Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n Digital SLR

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Designed for Kodak by Nikon, the Pro SLR/n features the standard Nikon F lens mount, which accommodates a wide range of Nikon and compatible third-party lenses. The mount features a mechanical AF coupling for older lenses, and AF electrical contacts for the latest AF-IF or AF-S Nikkor lenses with internal focus motors. You can thus use the SLR/n with more than 90% of all F Mount Nikkor lenses ever made. (See the camera's manual for a list of specific lenses that aren't compatible with the SLR/n.)

Functions and exposure modes available with a given lens will vary with the type of lens in use. Most recent Nikkor lenses include a microchip CPU (central processing unit) that communicates focal-distance information to the camera. This suggests that non-CPU lenses wouldn't permit the "3D matrix metering" exposure mode, since that mode relies on distance information from the lens. The loss of functionality with non-CPU lenses goes quite a bit beyond that though: Non-CPU lenses apparently provide no aperture information to the camera either. This means that you can only shoot in full manual exposure mode, the exposure meter will be disabled, and you'll also have to set the aperture manually. (Bummer.) While you therefore can indeed take pictures with most Nikkor lenses made, using older non-D lenses would be a figurative step back to the stone age. Unless you really like fully manual cameras with no internal exposure meter, plan on using D- or G-type lenses with the SLR/n.

All the above said, I can't understand why Nikon and Kodak couldn't have come up with a way for the SLR/n's exposure meter to at least remain active with non-D lenses. While the metering system is set up to meter with the lens wide open, calculating what the exposure will be when the aperture closes for the actual exposure, I can't see why it wouldn't be possible to have a metering mode that tells the camera to ignore the missing aperture information, and simply report the exposure based on the amount of light currently falling on the AE sensors. How about it Kodak/Nikon? Perhaps a feature for the next version? (I'm not holding my breath, I asked for the same capability back when I reviewed the 14n, and the SLR/n still works the same. :-(

The SLR/n allows you to take advantage of either auto or manual focus via a small rotating control on the front of the camera, right next to the lens. Setting the switch to "M" puts the camera into manual focus mode, "S" places it in Single Servo AF (focus priority), and "C" puts it into Continuous Servo AF (release priority). Single Servo simply means that the camera sets focus only once, when the Shutter button is first pressed halfway, and is best for still objects. Continuous Servo means that the camera continuously adjusts the focus, as long as the Shutter button is halfway pressed, and is best for moving objects.

The AF Area Mode setting on the Exposure Mode dial lets you select between Single Area and Dynamic Area, both of which offer a Closest Subject Priority option. Single Area AF simply means that the camera judges focus based on one part of the subject. Dynamic AF employs all five of the autofocus brackets, or areas. The camera first focuses on the subject in the central focus area. Whenever the subject moves to a different AF area, the camera also shifts the focus to "follow" the subject. This is great for erratically moving subjects. The Closest Subject Priority option (enabled through the Custom Settings menu) means that the camera first focuses on the closest object that falls into one of the five focus areas and then tracks it as it moves. In Single Area AF mode, you can change the main focus area by unlocking the focus area selector (the four-way Arrow Rocker pad on the back panel) and then shifting the focus area using the up, down, right, or left arrow keys. Then, simply lock the focus area selection by sliding the switch back into place. By default, the SLR/n does not "wrap" the focus area selector as you scroll between focus areas. Through the Custom Settings menu, you can opt for a "Wrap" function, which hunts for the next area from top to bottom or left to right. What this means is that if you continue to press the right arrow key when the right focus area is selected, the selection will wrap around the display, jumping next to the left focus area.

There are two methods for using the AF Lock function. The first is to place the central subject in the selected focus area, halfway press the Shutter button, then realign the composition and fire the shutter. Alternatively, when using Single Servo AF, you can press the AF-L/AE-L button to lock focus (and exposure, unless set for focus only in the Custom Settings menu). Keeping this button pressed will lock focus and/or exposure, even if the Shutter button is not held down. This allows you to recompose the photograph without keeping your finger on the Shutter button, but on the AE-L/AF-L button instead. (Thereby resulting in less chance that you'll accidentally fire the shutter when you don't intend to.)