How to use/control B shutter

[longw]

Another newbie question, as FED 1 does't have slow shutter speed, I was wondering if you guys have any tips to control B shutter speed to get, for example 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2".

Btw, my FED 1 came back from Oleg last week. 5 photos were taken from the first roll so far. I suffered maybe you guys have done, like loading, and being unsure about the loading when taking films. I even made a ablon-like template to cut the leader. 😕

Now I am a little nervous about the films. Are them just blank or something on?

 

[ZorkiKat]

Half - to quarter- seconds are easy- on "B", press then release quickly, and that should do it. Good enough for negative film, but not really for trannies/diapos types.

What 'blank' film?

Jay

 

[ZorkiKat]

"HEBOO" type accessory

"HEBOO" type accessory

...and in this regard, I've been wondering too if a "HEBOO" type device made by Leitz can be rigged for FED, Zorki, and even Zenit cameras without slow speeds. The HEBOO (ist that the right code?) was a device which attached on the shutter dial to enable exposures at 1/2, 1/5 and 1/10 sec, when shutter is set on B. Perhaps a similar one which uses some form of solenoid and an electronic timing device can be designed..

 

[longw]

I used a stopwatch. It is easy to get 1/2", but needs practice to get 1/4 and 1/8".

I am not sure if the film was loaded well. I haven't got any confidence with both myself and this camera. So I am worried about the photos taken. Maybe nothing on them, just "blank".

HEBOO sounds like a self-timer attached to the shutter, when time's up, it acts like a shutter cable?

does trannies/diapos mean color reversal type film?

Br,
tao

 

[POSTI-Tuomo]

Longw, hi there! Nice to see a fellow Finn posting on this magnificent forum. Welcome aboard. 🙂

If you feel unsure about the press-B-with-finger-and-pray method, you may want to try mounting your FED 1 on a tripod and using cable release for more stable shooting. Maybe it will be easier to time your exposure correctly, too. I myself find it really hard to get quarter or half-second exposures free of camera shake without bracing the camera. But I've got shakey hands, maybe you'll do better. 😀

Don't worry about that blank film feeling you're getting: if you set the film leader correctly in the takeup spool I don't see why it wouldn't wind correctly... If your FED is in good condition, film winding appears very light, with resistance next to none . My Zorki 1, for example, is very easy to wind on. a But a common mistake is to leave the lens cap on! That'll give you nice, blank images of your cap! 😛

Trannies/dias/slides are positive films. "Diafilmi" in Finnish.

Good luck with your FED and don't forget to post the resulting images, if possible!

Regards,

Tuomo

 

[longw]

Moi and Kiitos Tuomo,

You are in Helsinki. Nice! I am not Finnish, but have lived in Finland for years!

I didn't find anyone around playing FSU RFs. I noticed people stared at me when I took out my FED-1 and shot. 🙂 How about you? Do you feel easy when you use your Zorki in the public?

Slow shutter is very useful especially in Finland because of long winter lots of indoors activities.

My current way to count the time is to say some words which take about 1 second at my normal speaking speed. Then I divided the words into half, it is half second.
However, the shorter, the more difficult.

My FED was just CLAed by Oleg. It should be in good condition. The movement is quite smooth. But since I have to think, it takes long time to take each single photo. I don't expect too much for the first roll, there might be some shadow on the film after development. 🙂)

About the film type, maybe I didn't pay attentaion, I only saw Negative was marked on the package of some films, never saw "Positive". Will check it carefully.

Br,
tao

 

[POSTI-Tuomo]

Moi and Kiitos Tuomo,

You are in Helsinki. Nice! I am not Finnish, but have lived in Finland for years!

I didn't find anyone around playing FSU RFs. I noticed people stared at me when I took out my FED-1 and shot. 🙂 How about you? Do you feel easy when you use your Zorki in the public?

...

Oh, I automatically thought you were Finnish, lol! My mistake. 😀 But there's no harm done, yes? Heheh. I haven't seen many people using FSU cameras over here, which is odd. Surely some have found their way into people's camera bags during the close and intimate history of Finland and the USSR/Russia. 😛

When I'm using my Zorki in the public, people usually ignore me or look at my gear with interested gazes... It must be the inobtrusiveness of those little cameras, many people don't even notice I'm taking photos, contrary to when I use my SLR gear. Those big blocks of metal and intimidating objectives don't make you very stealthy...

Now my Zeiss Ikon Nettar is a whole different story. Dishing out a vintage bellows camera sure gets everyone's attention... Bye bye candid street photos. 😉

 

[ZorkiKat]

About the film type, maybe I didn't pay attentaion, I only saw Negative was marked on the package of some films, never saw "Positive". Will check it carefully.

Br,
tao

Tao

With colour film, those which produce negatives usually have the suffix "-color" attached to its name, eg Fujicolor, Kodacolor, etc.

The other type which makes transparencies or diapositives ("slides" when mounted in those tiny card or plastic frames for projection) would instead use
the suffix "-chrome". Eg, Fujichrome, Ektachrome, etc.

These films use different processing methods. And 'chromes aren't as common as negative types.

You may wonder why it was previously mentioned that transparencies may not work with B at estimated times for 1/2-1/10 sec. These films have extremely narrow exposure latitude (tolerance) so exposure times have to be precise. This is because tranny films will develop according to the exposure they receive: too little or too much will result in a dark or pale positive.

Colour negatives on the other hand have greater tolerance for exposure errors. The resulting negative is just an intermediate product from which a print is made. During making of the print, corrections and compensations for exposure errors can be done to make a balanced positive print.

The HEBOO (if I got the Leitz code right) is similar to the delayed release device which attached to the shutter button. But it is larger than these delayed release devices. It also has a clockwork timing device which holds and releases the shutter at "B" from 1/2 to 1/10 second.

Jay

 

[longw]

Jay,
Thanks for the info! I will see if I can train myself as a HEBOO. 🙂

Btw, I didn't find information if J-12 can be used on FED-1 from your Z/F survival site. So I need to try, right?

 

[longw]

Oh, I automatically thought you were Finnish, lol! My mistake. 😀 But there's no harm done, yes?

Now my Zeiss Ikon Nettar is a whole different story. Dishing out a vintage bellows camera sure gets everyone's attention... Bye bye candid street photos. 😉

Of course, Most of Finns are really nice. I am happy here.

Next time if I see some guy holds a strange folding camera in the street, I will go to say "Hi Tuomo"😀

I have a Agfa Billy, but I don't think I am going to use it in the near future. Too complicated.

tao

 

[ZorkiKat]

Jay,
Thanks for the info! I will see if I can train myself as a HEBOO. 🙂

Btw, I didn't find information if J-12 can be used on FED-1 from your Z/F survival site. So I need to try, right?

Tao

Would like to know how it is to be a HEBOO! 🙂

The J12 would fit a FED-1 of the later types (SN 350XXX and higher?). Had no problems fitting J-12s on these; the FED-2 was more picky in this respect.

It's also strange that no mention of lens changes are mentioned in the FED-1 instruction booklets. Even stranger is a warning against removing the lens...

Jay

 

[longw]

Jay,

My FED-1 SN is 356xxx. But I need to try. Seems I can only use it on my Zorki 4.

tao

 

[KenD]

Now I am a little nervous about the films. Are them just blank or something on?

Make sure that the rewind knob is turning when you wind the film forward for the next shot. If it is turning your film is advancing. Enjoy your camera!

KenD

 

[longw]

Hi KenD,

Yes, I noticed that, during first 5 photos, it didn't. Later I turned the rewind knod clockwise gently until feeling some resistance. The rewind knod started turning counterclockwize after that. So, I am afraid the first 5 photos would have problems. But I will wait for the result.

Br,
tao

 

[rbiemer]

The first photos may well be fine; sometimes there is a lot of slackness in the film. So the rewind knob wouldn't move until the film was tightened; either by advancing or by you gently turning the rewind knob.
I think this is why some camera manuals tell you explicitly to gently turn the rewind knob/crank until the film is taut. Then you will see if your film is advancing as you wind on.
Good shooting,
Rob

Hi KenD,
Yes, I noticed that, during first 5 photos, it didn't. Later I turned the rewind knod clockwise gently until feeling some resistance. The rewind knod started turning counterclockwize after that. So, I am afraid the first 5 photos would have problems. But I will wait for the result.
Br,
tao

 

[John Robertson]

FSU cameras with d/a, like the later Fed 2 s, it is possible to get a timed exposure of about 4 secs.
1.wind camera
2.set shutter to B
3.wind d/a
4 trip d/a button.
after a second or two as the timer runs, the shutter will open and close again.
try with empty camera a back open, use watch with sec hand and time the result.
This is in the official handbooks of both my Fed2 and Zorki 6.
Sometimes useful.
I also have a slow speed unit made by Compur which I bought new in the 70's, a cable release with a timer on it, you can set shutter speeds from 32 seconds to 1/8 second on it. you have to wind it first, and have the shutter set on B

 

[longw]

FSU cameras with d/a, like the later Fed 2 s, it is possible to get a timed exposure of about 4 secs.
1.wind camera
2.set shutter to B
3.wind d/a
4 trip d/a button.
after a second or two as the timer runs, the shutter will open and close again.
try with empty camera a back open, use watch with sec hand and time the result.
This is in the official handbooks of both my Fed2 and Zorki 6.
Sometimes useful.
I also have a slow speed unit made by Compur which I bought new in the 70's, a cable release with a timer on it, you can set shutter speeds from 32 seconds to 1/8 second on it. you have to wind it first, and have the shutter set on B

Hi John,

I was trying to calculate my speed by a stop watch, through I know it is not very reliable.

 

[longw]

The first photos may well be fine; sometimes there is a lot of slackness in the film. So the rewind knob wouldn't move until the film was tightened; either by advancing or by you gently turning the rewind knob.
I think this is why some camera manuals tell you explicitly to gently turn the rewind knob/crank until the film is taut. Then you will see if your film is advancing as you wind on.
Good shooting,
Rob

Hi Rob,

I learned this trick at 5 photos' cost, not very bad. I also noticed if the film winding is much smoother if the roll is installed well.

tao

 

[longw]

I just checked exposure table, The EV range is not very wide for FED 1/Zorki 1 with FED 50 lens. If count by most common ISOs
. ISO100: EV9 - EV 17
. ISO200: EV8 - EV 16
. ISO400: EV7 - EV 15

So B is one choice if the surroundings are darker, the other is not to shoot.

I found how Heboo looks like as Jay mentioned. It does look useful.

tao