Nikon F4s Viewfinder LCD

FilmOnly · Jun 10, 2012

I have an F4s on the way, and, before buying, I had thought I had gone through all of the features that would be relevant to me. I just read that the viewfinder LCD readout is in half-stops only. When using my F3, the camera is clearly sensitive to 1/3 stops, as I can tell when turning the aperture ring to where these would be (and seeing the -/+ indication in the finder). How would this compare to the F4s' half-stop only readout?

From what I can remember the N90s shows 1/3 increments in its LCD. Is this correct?

Paul Goutiere · Jun 10, 2012

FilmOnly said:
I have an F4s on the way, and, before buying, I had thought I had gone through all of the features that would be relevant to me. I just read that the viewfinder LCD readout is in half-stops only. When using my F3, the camera is clearly sensitive to 1/3 stops, as I can tell when turning the aperture ring to where these would be (and seeing the -/+ indication in the finder). How would this compare to the F4s' half-stop only readout?

From what I can remember the N90s shows 1/3 increments in its LCD. Is this correct?

The meter in the F4 is superb, in my opinion.
But think of this;
how accurate is the indicated film speed?
how accurate is your development process?
how good are the chemicals?

FilmOnly · Jun 10, 2012

Good points; however, I am thinking not in terms of accuracy, but in terms of the manner in which I commonly use my camera and hand-held meter. I mostly use a hand-held--mostly in 1/3 increments--and so when I want to check it against my in-camera meter, I would like both to be in the same increments. Also, as I stated above, the F3 will let me turn the aperture ring until I get the "-+" target reading, and it will do this in 1/3 increments. For me, I suppose it is a matter of what I have become accustomed to doing.

John_Nikon_F · Jun 11, 2012

Unlike the F3, the F4 doesn't use the "+-" readout for correct exposure, at least with the DP-20. It has the same +2 to -2 bar graph readout that your N90s has. It is very easy to tell how far off you are, unlike the F3 (and the FA, as well as the F2S). In fact, it's one of my personal favorites for meter readouts.

-J

FilmOnly · Jun 11, 2012

Thanks, John...so the 1/2-stop only readout is never an issue for you?

Chan Tran · Jun 11, 2012

The F3 +- indication has a range of 0.5 stop +/- 0.2 stop. So yeah it's about 1/3 stop either side of correct indication. Shutter speed is displayed in full stop increment.
The F4 displays shutter speed and aperture that it selects in 1/2 stop increments. Manually set shutter speed only in full stop increment. The manual exposure indicator bar has a range of +- 2 stops and in 1/3 stop increments (not 1/2).
The N90 and newer cameras like the F5 displays uniformly everything in 1/3 stop increments.

FilmOnly · Jun 11, 2012

Chan Tran said:
The manual exposure indicator bar has a range of +- 2 stops and in 1/3 stop increments (not 1/2).

This is interesting. So, you are saying that in manual mode, the LCD readout is in 1/3 stops in the F4? I ask because the pictures of the finder display I have seen seem to indicate that it is in half-stops.

FilmOnly · Jun 11, 2012

Chan Tran: thank you so much. I see what you mean about manual mode in the F4. I found it in the discussion here:

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf4/exposurecontrol/index3.htm

Nikon F4s Viewfinder LCD

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