Roger Hicks
Veteran
Dear Swangga,
Have you any experience in any area of photography? And if so, film or digital? Because I need somewhere to start building from. Take a look at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps basics camera.html for explanations of basic concepts such as aperture/iris diaphragm, then go on from there, as follows.
As others have said, you need a camera that is known to work. Focus while looking through the viewfinder. There will be a rangefinder patch in the middle. When the two images coincide precisely, one on top of the other, the camera is in focus. Check with subjects at different distances -- say, 1, 3, 5, 10 and 20 metres (just guess the distances and see if the camera agrees reasonably closely), then something a long way away -- 100+ metres -- which is near enough to infinity for a focusing mount.
When you have a camera that apears to be focusing OK, check the shutter speeds. Looking through the camera, with the back open, make sure the shutter works at all speeds.
Listen to the sound, especially at the slower speeds. These should be a smooth whirr: any hesitation indicates a sticky shutter, but often, just winding it and firing it several times will get it working well enough again. A useful trick is to listen to alternate speeds -- 1 - 1/4 - 1/15 - 1/60 - 1/250, then 1/2 - 1/8 - 1/30 - 1/125 - as the differences between the speeds are easier to hear this way.
Finally, check the diaphragm. Set the shutter to B and hold it open. Move the diaphragm control, marked (usually) 22 - 16 - 11 - 8 - 5.6 - 4 and for the 35mm cameras with smaller numbers Does it open and close? That's all you need. The smaller numbers are the bigger apertures.
With a working camera -- I'd choose 35mm rather than 120 -- load some 400-speed film in to it (just ask for 400-speed at a camera shop: you might even ask them to load it for you). The loading sequence is shown on http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps how load 35mm.html. The camera chosen is an SLR but loading is the same.
Out of doors, in sunlight, set the aperture (diaphragm) to 16 and the shutter to 1/250. Focus: take pictures. Indoors, try 1/30 (shutter) at f/1.9 or f/1.7 (diaphragm). On a cloudy day, try 1/125 (shutter) at f/8 (diaphragm). There is lots more about exposure on http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps basics expoguide.html, which also tells you how to use the sort of meter you are likely to find on the cameras you have.
You may also care to look at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps basics box brownie leica.html, 'The Box Brownie Leica', which tells you how to set up any manual camera as if it were a Box Brownie; at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps how zone focus.html which is about scale and 'zone' focusing; and at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps focus 1.html which is about focus in general.
By the time you have read this lot, you should be quite well placed. Some of the other advice you have received in this thread is excellent; some is just plain rude (Edit: though the worst of it has now been deleted); and some, I disagree with. For example, I don't think there's much point trying digital, given that you want to try the cameras you have, and I wouldn't really recommend Ansel Adams's The Camera because (in my view) he was a much better photographer than writer, and because the book contains a vast amount that is complerely irrelevant to a beginner.
Cheers,
Roger
Have you any experience in any area of photography? And if so, film or digital? Because I need somewhere to start building from. Take a look at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps basics camera.html for explanations of basic concepts such as aperture/iris diaphragm, then go on from there, as follows.
As others have said, you need a camera that is known to work. Focus while looking through the viewfinder. There will be a rangefinder patch in the middle. When the two images coincide precisely, one on top of the other, the camera is in focus. Check with subjects at different distances -- say, 1, 3, 5, 10 and 20 metres (just guess the distances and see if the camera agrees reasonably closely), then something a long way away -- 100+ metres -- which is near enough to infinity for a focusing mount.
When you have a camera that apears to be focusing OK, check the shutter speeds. Looking through the camera, with the back open, make sure the shutter works at all speeds.
Listen to the sound, especially at the slower speeds. These should be a smooth whirr: any hesitation indicates a sticky shutter, but often, just winding it and firing it several times will get it working well enough again. A useful trick is to listen to alternate speeds -- 1 - 1/4 - 1/15 - 1/60 - 1/250, then 1/2 - 1/8 - 1/30 - 1/125 - as the differences between the speeds are easier to hear this way.
Finally, check the diaphragm. Set the shutter to B and hold it open. Move the diaphragm control, marked (usually) 22 - 16 - 11 - 8 - 5.6 - 4 and for the 35mm cameras with smaller numbers Does it open and close? That's all you need. The smaller numbers are the bigger apertures.
With a working camera -- I'd choose 35mm rather than 120 -- load some 400-speed film in to it (just ask for 400-speed at a camera shop: you might even ask them to load it for you). The loading sequence is shown on http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps how load 35mm.html. The camera chosen is an SLR but loading is the same.
Out of doors, in sunlight, set the aperture (diaphragm) to 16 and the shutter to 1/250. Focus: take pictures. Indoors, try 1/30 (shutter) at f/1.9 or f/1.7 (diaphragm). On a cloudy day, try 1/125 (shutter) at f/8 (diaphragm). There is lots more about exposure on http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps basics expoguide.html, which also tells you how to use the sort of meter you are likely to find on the cameras you have.
You may also care to look at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps basics box brownie leica.html, 'The Box Brownie Leica', which tells you how to set up any manual camera as if it were a Box Brownie; at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps how zone focus.html which is about scale and 'zone' focusing; and at http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/ps focus 1.html which is about focus in general.
By the time you have read this lot, you should be quite well placed. Some of the other advice you have received in this thread is excellent; some is just plain rude (Edit: though the worst of it has now been deleted); and some, I disagree with. For example, I don't think there's much point trying digital, given that you want to try the cameras you have, and I wouldn't really recommend Ansel Adams's The Camera because (in my view) he was a much better photographer than writer, and because the book contains a vast amount that is complerely irrelevant to a beginner.
Cheers,
Roger
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BillBingham2
Registered User
Sawngga,
A lot of older camera manuals from the 50's, 60's and 70's had a lot of great basic information about exposure, EVs, shutter speeds and such. Take a look here for manuals from Nikon, Leica and Hasselblad:
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/
Mike is a great guy who is using the Internet for one of the main purposes it was opened up years ago, sharing information with the world. Leveraging the millions of experts and dreamers that exist for the good of everyone else.
I am going to show my ignorance about your area of the world and say that I do not think there are a lot of books from famous photographers that you have easy access to. But you do have the internet which is almost as good. Garry Winogrand, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Henry Carter Benson and Ansel Adams are some great examples of different styles of photography. Take a google around for sites with their work, examples of their style and see what you find. See what you like about the pictures that you see. Write it down and compare each. Do the same with what you do not like. Look at the exposure, their angles, compare and contrast. This will help you develop your own style. You can find some great pictures here in the gallery from a wide range of people and on their Flickr sites (e.g. Keith) look here too. Photography is one of those arts where just about anyone can do it so beware there are lots of ok photographers out there too. If you like the pictures, then in my opinion they are good. Look at the greats for how they made the same basic picture better and you will learn.
One of the hardest things about photography is being critical about our own work. It hurts some times to hear honest feed back after putting hours into printing a pictures (these days read hours on the computer with photoshop or something tweaking it). Not everyone will give you honest or constructive feedback, beware. Lots of critics out there that often have no idea other than what they have read on a web site or in a book.
Please send me (pm from here or email) your name and mailing address. I have a few extra books that I would love to go to good home of someone who will use them. I would be happy and honored to send them your way. All I ask is that you learn what you can from them and then if and when you are ever done, give them to someone else who wants to learn.
Hope this helps.
B2 (;->
(aka Bill Bingham 2nd, please call me Bill or B2)
A lot of older camera manuals from the 50's, 60's and 70's had a lot of great basic information about exposure, EVs, shutter speeds and such. Take a look here for manuals from Nikon, Leica and Hasselblad:
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/
Mike is a great guy who is using the Internet for one of the main purposes it was opened up years ago, sharing information with the world. Leveraging the millions of experts and dreamers that exist for the good of everyone else.
I am going to show my ignorance about your area of the world and say that I do not think there are a lot of books from famous photographers that you have easy access to. But you do have the internet which is almost as good. Garry Winogrand, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Henry Carter Benson and Ansel Adams are some great examples of different styles of photography. Take a google around for sites with their work, examples of their style and see what you find. See what you like about the pictures that you see. Write it down and compare each. Do the same with what you do not like. Look at the exposure, their angles, compare and contrast. This will help you develop your own style. You can find some great pictures here in the gallery from a wide range of people and on their Flickr sites (e.g. Keith) look here too. Photography is one of those arts where just about anyone can do it so beware there are lots of ok photographers out there too. If you like the pictures, then in my opinion they are good. Look at the greats for how they made the same basic picture better and you will learn.
One of the hardest things about photography is being critical about our own work. It hurts some times to hear honest feed back after putting hours into printing a pictures (these days read hours on the computer with photoshop or something tweaking it). Not everyone will give you honest or constructive feedback, beware. Lots of critics out there that often have no idea other than what they have read on a web site or in a book.
Please send me (pm from here or email) your name and mailing address. I have a few extra books that I would love to go to good home of someone who will use them. I would be happy and honored to send them your way. All I ask is that you learn what you can from them and then if and when you are ever done, give them to someone else who wants to learn.
Hope this helps.
B2 (;->
(aka Bill Bingham 2nd, please call me Bill or B2)
craygc
Well-known
Also try here http://www.torrentz.com/3d0c92f46da0ea0752b99cc6e61358449f7ccf1d
Then look for these two documents. A little big but very good basic photography materials
* US Navy photography courses
*
o US Navy course - Photography (Advanced) NAVEDTRA 14208.pdf 10 Mb
o US Navy course - Photography (Basic) NAVEDTRA 14209.pdf 18 Mb
Then look for these two documents. A little big but very good basic photography materials
* US Navy photography courses
*
o US Navy course - Photography (Advanced) NAVEDTRA 14208.pdf 10 Mb
o US Navy course - Photography (Basic) NAVEDTRA 14209.pdf 18 Mb
Merkin
For the Weekend
a couple of things-
first, i apologize for my initial post. I mistook your earnestness for, well, something other than earnestness.
second, some of your cameras operate in different ways from others. some of them are fully manual, where you set the f/stop and the shutter speed manually. some are "aperture priority" cameras, where you set the f/stop and the camera chooses the correct shutter speed. this is how your yashica electro 35 operates. some are "shutter priority," where you set the shutter speed and the camera chooses the f/stop. your canonets have a shutter priority mode. a good thing to do is to read the manuals for your cameras, and if you don't have them, a bit of a google can turn up free copies of manuals for practically any camera in .pdf form. another good web resource for you is www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm , which teaches you how to set a correct exposure without a light meter. it is a more detailed and accurate version of the 'sunny 16' method outlined above. I use both methods, depending on circumstances.
third- I hope that you, your family, and your friends are all ok after the earthquake there in indonesia.
first, i apologize for my initial post. I mistook your earnestness for, well, something other than earnestness.
second, some of your cameras operate in different ways from others. some of them are fully manual, where you set the f/stop and the shutter speed manually. some are "aperture priority" cameras, where you set the f/stop and the camera chooses the correct shutter speed. this is how your yashica electro 35 operates. some are "shutter priority," where you set the shutter speed and the camera chooses the f/stop. your canonets have a shutter priority mode. a good thing to do is to read the manuals for your cameras, and if you don't have them, a bit of a google can turn up free copies of manuals for practically any camera in .pdf form. another good web resource for you is www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm , which teaches you how to set a correct exposure without a light meter. it is a more detailed and accurate version of the 'sunny 16' method outlined above. I use both methods, depending on circumstances.
third- I hope that you, your family, and your friends are all ok after the earthquake there in indonesia.
gilpen123
Gil
Swangga, your part of the world is very near my part of the world, Philippines. Though we might be considered as a 3rd world, surprisingly we have lots of good photographers with tremendous knowledge in this art. Surely there must be something in Indonesia where you can learn short courses on basics of photography or a local photography forum & camera clubs where you can interact with. I started way back in the 70's with basically no formal training. There is a scarcity of reading materials as well as most of the good ones are either circulated in the US or Europe only. Ordering from abroad is a PITA and besides very expensive for me at that time. I remember reading my 1st photography book over and over again in bed, while eating, during school breaks, in the bathroom, almost anywhere as I was very interested to learn. With the world in our fingers now, the learning curve becomes shorter. There are a lot of photography web sites where you can learn the basics and even advance skills. You can go to Roger's site or order at least one book of the many suggested here and take that very sincere and generous offer of Bill to send you some books. You can get some nasty remarks from time to time here but the message is always clear, read and practice a lot. Learning is a never ending thing until we are 6 feet under. Goodluck!
wgerrard
Veteran
Swangga, here are some links I pulled from Google. I've only glanced at their content, but they seem like they might be useful. You might start with Roger and Frances site and then take a look at these to get someone else's perspective on the same subjects. I often find that's the best way for me to learn something new.
Lots of info on photography is on the web. Most of it is likely to be geared to digital camera, but the basics of focus, aperture, composition, etc., remain the same.
Oh... one thing to consider when you are examining your cameras to determine which are in working order is if it needs a battery and, if so, can you buy that battery? Batteries power light meters, which may or may not be included in cameras of your vintage. You can usually still use the camera if you cannot power the light meter, you will just need to determine the exposure yourself. (All will make sense as you read. Keep your eye open for something called the Sunny 16 rule.)
http://photo.net/learn/making-photographs/
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Almost-Any-35mm-Film-Camera
http://www.siggraph.org/education/materials/HyperGraph/animation/cameras/traditional_film_camera_techniqu.htm
http://photographycourse.net/how-to-use-your-camera-2
http://www.dpchallenge.com/tutorial.php?TUTORIAL_ID=45
http://whileyouweregone.co.uk/photoguide/
http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/photography/articles/951.aspx
Good luck and have fun!
Lots of info on photography is on the web. Most of it is likely to be geared to digital camera, but the basics of focus, aperture, composition, etc., remain the same.
Oh... one thing to consider when you are examining your cameras to determine which are in working order is if it needs a battery and, if so, can you buy that battery? Batteries power light meters, which may or may not be included in cameras of your vintage. You can usually still use the camera if you cannot power the light meter, you will just need to determine the exposure yourself. (All will make sense as you read. Keep your eye open for something called the Sunny 16 rule.)
http://photo.net/learn/making-photographs/
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Almost-Any-35mm-Film-Camera
http://www.siggraph.org/education/materials/HyperGraph/animation/cameras/traditional_film_camera_techniqu.htm
http://photographycourse.net/how-to-use-your-camera-2
http://www.dpchallenge.com/tutorial.php?TUTORIAL_ID=45
http://whileyouweregone.co.uk/photoguide/
http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/photography/articles/951.aspx
Good luck and have fun!
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swangga
Newbie
Thank you all for the advices for me, especially Mr. Hicks...... Now, I'm trying to work with my Minolta 7s... It seems at one's best than my other cameras.... When I've spent my first film, I will post my pictures in this forum so you can criticize my photos... Maybe the best learning is practicing on take some pictures.. Thank you Mr. Hicks for your easy learning website, www.rogerandfrances.com. And for all RFF member that gave me advice, once again thank you guys....
Best Regards........
Best Regards........
BillBingham2
Registered User
Send me your info at bingham.b at comcast.net!
B2 (;->
B2 (;->
BobPS
Established
Hey Swangga, I'm from Indonesia too (I'm in Jakarta).
If you're looking for books on photography I believe you can find them at gunung agung or gramedia, the last time I checked all the books are for digital photography, but the principles are the same so it doesn't really matter. For film photography, if you can find one, look for an old book by RM Sularko which tittle is Teknik Fotografi. It's a great book. Anyway, send me a pm.
Bob
If you're looking for books on photography I believe you can find them at gunung agung or gramedia, the last time I checked all the books are for digital photography, but the principles are the same so it doesn't really matter. For film photography, if you can find one, look for an old book by RM Sularko which tittle is Teknik Fotografi. It's a great book. Anyway, send me a pm.
Bob
swangga
Newbie
What information do you want from me, Sir?
Hello bob, nice to meet Indonesian here.... Ok I'll look for the book that you recommend... Thank you very much.....
BillBingham2
Registered User
I will be mailing out some books. What name and address would I mail them to from over here? Send it to my email address in the previous listing.
B2 (;->