Nikon FM2n - DOF lever pressed while shutter pressed and fired, bad?

[brianatkinsphoto]

howdy dudes,

Quick random question about operating the FM2n's DOF lever and shutter button simultaneously. I have a 50mm 1.4 ai-s lens paired up with the body and have only owned the camera for a few weeks. I got it "new" from a local shop and it works great and the few rolls Ive put through it came out delicious.

I was framing a shot, pressed and held the DOF lever in, and pressed the shutter button(shutter fired) while still holding the DOF lever down. When the shutter fired the lever did pop back up against my finger to its unpressed position and stayed there. Camera operates as it should as far as I can tell. DOF lever works fine and when taking a photo the lens aperture stops down, then opens back up as it should. Does anyone know if it's bad to do as I described or could damage any of the moving parts? I have yet to get the film back that was in the camera when I took this shot. I dont think keeping the DOF lever pressed in and then firing the shutter did anything bad per say, but I am curious. The official manual for the FM2 states: "release the lever when you depress the shutter release button," so I'm not sure why they warn against not having the lever held in when firing the shutter. Fairly sure the camera is fine, really just looking for more info as to how it works and why it appears to be best practice to not have the DOF lever held in when firing the shutter.

 

[Sean Mac]

They are good cameras, I have been using a pair of them for the last twenty years or so.

Not once in that time have I done what you describe.

I can see no possible advantage to doing so.

Good luck with your camera.

 

[xkaes]

You can easily test it o make sure it is working OK.

You press the DOF lever to check the DOF -- and set it to what you want.

Then you release it and press the shutter release. There is no reason to press the DOF button, hold it in, and then release the shutter. Pressing the shutter release stops down the lens.

 

[250swb]

Fairly sure the camera is fine, really just looking for more info as to how it works and why it appears to be best practice to not have the DOF lever held in when firing the shutter.

The DOF lever is to preview the DOF you are going to get at different apertures, so at f/1.4 you may as well not bother because the lens is already wide open, then as you stop down the DOF will increase until you get to f/16 or f/22 for example. After you have previewed the DOF to see what will be in focus there isn't much point in keeping the button or lever pressed in because the lens will automatically stop down to the set aperture when you press the shutter release. Unless the DOF is critical, maybe in close up photography, you tend to anticipate the amount of DOF you will get through experience and the DOF preview function will become less used in everyday photography. You can also refer to the DOF scale on the lens to accurately see the effect of the aperture on the DOF, this gives an easy visual reference rather than having to press the DOF button and squint through a viewfinder that gets darker and darker the more you stop the lens down.

 

[Chan Tran]

I don't think it does any harm doing it. You feel the level pushed back on your finger because when the shutter release the camera stops the lens down which already stopped down. When it's done it release the level and you feel it pushed against your finger.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

It should cause no damage to the camera.

 

[AgX]

I do not know the mechanism of the camera in question, but basically a DOF lever does what the internal mechanism of an automatic-diaphragm does, so they work kind of in parallel.
I would be surprised by any harm.

 

[JPD]

The DOF lever manipulates the same mechanical linkage the shutter does when you trip the shutter. I think the warning in the manual says what it says because some part(s) of the linkage could become bent/damaged. And you felt the DOF lever pop up, so there are forces involved, both from the shutter and your finger. Maybe no harm was done this time, but it's probably best not to trip the shutter while using the DOF lever.