Nikon F501
Encyclopedia
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 (N2000 in North America) was also available. Subsequent models in the consumer line included the Nikon F-401
, Nikon F-601
, and Nikon F-801 / F-801S
.
single-lens reflex camera
with automatic film loading and advance, almost a first for Nikon (the F-301
was their first SLR to feature this). The built-in motor drive
provided single (one exposure and frame advance per shutter button press) or continuous (shutter will fire and film will advance so long as the shutter button is depressed) modes. Maximum film advance speed was 2.5 frames per second (frame/s) on continuous mode, but could be as slow as 1.4 frames/s depending on the status of the focus/exposure locks. Rewind was accomplished manually by a familiar rewind knob which doubled as a release for the back. The F-501 was powered by four AAA
batteries housed in the bottom of the camera body, although it could utilize AA
sized batteries with an optional attachment (MB-3).
The F-501 used a through-the-lens
(TTL) "passive" phase-detection autofocus method for establishing focus. Unlike active systems, which set approximate focus based on distance to the subject, the "passive" system utilizes a CCD
to "see" the focus subject and focus in a manner similar to a human operator. This method is more precise than the active method, but requires more light to function. The F-501 had two focus modes available, single, in which focus was established and would not change so long as the operator held down lightly on the shutter button, and continuous, in which the lens would continuously re-focus on whatever was in the focus area.
The F-501 could be set for auto exposure
, "hi-speed" auto exposure, "dual" auto-exposure (with Ai-S type lenses) which switches between regular auto exposure and hi-speed autoexposure based on the lens attached, aperture priority
, or full manual exposure modes, which would allow the user to set both the aperture
and shutter speed
s. The shutter speed and auto-exposure modes were set the by use of a dial on the top of the camera, while the aperture ring on the lens was used for aperture control. The "hi-speed" auto-exposure would tend to favor higher shutter speeds and wider aperture settings than the "normal" auto exposure mode, while the "dual" mode would offer "normal" auto-exposure with lenses at focal lengths less than 135 mm and "hi-speed" auto-exposure if a lens was longer than 135 mm.
The F-501 supports TTL flash exposures with a wide range of Nikon flashes. The Nikon SB-20 flash was especially designed for this camera.
lenses, but will only autofocus with lenses designated "AF." Likewise, fully automatic exposure will only work with Ai-S type lenses, including many autofocus lenses (G-type lenses are not supported by the F-501). In both cases, the camera will function with lenses without these abilities, but will not autofocus or may not have full auto exposure capabilities. AF lenses designated "D" add no functionality to the F-501, and "AF-S" and "VR" lenses will not perform their special functions if attached to an F-501.
Continuing Nikon's practice at time, the F-501 had interchangeable focusing screens, a feature that is now quite unusual. Three screens (types B, E and J) were available for the F-501.
Breaking from practice, though, Nikon removed the ISO-type cable release socket. Remote control functionality is still available, however, through the three-pin terminal on the camera's front with the Remote Cord MC-12 and the like. ISO cable releases can be accepted by the Terminal Release MR-3, which also doubles as a second shutter button.
-clad body rather than metal, which caused the camera to be black
instead of silver
, was the most immediate and obvious change. Also new to this model was the addition of an extended grip on the shutter button side of the camera body, a feature which has grown in subsequent autofocus SLR camera designs ever since. Nikon adopted some design concepts from the F501 in the company's first professional autofocus SLR, the Nikon F4
, in 1988.
Less obvious is the addition of a red stripe on the right hand front side of the camera. The stripe first appeared in the Nikon F3
in 1980, and some variation of it has been a design feature of every Nikon autofocus camera since, but on the F-501 the stripe was horizontal
rather than vertical for the first time.
Autofocus
An autofocus optical system uses a sensor, a control system and a motor to focus fully automatic or on a manually selected point or area. An electronic rangefinder has a display instead of the motor; the adjustment of the optical system has to be done manually until indication...
SLR camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
sold by the Nikon Corporation beginning in 1986. A nearly identical, albeit manual focus version, called the Nikon F-301 (N2000 in North America) was also available. Subsequent models in the consumer line included the Nikon F-401
Nikon F401
The Nikon F-401 was a beginner's level, autofocus, 35mm, single-lens reflex film camera built by Nikon and introduced in 1987. The camera represented one of Nikon's first endeavours into consumer-based autofocus, as a follow-up to their first autofocus SLR in 1986, the Nikon F-501...
, Nikon F-601
Nikon F601
The Nikon F-601, otherwise known as the Nikon N6006, is a 35mm single-lens reflex film camera that was produced by Nikon starting in 1991...
, and Nikon F-801 / F-801S
Nikon F801
The Nikon F-801 is a 35mm SLR of the late 1980s, and one of the first Nikon cameras with autofocus. Although its autofocus mechanism is slow in comparison to modern standards, it was an improvement on Nikon's first attempt at an autofocus SLR - the F-501 , and proved to be typically Nikon in its...
.
Features
The F-501 is a 35 mm35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
single-lens reflex camera
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
with automatic film loading and advance, almost a first for Nikon (the F-301
Nikon F301
The Nikon F-301 was a manual focus, autoexposure, auto film loading and advancing 35 mm SLR camera sold by the Nikon Corporation beginning in 1985, it was the replacement for the FG....
was their first SLR to feature this). The built-in motor drive
Motor drive
A motor drive, in the field of photography, is a powered film transport mechanism. Historically, film loading, advancing, and rewinding were all manually driven functions...
provided single (one exposure and frame advance per shutter button press) or continuous (shutter will fire and film will advance so long as the shutter button is depressed) modes. Maximum film advance speed was 2.5 frames per second (frame/s) on continuous mode, but could be as slow as 1.4 frames/s depending on the status of the focus/exposure locks. Rewind was accomplished manually by a familiar rewind knob which doubled as a release for the back. The F-501 was powered by four AAA
AAA battery
A triple A or AAA battery is a standard size of dry cell battery commonly used in portable electronic devices. A carbon-zinc battery in this size is designated by IEC as "R03", by ANSI C18.1 as "24", by old JIS standard as "UM 4", and by other manufacturer and national standard designations that...
batteries housed in the bottom of the camera body, although it could utilize AA
AA battery
An AA battery is a standard size of battery. Batteries of this size are the most commonly used type of in portable electronic devices. An AA battery is composed of a single electrochemical cell...
sized batteries with an optional attachment (MB-3).
The F-501 used a through-the-lens
Through-the-lens
Through-the-lens metering is a photographic term describing a feature of cameras capable of measuring light levels in a scene through their taking lenses, as opposed to a separate metering window...
(TTL) "passive" phase-detection autofocus method for establishing focus. Unlike active systems, which set approximate focus based on distance to the subject, the "passive" system utilizes a CCD
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
to "see" the focus subject and focus in a manner similar to a human operator. This method is more precise than the active method, but requires more light to function. The F-501 had two focus modes available, single, in which focus was established and would not change so long as the operator held down lightly on the shutter button, and continuous, in which the lens would continuously re-focus on whatever was in the focus area.
The F-501 could be set for auto exposure
Exposure (photography)
In photography, exposure is the total amount of light allowed to fall on the photographic medium during the process of taking a photograph. Exposure is measured in lux seconds, and can be computed from exposure value and scene luminance over a specified area.In photographic jargon, an exposure...
, "hi-speed" auto exposure, "dual" auto-exposure (with Ai-S type lenses) which switches between regular auto exposure and hi-speed autoexposure based on the lens attached, aperture priority
Aperture priority
Aperture priority, often abbreviated A or Av on a camera mode dial, is a setting on some cameras that allows the user to choose a specific aperture value while the camera selects a shutter speed to match. The camera will ensure proper exposure...
, or full manual exposure modes, which would allow the user to set both the aperture
Aperture
In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,...
and shutter speed
Shutter speed
In photography, shutter speed is a common term used to discuss exposure time, the effective length of time a camera's shutter is open....
s. The shutter speed and auto-exposure modes were set the by use of a dial on the top of the camera, while the aperture ring on the lens was used for aperture control. The "hi-speed" auto-exposure would tend to favor higher shutter speeds and wider aperture settings than the "normal" auto exposure mode, while the "dual" mode would offer "normal" auto-exposure with lenses at focal lengths less than 135 mm and "hi-speed" auto-exposure if a lens was longer than 135 mm.
The F-501 supports TTL flash exposures with a wide range of Nikon flashes. The Nikon SB-20 flash was especially designed for this camera.
Compatibility
Like all Nikon SLRs, the F-501 accepts Nikon's F-mountNikon F-mount
The Nikon F-mount is a type of interchangeable lens mount developed by Nikon for its 35 mm SLR cameras. The F-mount was first introduced on the Nikon F camera in 1959, and features a three lug bayonet mount with a 44 mm throat and a flange to focal plane distance of 46.5 mm...
lenses, but will only autofocus with lenses designated "AF." Likewise, fully automatic exposure will only work with Ai-S type lenses, including many autofocus lenses (G-type lenses are not supported by the F-501). In both cases, the camera will function with lenses without these abilities, but will not autofocus or may not have full auto exposure capabilities. AF lenses designated "D" add no functionality to the F-501, and "AF-S" and "VR" lenses will not perform their special functions if attached to an F-501.
Continuing Nikon's practice at time, the F-501 had interchangeable focusing screens, a feature that is now quite unusual. Three screens (types B, E and J) were available for the F-501.
Breaking from practice, though, Nikon removed the ISO-type cable release socket. Remote control functionality is still available, however, through the three-pin terminal on the camera's front with the Remote Cord MC-12 and the like. ISO cable releases can be accepted by the Terminal Release MR-3, which also doubles as a second shutter button.
Design
In design terms, the F-501 took a different look from previous Nikon cameras. The introduction of a polycarbonatePolycarbonate
PolycarbonatePhysical PropertiesDensity 1.20–1.22 g/cm3Abbe number 34.0Refractive index 1.584–1.586FlammabilityV0-V2Limiting oxygen index25–27%Water absorption – Equilibrium0.16–0.35%Water absorption – over 24 hours0.1%...
-clad body rather than metal, which caused the camera to be black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
instead of silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, was the most immediate and obvious change. Also new to this model was the addition of an extended grip on the shutter button side of the camera body, a feature which has grown in subsequent autofocus SLR camera designs ever since. Nikon adopted some design concepts from the F501 in the company's first professional autofocus SLR, the Nikon F4
Nikon F4
The Nikon F4 was a 35mm autofocus single lens reflex film camera, first introduced in 1988 as the next generation in Nikon's line of F series professional cameras...
, in 1988.
Less obvious is the addition of a red stripe on the right hand front side of the camera. The stripe first appeared in the Nikon F3
Nikon F3
The Nikon F3 was Nikon's third professional single-lens reflex camera body, preceded by the F and F2. Introduced in 1980, it had manual and semi-automatic exposure control whereby the camera would select the correct shutter speed . The Nikon F3 series cameras had the most model variations of any...
in 1980, and some variation of it has been a design feature of every Nikon autofocus camera since, but on the F-501 the stripe was horizontal
Horizontal plane
In geometry, physics, astronomy, geography, and related sciences, a plane is said to be horizontal at a given point if it is perpendicular to the gradient of the gravity field at that point— in other words, if apparent gravity makes a plumb bob hang perpendicular to the plane at that point.In...
rather than vertical for the first time.