Fuji GW690III metering & exposure ?

[Havoc]

I'm new to Fuji rangefinder cameras and I'd like some advice on how to make sure that my images are correctly exposed ? I've been shooting with DSLR's for the past 7-8 years and before that Nikon F5's, any help, advice or tips would be very much appreciated, thanks in advance.

John.

 

[divewizard]

It's no different than any manual camera. There are various methods you can use. I have used all of the following successfully with my Fujica GW690 and Fuji GSW690II. The Fuji 6X9s are set up so that once you get one exposure combination set, you can rotate the aperture and shutter rings together and keep the same EV.

1) A Gossen digisix on top of the camera. - this is the easiest to use when walking around with the camera.

2) The sunny 16 rule

3) The Pocket Light Meter app on my iphone. This works well so long as part of the picture on the screen is not "blown out." It is somewhat of a spot meter, I have not measured how many degrees, but guess is around 8º-10º.

4) A Pentax digital spotmeter - this is what I typically do for landscape shots. I have an step-up adapter for the meter that lets me put my 52mm filters for my Nikon MF lenses onto the meter so I can use the same filter type on both the camera and meter.

5) Use your DLSR as the meter to get the exposure since color slide film and DLSR sensors have a very similar dynamic range. I sometimes do this for landscape shots. I use the DLSR to take sample images. It set the ISO on the DLSR to the film speed. I find this especially useful when using ND Grad filters. I put the equivalent GRAD filter on the DLSR.

6) Just guess and go - sometimes needed for a candid shot.

 

[Denverdad]

The Fuji 6X9s are set up so that once you get one exposure combination set, you can rotate the aperture and shutter rings together and keep the same EV.

Hey, that's a neat feature. I've never heard of it before (wouldn't be the first time!) but I can see how it would be useful to have. Is this a common capability or something unique to the Fuji 6x9 rangefinders?

 

[mathomas]

Hey, that's a neat feature. I've never heard of it before (wouldn't be the first time!) but I can see how it would be useful to have. Is this a common capability or something unique to the Fuji 6x9 rangefinders?

It's fairly common on medium-format gear with leaf shutters, where the shutter speed selection is on the lens along with the aperture. So, for example Hassy lenses have that feature (and some lock, I believe, so you don't have to concentrate to get the dials to turn together). I find it to be very convenient on my 690.

 

[kzphoto]

I've owned two of the GW690III's and neither of them has had a linked aperture / shutter mechanism. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?

 

[divewizard]

They are not linked, but if you turn them together the EV stays constant. I think my Olympus 35SP is the same way.

 

[Larry H-L]

I just use a Sekonic incident meter.

 

[mathomas]

I've owned two of the GW690III's and neither of them has had a linked aperture / shutter mechanism. Maybe I'm doing something wrong?

It's Hassys that are linked. On the Fujis they are just close together -- you just have to hold your fingers (and maybe your mouth) right to move the Fuji dials together.

 

[Pherdinand]

i use an incident meter. It really helped for slides.
But for negatives, any light meter will do. Even guessing is OK, though you should bracket in that case (otherwise you might very consistently mess up the whole roll).
Of course with 8 shots a roll, bracketing is a bit of a funny thing to do.

 

[cliveward]

5) Use your DLSR as the meter to get the exposure since color slide film and DLSR sensors have a very similar dynamic range. I sometimes do this for landscape shots. I use the DLSR to take sample images. It set the ISO on the DLSR to the film speed. I find this especially useful when using ND Grad filters. I put the equivalent GRAD filter on the DLSR.
.

Hi Chris,

I've got a Fuji GW690III on it's way to me and was having a fiddle with the Sekonic 308 I ordered to go with it along with my Panasonic G1 set on Manual to see how things compare.

In the shade and lower light levels, the incident meter seems to agree with the camera pretty much, with the camera generally wanting to expose slightly more, which I think is a trait of this camera.

However in bright direct sunlight this difference in exposures is quite dramatic to the point where the incident dome of the meter wants to be shaded with my hand to get a reading more consistent with the G1s metering system. From memory the meter wanting F11 and the camera suggesting F4.

I was hoping for shots where I can take some time to set up, to do some test exposures with the digital and then transfer that onto the Fuji for the final photograph.

Then for shots where there was less time, to be able to take a meter reading and shoot without the intermidiary check on the digital.


Cheers





Clive

 

[mathomas]

Hi Chris,

...

However in bright direct sunlight this difference in exposures is quite dramatic to the point where the incident dome of the meter wants to be shaded with my hand to get a reading more consistent with the G1s metering system. From memory the meter wanting F11 and the camera suggesting F4.

...

Cheers





Clive

Your G1 does reflective metering which can give very different readings in certain conditions compared to incident metering. It all depends on the reflectivity of what you've pointed the G1 at. From what you describe you must have been pointing the G1 at a pretty dark object, which the G1's meter attempts to expose to an 18% gray. Basically your G1 is saying "wow, it's dark out here based on what I'm looking at -- better open her up", and the incident meter is saying, "naaahhh, there's plenty of light -- take your blinders off".

Next time you try this: flip your handheld meter to reflective mode and compare readings. Or, just do incident metering (or sunny 16) and be happy.

HTH

 

[cliveward]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for that. I'll do some more tinkering.


Cheers





Clive