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Le Fort de Socoa à Ciboure est un édifice important dans l'histoire de la cité. L'histoire du Fort commence sous Henri IV. Soucieux de protéger Saint-Jean-de-Luz de l'ennemi Espagnol, il envisage de construire une forteresse. Des divergences entre les différentes communes feront échouer le projet. Le Fort de Socoa ne verra le jour que sous le règne de Louis XIII.
En 1636, les Espagnols prennent le Fort et nomme la citadelle -Fort de Castille-. Quelques années plus tard, la souveraineté française est rétabli, l'ouvrage est alors achevé et prend le nom de Fort de Socoa.
En 1686, Vauban en tournée d'inspection dans les Pyrénées entreprend de renforcer le Fort et projette de construire une jetée pour améliorer l'accès au Fort. Les travaux du Fort furent dirigés par Fleury et s'achevèrent en 1698. Le site abritait une caserne et une chapelle.
The Fort de Socoa in Ciboure is an important building in the history of the city. The history of the Fort begins under Henri IV. Anxious to protect Saint-Jean-de-Luz from the Spanish enemy, he plans to build a fortress. Differences between the different municipalities will cause the project to fail. The Fort of Socoa will not see the light of day until the reign of Louis XIII.
In 1636, the Spaniards took the Fort and named the citadel -Fort de Castille-. A few years later, French sovereignty was restored, the work was then completed and took the name of Fort de Socoa.
In 1686, Vauban on an inspection tour in the Pyrenees undertook to strengthen the Fort and planned to build a jetty to improve access to the Fort. Work on the Fort was directed by Fleury and ended in 1698. The site housed a barracks and a chapel.
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Das Fort de Socoa in Ciboure ist ein wichtiges Bauwerk in der Geschichte der Stadt. Die Geschichte des Forts beginnt unter Heinrich IV. Um Saint-Jean-de-Luz vor dem spanischen Feind zu schützen, plant er den Bau einer Festung. Unterschiede zwischen den verschiedenen Gemeinden führen zum Scheitern des Projekts. Das Fort von Socoa wird erst unter Ludwig XIII. das Licht der Welt erblicken.
1636 nahmen die Spanier das Fort ein und nannten die Zitadelle -Fort de Castille-. Einige Jahre später wurde die französische Souveränität wiederhergestellt, die Arbeiten wurden dann abgeschlossen und nahmen den Namen Fort de Socoa an.
Im Jahr 1686 unternahm Vauban auf einer Inspektionsreise in den Pyrenäen die Verstärkung des Forts und plante den Bau eines Stegs, um den Zugang zum Fort zu verbessern. Die Arbeiten am Fort wurden von Fleury geleitet und 1698 beendet. Das Gelände beherbergte eine Kaserne und eine Kapelle.
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El Fuerte de Socoa en Ciboure es un edificio importante en la historia de la ciudad. La historia del Fuerte comienza con Enrique IV. Ansioso por proteger a San Juan de Luz del enemigo español, planea construir una fortaleza. Las diferencias entre los diferentes municipios harán que el proyecto fracase. El Fuerte de Socoa no verá la luz hasta el reinado de Luis XIII.
En 1636, los españoles tomaron el Fuerte y nombraron la ciudadela -Fort de Castille-. Unos años más tarde, se restableció la soberanía francesa, luego se completó la obra y tomó el nombre de Fort de Socoa.
En 1686, Vauban en una gira de inspección en los Pirineos se comprometió a fortalecer el Fuerte y planeó construir un embarcadero para mejorar el acceso al Fuerte. El trabajo en el Fuerte fue dirigido por Fleury y terminó en 1698. El sitio albergaba un cuartel y una capilla.
Toni Duarte Freelance Photographer
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Wikipedia:
La Via Verda d'Ojos Negros, també coneguda com Via Minera és una via verda que parteix de les antigues mines de ferro a la localitat d'Ojos Negros en la província de Terol i finalitza en Algímia d'Alfara a Castelló, travessant les comarques de Camp de Morvedre i Alt Palància al País Valencià, i Gúdar-Javalambre, Comunitat de Terol i Jiloca a l'Aragó.
La ruta de 161 km és la via verda condicionada més llarga de l'Estat i és ideal per a recórrer-la caminant, a cavall i especialment en bicicleta, a més proporciona un elevat grau d'accessibilitat per a persones amb mobilitat reduïda pels escassos desnivells.El topònim d'Ojos Negros es creu que prové de les taques fosques produïdes per la calcinació de les escòries en grans clots en el procés de forja.
Els jaciments de ferro de la serra Menera a les localitats aragoneses d'Ojos Negros i Villar del Salz i les castellanes Setiles i Tordesilos han estat des d'antic la font de riquesa més important a la zona, fins i tot abans de l'Edat Mitjana, en èpoques celtibèrica,romana i musulmana, segons estudis portats a terme pels arqueòlegs Clemente Polo i Julián Ortega, membres del Seminari d'Arqueologia i Etnologia de Terol, ja es realitzaven processos metal·lúrgics en la zona: extracció, transformació i forja.A causa de la quantitat i qualitat del mineral extret decideixen sol·licitar la llicència per a la construcció d'un ferrocarril econòmic (de via estreta) per a transportar el mineral fins al port de Sagunt. Van Decidir construir aquesta línia a causa de diverses divergències amb els dirigents del Ferrocarril central d'Aragó que cobria l'actual línia entre Sagunt i Terol i que discorre de manera quasi paral·lela i de vegades a menys de cent metres de distància, la història del traçat és la d'un gran despropòsit.
El 10 de Gener de 1902, la Reina Regent Maria Cristina d'Àustria atorga per una Reial Ordre la llicència per a la construcció d'un ferrocarril econòmic que transportara el mineral fins a la platja de Sagunt, on, per altra Reial Ordre es concedeix la llicència per a la construcció d'un embarcador en la platja de Sagunt, al Port de Sagunt.
L'elecció del camí de la via fèrria oferia diverses alternatives. Ciutats com València, Castelló, Borriana i Vinaròs pugnaren per aconseguir que l'embarcador s'instal·lara en els seus ports. L'estudi de les alternatives possibles portà a la companyia a optar per Sagunt, descartant traçats més complicats com el de l'eixida a Vinaròs passant per Utrillas o el recorregut per la conca del Túria per a eixir a València.
Tremuges usades a Ojos Negros, ara a una rotonda al Port de Sagunt on abans passava el ferrocarril miner
Aquest ferrocarril tenia una longitud de 205 quilòmetres, i durant el seu funcionament comptava amb 27 locomotores i 600 tremuges d'acer. Els combois estaven formats per un nombre de tremuges que variava entre 24, 26 o 33 remolcades per una locomotora. Des de Terol fins al Port d'Escandón era necessari l'ús de la doble tracció. L'obra més important d'aquest ferrocarril va ser el viaducte d'Albentosa, format per set arcs amb una longitud de 160 metres que salven una altura de 48 metres
ESP:
La Vía Verde de Ojos Negros, también conocida como Vía Minera es una vía verde que parte de la localidad de Ojos Negros en la provincia de Teruel en Aragón y finaliza en Sagunto, provincia de Valencia en la Comunidad ValencianaA finales del siglo XIX se concedió la explotación de diversos yacimientos de hierro en la localidad de Ojos Negros a un par de empresarios vascos quienes fundaron la Compañía Minera de Sierra Menera el 3 de septiembre de 1900. Debido a la cantidad y calidad del mineral extraído deciden solicitar la licencia para la construcción de un ferrocarril económico (de vía estrecha) para transportar el mineral hasta el puerto de Sagunto. Decidieron construir esta línea debido a diversas divergencias con los dirigentes del Ferrocarril central de Aragón que cubría la actual línea entre Sagunto y Teruel y que discurre de manera casi paralela y en ocasiones a menos de cien metros de distancia. Este hecho hizo que ante la necesidad de una mayor capacidad de transporte se abandonará el trazado del ferrocarril de la Sierra Menera el 29 de julio de 1972.
El año 2001 el gobierno valenciano decidió acondicionar el antiguo trazado ferroviario para su uso como vía verde. Posteriormente el gobierno aragonés hizo lo propio en su parte del recorrido.
Del antiguo trazado del ferrocarril no se ha aprovechado todo él para la conversión en vía verde. Ello es debido a que en muchos casos el antiguo trazado ha sido ocupado por diversas edificaciones y carreteras, en especial en el tramo más cercano a Sagunto y a lo largo del recorrido por las obras de construcción de la A-23 (autovía Mudéjar). Se encuentra dividida en dos tramos:
Ojos Negros 1: Parte de la localidad de Algimia de Alfara en Valencia y finaliza en Barracas, última localidad de Castellón antes de entrar en la de Teruel. Tiene una longitud de 70 kilómetros y posee un firme mixto, existiendo tramos de asfalto y otros de zahorra compactada. A lo largo de este tramo existen quince túneles y ocho puentes.
Ojos Negros 2: Parte de la localidad Barracas (Castellón) y finaliza en la de Santa Eulalia (Teruel). El tramo hasta Ojos Negros está sin definir si se va a recuperar o no como V.V. Tiene una longitud de 91 kilómetros y posee un firme de tierra compactada con tramos de balasto. A lo largo de este tramo existen cinco túneles y 13 viaductos, entre ellos el de Albentosa con una altura de 50 metros a unos 20 km desde Barracas hacia Teruel .
The first generation of the Ford F-Series (also known as the Ford Bonus-Built trucks) is a series of trucks that was produced by Ford in 1948 to 1952. The introduction of the F-Series marked the divergence of Ford car and truck design, developing a chassis intended specifically for truck use. Alongside two-door pick-up trucks like the example seen above, the model line included also panel vans, bare and cowled chassis, and marked the entry of Ford into the medium and heavy-duty truck segment.
Across North America, Ford assembled F-Series trucks at 16 different facilities during its production. The first generation of the F-Series is the sole generation produced entirely with "Flathead" engines (inline-6 and V8). All are manual.
This vehicle is often seen in the Enfield/Barnet area of north London.
66065 slows for the divergence into Margam Knuckle Yard with 0850 Newport Docks to Margam working.
The mothballed line to Tondu cuts a swathe across the centre of the image with the long lifted chord from the west visible on the left.
On the right are the remains of the former depot with beyond that, some remaining sidings where redundant freight stock is stored and cut up.
16th October 2019
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
Street photography from Glasgow, Scotland.
Previously unpublished shot from December 2016.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead. Keep warm, stay safe and make sure those shutters keep clicking. Enjoy!
(With Ai-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 and 24mm f/2.8)
The Nikon FE is an upgrade to the earlier generation Nikon EL-2 in the same way that the FM was an upgrade from the earlier generation Nikkormat/Nikomat FT-3. For both upgrades, the change, from the point of view of the user, is more in external design rather than camera features. The biggest change was the move from the large compact form factor Nikkormat design to the medium compact FM/FE design. In terms of actual features, both new cameras are very similar to their predecessors. Like the FM2N, the design of the FE2 was highly refined over two generations and several other upgrades. Thus, the original FE was Nikon's first effort at an electronic camera in the new medium compact form factor.
Actually, I became a constant user of the original FE soon after it came out in 1978 as a backup body to my pro-level Nikon F2 Photomic AS. Back in the days of the Nikon F and Nikon F2, the pro-level cameras were all-mechanical designs. When electronic shutter SLRs started to come to the market, many photographers, including myself, were not ready to give up our super reliable all-mechanical cameras for the newfangled electronic shutter bodies. However, the FE, being much smaller and lighter than the F2AS, was the perfect size and weight as a second body. How strange to think today that the mechanical body would be the main one, and the electronic camera would be the backup! Anyway, even though the FE was supposed to be a backup, I used it often over the F2AS due to its Auto Exposure convenience, as well as smaller size and weight. Back then, we never dreamed of still-undeveloped future advances such as TTL auto flash control, other exposure modes, and other exposure metering methods. We just knew that the FE had all of the manual control features of the F2AS with the added benefit of Aperture Priority exposure metering for use in hurried situations.
The FE was in production from 1978 to 1983, when it was replaced by the upgraded FE2. The FE2 was a much modernized version of the FE and remained in production until 1987. There was actually one additional major upgrade after the FE2, which was the FM3A (2001-2006). The FM3A is the most advanced of the FM/FE Series, with a hybrid mechanical/electronic shutter, an FE2-style exposure meter display, and all of the other features of the FE2. One other sibling of the FE that I have not yet mentioned is the FA, which coexisted during the same product life as the FE2. The FA had much more advanced exposure measurement and metering modes than the FE/FE2 and even the FM3A. Both the FE2 and FA were replaced by the F801 in 1988 after Nikon and the industry moved to auto focus and built-in power winders for most of their electronic cameras.
The FE was available in silver chrome and black paint. I have the black paint version, and the finish still looks great today in 2013, with only a bit of very minor wear and tear. Indeed, when I compare the black finishes on the FE and FE2, the finish on the FE's black metal plates and dials is significantly more matte than the relatively shiny finish on the FE2. Comparing side by side, the matte finish on the older FE is definitely cooler. The FE has aged well. Although my FE has been into the shop a few times for minor maintenance, it has thankfully never had a major breakdown. Some might argue that all mechanical FM series is more repairable than an electronic camera like the FE over a multi-decade lifespan, and that may be true. But the FE is relatively simple compared with later advanced electronic cameras, so I am hopeful that my favorite camera technician will be able to keep my FE running for a long time to come.
If I had to choose today between the FE and FE2, I would go with the later generation FE2. However, if you came across an excellent condition FE body, it would still work great today with a wide variety of old and modern Nikon F mount lenses. In fact, some people prefer the FE over the FE2 due to its ability to shoot more images per roll, its slightly more convenient battery check, and most importantly, its ability to mount pre-Ai lenses with its retractable meter coupling lever.
Unlike the single large 6 volt battery in the prior Nikon EL-2, the FE takes either a 3V lithium battery, two 1.55V silver oxide batteries, or two 1.5V alkalines. Quite standard for Nikon bodies of that era. I usually prefer to just go with a single 3V lithium to enjoy the long shelf life, but of course the other two types work fine too. Even though the small batteries control both the light meter and electronic shutter (but obviously not film advance or any autofocus), they still seem to last forever. I really like the battery check lever on the back left of the FE. Just push the lever down with your left thumb, and if the batteries are good, the red diode will light; no need to look through the viewfinder to check the batteries. The battery check light disappeared on the FE2; you have to check battery power by movement of the viewfinder needle instead.
The FM/FE series is built with a copper-aluminum-silicon (copper-silumin) alloy body. I find the size and weight of the FE to be perfect, especially with wide-angle through medium telephoto Nikkor manual focus prime lenses. The body size is not too big or too small. Its size is large enough for the user to hold securely, but still smaller than full size professional bodies like the F2AS or F3HP. It is not as small as the (mechanical) Contax S2, Pentax MX, or even the Olympus OM-3, which are considered small compact bodies and sometimes feel a bit too small to get a good grip. The FE weighs in at only 590g without lens, and of course the weight of the batteries is insignificant, compared with the multiple AA batteries or other larger batteries in future electronic bodies. The FE fits great into a dedicated case, or a spongy snug-fit case, or a small camera bag with a few lenses. It is an excellent size for travel use.
The FE body by itself, like all those in the FM/FE Series, feels a bit light and even insubstantial when held without a lens attached (although the FE is slightly heavier than the FM2N). However, once a lens in the wide-angle to medium telephoto size range is attached, especially those AiS Nikkor manual focus primes, the lens/camera combination has the perfect balance, size and weight. It has a highly luxurious and precision feel and shutter sound when held in your hands and used, although the sound is perhaps not as pleasing as that of the FM2N. I most often use Ai-S primes from 20/2.8 to 200/4 and the system is wonderful to operate with all of those lenses. However, once you start getting into bigger and heavier lenses such as, for example, the 80-200/2.8, the camera feels a bit too light and out of balance. Also, on fatter lenses, you may need to use a rubber tripod spacer ring to keep the lens rings from touching the tripod head.
Operation of the FE is really smooth. The shutter speed ring is large and has an easy to turn knurled grip, although it is not quite as tall as that on the FM2N. The shutter speed dial on my FE turns noticeably more smoothly than the dial on my FE2. It is easy to grab with thumb and forefinger when the film advance lever is pulled out to turn on the camera. For safety purposes, you need to push the central button on the shutter speed dial to turn it off of "Auto". The film advance lever motion is amazingly smooth, although the lever is single-stroke only, unlike the levers on the F, F2 and F3. But the stroke is not very big, so a quick easy stroke quickly winds to the next frame. ASA/ISO setting is set by a ring that surrounds the rewind lever. The exposure compensation setting is located on the same ring as the ASA/ISO setting, and has a range from -2 to +2 EV in half-stop increments. Shutter speed and ISO markings are clear and easy to read. The ISO range of the FE (and also the FE2) is 12 - 4000, wide enough to handle virtually all situations, though slightly narrower than the FM2N, which reaches up to 6400. The small multiple-exposure lever is located under the film advance lever, out of the way but easy to turn when you need it. The shutter release button is located at just the right location near the front of the body. It takes a standard mechanical cable release. The shutter release button is narrower than that on the later FE2 and FM2N, but still works fine. Indeed, the shutter release button on the FE seems to have a slightly shorter travel than the FE2 and FM2N, and therefore feels slightly more instantaneous. It works well with just the right amount of resistance to allow you to half press for an exposure reading, with just a short continued push to achieve an immediate shutter release. The electronic shutter on the FE has about the same loudness as the mechanical shutter on the FM2N, but the character of the sound is different. The film counter is just in front of release crank and is easy to read.
One of the biggest advantages of the Nikon film SLR lens mount (the "F mount") is that it is the only SLR camera mount that has stayed virtually the same from the time of the first Nikon F and Nikkormat FS/FT through to the most current small and full frame Nikon digital SLRs. Except for the requirement that relatively newer Nikon film SLRs require Ai or Ai-converted lenses, all manual focus Nikon F mount lenses can be used on autofocus bodies, and most full-frame auto-focus Nikon F mount lenses can be used on all old manual focus bodies. I don't know of any other SLR manufacturer that can make such a claim. Thus, it is convenient to use the FE together with a modern Nikon autofocus film or digital SLR because you can often use the same lenses on both bodies.
The FE and FM were the last bodies in that line to directly accept unmodified pre-Ai lenses because they included a retractable meter coupling lever. Of course, with pre-Ai lenses, you still need to use stop-down exposure metering. Still there are many excellent pre-Ai lenses on the market, and to use any such lenses that have not been converted to Ai, the FE and FM cameras would be a good choice.
Loading Nikkor lenses onto any FM/FE Series is quick and positive. Just line up the black dot on the lens with the dot on the camera body and twist the lens counter-clockwise. Of course, there is no need to line up the claw on Ai Nikkor aperture rings with an exposure meter pin on the body; this old system became obsolete after the Nikkormat FT2/EL-W generation. To remove a lens, just press the lens release button on the left front of the body and twist clockwise.
To load or unload film, twist the back opening lever counter-clockwise and pull the rewind crank upwards to open the camera back. Film loading is traditional style and almost foolproof. Like many Nikon and other cameras of this generation, you need to stick the film leader into a slot on the take-up spool and insure that the sprocket in the spool engages a film perforation. In my experience, this system is slower but more reliable than that on newer Nikon bodies where you simply lay the film leader flat next to an index line. If you are careful when you load the film, you can get a few extra exposures on the film before frame 1 because the camera does not prevent you from doing so (unlike the FE2).
The focusing screens of the FM/FE Series were improved and brightened with the release of the FM2/FE2. The original screens on the FE are about 1 stop dimmer than the later second generation. (Note: first and generation screens are interchangeable with exposure compensation). A slight disadvantage of the FM/FE series viewfinder is that, unlike the 100% frame coverage of a pro-level Nikon F series camera, the FE's frame coverage is only 93%. This is not unusual in a prosumer level camera, but you need to be aware that objects that are outside the field of view will be captured on your film. The viewfinder contains all of the information that you need for convenient camera setting. There is an aperture direct readout (ADR) at the center top of the viewfinder, same as on all FM/FE series cameras. The exposure meter uses a match system on the left side of the viewfinder. I actually prefer the three red light emitting diode system of the FM series, which is easier to see in all light conditions. However, the match needle system on the FE is perfectly fine and is just as easy to see most normal lighting conditions.
I often use both Manual exposure measurement and Aperture Priority exposure measurement on this camera, depending on the situation. In Manual metering, you simply adjust the shutter speed and aperture until the green and black needles line up. The black needle indicates the recommended shutter speed for the given aperture, and the green needle indicates the set shutter speed. In Auto metering (Aperture Priority) you set the shutter speed dial to Auto which causes the green needle to lock on "A" in the viewfinder. The camera automatically selects the appropriate shutter speed, and the black needle indicates that speed in the viewfinder. While the match needle system is nice and clear in bright light, it is almost impossible to see the display to adjust exposure in dark environments. On the other hand, an advantage of the match needle system is that you receive direct visual confirmation of a wider range of exposure divergence, compared with the LED system.
The FE, like the FE2, FM2 and FM2n exposure meters uses a pair of silicon photodiodes (SPDs) for exposure measurement. This is the latest generation of exposure meter technology, after Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) technology in the Nikkormat FT (1965) through the FT3 (1977) and gallium-arsenide-phosphide photodiodes in the FM (1977). Silicon photodiodes provide quick response and stability, and apparently lower manufacturing cost for Nikon, compared with the prior generation. Exposure measurement range of the FE is the same as all FM/FE series cameras, i.e., EV 1 to EV 18 at ASA/ISO 100 and with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. This supports an aperture/shutter speed range of 1 sec. at f/1.4 through 1/1000 sec. at f/16. That range is pretty good for most situations, and a step up from the Nikkormat FT - FT3's range of EV 3 - EV 17. The FE is exactly on par with the Nikon F3HP. However, it is not as sensitive as the EV -2 to EV +17 range on the F2 Photomic AS, or the EV 0 to EV 21 range of the later Nikon F4.
Exposure lock is one thing that is slightly inconvenient on the FE/FE2. I sometimes find it easier, even on these cameras with aperture priority mode, to just use manual exposure mode and set the exposure directly. I find it quicker and more comfortable than pointing the camera to where you can measure the proper exposure, pushing the exposure lock button and holding the button in while recomposing and shooting. However, exposure lock on the FE series is certainly usable. On the FE, however, while locking the exposure locks the shutter speed at the time the lock button is pressed, the black shutter speed needle in the viewfinder continues to move. This situation was fixed in the FE2, where the black shutter speed needle locks in place when the exposure lock is pressed. By the way, I am more apt to use Aperture priority exposure measurement and exposure lock with electronic Contax SLRs, which allow you to turn on the exposure lock by turning a switch after you achieve the proper exposure setting, and it stays on at a fixed EV until you turn it off. In other words, in the Contax world, after locking the exposure, changes in aperture affect the shutter speed and vice versa in order to keep correct exposure. The Nikon exposure lock only locks the shutter speed, so any changes to the aperture after the shutter speed is locked will change the exposure.
The center of the viewfinder display, with the standard K-Type focusing screen, contains a small central horizontal split image, surrounded by a microprism collar, which is further surrounded by a large matte donut and a 12mm diameter circle. But utilizing both the split-image and microprism collar, you can manually focus on almost any subject very quickly. Turn the camera at a slight angle when focusing if necessary to find a straight line. I can't resist pointing out that with well-maintained manual focus Nikkor primes, such as Ai-S lenses, focusing ring operation is buttery smooth, with just the right amount of viscous resistance. With the no-slip knurled focusing rings on the Ai-S lenses, focusing is quick and accurate. The FE provides three different interchangeable focusing screen types for various applications. I never needed to use any except the standard K-Type screen. The B type screen removes the split image and microprism focusing aids, while the E type is the same as the B, except with horizontal and vertical etched lines. As indicated previously, FM/FE series focusing screens were improved (from the "K" series to the "K2" series) to provide a brighter viewfinder image starting with the later FM2/FE2 generation. (The FM3A screens are even further improved, and its split image focusing aid does not darken with lenses with maximum aperture of f/5.6 or less).
The outer circle in the viewfinder encloses the central area which carries a 60% exposure meter weight, with the area outside the circle comprising the remaining 40%. The most important thing to know about an exposure measurement system is how it weights various areas of the viewfinder image so that you can determine how to use it in each situation. The 60/40 system works fine for most situations. It is vast improvement over the classic full-frame averaging system, which was used on a Pentax Spotmatic models, the earliest Nikkormat FT, and other cameras. For these averaging systems, if you wanted a proper exposure, you could not include a bright light or big sky in any area of the frame. Still, with the 60/40 system, you need to determine where to point the camera when manually setting the exposure. Find an areas that is representative of the subject, but which is not overly influenced by a bright light, a bright sky, a dark background, etc. Also make sure to select an area that approximates 18% gray, such as a dense area of green trees in a landscape image. If you cannot find an area that is equivalent to 18% gray that fills the 12mm circle, for example, inside the Haleakala volcano crater on Maui, HI, or a bright snowscape, then you need to compensate the exposure by appropriately changing the aperture or shutter speed in Manual mode, or by changing the exposure compensation dial in Auto mode.
Two contemporaneous Nikon bodies with the FE/FE2, the F3HP and the FA, had different exposure metering patterns. The F3HP, with its 80/20 heavy centerweight, makes it easier to find an area that is 18% gray, without surrounding high-contrast areas influencing the exposure reading too much. The FA is the first Nikon body to include, in addition to 60/40 centerweight, a multi-segment metering pattern (called AMP or "Automatic Multi-Pattern" in the FA; in later Nikon bodies, this metering pattern is referred to as "Matrix Metering"). The 5-segment pattern on the FA and its first generation software were the first Nikon attempt to correct the weaknesses of the traditional center-weight averaging system. While early multi-pattern systems on cameras such as the FA, F4, F800 and F90/F90x did a pretty good and steadily improving job in most low contrast situations, in difficult situations, they still didn't work as well as the center weight system with appropriate exposure compensation, as is utilized on the FE. Of course, you have to know what you are doing in such situations! Nnewer cameras, such as the F5 and F6, with their advanced color matrix systems, finally do a good job even in difficult lighting situations. Modern Nikon bodies generally use a 75/25 weight as the default in their center-weight metering modes.
The FE incorporates a vertical-travel, metal focal plane shutter with aluminum curtains. Shutter speed range on the FE is a relatively limited 8 sec. through 1/1000 sec, which at the time was considered luxurious at the slow end and standard at the fast end. Usually the 1/1000 maximum shutter speed did not feel like a limitation since we were generally using fairly slow film. Still, I did need a neutral density filter on a very few occasions. On the slow end, the longer shutter speed was a convenience to those of us who were used to using a shutter release cable for any exposure longer than a second. One advantage of the FE's electronic shutter over the FM2n's mechanical shutter is that when in Auto (Aperture Priority) mode, the FE can select any intermediate shutter speed. In manual mode, you can only select the standard shutter speeds that are indicated on the shutter speed dial. The FE has one mechanical shutter speed, 1/90 sec., which is a selection on the shutter speed dial. The single mechanical shutter speed on the later FE2 is 1/250 sec. Users might argue whether it is better to have a backup speed of 1/90 sec. for available light, or 1/250 sec. for bright daylight. In any event, given the FE's great reliability and long battery life, I have never had a need to use the 1/90 sec. mechanical shutter speed.
There are just a few more features that I want to mention. On the right front side of the body are located a depth-of-field preview lever and a self timer lever. Like many other cameras, you can check actual depth of field at the set aperture by pressing the depth-of-field lever. The image darkens if the lens is not set for maximum aperture, but you can get a good idea of the expected DOF with your lens/aperture combination. Actually, this lever is not really required with manual focus Nikkor lenses, because such lenses include an easy to read DOF index on the lens barrel. Many AF Nikkor lenses also have DOF index marks. The FE bodies have a mechanical self-timer with a delay of up to approximately 8 - 14 seconds. While these cameras do not have a mirror lock-up switch per se, you can simulate MLU by using the self-timer lever. When the shutter release button is pressed after the self-timer is set, the mirror swings up at the start of the timer count.
Finally, a hot-shoe contact is installed on top of the prism housing for flash photography. The FE does not support automatic TTL flash control. You need to use an FE2, an FA or an FM3A if you want that feature. (If you know how to use guide numbers and manual flash, you can still do full-flash or fill-flash photography without any problem, of course. You can also use electronic flash devices in Auto (non-TTL) mode.) The FE has a maximum flash synch speed of 1/125 sec. This is significantly better than all prior Nikon bodies except the FM, but still not as good as the 1/250 maximum synch speed on the later FE2, FM2N, and FM3A. There is an extra contact on the hot shoe that communicates the flash charging status to the camera and lights a red diode "ready light" in the viewfinder when the flash is ready to shoot. Of course, the FE works with any Nikon flash unit. I use my SB-24 and SB-26 and they work great. However, if you will be doing a lot of flash photography, the FE2, FA or FM3A, with TTL flash support, are probably better choices.
In addition to the vast selection of Nikkor and third-party lenses that are available for the Nikon F mount, the FE also accepts various other useful Nikon accessories. One of the most useful is the MD-12 motor drive (and also the earlier MD-11). This motor drive unit works on all FM/FE series bodies (and even the Nikon FA) and allows rapid fire or remote shooting up to 3.2 frames per second. Back in the day, I used to keep it attached to the camera and carried it around much of the time. However, the MD-12 is quite heavy, especially when loaded with the eight required AA batteries. These days, it would obviously be better to use a more modern camera if you want portable and higher-speed motor drive. Other useful optional accessories (which work with all FM and FE series bodies) are the MF-16 data back, the DB-2 Anti-Cold Battery Pack, the DR-3 and DG-2 viewfinder eyepieces, and various eyepiece correction lenses.
Copyright © 2013 - 2016 Timothy A. Rogers. All rights reserved.
(DSC_6186fin2)
Mount Kerkeslin is the close one on the left.
From left to right in the center, the distant peaks are Mount Christie, Brussels peak, and Mount Lowell.
The two peaks on the center-right are Mount Fryatt (L) and Mount Geraldine (R). Fryatt's pointy peak is the tallest of all of these at 3361 m / 11027 ft. The peak on the far right behind the tree is Whirlpool Mountain, but before that, the very distant peak in the dip is Divergence Peak.
DSC_0586
The lack of monophyly in the earlier starling genera has led to this species being placed variously under genus Sturnia, Sturnus and Temenuchus in the past (Zuccon et al., 2006) and studies have suggested the reuse of an old name Temenuchus for members of this clade. Later studies have suggested placement in the genus Sturnia.
There are two subspecies of the chestnut-tailed starling:
S. m. malabarica: northeastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and northwestern Burma
S. m. nemoricola: southern China, Taiwan, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia
Both the nominate subspecies and nemoricola are known to perform some poorly understood movements (e.g., S. m. malabarica has been recorded from Pakistan and in central and southern India).
The taxon blythii is now usually (e.g. Rasmussen & Anderton, 2005) considered a valid species, the Malabar starling or white-headed myna (Sturnia blythii), instead of a subspecies of Sturnia malabarica. As S. m. malabarica only visits the range of blythii during the non-breeding period (winter), the two are not known to interbreed. However, a molecular study found the genetic divergence between S. blythii not significantly greater (between 0.2% and 0.8%) than between the sisters S. m. malabarica of northern India and S. m. nemoricola of Burma and Vietnam
Seascape from Oregon.
7D | Canon EFS 10-22 @ 13mm | f/20 | 0.6 sec | ISO 100 | 0.9 soft GND | cable release
37672 37671 freight transport assocation + tre pole and pen aller divergence st blazey bescot 08-05-89
“Fear doesn't shut you down; it wakes you up”
― Veronica Roth, Divergent
Model: Sierra-Marie.
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YDM4 6565 has a long wait at Pranchi Road Jn with train 09532 08h40 Junagadh to Delvada for the opposing working 09531 11h30 Delvada to Junagadh to show up. At least it gave some new photographic opportunities at this station. Pranchi Road Jn was the divergence point for the Kodinar Branch which used to have one train a day. It hasn’t run for years and the branch is either mothballed or closed. 17th December 2024.
IG: @vladyurkov
Fuji Provia 100f 4x5
Chamonix 45f2
90mm f32 60s
C-polarizer
One of the many deep dark seasonal drainages leading down from the summit of our local Mount Benson. I lucked out with some relatively even light due to a rolling fog giving me favourable conditions for exposing this scene on a sheet of slide film. I shot a just in case duplicate on Ektar, but am more than happy with this result. Provia's excellent reciprocity characteristics definitely came in handy on this 1 minute exposure.
Scenes like this remind me why I love shooting my view camera. It's mind blowing that with a touch of front tilt I can adjust my plane of focus and bring the closest moss covered rock to the farthest tree in sharp focus. A little bit of rise lets me adjust my composition without tilting the camera and keeps the resulting image looking natural without distortion or divergence.
The Terek sandpiper (Xenus cinereus) is a small migratory Palearctic wader species, the only member of the genus Xenus. It is named after the Terek River which flows into the west of the Caspian Sea, as it was first observed around this area. The genus name Xenus is from Ancient Greek xenos stranger, and cinereus is Latin for "ash-grey" from cinis, cineris, "ashes"
Slightly larger than the common sandpiper at 22–25 cm (8.7–9.8 in) length, its long upcurved bill – somewhat reminiscent of an avocet's, but not as strongly curved – makes it very distinctive. As the scientific specific name implies, this wader has a grey back, face and breast in all plumages; a white supercilium may appear more or less distinct. The belly is whitish and the feet yellow; the bill has a yellowish base, with the rest being black.
The call is a high whistle.
Among the Scolopacidae, Xenus is part of the shank-tattler-phalarope clade and less closely related to the calidrid sandpipers. Based on the degree of DNA sequence divergence and putative shank and phalarope fossils from around the Oligocene/Miocene boundary some 23–22 million years ago, the Terek sandpiper presumably diverged from their relatives in the Late Oligocene. Given the numerous basal fossils of the group found in Eurasia it is likely that the Terek sandpiper lineage originated there, possibly by being isolated as the remains of the Turgai Sea dried up, which happened just around this time
A film shot with an Olympus Infinity Twin camera, taken last spring, I think with Kodak Ultramax ISO 400 film.
Photographed this cooperative bird at Lake Lorne Reserve, Drysdale, Victoria, Australia. Freckled Duck is an enigmatic waterfowl species that very unique attributes for a duck. Stictonetta is relatively basal in divergence compared to other ducks, allied more with swans than true ducks. Some place it into its own tribe Stictonttini.
This man-made wall of water is four stories high and diverts water from a tributary of the Deschutes River, just minutes away from downtown Bend. It is not easily accessible, and I ended up walking about 300 yards atop a slippery water flume to get to this secluded spot. A cautionary warning to those who might be tempted to venture here, this area appears to be a gathering and sleeping place for Bend's homeless and transient population. The freezing temperatures kept people away this morning, but there is evidence of a number of people calling this area home. For safety reasons I will not be going back.
For daily photos, updates and musings on all things photography - please like my Facebook page via the link below.
www.facebook.com/thuncherphotography
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The Antillean crested hummingbird (Orthorhyncus cristatus) is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. Found across Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, north-east Puerto Rico, Saba, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sint Eustatius, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Lesser Antilles, while it has also been recorded as a vagrant in Florida, USA.[3]
Taxonomy
In 1743 the English naturalist George Edwards included an illustration and a description of the Antillean crested hummingbird in his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. He used the English name "The crested humming bird". Edwards based his hand-coloured etching on a specimen collected in the West Indies.[4] When in 1758 the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated his Systema Naturae for the tenth edition, he placed the Antillean crested hummingbird with the other hummingbirds in the genus Trochilus. Linnaeus included a brief description, coined the binomial name Trochilus cristatus and cited Edwards' work.[5] The Antillean crested hummingbird is now the only species placed in the genus Orthorhyncus that was introduced in 1799 by Bernard Germain de Lacépède.[6][7] The type locality is restricted to the island of Barbados.[8] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek orthos meaning "straight" and "rhunkhos" meaning "bill". The specific epithet cristatus is Latin meaning "crested" or "plumed".[9]
Four subspecies are recognised:[7]
O. c. exilis (Gmelin, JF 1788) – Puerto Rico south through Lesser Antilles to Saint Lucia
O. c. ornatus Gould, 1861 – Saint Vincent
O. c. cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758) – Barbados. One study found that this subspecies showed considerable sequence divergence from the Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent subspecies. This population may have invaded Barbados from an island other than Saint Lucia or Saint Vincent, but confirmation of this possibility requires a more complete phylogeographic survey.[10] This population has been flagged as a potentially invasive species on Barbados.[11]
O. c. emigrans Lawrence, 1877 – Grenadines and Grenada
Divergence tells the story of a guy that spent soo much time in thoughts and memories that he no longer could distinguish reality from fantasy.
The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread raptor, and one of the most widely found bird species. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area is not always naturally occurring, but one widely introduced by humans, the rock pigeon, which in turn now supports many peregrine populations as a prey species. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon," referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range; disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of Falco peregrinus, or is a separate species, F. pelegrinoides. The two species' divergence is relatively recent, during the time of the last ice age, therefore the genetic differential between them (and also the difference in their appearance) is relatively tiny. They are only about 0.6–0.8% genetically differentiated.
While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild.
The peregrine falcon is a well respected falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability, high trainability, versatility, and – in recent years – availability via captive breeding. It is effective on most game bird species, from small to large.
AA012 - DIVERGENCE - Bright and vibrant abstract acrylic artwork on canvas. Areas of red, yellow, green and blue. Multiple paint layers representing activity and movement across the canvas. Available as wall-art at my Pixels website at tinyurl.com/mryuyh6k
(c)2025 - GrahamSeamanArt
This one is for an old friend who turned out to be completely different to how everyone thought they were.
Jill and old Jerry both like a maxi skirt although jerry prefers seeing girls wear them while Jill just likes wearing them. Personally I like both viewpoints.
This is a brave shot for me as I am still a bit chubby around the tummy (breathing in to hold the flab in place) and I have impressive bingo wings! don't you just hate flabby arms?
Paint a lovely picture of myself don't I :-)
Don't worry It really doesn't bother me that much I would rather the curves to having a six pack and arms a builder would be proud of. Just a payoff I am happy with.
Well I hope you like this little divergence from now normal retro looks
This species was described from the Kodaikanal region on the basis of a specimen obtained by Rev. Samuel Bacon Fairbank and came to be called the Pulney laughing-thrush.The lack of the black chin of jerdoni was noted even when this species was first described but it was made into a subspecies under jerdoni in the second edition of The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma in 1922 by Stuart Baker. In 1880 Blanford described meridionale based on a specimen obtained by F. W. Bourdillon.The close relationship of meridionale and fairbanki was noticed by William Ruxton Davison in 1883. The current regrouping of the forms, considering the Palghat Gap as a biogeographic barrier and giving importance to the chin colour, was introduced in 2005 by Pamela C. Rasmussen and Anderton. A study published in 2017 found that the species was best placed in a new genus Montecincla and that based on the divergence, meridionale is best treated as a full species.
The track measuring vehicles EM-SAT 120 misses the divergences conditioned by train journeys of a rail of his ideal line. The elevation and moving value are raised above a combination of GPS and laser measurement in the distance of 5 metres with an exactness from +/-1 millimetre.
Photographe: Yasur
Reproduction interdite sans autorisation
Vous voudriez acheter une de mes photos? Contactez-moi.
Copyright Normand Savage
No reproduction without written autorisation.
A Quick divergence from the recent posts I've been making.
Last set from the PPA
I attended the Professional Photographer's of America Expo in Nashville (January 2023). Here are a few studio shots I took while trying out various lighting setups.
Thomson Marsh, Kelowna, BC.
Only this shot has been posted full size.... Click to expand it for enlarged view of plumage details.
"Despite the large differences in size and coloration across the Song Sparrow’s range, genetic divergence is low. High rates of immigration and emigration may keep populations genetically similar, while local selective conditions maintain the physical differences.
Like many other songbirds, the male Song Sparrow uses its song to attract mates as well as defend its territory. Laboratory studies have shown that the female Song Sparrow is attracted not just to the song itself, but to how well it reflects the ability of the male to learn. Males that used more learned components in their songs and that better matched their song tutors (the adult bird they learned their songs from) were preferred." ~ Cornell Lab of Ornithology
For more details, or to refresh your memory:
Waited in vain for about 15 minutes for the train to come. It just don't happen that often with the train systems around here :lol:
That's one thing I'd really like to see in the U.S. Lot more money spent on good, reliable public transportation.
GF1 + 50/1.4 tilt
I have been studying the law today
§ after § after §
how to get out of a lie
but I live
and walls are rising
so punish me §
Copyright © 2017 by Craig Paup. All rights reserved.
Any use, printed or digital, in whole or edited, requires my written permission.
Divergence tells the story of a guy that spent soo much time in thoughts and memories that he no longer could distinguish reality from fantasy.
The Nikon FM2n is the best medium-compact mechanical shutter SLR camera ever made. There are other bodies from other manufacturers that have been favorably compared, such as the Olympus OM-3 and the Leica R6.2. These other cameras indeed have certain features, e.g., spot metering capability, that are not found on the FM2n. However, they have disadvantages, too. The Olympus system is smaller than Nikon, and lenses and accessories are presumably less abundant on the used market. The Leica system is substantially more expensive used, especially the lenses, and the Leica R series never became that popular (as opposed to Leica's M-Series). The design of the FM2n has been highly refined over several generations of the FM product line. It is part of the enormous Nikon system of manual focus and auto focus cameras. Many Nikon bodies are available on the used market. And the FM2n is just an absolutely great camera.
The FM2n is the final all-mechanical version of the FM Series that began with the FM in 1977 as an upgrade to the classic Nikkormat FT3 (early 1977). The FM was subsequently updated and modernized with various versions of the FM, FM2 (1982) and FM2n which were developed over the years, with the FM2n finally introduced in 1984. The FM2n remained in production until 2001. There was actually one additional major upgrade after the FM2n, which was the FM3A (2001-2006; 1991). The FM3A is the most advanced of the FM Series, with a hybrid mechanical/electronic shutter, an FE2 style readout, and all of the other features of the FE2. From a technological point of view, the FM3A is really cool and unique. However, due to some of the feature advantages that I will discuss below, the FM2n is still a very attractive option for all manual film shooting . The FM3A is relatively more expensive on the used market, with relatively high prices for the occasional NIB sample, or even very clean used camera.
Check out the FM3A here:
www.flickr.com/photos/trphotoguy/23145338649/in/album-721...
The standard FM2n was available in silver chrome and black paint. Both look great.
There were a few special versions of the FM2n that were introduced. The most interesting one is the FM2/T (1993-1997). The FM2/T is exactly the same mechanically as the latest FM2n, except that the top and bottom covers are made out of titanium. Please refer to my separate page on the FM2/T, which is one of the most beautiful SLR cameras ever made:
www.flickr.com/photos/trphotoguy/16514084188/in/album-721...
My own experience with the FM line actually started with the FM2n. Previously, I had been using the Nikon F2 Photomic AS and Nikon FE combination; my F2 was the reliable all-mechanical body, and I used the FE as an electronic backup when needing something smaller than the F2, or when wanting to shoot quicker with the FE in aperture priority mode, or just for a different kind of film. (Back then, photographers still looked askance at electronic cameras compared with tried and true mechanical ones.) However, when I finally upgraded from the F2 to the new F3HP, it was time to switch around and get the FM2n as a mechanical backup to the electronic F3HP.
Since my experience with the FM Series started with the FM2n, and given that the FM2n would be the best body of the series to go with on the used market today, I will focus my comments on the FM2n.
As with the prior models of the FM Series, the FM2n takes either a 3V lithium battery, two 1.55V silver oxide batteries, or two 1.5V alkalines. Quite standard for Nikon bodies of the that era. I usually prefer to just go with a single 3V lithium to enjoy the long shelf life, but of course the other two types work fine too, as needed. Since the small batteries are used only for the light meter, they seem to last forever and are not necessary for camera operation at all shutter speeds.
The FM series is built with a copper-aluminum-silicon (copper-silumin) alloy body. I find the size and weight of the FM2n to be perfect, especially with wide-angle through medium telephoto Nikkor manual focus prime lenses. The body size is not too big or too small. Its size is large enough to hold securely, but still smaller than full size professional bodies like the concurrent F3HP. It is not as small as the Contax S2, Pentax MX, or even the Olympus OM-3, which are considered small compact bodies and sometimes feel a bit too small to get a good grip. The FM2n weighs in at only 540g without lens, and of course the weight of the batteries is insignificant, compared with the multiple AA batteries or other larger batteries in future electronic bodies. The FM2n fits great in a dedicated case, or a spongy snug-fit case, or a small camera bag with a few lenses. It is an excellent size for travel use.
The FM2n body by itself, like all those in the FM Series, feels a bit light and even insubstantial when held without a lens attached. However, once a lens is attached, the lens/camera combination has the perfect balance, size and weight. It has a highly luxurious and precision feel and sound when held in your hands and used. I most often use Ai-S primes from 20/2.8 to 200/4 and the system is wonderful to operate with all of those lenses. However, once you start getting into bigger and heavier lenses such as, for example, the 80-200/2.8, the camera feels a big too light and out of balance. Also, on fatter lenses, you may need to use a rubber tripod filler ring to keep the lens rings from touching the tripod head.
Operation of the FM2n is really smooth. All of the top controls are on the right side of the camera. The shutter speed ring is tall, large and has an easy-to-turn knurled grip. It is easy to grab with thumb and forefinger when the film advance lever is pulled out to turn on the camera. The film advance lever motion is amazingly smooth, although the lever is single-stroke only, unlike the levers on the F, F2 and F3. But the stoke is not very big, so a quick easy stroke quickly winds to the next frame. ASA/ISO setting is embedded into the top of the shutter speed dial. Shutter speed and ISO markings are clear and easy to read. The ISO range of the FM2n is 12 - 6400, wide enough to handle virtually all situations. The small multiple-exposure lever is located under the film advance lever, out of the way but easy to turn when you need it. The mechanical shutter release button is large and located at just the right location near the front of the body. It takes a standard mechanical cable release. The shutter release button has a fairly long travel, but it works well with just the right amount of resistance to allow you to half press for an exposure reading, and then make a short continued push to achieve an immediate shutter release. The shutter has a relatively quiet, pleasing and precision-like sound. The film counter is just in front of release crank and is easy to read.
One of the biggest advantage of the Nikon film SLR lens mount (the "F mount") is that it is the only SLR camera mount that has stayed virtually the same from the time of the first Nikon F and Nikkormat FS/FT through to the most current small and full frame Nikon digital SLRs. Except for the requirement that relatively newer Nikon film SLRs require Ai or Ai-converted lenses, all manual focus Nikon F mount lenses can be used on autofocus bodies, and most full-frame auto-focus Nikon F mount lenses (pre-G type) can be used on all old manual focus bodies. I don't know of any other SLR manufacturer that can make such a claim. Thus, it is convenient to use the FM2N together with a modern Nikon autofocus film or digital SLR because you can often use the same lenses on both bodies.
Loading Nikkor lenses onto any FM Series is quick and positive. Just line up the black dot on the lens with the dot on the camera body and twist the lens counter-clockwise. Of course, there is no need to line up the claw on Ai Nikkor aperture rings with an exposure meet pin on the body; this old system became obsolete after the Nikkormat FT2/EL generation. Unfortunately, the FM Series lens mount lost the retractable meter coupling lever after the original FM body; thus the FM2n won't accept (in stop down mode) any pre-Ai or non-Ai's lenses that you might own. To remove a lens, just press the lens release button on the left front of the body and twist clockwise.
The only control on the top left of the camera is the film rewind/back opening mechanism. Twist the back opening lever counter-clockwise and put the rewind crank upwards to open the camera back. Since the camera only has a manual exposure meter mode, unlike the FE/FE2, the rewind crank mechanism includes no exposure compensation dial. Film loading is traditional style and almost foolproof. Like many Nikon and other cameras of this generation, you need to stick the film leader into a slot on the take-up spool and insure that the latch in the spool engages a film perforation. This system is more reliable than that on newer Nikon bodies where you simply lay the film leader flat next to an index line. With the FM2n, if you are careful when you load the film, you can get an extra exposure on frame 0.
The viewfinder of the FM Series has been gradually improved over the life of the series, but remains essentially the same in the FM2n version. A slight disadvantage of the FM series viewfinder is that, unlike the 100% frame coverage of a pro-level Nikon F series camera, the FM's frame coverage is only 93%. This is not unusual in a pro-sumer level camera, but you need to be aware that objects that are outside the field of view in will be captured on your film. (Maybe it wasn't a problem with mounted slides?) The viewfinder contains all of the information that you need for convenient camera setting. There is a mechanical readout for the selected shutter speed on the left side of the viewfinder. There is also a aperture direct readout (ADR) at the center top of the viewfinder. The exposure meter indicator on the right of the viewfinder utilizes three red light emitting diodes. This is my favorite type of exposure meter readout design, which I learned to like on the earlier Nikon F2 Photomic AS. It is also the same system as that on cameras such as the Leica M6TTL or current MP. First of all and most importantly, the diodes are easy to see in all lighting conditions, light and dark. The LEDs are bright enough to be clearly visible on a sunny day, but also not so bright that they blind you in a dark location. Also, exposure adjustment is extremely rapid and precise.
I normally set the shutter speed first, depending on what I am trying to do. Then push the shutter release button down half way and twist the lens aperture ring on the lens until only the center LED circle lights up. As you move away from correct exposure, the LED display changes to a combined +o or o- (when you are over or underexposed by between 1/5 and one stop-), and finally to a single + or - (when you are over or underexposed by more than one stop).The three-diode system of the FM Series is superior to the match needle system of the aperture priority capable FE Series and the hybrid FM3A. While the match needle system is nice and clear in bright light, it is almost impossible to see the display to adjust exposure in dark environments - although the meter itself is very sensitive. On the other hand, an advantage of the match needle system is that you receive direct visual indication of a wider range of exposure divergence, compared with the LED system. Also, you can directly see intermediate shutter speeds in Aperture Priority mode.
The FM2 and FM2n exposure meter uses a pair of silicon photodiodes (SPDs) for exposure measurement. This was the latest generation of exposure meter technology, after Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) technology in the Nikkormat FT (1965) through the FT3 (1977) and gallium-arsenide-phosphide photodiodes in the original FM (1977). Silicon photodiodes provide quick response and stability, and apparently lower manufacturing cost for Nikon, compared with the prior generation. Exposure measurement range of the FM2n is EV 1 to EV 18 at ASA/ISO 100 and with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. This supports a aperture/shutter speed range of 1 sec. at f/1.4 through 1/4000 sec. at f/8. That range is pretty good for most situations, and a step up from the Nikkormat FT - FT3's range of EV 3 - EV 17. The FM2n is exactly on par with the Nikon F3HP. However, it is not as sensitive as the EV -2 to EV +17 range on the F2 Photomic AS, or the EV 0 to EV 21 range of the Nikon F4.
Since the FM Series cameras have manual exposure mode only, there is obviously no exposure lock button. Exposure lock is one thing that can be frustrating on cameras like the F3HP and FE/FE2. It is often easier, even on these cameras with aperture priority mode, to just use manual exposure mode and set the exposure directly. It is quicker and more comfortable than pointing the camera to where you can measure the proper exposure, pushing the exposure lock button an holding the button down will recomposing a shooting. Anyway, you don't need to worry about any of that on the manual mode only FM2n.
The center of the viewfinder display, with the standard K2-Type focusing screen, contains a small central horizontal split image, surrounded by a microprism donut, which is further surrounded by a large matte donut and a 12mm diameter circle. But utilizing both the split-image and microprism collar, you can manually focus on almost any subject very quickly. Turn the camera at a slight angle when focusing if necessary to find a straight line. I can't resist pointing out that with well-maintained manual focus Nikkor primes, such as Ai-S lenses, focusing ring operation is buttery smooth, with just the right amount of viscous resistance. With the no-slip knurled focusing rings, focusing is quick and accurate. The FM2n system provides three different interchangeable focusing screen types for various applications.Mostly, the standard K2-Type screen is sufficient. The B2 type screen removes the split image and microprism focusing aids, while the E2 type is the same as the B2, except with horizontal and vertical etched lines. FM/FE series focusing screens were improved (from the "K" series to the "K2" series) to provide a brighter viewfinder image starting with the FM2/FE2 generation. Focusing screens were further improved on the final FM3A to avoid split-image blackout with lenses with maximum aperture of f/5.6 or less.
The outer circle encloses the central area which carries a 60% exposure meter weight, with the area outside the circle comprising the remaining 40%. The most important thing to know about an exposure measurement system is how it weights various areas of the viewfinder image so that you can determine how to use it in each situation. The 60/40 system works fine for most situations. It is vast improvement over the classic full-frame averaging system, which was used on Pentax Spotmatic models, the earliest Nikkormat FT, and other cameras. For these averaging systems, if you wanted a proper exposure, you could not include a bright light or big sky in any area of the frame. Still, with the 60/40 system, you need to determine where to point the camera when manually setting the exposure. Find an areas that is representative of the subject, but which is not overly influenced by a bright light, a bright sky, a dark background, etc. Also make sure to select an area that approximates 18% gray, such as a dense area of green trees in a landscape image. If you cannot find an area that is equivalent to 18% gray that fills the 12mm circle, for example, inside the Haleakala volcano crater on Maui, HI, or a bright snowscape, then you need to manually compensate the exposure by appropriately changing the aperture or shutter speed.
Two contemporaneous Nikon bodies with the FM2n, the F3HP and the FA had different exposure metering patterns. The F3HP applies a heavier weight of 80% to the viewfinder's 12mm circle, making it easier to isolate an area that is 18% gray, without surrounding high-contrast areas influencing the exposure reading too much. The FA is the first Nikon body to include a multi-segment metering pattern, in addition to 60/40 centerweight. The 5-segment pattern on the FA and first generation software were the first Nikon attempt to correct the weaknesses of the traditional center-weight averaging system. While early multi-pattern systems on cameras such as the FA, F4, F800 and F90/F90x did a pretty good and steadily improving job in most low contrast situations, in difficult situations, they still didn't work as well as the center weight system with appropriate exposure compensation, which was found on the FM2n. Of course, you have to know what you are doing in such situations! On later-generation cameras, the more highly refined high-tech multi-pattern (matrix) systems, such as on the F5, F6 and the newest digital SLRs, finally do a good job even with difficult lighting. Modern Nikon bodies generally use a 75/25 weight in their default center-weight metering modes.
The latest FM2n incorporates a vertical-travel, metal focal plane shutter with aluminum curtains. Older versions of the FM2N have shutters with titanium curtains. Shutter speed range on the FM2N is 1 sec. through 1/4000 sec. For those of us who started back when the fastest shutter speed as 1/1000 sec. or even slower, 1/4000 sec. sounds amazingly fast. In fact, 1/4000 sec. is plenty fast enough for most situations with film. On the slow end, the camera itself can only operate up to 1 sec., but it is an easy matter to calculate and shoot exposures of any length at the Bulb setting, using a tripod, a standard shutter release cable, and a hand-held light meter. Of course, since the camera has a mechanical shutter, you can shoot exposures of any length and never worry about draining your battery. One slight disadvantage of the FM2n's mechanical shutter is that it cannot be set for intermediate shutter speeds. On an electronic body such as the FE2 or FM3A, you can utilize any intermediate shutter speed in aperture priority mode. (Of course, unlike the FE/FA series, the FM-series meters can't measure Bulb setting shutter speeds.)
There are just a few more features that should be mentioned. On the right front side of the body are located a depth-of-field preview lever and a self timer lever. Like many other cameras, you can check actual depth of field at the set aperture by pressing the depth-of-field lever. The image darkens if the lens is not set to maximum aperture, but you can get a good idea of the expected DOF with your lens/aperture combination. Actually, this lever is not really required with manual focus Nikkor lenses, because such lenses include an easy to read DOF index on the lens barrel. Many AF Nikkor lenses also have DOF index marks. The FM Series bodies have a mechanical self-timer with a delay of up to approximately 10 seconds. While these cameras do not have a mirror lock-up switch per se, you can simulate MLU by using the self-timer lever. When the shutter release button is pressed after the self-timer is set, the mirror swings up at the start of the timer count.
Finally, a hot-shoe contact is installed on top of the prism housing for flash photography. The FM2n does not support automatic TTL flash control. You need to use an FE2 or FM3A if you want that feature. (If you know how to use guide numbers and manual flash, you can still do full-flash or fill-flash photography without any problem, of course). However, the FM2n, like the FE2, has a very fast maximum flash synch speed of 1/250 sec. There is an extra contact on the hot shoe that communicates the flash charging status to the camera a lights a red diode "ready light" in the viewfinder when the flash is ready to shoot. Of course, the FM2n works with any Nikon flash unit. The contemporaneous SB-24 and SB-26 work great. However, if you will be doing a lot of flash photography in the FM line, the FE2 and FM3A are more useful as they both offer automatic TTL flash control.
In addition to the vast selection of Nikkor (and third-party) lenses that are available for the Nikon F mount, the FM2n also accepts various other useful Nikon accessories. One of the most useful is the MD-12 motor drive. This motor drive unit works on all FM Series bodies (and even the Nikon FA) and allows rapid fire or remote shooting up to 3.2 frames per second. Years ago, I used to keep it attached to the camera and carried it around much of the time. However, the MD-12 is quite heavy, especially when loaded with the eight required AA batteries. These days, it would obviously be better to use a more modern camera is you want portable and higher-speed motor drive. Other useful optional accessories (which work with all FM and FE series bodies) are the MF-16 data back, the DB-2 Anti-Cold Battery Pack (particularly useful for the FM2n, which would be the perfect camera to take on a dog sled expedition to the North Pole!), the DR-3 and DG-2 viewfinder eyepieces, and various eyepiece correction lenses.
Copyright © 2013 - 2016 Timothy A. Rogers. All rights reserved.
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