
takeit
immediately to an authorised
Nikon
dealeror servicecentre.
Note, however,that storing the leather
case in a vinyl bag may cause the
leather to deteriorate.
B1
NOTES ON BATTERIES
1. Keep batteriesout of chil- 2. Neverdisassemble,
dren'sreach.lf swallowed,
call a doctorimmediately.
5. When replacingbatteries, 6. Do not throw used batteries 7. lf the batterychamberis
be sureto replaceall bat-
teriesat the sametime.
Alwaysuse fresh batteries
of the same brand.
82
short- 3. Whennot usingthe
circuit,heator attemptto camerafor a long period,
change batteries. removebatteries.
intoa fire. contaminatedby battery
leakage,takethe camera
to an authorisedNikon
dealer.
www.butkus.us
4. Batterypowerdiminishesin
extremelylow temperatures
- make sure batteriesare
new and keepthe camera
bodywrappedin some-
thingwarm.
Gomparedwith regular
batteries,NiCd batteries
providegreaterefficien-
cy at low temperatures.
BeforechargingNiCd
batteries,thoroughly
readthe instructionsfor
batteriesand battery
charger.
SPECIFICATIONS
Type of camera Integral-motorautofocus35mm
single-lensreflex
Picture format 24mm x 36mm (standard35mm
film formai)
Lens mount NikonF mount
Lens AF Nikkorlenses,and Nikon lenses
with NikonF mount (withlimitation)
available
Focus modes Autofocus,and manualfocuswith
electronicrangefinder
Autofocus
Autofocus detection TTL phase detectionsystemusing
system NikonadvancedAM200autofocus
module
Autofocus detection Approx.EV minus1 to EV19 (at
range rso100)
Autofocus actuation
method Singleservoand continuousservo
Focus Tracking Focustrackingis automaticallyacti-
vatedwhen the camerais set to
ContinuousServoAutofocusand CL
film advancemode.
Autofocus lock Possibleby lightlypressingshutter
releasebuttonin SingleServoAF
mode or by usingAF Lock button ,'f
Electronic rangef inder Availablein manualfocus mode with
an AF Nikkorand olherAl{ype i exposureat B setting
Nikkorlenseswitha maximum
aoertureof f/5.6 or faster
Exposure metering Threetypesof exposuremetering
systems- MatrixMetering,
Centre-Weighted and Spot
Exposure meter switch Activatedby lightly pressingshutter
releasebutton;stayson for approx,
8 sec.afterliftingfingerfrom button
Metering range EV 0 to EV 21 (at ISO 100 with f/1.4
lens)for Matrixand Centre-Weighted
metering;EV 4 to EV 21 (at ISO100)
for Spot metering
Exposure modes Programmedauto (PD,R PH),shut-
auto (S),aperture-priority
ter-priority
auto (A) and manual(M) modes
Programmed auto Both shutterspeed and apertureare
exposure control set automatically;flexibleprogramin
one EV step possible
Shutter-priority Apertureautomatically selectedto
auto exposure control match manuallyset shutterspeed
Aperture-priority Shutterspeedautomatically selected
auto exposure control to match manuallyset aperture
Manual exposure Both apertureand shutterspeedare
control set manually
Shutter Electromagnetical ly controlledverti-
cal{ravelfocal-planeshutter
Shutter release Electromagnetic shutterby motor
trigger
Shutter speeds Lithiumniobateoscillator-controlled
speedsfrom 1/8000to 30 sec.;
electromagnetically controlledlong
Viewfinder Fixedeyelevelpentaprismhigh-eye-
pointtype;0.75Xmagnification with
50mm lensset at infinity;92o/otrame
coverage
83
,'L.iq$il*#a#fi' .'r**
Eyepoint Approx.19mm
Eyepiece cover Model DK-8 preventsstray light from
enteringviewfrnder
Focusing screen NikonadvancedB-typeBriteView
screenwith centralfocus bracketsfor
autofocusooeration
Viewfinder information The followingLCD indicationsappear:
focus indicators,exposuremodes,
shutterspeeds/filmspeeds,aperture/
exposurecompensation value,elec-
tronicanaloguedisplay,exposure
compensationmark;ready-lightLED;
viewfinderdisplayis illuminated
automatically or by pressingthe
viewfinderillumination button
LGD information The followingindications appear:
exposuremodes,meteringtypes,.
exposure compensation,electron ic
analoguedisplay,shutterspeeds/film
speeds,aperture/exposure compen-
sationvalue,film speedsetting,
DX-codedfilm speedsetting,film
advancemode,film installation, film
advanceand rewind,self{imer,
multipleexposure,frame counter/ {
duration/number
self-timer of '!'
multipleexposure X are takenas long as shutterrelease
Electronic beeper With powerswitchat rtl), beeper
soundsin the followingcases:
operation signals; (1) at end of film
roll:(2)whenfilm rewindingis com-
84
*a' *t*to**iq www.butkus.us
plete;(3) duringself-timeroperation;"
alert signals; (1) for over-or under-
exposureand possrblepictureblur in
PD,P,PH or A mode; (2) when lens
is not set to the smallestaoerture
settingin PD,B PH or S mode; (3)
when non-DX-coded film,damaged
film or film with an unacceptableDX-
code is loaded;(4) such as torn or
damagedfilm duringfilm advance
Auto exposure lock Available via slidingthe AE Lock
leverwhilethe meterin on
Film speed range ISO25 to 5000 for DX-codedfilm;
ISO 6 to 6400 for manualsetting
Film speed setting At DX position,automatically set to
ISOspeedof DX-codedfilm used;
with non-DX-coded film, ISOspeed
is set manually
Film loading Filmautomatically advancesto first
framewhen shutterreleasebuttonis
deoressedonce
Film advance In S (Single-frame) shootingmode,
film automatically advancesone
framewhen shutteris released;in
CH (Continuous High)or CL (Con-
tinuousLow)shootingmode,shots
buttonis depressed;in CH mode,
shootingspeed is approx.3.3fps,and
in CL,approx.2.0fps(in Continuous I
ServoAutofocusor manualfocus
I
'.ni.i**i-
 mode,with new batteriesat normal
temperatures, and a shutterspeed
fasterthan 1/125sec. in manual
exposuremode).
Frame counter Accumulative type:countsback
whilefilm is rewinding
Film rewind Aulomaticallyrewindsby pressing
film rewindbuttonand multiple
exposure/filmrewindbutton;approx.
10 sec.per 24-exposureroll;stops
automatically when film is rewound
Self-timer Electronically
controlled; timerdura-
tion can,beselecledbetween2 to
30 sec. in one sec. increments:
blinkingLEDindicates self-timer
operation;two-shotself-timeris
possible; cancellable
Exposure Possibleusingexposurecompensa- ' batteries (approx.)*
compensation tion buttonwithin+5 EV rangein
1/3 EV steps
Multiple exposure Up to 9 exposurescan be set
Depth-of-field Providesvisualverification of deoth
preview button of field;can be previewedin A or M
mooe
Reflex mirror Automatic,instant-return type
Camera back Hingedback;exchangeable with
l
I Accessory shoe
NikonMulti-Control
DataBack MF-20
BackMF-21or
StandardISO-typehot-shoecontact;
ready-lightcontact,TTLflashcontact,
monitorcontact
Flash synchronisation 1/60to 1/250sec. in PD,B PH or A
mode; in S or M mode,shutterfires
at speedset,and when set from
1/250to 1/8000sec.,shutteris auto-
maticallyset to 1/250sec.;down to
30 sec.shutteris availableby using
SB-24 in rear-curtain sync
Flash ready-light ViewfinderLEDlightsup when Nikon
dedicatedspeedlightis readyto fire;
, dinks to warn of poor camera/
speedlight connection or insufficient
lightfor correctexposure
Autofocus Possiblewith NikonAutofocus
flash photography SpeedlightsSB-24,SB-23,SB-22or
SB-20
Power source FourAA{ypebatteries
.' Number of 36-(24-)exposurefilm rolls per set of fresh
For ContinuousServoAutofocuswith AF Nikkorlens covering
the full rangefrom infinity(@)to the closestdistanceand back
to infinity(-) beforeeach shot
Batteries At 20'C At -10.c
Alkaline-manganese (LRO6) 1 0 5( 1 6 0 ) 15 (22)
Manganese 25 (38) 3 (5)
Nicd (KR-AA) 7 5 ( 11 0 ) 22 (s3)
.UsingAF Nikkor50mmI/1.8
or AF Nikkor35-70mmt/3.3-4.5, withfilm
advancemode at CH and a shutterspeedof l/125sec.or faster.
85