I'm a new user of graflex, and I've got a big (maybe silly) question about the shutter speeds, my lens has 10, 25, 50, 100 speeds and my meter doesn't have those speeds, how precisely I can make the conversion? I mean, without making mistakes?
Somebody to help me

I would be glad to tackle your question, but I could give you a better answer if you will provide the shutter speeds and f stop readings of your meter and the f stops on your camera lens.
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: xyzphoto on 2003-03-14 18:03 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: xyzphoto on 2003-03-14 18:22 ]</font>

Hi, my question is quite silly, my minolta meter has the common shutter speeds: 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, etc. but my schneider-xenar (135mm) has different shutter speeds, instead of the listed before, the lens has: 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 and the regular 1/250 & 1/500, how should I compensate this speeds with the ones measured with my meter? There must be a conversion factor or something like that. I will appreciate your answear.
I promise to show you my first "graflex shots". Thank you so much in advance.

First off, you and many others could get much more technical about this. But I'll tell you what I do...
Fist thing is I don't worry about it. 1/25 is very, very close to 1/30. Same for 1/50 and 1/60. Yes, I do make a correction, but usually just a quick change of the f-stop. So if 1/25 is slower than than 1/30, it lets in more light. Have to close down the shutter a bit. Off hand I'd say I do about 1/3 stop or so. But I also do mental corrections for meter readings most of the time anyway to get shadows or highlights & such. You could get by with no correction unless you're shooting chromes. Even Polaroids get by with no correction most of the time. Probably the 1/5 and 1/10 are the farthest from current times, but a little shift in the f-stop still takes care of things...
When I use my Luna-Pro, I just look at the speed of the lens, say 1/25. Then look at the meter's closest speed, 1/30, and go down the scale by a third of a stop or so where 1/25 should be.
On top of that, some might argue that the current 1/30 is really the old 1/25 and they just made the numbers evenly divisable. I've read that in more than one book. Unfortunately, the shutter tester on new electronic shutters doesn't agree...
But unless you want to get critical or you're shooting chromes, don't worry...

Thank you so much, I was wondering something like that but I wasn't sure. This conversion is critical if you're shooting chromes as you say, and that's exactly what I'm gonna use.
Thank you again.

Quote:

On 2003-03-14 16:10, ferlopezperez wrote: I'm a new user of graflex, and I've got a big (maybe silly) question about the shutter speeds, my lens has 10, 25, 50, 100 speeds and my meter doesn't have those speeds, how precisely I can make the conversion? I mean, without making mistakes? Somebody to help me

I think I have just the thing for you:

Recently I made a combination-dial mimicking the dials of my old Weston Master V light meter, which is, alas, dead as a doornail
The nice thing about this Weston meter is that its dials have *both* speed standards - i.e. the new ones (1/125, 1/500, etc.), and the old ones (1/100, 1/200, etc.).

Basically, I've done a "paper light meter", combining a nice "Zone Wheel" dial I found elsewhere on the Net, and the dials of my old Weston.

I can send you the PDF file. Just cut out the dials, glue them to thin cardboard, and assemble (with e.g. rivet in the center), and you'll have a nice "ZONE SYSTEM" meter dial, and an aid in determining correct exposure and aperture on older lenses/shutters.

Please, contact me privately at: dpleic@open.hr

and I'll send you the PDF file...

Regards,

Denis

That's what I love about my c. 1951 GE DW-68 light meter: the shutter speeds are just the same as those on my Graphex shutters. And there are no batteries! After 50+ years, it's still going strong---and it's accurate, too. I only fire up the Luna-Pro in low light situations, or for incident readings in bright conditions. According to the DW-68 instruction book, there were "multiplier masks" available which presumably reduced the light level for incident readings in bright light. I've been searching for these items without success. Anybody ever see them?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Henry on 2003-03-17 11:13 ]</font>

Wow, where can I get a meter like that, here in México city it's a little bit difficult to find those equipments, and when you find them they're really expensive stuff.
Thank you for your information.

I got mine at a camera show in the Philadelphia area. Seller was a retired photographer who was clearing out his collection. Paid $15 (bargained him down from $20), which included the neck strap, the original box, and the instruction booklet. I don't think it had been used much, as the condition was near-mint. This is not a rare item by any means; I have seen a number of them at camera shows, as there is almost no demand for them except maybe by us "antique freaks" (antique users of antique stuff). Don't know if there are camera shows south of the border, but if there are that's where I'd look.

Thank you Henry, a couple of hours ago Denis Pleic send me a printable version of the zone system wheel, I'll try to use it. And in Mexico City there are no photo shows of used equipment, there are a lot of used equipment in downtown, there i guess i can find one.

You could always go shopping here=
<A HREF = "http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2F&MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&query=ge&categoryid=&ht=1&category2=708&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&BasicSearch=&from=R2&catref=C3">GE meters on ebay</A>

If the link fails then go to ebay/home/photo/light meters/ge or other brand in the search box on the left.
Charles

_______________
While a picture may be worth a thousand words, a quality photograph is worth a million.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2003-03-17 20:58 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Les on 2003-03-18 06:29 ]</font>

Is it just me, or How did this thread get so WIDE?

I suspect it's the link charles put in. I'll try to fix it.

Les

Yep that was it. Hey my first real Anchor Ref HTML tag that worked! for those that want to know the code was ( A HREF = "ebay search url") GE meters on ebay(/A)

just replace the parathenses with brackets.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Les on 2003-03-18 06:34 ]</font>