Oly 35sp: low light thumb rule

[ruben]

Recently someone at RFF wrote about having no problem with the Oly 35sp Exposure Values scale, as he remembers each aperture/speed combination of each EV.

As by comparizon I am a dummy, I offer the following method to exploit the viewfinder scale without taking your eye off the viewfinder. The method may help low light shooters ready to stay at a fixed speed, let say 1/30.

a) set your lens speed ring to 1/30 and your f/stop lens ring at f/1.7. This will be your basic set-up.

b) If the needle at the viewfinder scale points 6 or below - you cannot shoot, as you doesn't have enough light.

c) If the needle points 7 - just shoot. EV 7 is equivalent to to f 2 and 1/30

d) From 8 to 12 you just move 1 click per each EV shown by the scale, without needing to take your eyes off: if the scale shows 9, then you know you have to move your aperture ring just two clicks from the set-up position.

Ok, this is not the same as the luxury viewfinder scales of the Oly RC, but something is better than nothing.

Cheers,

Ruben

 

[chenick]

Cool, must try this... 🙂

-Nick

 

[Trius]

Cool.

Earl

 

[Herman Abdullah]

set your lens speed ring to 1/30 and your f/stop lens ring at f/1.7. This will be your basic set-up.

Hi Ruben

Ive just post a message b4 i read your post.

1.Anyway if i fix the speed 1/30 and f1.7 how about the DOF...will it blured the background?
2. How to set focus point using the rules of third with the viewfinder?
3. Because of N0 3, i feel like using smaller aperture to compensate the DOF..

Please help..🙂

 

[shadowfox]

Ruben,

The problem with selecting 1/30 as the base is that if you do have more light, you're stuck with a slow speed that will probably introduce undesired blur (unless your subjects are in general very slow moving).

I just want to point out, that instead of closing the aperture, you could also increase the shutter speed to negate the blurs. It's true that the SP has quite a severe vignetting when opened wide, but I'd rather have sharp picture with vignetting, rather than blurry photo.