DP-3

DP-3 on a Nikon F2SB image by Gordon Christie (Image rights)

The DP-3 is one of the metered finders for the Nikon F2. Packaged with the DP-3, the F2 is known as the F2SB. The DP-3 is one of the more rare F2 finders, as an incremental update of the DP-2 that was in turn replaced fairly quickly by the later metered finders with auto-indexing lens coupling. It does not have a needle in the viewfinder like the earlier DP-1, instead having LED lamps for over- and under-exposure and one for correct exposure. It is in most ways typical of the Nikon F2 finders, however.

Description

The finder includes a large, bright pentaprism. Its housing has a protrusion on the right side (seen from the front) which hangs over the shutter-speed dial. A dial on top of this protrusion rotates a disk on the bottom of the protrusion, which drives the shutter-speed dial via a pin. This allows the shutter speed to be coupled to the meter. When the dial is set to B, the metered exposure is two seconds, but the upper dial can be released from the lower dial by pressing the button in the center, and turning it further clockwise will allow the photographer to test slower exposures, down to ten seconds--though these speeds must be manually set on the self-timer and used with the F2's "time exposure" setting (which allows the self timer to act as part of the shutter timer).

The finder only gives wide-open exposures when a lens with a metering prong is mounted. This prong engages a pin on an arm partially hidden behind the "Nikon" nameplate. Unlike semi-manual-indexing Nikon systems, the lens does not need to be set to f/5.6 in order to properly communicate the aperture range to the camera--nor does the coupling arm need to be pulled out to the right, as it will automatically catch the prong as the lens is mounted. However, the aperture ring must still be twisted back and forth (or at least, from 5.6 to wide open) in order to communicate the maximum aperture to the meter. This is in contrast to later finders such as the DP-12, which index automatically with AI lenses. When a lens is indexed, the indexed maximum aperture will be shown in a window above the second "n" in the "Nikon" nameplate. If the indexed number does not match the maximum aperture of the lens, the lens is improperly indexed.

Inside, visually located at the bottom of the focusing screen, are indicators for the aperture and shutter speed--these windows open onto rotating opaque disks with clear numbers. These numbers are backlit, either by a translucent window on top of the finder, or, if insufficient light is falling on the window, by LED's activated by a switch next to the window. Between these two indicators are the three lights for exposure indication, from left to right: a "+" which indicates overexposure, a circle, which indicates correct exposure, and a "-" which indicates underexposure. When the circle and one of the other lights are lit, this indicates an over- or under-exposure between 1 stop and 1/5th of a stop. When only the circle is lit, the exposure is within 1/5th of a stop of correct.

The shutter speed is set on top of the speed dial, with an excellent-for-the time range of 12 to 6400 ASA (ISO) (a little over ten stops).

There is a small contact on the left rear for certain Nikon tube flashes, which allows a small light above the viewfinder window to be lit when the flash is ready--this is true of most F2 prism finders, metered and unmetered.