Nikon manual focus camera from the late Seventies. Coeval to the Nikon FM and Nikon EM.
In my opinion this camera, and its daughter - the Nikon FE2 - were close to the optimum for manual SLRs.
- 400 grams, 14 X 9 X 5.5 cm. This means small and light; compare it with the chunky N90 (750 grams). The camera body is brass, black or chromed.
- interchangeable focusing screens, which is important. The standard focusing screen features a microprism ring around a split image telemeter.
- depth-of-field preview, using a fairly hard little lever.
- No mirror lockup. It can be simulated using the self-timer.
- shutter speed, light meter and aperture visible in viewfinder - outside the picture area.
- multiple exposures button.
- accepts MD-11 or MD-12 motor drive
- 60/40 TTL center weighted metering - no spot reading.
- manual exposure (match-needle system, vastly superior to the silly + 0 - system)
- aperture priority automatic exposure, +/- 2 stops exposure compensation, ASA 12-4800, exposure lock
- shutter speeds 8 sec to 1/1000 in one f stop steps, plus B and Automatic. 1/90 without battery. Focal plane shutter made by Seiko.
- accepts AI and later lenses; pre-AI lenses in stop-down metering mode only
- flash synch at 1/125: PC connector and hot shoe connector.
- battery check light; totally analogic, you decide if the little red LED is bright enough. Anyway, the battery lasts forever.
- hot-shoe on prism. No TTL flash metering, but readylight shows in
viewfinder when using dedicated flash units.
The film wind lever acts as an on-off switch. When it is pushed in it overlaps the camera top, the light meter is off
One important point about this camera is that it allows you to use any Nikon mount lens, including some very old ones (and excluding those rare extreme wideangles that require mirror lock-up