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You may want to make a manual Matrix reading without the filter, AE lock that reading and
then add that filter factor as a compensation value after adding the filter. Actually, if you are
going to go to this much trouble you may as well just use a Pentax spot meter and a view
camera, but this does illustrate potential problems.
This is another reason to choose Nikon brand polarizers: they only lose 1-1/3 stops of light,
not 2 as most other polarizers do.
4.) Medium light items in sun, like California stucco. For things you want rendered as Zone
VI, a light rendering but not white, some of the earliest Matrix and AMP meters rendered
them a bit dark, closer to an 18% Zone V. In these cases you needed to dial in about +2/3
compensation. Modern (F100) matrix meters seem to be OK with these subjects.
Which cameras give matrix metering with which lenses?
All current AF cameras, and most older ones, too, give matrix metering with all AF lenses.
None of them except the F4 can do it with manual focus lenses.
Nikon deliberately crippled the AF cameras, except the F4, so that they only give center-
weighted metering with manual focus lenses. Nikon probably did this to encourage you to
have to buy new AF lenses in order to get the very important matrix metering. The F4 AF
camera and FA manual focus camera have mechanical encoders to allow these cameras
to read the maximum absolute f/stop from a lug on the lens. This is required for the matrix
to function. Since all other AF cameras lack these encoders they can't give matrix metering
with manual lenses.
There are fringe factions who attach chips to manual focus lenses to trick AF cameras into
giving matrix metering. These probably work.
Nikon adds chips to two manual lenses: the old 500mm f/4 P AI-s, and the new 45mm f/2.8
P, so that these two lenses uniquely give matrix metering on all AF cameras.
To get matrix metering with manual focus lenses use either the F4 AF camera, or the FA
manual focus camera.
All manual focus AI and AI-s and AF and AF-I and AF-S lenses give matrix metering on the
FA and F4. The only ones that don't are pre-AI lenses from before 1977.
Pre-1977 lenses that have been AI converted will not give matrix metering on the F4 or FA,
unless one also adds a special lug to the back of the lens. You can have an ancient lens AI
converted for about $25, but that same guy wants about $200 to add that special lug.
Forget about it.
Also manual focus lenses only give manual and aperture preferred automation at best on
the AF cameras. One does not get Shutter-preferred or Program modes with manual
lenses on AF cameras.
The FA camera provides all the P, S, A, and M modes to work with all lenses newer than
1977. This is because Nikon is still good enough to ensure that all new AF lenses still
provide all the mechanical lugs to couple to the older cameras. In fact, the latest AF-S 80-
© 2007 KenRockwell.com 67 converted by Sándor Nagy