Manual

GEN E RAL STEPS OF PICTU RE-T AKI NG - Continued
Holding the camera
Steady camera holding is important since even the
slightest camera shake at the moment
of exposure
can result in an appreciable loss of sharpness, es-
pecially at slow shutter speeds. Wrap the fingers
of the righ-t hand around the camera body so that
the index finger rests comfortably on the shutter-
release
button and the thumb fits between the
body and film-advance lever, and press the camera
against your forehead. This way when winding the
film manually you can stroke the film-advance
lever without removing your eye from the
view-
finder. Cradle the camera in the left hand for addi-
tional support, with the left thumb and index
finger grasping the focusing ring. The camera may
be switched from the horizontal to the vertical
format
in this position.
26
Focusing
Focusing is always done at full aperture with
Nikkor lenses (auto). This gives the brightest
possible image on the focusing screen and also
minimizes the depth
of field so that the image
snaps
in or out of focus distinctly. The , Nikomat
ELW's focusing screen consists
of a matte Fresnel
field with a central 3mm¢ split-image range-finder
spot surrounded by a doughnut-shaped 1 mm-wide
microprism. It makes for fast, accurate focusing.
Look through the viewfinder and turn the focusing
ring until the two halves
of the central rangefinder
image coincide to form a single, sharp image- or
until the image in the microprism appears sharp
and crisp. The focusing screen
is suitable for
subjects with straight outlines or ill-defined con-
tours.
In close-up photography, the rangefinder
spot
is likely to darken. This is also true when
you're using a lens with a maximum aperture
sma lle r than f/4.5. You should then focus on the
surrounding matte field.