Nikon F Photomic ftn used without meter.

I have been using my beautiful new to me Nikon F photomic ftn for a bit and have run several rolls of tri-x through it with success. The meter is dead and I have been using "sunny 16" and a Weston light meter. I Have been thinking about putting a prism finder on it if I can find one at a reasonable price. But one thought has me perplexed. With the metered finder I have been indexing the aperature to MAX and setting my shutter speed dial iso index to the max aperature of the lens as if the meter were operational. So, in doing so I am altering the shutter speed by adjusting the iso ring. Now if I were to replace the photomic finder with a prism finder I would be left with the shutter speed dial that is currently under the photomic head and using unaltered shutter speeds.

Am I just complicating matters by adjusting the iso dial to the max aperature of the lens I am using?

No, you're just doing it as if the meter were functional. It does sound like you have either a T or a Tn finder, though. The FTn finder doesn't have aperture numbers on the ASA dial. To index the lens on an FTn finder, you'd mount it with the aperture ring set to 5.6, then go to the minimum aperture and back to the max. aperture. The scale at the bottom of the nameplate would then show the maximum aperture of the mounted lens.

There are at least a couple chrome eyelevel finders on the 'bay right now that are reasonably priced. Ones that have the more desirable threaded eyepiece surround.

-J

I checked the serial#'s to the Nikon site and this "F" was made in 67. Of course that does not mean that someone didn't change the finder. What I am trying to get at is whether it is at all necessary to even use the iso dial when I am not even using the meter. Sounds like the dial's only function is to talk to the meter. And, do I need to make sure that the underlying shutter speed dial is correctly aligned with the photomic head every time I take it off to ensure the two dials are reading the same?

No, you don't have to adjust it if you don't want to.

With respect to the installation of the finder, when you rotate the dial, it will click in place when it syncs up with the dial on the body itself. It will also drop downward a little.

-J

John_Nikon_F said:

No, you don't have to adjust it if you don't want to.

With respect to the installation of the finder, when you rotate the dial, it will click in place when it syncs up with the dial on the body itself. It will also drop downward a little.

-J

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Exactly the information I was looking for. Thank you sir.