On Sat, 04 Apr 2009 19:59:43 +1300, Apteryx wrote:
: goldtech wrote:
: Hi,
:
: Been trying to understand the compatibility issues of nikkor lens/
: nikon camers.
:
: Say I have a Nikon f2as DP-12 finder. If I use a pre AI lens it would
: work but I would have stop-down light metering?
:
: Yes. At least I think so. I have an F2AS, but no pre AI lenses. The
: finder allows you to flip up the AI metering tab so as to mount a pre AI
: lens without damage, but has no prong to be captured by the pre AI
: lens's metering fork to tell the camera what aperture has been pre-set
: on the lens.
:
: But if I used a pre-AI lens on a Nikon F Photomic then the metering
: would be that the lens would be largest F-stop until I shoot? Or would
: it be stop-down as I meter?
:
: I think the former - since I believe the F's Photomic finder (and some
: older finders has the necessary prong that the F2AS lacks (but I've
: never owned an F)

I never owned an F either, but my F2 did have a prong to engage the fork on
the lens, which remained at full aperture until the shutter button was pressed
(and returned to full aperture as soon as the exposure was complete). That
feature may have been new on the F2; my recollection is that the front
overhang that contained the prong didn't exist on the F's finder. But that
recollection could well be wrong.

One thing I am sure of is that you had to be careful how you mounted the lens.
If the prong was in the wrong position, the fork could push it out of the way
without engaging it, and the aperture settings wouldn't get passed to the
finder.

Bob