Nikon FE self timer question

So when I'm using my Nikon FE on a tripod in order to eliminate mirror slap and camera shake from pressing the shutter release button, I use the self timer. I've seen in two different places the recommendation that I cover the eyepiece to avoid light leak. Both places seemed to indicate that this should be done at the moment that I press the shutter, which is the moment that the mirror goes up and out of the way. Does that mean that I don't have to cover the eyepiece when the exposure happens around 10 seconds later? that doesn't sound quite right to me but I'm not sure exactly when the possibility of light leak exists. Or maybe there is no possibility of light leak and both of these sources were wrong. Anybody help me out here?

Pro built cameras have a eyepiece shutter that can be manually closed at any time by the user.
Light can enter the eyepiece and fog the film with the mirror up depending on the angle of the light source to the eyepiece.
To be safe cover the eyepiece after the composition has been set and before the shutter is tripped, long exposure on tripod or similar assumed.

If you worry about light leak then you have to cover the eyepiece for the entire time. But I think the viewfinder blind is to prevent light entering the eyepiece and inflate the meter reading which would cause underexposure if you have the camera on A. In this case you only need to cover the eyepiece before pressing the shutter release.

Flip up the eyepiece cover the moment before you move away from the viewfinder or when you trip the shutter. Light entering the viewfinder can indeed affect exposure. In cameras with an AE-lock facility, that is often used without the need for the eyepiece blind, but the FE2 does not have such.

Thanks shutterfinger but are you saying that I should cover the eyepiece from before the shutter is tripped, keep it covered for the entire duration of the self-timer (about 10 seconds regardless of shutter speed) and then keep it covered for the additional time that the shutter is up during the actual exposure?

Thanks Chan Tran okay I had not even thought of this aspect! So it's not a concern about light coming through the viewfinder and hitting the exposed film, but about light coming through the viewfinder and hitting the cameras metering system causing a change in the suggested shutter speed or actual shutter speed if using auto mode.

Thanks fish of the day I believe with the Nikon Fe the exposure is locked when you use the self timer, and also you can lock exposure when not using the self timer using the same button.

Really I'm trying to avoid the awkward maneuver of keeping the viewfinder completely free of penetrating light for the complete duration. It's a bit of an awkward thing and the better I am at blocking light, that is the closer I am to the viewfinder with my finger or hand or whatever, the more likely it is that I will touch the camera which obviously I want to avoid. We are talking about something more than 10 seconds for the duration of the self-timer regardless of shutter speed.

So if it is truly only a question of the light coming through the viewfinder and affecting the meter, that's great and I can deal with that and that means only protecting the viewfinder from light during the setting of the exposure. Usually my face will be crammed up against there at that point anyway. Then I can trip the shutter and safely move away from the camera and wait for the 10 seconds of the self-timer and then the exposure and be done. On the other hand if it is a question of light coming through the viewfinder and reaching the film then I want to know if that is just when the shutter is tripped at the end of the self timer or during the entire 10 seconds of the self-timer when the mirror is raised. It looks like we have two votes for the former possibility.

Montanawildlives said:

I've seen in two different places the recommendation that I cover the eyepiece to avoid light leak. Both places seemed to indicate that this should be done at the moment that I press the shutter, which is the moment that the mirror goes up and out of the way. Does that mean that I don't have to cover the eyepiece when the exposure happens around 10 seconds later? that doesn't sound quite right to me but I'm not sure exactly when the possibility of light leak exists.

Click to expand...

Light leak may be the wrong term as it typically is associated with wrong light hitting the film.
The film is not affected at all in this case, but it is about wrong light hitting the sensor of the light meter, after entering from the eyepiece. The question is whether the metering takes place at the moment of releasing the self-timer or at the self-timer releasing the shutter.

In any case this is a rather academic question, as you could:
-) use a proprietary shield on the eyepiece (don't know if such exists for a circular one)
-) use a makeshift shield
-) lay a dark cloth over the prism part (you might fasten it with velcro tape)

AgX said:

Light leak may be the wrong term as it typically is associated with wrong light hitting the film.
The film is not affected at all in this case, but it is about wrong light hitting the sensor of the light meter. The question is whether the metering takes place at the moment of releasing the self-timer or at the self-timer releasing the shutter.

In any case it is a rather academic question, as you could:
-) use a proprietary shield on the eyepiece (don't know if such exists for a circular one)
-) use a makeshift shield
-) lay a dark cloth over the prism part (you might fasten it with velcro tape)

Click to expand...

Okay thanks aGX. Sounds like three votes or the four more possibility. I believe that the metering system locks the exposure when the shutter button is pressed. So I could just remember to keep my face in the way while I press the shutter. Then I can safely back away and wait for the self-timer and then wait for the film to be exposed. Those are good suggestions you offer but obviously I'd rather not do them if I don't have to and if this is only a question of the cameras meter reading then I don't think I need any of them as long as I am looking through the view finder when I hit the shutter release button.

You could do a simple test on when that metering takes place:
Set the luminance in front of the camera as such that in auto-exposure the exposure time is long enough to realize it as such. Then heighten the luminance during releasing the self-timer enough that the exposure time significantly would be reduced in case metering would have taken place then. Do the counter-test at releasing of the shutter.

AgX said:

You could do a simple test on when that metering takes place:
Set the luminance in front of the camera as such that in auto-exposure the exposure time is long enough to realize it as such. Then heighten the luminance during releasing the self-timer enough that the exposure time significantly would be reduced in case metering would have taken place then. Do the counter-test at releasing of the shutter.

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Great idea thanks!!

Both are true, light entering the eyepiece can fog film (rare, but does happen) and can cause an incorrect meter reading. Either case occurs when the source light is even with the camera back on either side to behind the camera back.
Once the composition and exposure (manual mode) have been set cover the eyepiece for the entire exposure to eliminate the possibility of stray light entering and effecting the exposure.

shutterfinger said:

Both are true, light entering the eyepiece can fog film (rare, but does happen) and can cause an incorrect meter reading. Either case occurs when the source light is even with the camera back on either side to behind the camera back.
Once the composition and exposure (manual mode) have been set cover the eyepiece for the entire exposure to eliminate the possibility of stray light entering and effecting the exposure.

Click to expand...

Okay thank you. I'm not too worried about the effect on the meter reading because my face is up against the back of the camera as I look through the viewfinder at that point. Then, the effect on the film itself could only happen when the shutter is open (right?) which will generally be a very brief time but in any case won't be the entire time that the self-timer is ticking away for 10 seconds leading up to the exposure, I believe. So I think I will be okay but if I notice that the sun is behind me or shining on the viewfinder as I stand there waiting I will put my hand over it at the moment of exposure.

shutterfinger said:

Both are true, light entering the eyepiece can fog film (rare, but does happen)...

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I thought of this too, but found it very hard to imagine. Maybe some day when nothing better to do I make myself an eyepiece lightsource and check my few SLR models in the dark looking at bulb setting into the mirror box. And that set-up would be unrealistic again...

When you trip the shutter to begin an exposure with the self timer I believe the mirror goes up on the FE2 -it does on my FM. Therefore, you should be safe - both from the meter continuing to control the exposure and light coming from behind. Check it out on your camera to see.

Although I don't argue that light can enter the thru the mirror and fog film but I never had such a problem. I guess unless the mirror foam is bad it's not a problem. I used manual camera a lot and I never need to block the eyepiece. I also notice that Nikon include the viewfinder blind only on camera with auto mode. (The F2, F2 photomic and F2A don't have the shutter blind but the F2S, F2SB and F2AS do because they can be operated in shutter priority mode). Meter inflation is a real problem, not so much with camera like the F3 but with my F5 the reading can change several stops if I don't cover the eyepiece with my eye or the blind.

Just cut some black foam and press-fit it into the eyepiece shroud after you're done composing the scene.

the leica R4 manual says light may, in a rare situation, hit the meter diode and affect the reading because your eye isn't near the finder.

so if the sun is at your back and hitting the eyepiece, might be a time to shut that little blind.

Bob Eskridge said:

When you trip the shutter to begin an exposure with the self timer I believe the mirror goes up on the FE2 -it does on my FM. Therefore, you should be safe - both from the meter continuing to control the exposure and light coming from behind. Check it out on your camera to see.

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Yes, watching the mirror action is much more simple approach than my testing advise.

But only of value if indeed the mirror action is not coupled to the shutter action. I did not think of this constellation, but indeed in camera design it has its benefits concerning mirror shake but also its disadvantage concerning change of lighting.

Thanks everyone, this was very helpful.

If the mirror when it goes up doesn't prevent light entering the viewfinder from fogging the film then using the waist level viewfinder must be very bad. I think the purpose of the finder blind is only to keep the meter from getting inflated reading when used in auto mode.