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.
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 1mm-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 ller than f/4.5. You should then focus on the surrounding matte field.
