Canon 7 and the light meter

[dfindr]

Ok, I am totally new to this forum, first post, as well as Canon rangefinders. i just picked up a mint Canon 7. I am having trouble figuring out exactly how to read the light meter and then adjusting f/stops and/or shutter speed. The owners manual is less than helpful and poorly written.

My question is on the light meter, there is the silver and black guide between the needle and the f/stops. This is read how?

If the needle is in a black portion what to you read? If the needle is in a silver portion what to you read?

If you are setting the f/stop first, how do you line it up with the light reading needle.

I know these questions sound really lame, but I have no clue, and would appreciate any help. Thanks!

 

[januaryman]

Manual:
http://mikebutkus.com/chinon/canon/canon_7/canon_7.htm

 

[dfindr]

I got that manual. It is the one of which I spoke in the OP. It doesn't explain how to read the light meter, at least I don't get it, hence the reason for the OP. If someone could unravel it for me I would appreciate it.

 

[Meleica]

you set the shutter dial to the speed you desire, the needle points to the aperture required (based on the shutter speed you chose), then you set the aperture on the lens.

My Canon RF Camera page

http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/cancam.htm



,

 

[tennis-joe]

Canon 7

Canon 7

I received my Canon 7 today and shot 16 out of 24 pics of a roll to test the light meter. The pics came out great and I was testing the meter with a hand held meter. The needle read like the instructions said but before I really got the camera out I too was confused greatly by the instructions. I have found a language barrier even from the early PCs and things made in the Far East. I suspect they are written in their language and then translated into English and words don't always translate easily.

For sure I had to have my reading glasses on to read the meter and when I saw the f stop on the left side in shade then jump over to the RH side of the meter when in more sunny places. I have followed the Sunny 16 rule and tested it to the camera and all of the photos came out great. I was shooting at 5.6 with 200 asa film in the deep shade and I was pleased. I know the developer has a little bit to play with but I was satisfied. I was shooting with both a Canon 1.8f-50mm and Voigtlander 1.5f-50 mm on the test. I will test it further but I did give a good feedback to jiri e and the camera arrived in 5 days from Kobi, Japan to Houston, TX
Joe

 

[dfindr]

you set the shutter dial to the speed you desire, the needle points to the aperture required (based on the shutter speed you chose), then you set the aperture on the lens.

My Canon RF Camera page

http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/cancam.htm



,

Ok thanks.

However, when reading the aperture do you read straight across from the needle, or in the area designated by the silver/black guideline ribbon between the needle and the f/stops?

BTW it appears in the manual the "guideline" and "aperture scale" are mislabeled. The "guideline" label is pointing at the "aperture scale", and the "aperture scale" label is pointing at the guideline. Am I seeing this correctly or am I totally screwed up here?

 

[Meleica]

I think you are over thinking this...and dont let the odd shape of the guide lines confuse you..... here is my simple drawing.... in my example, the aperture should be set between f/4 and f/2.8 or f/3.5.... make more sense ?

Dan

 

[dfindr]

I think you are over thinking this...and dont let the odd shape of the guide lines confuse you..... here is my simple drawing.... in my example, the aperture should be set between f/4 and f/2.8 or f/3.5.... make more sense ?

Dan

You are probably right. A picture is worth a 1000 words. Below is a pic of the lightmeter. One can see the silver and black ribbon between the orange needle and the f/stops. The ribbon has silver/black/silver/black markings alternating around the meter. There is a single hash mark at the bottom of the ribbon. I assume this is the zero reading. Now the question. Where the needle is pointing is at the top of the second black area. Does one read that as 2/3 of the way between f/4 and f/5.6, straight across from the orange needle, or is is between f/5.6 and f/8, using the second black area as a guide? What do the alternating silver and black areas mean and how do they effect the reading/measurement?

 

[steverett]

That would be halfway between 5.6 and 8. Follow the stripes across to the corresponding f-stop (just like the manual describes).