Camera ergonomics: Canon F-1 versus Nikon F2 - a thorough side to side look

[Deleted member 88956]

@RLangham In this case cheap as in original-vs.-unbranded-new-working-exactly-the-same replacement, not cheap as in a one-way-valve-that-provides-flow-in-both-directions.

 

[narsuitus]

I had been using Nikon cameras for years before the Canon F-1 was produced. Even though I considered the Canon F-1 a great camera, I never considered switching to Canon.

I enjoyed your side-by-side comparison.

 

[RLangham]

@RLangham In this case cheap as in original-vs.-unbranded-new-working-exactly-the-same replacement, not cheap as in a one-way-valve-that-provides-flow-in-both-directions.

No, I know, I wasn't dismissing cheap camera equipment like caps. I just mainly use the internet for big purchases like cameras. I don't usually think to use it for small things like caps.

 

[Les Sarile]

ERGONOMICS - SHUTTER BUTTON
Canon and Nikon - It is very easy to find the exact point of shutter trip. Great!

The Nikon F2 has infinitely variable shutter speed adjustment above sync speed. In the Nikon manual, they couldn't have put it in a more indirect way stating, "You can also use intermediate settings for more precise exposure except at speeds slower than 1/80 seond." I've never really taken advantage of this functionality even with slide film. Has anyone? Put much value on it?

 

[Deleted member 88956]

The Nikon F2 has infinitely variable shutter speed adjustment above sync speed. In the Nikon manual, they couldn't have put it in a more indirect way stating, "You can also use intermediate settings for more precise exposure except at speeds slower than 1/80 seond." I've never really taken advantage of this functionality even with slide film. Has anyone? Put much value on it?

While I don't shoot F2, I would not pay much attention to intermediate speeds for practical manual exposure control. How does F2 display those speeds, there is no digital speed display is there?

 

[BradS]

The Nikon F2 has infinitely variable shutter speed adjustment above sync speed. In the Nikon manual, they couldn't have put it in a more indirect way stating, "You can also use intermediate settings for more precise exposure except at speeds slower than 1/80 second." I've never really taken advantage of this functionality even with slide film. Has anyone? Put much value on it?

I use it all the time without really even thinking about it. I guess I don't really put much value in it...just do it because I can and it makes the LEDs in the meter centered....

While I don't shoot F2, I would not pay much attention to intermediate speeds for practical manual exposure control. How does F2 display those speeds, there is no digital speed display is there?

You don't see the actual speed but you do see that the meter says the exposure is "perfect" . The center LED lights by it self and the side LEDs are off....again...not a big deal - I don't worry about the exposure being off by half stop.

 

[miha]

While I don't shoot F2, I would not pay much attention to intermediate speeds for practical manual exposure control. How does F2 display those speeds, there is no digital speed display is there?

Why do you think a digital display would be of help? You would set the desired aperture, say at f/8 and start to turn the shutter dial as per meter indicator in the viewfinder.

 

[RLangham]

While I don't shoot F2, I would not pay much attention to intermediate speeds for practical manual exposure control. How does F2 display those speeds, there is no digital speed display is there?

On F2SB (DP-3 finder with fast silicone blue cells and LED three-part meter indicator) you see the shutter speeds above and below the intermediate speed partially in the "window" (actually it's white on black so you dont see a window as such) so you would know you're between those two speeds. There's enough play in mine that you can turn it precisely until the meter reading is dead on. I was using this feature just a minute ago as part of my first paid photoshoot (for a friend, not professionally.) I shot in manual "aperture priority mode" and turned the aperture ring only to keep the shutter speeds in that range from 125 to 2000 (actually mine caps at 2000 so I kept it between 125 and 1000). When I could I took a close metering of the subject's face, setting the shutter speed to whatever was necessary, to intermediate speeds when required, before backing out to compose the shot.

It's not like it matters on negative film though. As long as you're within a full stop of the exposure you want, you'll be able to fix it either in printing it or in digital processing without losing too much detail. But for slides I would absolutely use intermediate shutter speeds or intermediate aperture stops to nail that exposure.

F2SB has a margin of 1/5th of a stop on its LED display, by the way. I'm not sure if it's exactly accurate to that margin but that's the smallest error it can display.

 

[Les Sarile]

While I don't shoot F2, I would not pay much attention to intermediate speeds for practical manual exposure control. How does F2 display those speeds, there is no digital speed display is there?

Ha ha, you're asking alot of 70's technology! Consider that the 1980 released F3 has a digital LCD display for shutter speed and that does not show incremental speeds even iin aperture priority mode.

 

[RLangham]

Ha ha, you're asking alot of 70's technology! Consider that the 1980 released F3 has a digital LCD display for shutter speed and that does not show incremental speeds even iin aperture priority mode.

Really? The Canon A-1 from two years before will show either 1/3rd or 1/2 stops (I can't recall which) of both aperture and shutter speed depending on which mode is selected.

 

[Les Sarile]

Really? The Canon A-1 from two years before will show either 1/3rd or 1/2 stops (I can't recall which) of both aperture and shutter speed depending on which mode is selected.

It was not uncommon for non-professional bodies to get advancements earlier then their pro siblings. We're not talking about those. Nonetheless, even my current digi only shows 1/3 or 1/2 stops and not the fraction internally determined for a perfect exposure.

 

[RLangham]

It was not uncommon for non-professional bodies to get advancements earlier then their pro siblings. We're not talking about those. Nonetheless, even my current digi only shows 1/3 or 1/2 stops and not the fraction internally determined for a perfect exposure.

I suppose the technology doesn't have to be perfected for an amateur camera.

 

[BradS]

...and professionals tend to value reliability quite highly.
They can be very wary of new, potentially unreliable and possibly unnecessary/unwanted technology.

 

[Les Sarile]

I suppose the technology doesn't have to be perfected for an amateur camera.

...and professionals tend to value reliability quite highly.
They can be very wary of new, potentially unreliable and possibly unnecessary/unwanted technology.

Seemed like common practice then to try out new features in their non-pro models before ever incorporating them into the pro models. For instance it took Canon and Nikon a few years to finally incorporate a vertical shutter into their pro models as they lagged their non-pro models in higher sync and top shutter speeds.

 

[RLangham]

Seemed like common practice then to try out new features in their non-pro models before ever incorporating them into the pro models. For instance it took Canon and Nikon a few years to finally incorporate a vertical shutter into their pro models as they lagged their non-pro models in higher sync and top shutter speeds.

Actually that could easily have answered the question in the new thread I just started! In fact it literally addresses it.