The Nikon F-601 Quartz Date is an SLR camera. It is a variant of the Nikon F-601 from the 1990s. This version comes with a data back.
Lenses & autofocus
The SLR camera comes with a wide range of functions. The camera lenses can be exchanged. Lenses with Nikon F bayonet can be used with this camera.
The Nikon F bayonet was first presented in the 1950s. Over the years, Nikon has continued to develop it further. Lenses are not only manufactured by Nikon itself. But be careful, not all lenses can be used with the old cameras.
The F-601 has a built-in autofocus system that uses a Nikon AM200 autofocus module. The autofocus system can focus in a wide range of lighting conditions, from EV minus 1 to EV 19 (at ISO 100). The autofocus system also has a focus lock function that allows you to lock focus on a subject even if it is moving.
Exposure metering & automatic exposure
The F-601 has three types of exposure metering: matrix metering, center-weighted metering and spot metering. Matrix metering is a multi-zone metering system that divides the image area into several segments and analyzes the light in each segment.
Center-weighted metering emphasizes the center of the image, which is useful for portraits or close-ups. Spot metering measures the light in a very small area of the image, which is useful for high-contrast scenes or for measuring reflected light.
The F-601 has four exposure modes: Program AE (Pu, P), Shutter-priority AE (S), Aperture-priority AE (A) and Manual (M). In program automatic mode, the camera automatically sets both the shutter speed and the aperture. In shutter priority automatic mode, you select the shutter speed and the camera automatically sets the aperture.
In aperture priority mode, you select the aperture and the camera automatically sets the shutter speed. In manual mode, you set both the shutter speed and the aperture yourself.
The SLR camera can be used with a wide range of films, from ISO 6 to ISO 6400. The film speed can be set manually or automatically for DX-coded films. With the DX option, only values from ISO 25 to 5000 are recognized.
Flash
The F-601 has a built-in pop-up flash with a guide number of 13 (at ISO 100, 20°C). The flash can be used in various modes, including normal sync, slow sync and rear curtain sync.
The F-601 can also be used with special Nikon flash units. It has a standard ISO hot shoe that can be used with special Nikon flash units.
The Japanese SLR has a number of other functions, including a self-timer, an exposure compensation button, a depth-of-field preview button and a multiple exposure button.
The self-timer can be used very flexibly. You can choose between a lead time of two and thirty seconds in increments of one. A double exposure is also possible. The camera can also be mounted on a tripod and there is a connection for a cable release.
The Nikon F-601 measures 154.5 x 100 x 67 mm (WxDxH) and weighs around 660 grams without batteries.
Battery for the SLR camera
The Nikon F-601 camera is powered by a 6 V lithium battery (type Duracell DL-223A/CR-P2) (eBay / Amazon*). Battery life depends on how the camera is used, but the camera should be able to take about 75 films of 36 pictures each with a fresh set of batteries at 20°C. Frequent use of the flash, light meter or autofocus motor can shorten battery life.
The battery power is sufficient if the shutter speed and aperture displays appear on the LCD panel and in the viewfinder when the camera is switched on or the shutter release button is pressed lightly. If these displays go out immediately after the finger is removed from the button, the battery power is insufficient. If the LCD screen flashes and the shutter button does not work, the batteries are exhausted or not inserted correctly.
Quartz date function
The special feature of this model is the date back. It allows the shooting date to be "saved" on the film. With analog photography, there was no way to save the date of shooting directly on the film. This had to be noted manually on the negative strip or later on prints. However, the data back of this model makes it possible to automatically encode the shooting information on the film, making it much easier to organize and archive photos.
A CR2025 battery (eBay / Amazon*) is required for the built-in clock. If you do not use the function, you can also do without the battery.
Films for the Nikon F-601 Quartz Date
Which films does the Nikon F-601 Quartz Date need? If photographers want to take beautiful color pictures, they often use Kodak Gold 200*. For black and white photography, however, they often prefer the Kodak T-Max 400*.
The Nikon F-601 camera automatically advances the film to the first frame when the shutter button is pressed once. In single-frame shooting mode, the film is advanced by one frame each time the shutter button is pressed.
In continuous shooting mode (CH or CL), the camera takes pictures for as long as the shutter release button is held down. The camera can take approximately 2 pictures per second in CH mode and 1.2 pictures per second in CL mode.
The films is automatically rewound by moving the film rewind lever while pressing the rewind button. It takes about 26 seconds to rewind a film with 36 shots and 19 seconds to rewind a film with 24 shots.
