Anyone bother using INTERMEDIATE shutter speeds?

[sleepyhead]

Hi,

on most M cameras you can set intermediate shutter speeds (except between 1/8th and 1/15, due to the way the slow/fast mechanism is set up).

I was wondering if anyone out there actually takes advantage of this, and do you get reliable, i.e., reproducible, results?

If someone out there has an aparatus that can accurately measure shutter speeds, it would be interesting to get a feeling for how variable are the speeds:

(1) on the click stops
(2) trying to set half-way

I.e., take a number of measurements at the same setting and see the difference in variability.

I'm asking, because I have thought at times that if I want to shoot at say f/8, then it would be nice to just adjust the shutter speed dial, especially if I'm working in a situation where I've preset the focus/aperture for a particular zone of focus.

Thanks,
---Yaron

 

[Ben Z]

If you talk to the repair technicians they will confirm that although the shutter will fire when set between the clicks, the speeds are not linear (ie halfway between clicks won't necessarily get you halfway between speeds and so on). The exception is the M5, which has a slightly different shutter setting setup, similar to the one in the Leicaflex SL and SL2. There you can set reliable intermediate speeds (except between where the slow and fast mechanisms apply), and they couple to the meter.

 

[Treb]

I never use intermediate speeds but tweak exposure with the aperture.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I have. Apparently there are people arguing for and against it; but I've experimented with that when paying close attention to the light meter of the M6.

It may all be a placebo, though, for film has enough lattitude that if you're within a stop, you're safe anyway.

P.S. I also do the same with my Contax IIIa, with slow speeds, when I'm more concerned with camera shake (i.e. I'd rather shoot at ~1/30 - 1/40 which is a little faster than 1/25, and so forth)

 

[pvdhaar]

This also works on my Bessa-T, but I never bother. There are half stops on the lenses I use, so that gives me enough room to fine tune the exposure.

 

[jaapv]

From the M6 onwards the camera manuals state: "intermediate shutterspeeds cannot be set". I doubt it will damage the camera, but I guess this indicates that intermediate settings are pretty inaccurate.

 

[rover]

It may all be a placebo, though, for film has enough lattitude that if you're within a stop, you're safe anyway.

That says it all for me. I would guess that with an M7/ZI/R2a/R3a camera with an electronic shutter the intermediate speeds would be more accurate, but given the latitude of the film, unnecessary.

 

[fgianni]

Not only does the film have plenty of latitude. But, the acceptable shutter speeds are going to be variable. ANSI allows quite alot of leeway in the speeds anyway.

I cameras really had that kind of variability it would be almost impossible to shoot slides or digital. (save for bracketing a lot, but you can't bracket a fast moving subject).

 

[sleepyhead]

Thanks for your input everyone. I'll be sticking to adjusting the good ol' aperture ring in half-stops, no surprise...