Nikon FG

Last updated
Nikon FG
Nikon FG 1982 8872836.jpg
Overview
Type Single lens reflex
Released1982
Intro price$322.50 [1]
Lens
Lens interchangeable lens, Nikon F-mount
Compatible lenses Nikon F-mount lenses supporting automatic indexing (AI) with some exceptions
Sensor/medium
Film format 35mm
Film size 36mm x 24mm
Film advancemanual
Film rewindmanual
Focusing
Focus modesmanual
Exposure/metering
Exposure modesProgram, Aperture priority, Manual
Exposure metering silicon photodiode light meter, TTL metering, EV 1 to EV 18 (f/1.4 at 1s to f/16 at 1/1000s at ASA/ISO 100 and with 50mm f/1.4 lens [2]
Metering modes 60/40 percent center-weighted
Flash
Flash hot shoe only
Flash synchronization 1/90s; normal sync. only
Compatible flashesDedicated Nikon hot shoe mounted flashes with TTL capability; other non-dedicated hot shoe flashes; non-hot shoe flashes with adapter
Shutter
Shutter electronically controlled, double speed mechanical backup
Shutter speed range1s – 1/1000s (P, A, M); M90 (1/90s); Bulb (B)
Continuous shooting 3.2 frame/s (High), 2 frame/s (Low) with MD-14; 2 frame/s with MD-E
Viewfinder
Viewfinder fixed eye-level pentaprism
Viewfinder magnification0.84x
Frame coverage92%
General
Batterytwo SR44 or LR44
Optional data backsMF-15
Optional motor drives MD-14, MD-E
Dimensions 139 x 86 x 53 mm
Weight 490g

The Nikon FG is an interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. (Nikon Corporation since 1988) in Japan from 1982 [3] to 1986.

Contents

The FG was the successor to the Nikon EM camera of 1979 and the predecessor of the Nikon FG-20 of 1984. These three cameras composed Nikon's first family of ultra compact 35mm SLR camera bodies. Although the FG had a much less advanced shutter than the more expensive Nikons of the day, it had a very sophisticated electronic design compared to earlier electromechanical Nikons.

Features

Body and Design

Nikon FG in black finish fitted with a Nikkor 50mm/f1.8 lens NikonFGblkfrt50f18.jpg
Nikon FG in black finish fitted with a Nikkor 50mm/f1.8 lens
Nikon FG with the camera back opened Nikon FG (back view).jpg
Nikon FG with the camera back opened

Body Construction

Exposure Control and Metering

Nikon FG exposure mode and shutter speed dial Nikon FG shutter dial.JPG
Nikon FG exposure mode and shutter speed dial

The FG's metering system is controlled by a micro-computer which measures center-weighted brightness, using a sensitive silicon photodiode (SPD) sensor. The metering system performs 'instant stop down metering', where the meter reading is taken after the lens is stopped down but before the mirror flips up and the shutter opens.

In 'P' (Programmed AE) mode, the micro-computer calculates stepless aperture (f/stop) and stepless shutter speed using pre-programmed values. [2]

In 'A' (Aperture Priority AE) mode, the micro-computer calculates a stepless shutter speed for a given user-selected aperture value.

In 'M' (Manual Exposure Control) mode, the user selects both aperture and shutter speed, and the metering system provides a suggested shutter speed (indicated in the viewfinder) for the selected aperture.

Viewfinder

The viewfinder consists of a fixed, eye-level pentaprism providing a magnification of 0.84x, with a 50 mm lens set at infinity and approximately 92% frame coverage.

The focusing screen is a standard Nikon 'K-type' screen with:

Displayed on the right side of the viewfinder are:

Flash Exposure Control

The FG was also Nippon Kogaku’s first amateur level SLR to have through-the-lens TTL off-the-film (OTF) electronic flash automation. However this technology was first introduced with the Olympus OM-2 in 1976. [4] and was also used previously in the Nikon F3 introduced in 1980. [5] TTL OTF flash exposure control is more precise than previous methods as it measures the flash exposure at the film plane rather than at the flash itself. Correct flash exposure is achieved via a SPD cell at the base of the mirror box, which measures light reflected back from the film plane.

The FG can only connect to flashes via the hot shoe connection, as it lacks a PC sync socket. Flashes which do not have a hot shoe can be used with a hot shoe-sync cord adapter.

Lens Compatibility

Nikon FG and series E 50mm lens Nikon FG and series E 50mm lens.JPG
Nikon FG and series E 50mm lens

Accessories

MD-14 motor drive MD-14 1.JPG
MD-14 motor drive

Motor Drives

Automatic film advanceAdditional hand gripUsable shutter speedShutter releaseNumber of 36 exp. rollsPower sourceDimensionsWeight
Nikon MD-143.2 frame/s (high)
2 frame/s (low)
Yes1 s to 1/1000 sCamera's shutter release buttonMore than 50Eight 1.5 V AA-type batteries140 mm (W) x 91.5 mm (H) x 64 mm (D) (including grip)Weight: Approx. 350 g (excluding batteries)
Nikon MD-E2 frames per secondNo1 s to 1/1000 sCamera's shutter release buttonMore than 50Six 1.5 V AAA-type batteries133 mm (W) x 32 mm (H) x 46 mm (D)Approx. 185 g (without batteries)

[7] [8]

Nikon FG with SB-15 speedlight NikonFGblk50f18SB15.jpg
Nikon FG with SB-15 speedlight

MF-15 databack

Nikon Speedlights

The FG can be used with any dedicated Nikon speedlights (flashes) which support TTL flash exposure, and any non-dedicated flash units in either automatic or manual modes.

Dedicated, hot shoe mounted Nikon speedlights available during the time the FG was manufactured were the SB-E, SB-15, SB-16B, SB-18 and SB-19.

Background and design history

Canon AE-1 Program in black finish Canon AE-1 Program Black2.jpg
Canon AE-1 Program in black finish

The 1970s and 1980s were an era of intense competition between the major SLR brands: Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Pentax and Olympus. This was in part a result of rapid advances in electronics at the time, which allowed new cameras to be released more frequently and with more automated features than had been possible previously.

Between c. 1975 to 1985, there was a dramatic shift away from heavy all-metal manual mechanical camera bodies to much more compact bodies with integrated circuit (IC) electronic automation. As a result of the manufacturing climate of the time, the EM and subsequent FG and FG-20 were released with much lower price points, and more compact and user-friendly bodies than previous Nikons, to appeal to the amateur photographer market.

The FG was intended to improve on the short-comings of the EM (which had no manual override) and to compete with other programmed SLRs of the time, such as the Canon AE-1 Program (released 1981) the Minolta X-700 (released 1981) or the Pentax Super Program (in the USA/Canada; Super A, rest of the world; 1983).

Market Reception

The FG was well received by many amateur photographers, but was criticised by others due to the lower build-quality and reliability when compared to other Nikons of the same era. The FG has known reliability issues, particularly with its shutter components and ICs.

Compared to Nikon EM and FG-20

Nikon EM Nikon EM.jpg
Nikon EM
Nikon FG-20 FG-20.JPG
Nikon FG-20
Nikon FG interior Nikon FG - Inside.jpg
Nikon FG interior

The major improvements of the FG compared to the EM were improved exterior cosmetics, internal printed circuit electronics, the addition of the manual exposure and programmed autoexposure modes, and provision for TTL flash automation.

The FG-20 is a simplified version of the Nikon FG, with no Programmed AE mode, no TTL OTF flash, and no exposure control, but retaining Aperture Priority AE, and manual and auto flash exposure control. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon FM</span> Camera model

The Nikon FM is a mechanically operated, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured in Japan between 1977 and 1982 by Nippon Kogaku K. K..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon FM3A</span> Camera model by Nikon

The Nikon FM3ᴀ is an interchangeable-lens, focal-plane shutter, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by Nikon Corporation in Japan, on small-volume assembly lines, from 2001 to 2006. The camera was available in two colours: all black and satin chrome. The introductory US list price for the chrome body only was $820.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon F6</span> Camera model

The Nikon F6 is a 35 mm film single-lens reflex camera body manufactured by Nikon between 2004 and 2020. It was the sixth film camera in Nikon's 35mm F-series SLR line-up. Designed by Nikon, the model was manufactured at their Sendai plant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon FM2</span> Camera model

The Nikon FM2 is an advanced semi-professional, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from 1982 to 2001. The original camera was released with some incremental improvements in 1984, and this later version is commonly referred to as the FM2ɴ, although both versions are labelled as the FM2 on the front of the camera body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon FA</span> Camera model

The Nikon FA is an advanced amateur-level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by the Japanese optics company Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from 1983 to 1987. The FA used a titanium-bladed, vertical-travel Nikon-designed, Copal-made focal plane shutter with a speed range of 1 to 1/4000th second plus Bulb and flash X-sync of 1/250th second. It was available in two colors: black with chrome trim and all black. The introductory US list price for the chrome body only was $646. Note that SLRs usually sold for 30 to 40 percent below list price.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon FE2</span> Camera model

The Nikon FE2 is a 35 mm single lens reflex (SLR) camera manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from 1983 to 1987. The FE2 uses a Nikon-designed vertical-travel focal-plane shutter with a speed range of 8 to 1/4000th second, plus Bulb and flash X-sync of 1/250th second. It was available in two colors: black with chrome trim and all black. The introductory US list price for the chrome body only was $446. Note that SLRs usually sold for 30 to 40 percent below list price.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon FE</span> Camera model

The Nikon FE is an advanced semi-professional level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by Nikon in Japan from 1978 to 1983, and was available new from dealer stock until c. 1984. The FE uses a metal-bladed, vertical-travel focal plane shutter with a speed range of 8 to 1/1000 second, plus Bulb, and flash X-sync of 1/125th second. It had dimensions of 89.5 millimetres (3.52 in) height, 142 mm (5.6 in) width, 57.5 mm (2.26 in) depth and 590 grams (21 oz) weight. It was available in two colors: black with chrome trim and all black. As on the FM, its model designation did not appear on the front of the camera, but was engraved as a small "FE" preceding the serial number on the rear of the housing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon EM</span> Camera model

The Nikon EM is a beginner's level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from 1979 to 1982. The camera was designed for and marketed to the growing market of new photographers then entering the SLR buyer's market. The EM uses a Seiko MFC-E focal plane shutter with a speed range of 1 to 1/1000 second plus Bulb and flash X-sync of 1/90 second. It is 86 mm (3.4 in) high, 135 mm (5.3 in) wide, 54 mm (2.1 in) deep and weighed 460 grams (16 oz). Unlike most Nikons of the time, it was available only in black. The EM has no full manual exposure mode capability, but instead was intended to be used by inexperienced photographers who could not easily master the intricacies of shutter speeds and f-stops. There were also significant changes to the EM's mechanical and electrical components to reduce its production cost relative to previous Nikon cameras: dimensional tolerances weren't as tight, there were no ball bearings in the film advance mechanism, and no high-quality titanium shutter. The introductory US list price for the body plus normal lens was only $231.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronica</span> Japanese camera manufacturer

Bronica also Zenza Bronica was a Japanese manufacturer of classic medium-format roll film cameras and photographic equipment based in Tokyo, Japan. Their single-lens reflex (SLR) system-cameras competed with Pentax, Hasselblad, Mamiya and others in the medium-format camera market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon F-501</span> 35mm SLR camera

The Nikon F-501 was the first successful autofocus SLR camera sold by the Nikon Corporation beginning in 1986. A nearly identical, albeit manual focus version, called the Nikon F-301 was also available. Subsequent models in the consumer line included the Nikon F-401, Nikon F-601, and Nikon F-801 / F-801s.

In photography, through-the-lens metering refers to a feature of cameras whereby the intensity of light reflected from the scene is measured through the lens; as opposed to using a separate metering window or external hand-held light meter. In some cameras various TTL metering modes can be selected. This information can then be used to set the optimal film or image sensor exposure, it can also be used to control the amount of light emitted by a flash unit connected to the camera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canon T90</span>

The Canon T90, introduced in 1986, was the top of the line in Canon's T series of 35 mm Single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras. It is the last professional-level manual-focus camera from Canon, and the last professional camera to use the Canon FD lens mount. Although it was overtaken by the autofocus revolution and Canon's new, incompatible EOS after only a year in production, the T90 pioneered many concepts seen in high-end Canon cameras up to the present day, particularly the user interface, industrial design, and the high level of automation.

The Olympus OM System was a line of 35mm single-lens reflex cameras, lenses and accessories sold by Olympus between 1972 and 2002. The system was introduced by Olympus in 1972. The range was designed by Yoshihisa Maitani, chief designer for Olympus, and his staff; OM stands for Olympus Maitani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon F2</span> Camera model

The Nikon F2 is a professional-level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by the Japanese optics company Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from September 1971 to 1980. It used a horizontal-travel focal plane shutter with titanium shutter curtains and a speed range of 1 to 1/2000 second plus Bulb and Time, and flash X-sync of 1/80 second. It had dimensions of 98 mm height, 152.5 mm width, 65 mm depth and 730 g weight. It was available in two colors: black with chrome trim and all black. The F2 was adopted by both casual photographers and professional photographers, the latter of those especially photojournalists covering the later half of the Vietnam War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikkormat</span> Camera brand

Nikkormat was a brand of cameras produced by the Japanese optics company Nippon Kogaku K. K., as a consumer version of the professional Nikon brand. Nikkormat cameras, produced from 1965 until 1978, were simpler and more affordable than Nikon-branded cameras, but accepted the same lenses as the Nikon F series cameras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikonos</span> Brand of 35mm film amphibious cameras

Nikonos is the brand name of a series of 35mm format cameras specifically designed for underwater photography launched by Nikon in 1963. The early Nikonos cameras were improvements of the Calypso camera, which was an original design by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Belgian engineer Jean de Wouters. It was produced in France by La Spirotechnique until the design was acquired by Nikon to become the Nikonos. The Nikonos system was immensely popular with both amateur and professional underwater photographers. Its compact design, ease of use, and excellent optical quality set the standard for several decades of underwater imaging. Nikon ceased development and manufacture of new Nikonos cameras in 2001, but the camera remains popular, and there is a large and active secondary market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minolta XD-7</span> Camera model

The Minolta XD-7 is a 35mm SLR film camera manufactured by Minolta from 1977 until 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon F90</span> Camera model

The Nikon F90 is a 35mm SLR camera manufactured between 1992 and 2001 and replaced the earlier Nikon F-801. At the time of its release it was noted for its fast autofocus speed compared to previous Nikon models, which had lagged behind competitor Canon's. It was thus seen by many as a 'stop-gap' measure to prevent the mass migration of many Nikon-using professional photographers to Canon, as Nikon's next fully professional camera, the F5, was some time away from release. The Nikon F4, the professional model available at the time of the F90's release, had very slow autofocus compared to Canon's autofocus SLRs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon FG-20</span> Camera model

The Nikon FG-20 is a 35 mm film single-lens reflex (SLR) camera with interchangeable lenses. It was released in 1984 by Nippon Kogaku K. K. as the successor to the earlier EM and FG cameras. It is actually a downgrade from its most direct predecessor, the FG, lacking the FG's program auto exposure mode. It uses the same vertical-travel metal focal-plane shutter as the FG, with electronically timed speeds from 1 to 1/1000 second as well as bulb and a mechanically timed 1/90-second speed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nikon F-601M</span> 35 mm SLR camera

The Nikon F-601m is a manual focus, autoexposure, auto film loading and advancing 35 mm SLR camera manufactured by the Nikon Corporation and released in 1990.

References

  1. FG Advertisement. "Introducing the programmed Nikon FG. Four exceptional 35mm SLRs in one." Modern Photography, Volume 47, Number 1; pp 12-13. January 1983
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Foo, Lee (2000). "Nikon FG, 1982 Nikon Super Compact Bodies EM, FG & FG-20" . Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  3. Nikon Corporation (2008). "Nikon FG". Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
  4. http://www.olympus-global.com/en/corc/history/camera/om.cfm Olympus Official Historical Site
  5. Foo, Lee (2008). "Modern Classic SLRs Series : Nikon F3 – Preface" . Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  6. Foo, Lee (2000). "MD-14 & MF-15 for Nikon FG, 1982" . Retrieved 2008-11-27.
  7. Foo, Lee (2000). "Auto Winder MD-E for Nikon EM/FG/FG-20" . Retrieved 2008-11-27.
  8. Foo, Lee (2000). "Nikon FG-20, 1984 – Part I Nikon Super Compact Bodies EM, FG & FG-20" . Retrieved 2008-11-28.

Further reading