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.