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Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 09-03-2017, 02:36 PM  
Camera has a horrible musty smell.
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 9
Views: 3,868
Did it work? I picked up a decent enough Zeiss ikon Contessamatic but it smells like someone's swallowed it and yakked it back up again.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 06-27-2017, 02:27 AM  
Fill flash at the beach with color film and Pentax Z-20 / PZ-20
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 9
Views: 1,233
Wow, you may have fogged that one out! At a push you could get 3-4 stops over-exposed depending on the film, even 6 for B&W. I don't know how your camera works, but controlling the flash and ambient levels can be tricky if there is a lot of automation. I need to experiment a bit more with fill flash myself.
The flash duration is very short, maybe 1/10 000 of a second, so the shutter speed makes no difference - any shutter speed is much longer than the flash time, so you always get all the flash light, which is why you can only control the flash light contribution with aperture. Also any speed at or below maximum sync speed is fine. With an SLR with curtain shutters, at or below sync speed the shutter spends some time fully open. At higher speeds, the second curtain starts to close before the first one has fully opened i.e. the shutter forms an open slot that travels across the film. If you use flash then, you'll end up with an image of that slot overlaid on your picture. Leaf shutters sync at all speeds because they always open fully, they just get faster. If you struggle with over-exposure you might need an ND (neutral density) filter to cut out a few stops of light, or try shooting through a pair of sunglasses, I know someone who does that in a pinch!
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 06-26-2017, 12:56 PM  
Fill flash at the beach with color film and Pentax Z-20 / PZ-20
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 9
Views: 1,233
PS remember the sand can be very reflective, so depending how low you are to the ground, you may not need any flash, just ambient light and add a stop or two for the shadows, depending if the sun is from the side or front, as opposed to over your shoulder
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 06-26-2017, 08:49 AM  
Fill flash at the beach with color film and Pentax Z-20 / PZ-20
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 9
Views: 1,233
You haven't said which flash you have so I don't know if it would work in TTL mode or not. Assuming it's capable of operating in other modes, what I normally do for fill flash is...

Set the flash for the film ISO, read off the aperture required for auto mode
In manual mode, set camera to 2 stops darker so instead of f5.6 use f11
Meter for the scene (at f11 here) and set shutter speed accordingly
SNAP!

You need to stay at or below the sync speed so you'll likely have small apertures but if you're overexposing a bit then don't fret. You'll need smallish apertures anyway if it's bright. Don't get hung up on metering exactly, it's pretty bright, do a bit of metering and go with it, film is pretty flexible as long as it isn't under-exposed. You could do the same things in manual flash mode but you need to take the distance into account, so it takes longer unless you're going to shoot a few at the same distance. Auto flash mode for fill is a bit of a pig in a poke but still works, for my limited attempts anyway. The key is that the flash light reaching the film is controlled only by the aperture, not by the shutter speed, whereas the ambient light is affected by both.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 06-09-2017, 01:31 AM  
Fill flash using AF280T and Super Program
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 6
Views: 1,807
Been back to this no end of times! So in TTL using M mode, if I close the aperture down by say 2 stops, does the flash output increase to match? (hence your comment about using shutter speed to control ambient light) The rest I think I understand now - basically the camera uses the flash as the main light source in pretty well all situations where you ask it to automate something.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 05-25-2017, 08:52 AM  
Super A with non coupled lenses
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 8
Views: 1,073
I have a Super A and use it with an M42 450mm f8 tele lens, non-coupled. It meters fine as stop-down. FWIW the lens has two rings for aperture, I think the idea is you can set one as a stop to the aperture you want to shoot with, meter it and set shutter speed, open it up again so it isn't so dark, then when you're ready to shoot you stop it down again using the other ring - it's a convenience thing. Even in auto mode yes you'll change the shutter speed when you open it up again but it'll go back again when you close down to shoot 9more of a shutter speed preview). the adapter is just a ring that screws onto the back of the lens, it's not one of the ones that sits flush in the camera body. Infinity focus is fine - took some shots of the moon.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 05-03-2017, 02:16 PM  
Oils and greases for film cameras and lenses
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 15
Views: 20,692
I've not dealt much with SLRs but for leaf shutters, watch oil (like Moebius) for the clockwork pivots, white lithium grease for focus helices, rotating lens rings, and that's about it. As said WD40 is for disasters, it does degrease and lube but it is made to penetrate, and some of the components in there are quite strong solvents. If you had a basket case you could use it as long as you could wash it all off again, but to be honest if a camera was that bad you'd likely never be able to use it anyway.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 02-03-2017, 05:45 AM  
:cool: Lets see those ''film'' shots
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 26,316
Views: 3,321,150
Murrelet, what lighting did you use?
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 12-22-2016, 10:32 AM  
Troubleshooting ideas for Super Program?
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 13
Views: 1,806
Sorry, skimmed it too fast. Pentaxes seem prone to pickiness over battery caps for some reason.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 12-21-2016, 10:42 AM  
Troubleshooting ideas for Super Program?
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 13
Views: 1,806
It will be asleep until you wake it up. Pull the wind lever out from the body to its standby position and press the shutter button (make sure it's not locked). Also if you've had the back open then it defaults to 1/1000 for the first 2-3 shots (winding past the blank bit of film). The button on the side of the lens barrel is just the back light for the two windows that show aperture and shutter speed in the viewfinder - if the batteries are supplying power then it should work at any time. You'll have to cover the "skylight" to see it work though - the greyish small patch on the prism that allows natural light to backlight the windows.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 12-16-2016, 05:45 AM  
For upcoming Class, Use what I have, or get adventurous?
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 47
Views: 3,950
If you want a bit more heft then there's the K2, it has a microprism rather than split circle focus screen, but quite highly specced. All manual or shutter-priority, mirror lock-up if you want it.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 12-13-2016, 05:12 AM  
Smart phone light meter apps
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 9
Views: 4,861
I use Pocket Light meter on an iphone 5S - as said, it won' work on all phones as some of the cheaper ones won't allow access to the light metering (like my old Samsung Galaxy Ace). I've found it pretty accurate in the terms I can check it, maybe underexposing by 1/3-1/2 a stop. Useful for difficult situations where guessing exposure is hard, or in high contrast to check different areas. I use it a lot to calibrate camera meters when I've been working on them. Not all my cameras have meters, and I am still learning my way around exposure in terms of high contrast scenes. Given these things are cheap or free and most people these days have a phone on them, I think they're a great idea, backed up by decent accuracy.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 11-29-2016, 01:43 PM  
Tips for finding GOOD Spotmatics
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 15
Views: 1,972
Robin at Harrow Technical is going to retire, but there are others, see the repairs forum.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 11-29-2016, 01:40 PM  
Pentax MX meter not working
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 10
Views: 9,204
Penatxes seem to be very picky about the battery caps, I've had this on an MX and a K2
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 09-22-2016, 01:39 AM  
Value of Super Program
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 3
Views: 1,778
Sold prices are what people will actually pay for any item. Asking prices are often little more than a pipe dream!
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 09-15-2016, 01:53 PM  
K2 shutter speed issues
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 17
Views: 4,491
So an update on this. No service seems to have been necessary. I've yet to see the film proof but I had another go with my shutter speed tester, and the speeds are fine. The difference this time was I used a laser instead of a lamp as the light source. With the lens removed, the curtain shutter and camera body are quite large, so it is easy for light to reach the phototransistor not only as the shutter slit transists, but also at some wider angles as the slit approaches and recedes, so it is illuminated for longer than the exposure time. Can't get that with a laser, which was a pig to line up, but worked a treat. As ever I owe it to something read on the internet a few weeks ago, someone using two phototransistors set in deep tubes to reduce this problem. I used a laser on a spirit level from Aldi to achieve the same effect. So, now need to put a film in it and give it a go! The rest works fine and it's in great condition, I even have a case and strap.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 09-08-2016, 01:44 PM  
Repairing Pentax P30
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 16
Views: 8,548
The one I have has the pair of bars, but you have to use some real muscle to tighten the screws enough. Often I don't bother unless something is really hard to unscrew. Tweezers unfortunately are never stiff enough unless the screw is loosened. Needle nose pliers sometimes, but I have left a few scratches form those! A pair of flat blade screwdrivers can be used, though it is tricky, but I have had to do that when I can't get the tool onto something small. A bit like this - I learned it on a 45 gallon drum originally too, with a pair of spanners!















You Tube



NB 45 UK gallons=210 Litres presumably equals 55US Gallons!
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 09-07-2016, 04:16 AM  
Repairing Pentax P30
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 16
Views: 8,548
Or needle-nose pliers. A proper lens wrench is the best thing though
Neewer® Professional Flat and Pointed Tips DSLR Camera: Amazon.co.uk: Camera & Photo
NB I'm putting the link above just for a picture - I've forgotten which one I have but it looks similar. Basically two flat-head screwdrivers attached together! I'm sure it'll be a normal thread i.e. anticlockwise to unscrew.

If you mean the shutter speed knob - I don't know, it may stay with the top cover.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 09-05-2016, 04:57 AM  
Repairing Pentax P30
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 16
Views: 8,548
Before you go too far, you need to be totally sure about the batteries working. For some reason i have found Pentaxes to be quite finnicky about batteries, compartments, and the little holder buttons. Ideally put the batteries in and measure that the voltage is actually getting to where it's needed.
Forum: Repairs and Warranty Service 08-23-2016, 01:58 AM  
SLR servicing in the UK - 2016 version!
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 18
Views: 1,946
Thanks Carl. I just had an email this morning, Robin at Harrow is going to be retiring unfortunately. I wonder how many younger guys are coming through, as you hear a lot about the good ones being older. Maybe it's just a film thing.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 08-22-2016, 01:35 AM  
Fill flash using AF280T and Super Program
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 6
Views: 1,807
Wow, thanks! I'll have to re-read that a few times
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 08-19-2016, 09:51 AM  
Fill flash using AF280T and Super Program
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 6
Views: 1,807
Apologies if this has been covered but I couldn't find it if it has!

In the last year or two I've been getting the hang of fill flash, with old manual cameras with leaf shutters, and another old flash unit. I do have, somewhat unregarded in a drawer, my Super Program and AF280T flash. The latter I bought a way back not long before I stopped taking film pictures, so I don't have much experience of it at all, and at the time I didn't have a Scooby how to fill anything. So, I would appreciate some pretty straightforward instructions, that the manual doesn't cover. Sorry if this gets a bit wordy. Simple indoor flash photography is no problem, but fill in bright sunlight, I'm not so sure.

With little or no automation, I'd set up fill flash like this. Set flash to auto, read off the required aperture (e.g. f4), stop down another two (f8), and set the shutter speed according to ambient light (at f8) at or below max sync speed. Alternatively in manual mode, read off the aperture from the distance, the again stop down two stops and set the shutter speed.

With the AF280 I could do the same, but is there a better way? Some way of using the TTL function, as this works with the Super Program? I presume just using TTL as is would give too much flash light. I don't think the ISO slider on the flash does anything other than change the lookup table on the back. Would I have to go for some halfway by using TTL but setting aperture manually at two stops below what the table says? In which case is there any point using TTL over the normal auto setting?

Thanks
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 08-19-2016, 03:27 AM  
K2 or Super Program?
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 21
Views: 2,781
I would too. My shutter tester is a single phototransistor so not sure it's well suited to curtain shutters. I found my MX the best of mine, at the high speeds. The Super Program perhaps also needs a look as I've replaced a couple of foam bits. I was going to try to clean out the shutter tracks in the K2 as per RayUK's notes in the thread I linked above, but it looked far from simple, and I worried about solvent/dirt going everywhere.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 08-18-2016, 09:49 AM  
K2 or Super Program?
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 21
Views: 2,781
I'll have to dig mine out to check!

So a few more details; it sometimes pays not to funnel things too early. Thanks all for your thoughts and info.

Re. sync speed, I read that the 1/125 was really a marketing headline rather than real-world performance, but it's within the +/-25% tolerance for shutter speed so maybe they thought it was close enough. I've measure it on the K2 and sure enough it's 1/90, I can't remember if I've tested the Super Program.
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/8-pentax-film-slr-discussion/306448-k2-sh...ml#post3414982

superA / superProgram

So, the history. I bought the Super Program used in 1998 or so, and it's been around the world with me. I lately got an AF280 flash but not used it much, and I have a 50mm f1.7 and 135mm (I think) auto lenses, so I can use a lot of its many auto functions. It's never failed me, even when I left the shutter cocked for 4 years by accident. I actually specified a split-circle screen as I had a Zenit E before that with only a microprism screen, and it wasn't easy, especially at 28mm FL. The K2 I bought last year for £20/$30 from someone selling from an estate. After I bought it I found it had a £300 lens on it (50mm f1.2, talk about dumb luck) so I happily put it on the shelf as an ornament, and put the lens on my MX. It's a fine-looking camera but I don't know if it's worth servicing it or not (to me). I have an increasing collection of rangefinders and MF folders, so I am thinking of selling the K2 as it doesn't fill a vacant niche. Then I started wondering if it's a better body than the Super Program, and ended up here.
Forum: Film SLRs and Compact Film Cameras 08-17-2016, 08:28 AM  
K2 or Super Program?
Posted By Johnny Rod
Replies: 21
Views: 2,781
I am thinking of selling my K2 but I'm just not sure. I've also got a Super Program with some lenses that allow auto aperture. Both have vertical metal shutters, the K2 goes to 1/1000 and the Super program to 1/2000, but both have max flash sync at 1/125 which is actually 1/90 in the real world. The K2 doesn't have a split circle screen though, and I struggle with a plain microprism in low light. Admit it, we're all gearheads - any thoughts?
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