Olympus 35 SP spot metering function

[garythegit]

Just got my SP, and am slightly suspecious as to whether the spot metering is working or not. When I have it set to auto and point at the sky it gives a reading of 11EV and when I point at something dark inside it says 5EV. Am I to understand that if I pressed the spot button while at 5EV and then moved back to the sky the needle inside the viewfinder should stay at 5EV and NOT move back to 11EV as it is doing now? Or is the change reflected in the shutter speeds automatically.

If the spot function is sightly dodgy what can I do about it? I have already taken the top off and gave it bit of a clean inside, and can see how the spot button presses on some contacts. Will cleaning these contacts help??

 

[eskorpid]

What battery are you using? Try Zinc-Air type batteries rated at 1.4V which is pretty close to 1.35V that the original mercury 625 batteries output.

I just developed the first 2 rolls of TMAX400 shot with my SP and I found both Spot and Average metering to be pretty accurate and consistent
(in B&W 1 stop over/under doesn't really matter anyway).

If you need more info about the SP you can visit :

http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~yue/misc/35SP.html

cheers

Nondas

 

[garythegit]

I've got a SR44 silver oxide in it with a battery adapter that works fine for all my other rangefinders. The issue is the EV needle inside the viewfinder doesn't seem to 'lock' when I press 'spot'. Say I'm taking a picture of a backlit subject. I move the camera to focus on the dark foreground and press 'spot' which should lock the exposure value at that EV. However when I move the camera away to recompose my shot (yes while with the spot button pressed down) the EV jumps to whatever the backlight's values are instead.

Experimented a bit more and found that when I point at a scene with a large bit of sky. I get a EV say around 11, and when I press spot over the sky area the EV jumps to say around 14. So I think the spot metering is working but just isn't locking the exposure when recomposing the shot.

 

[garythegit]

OMG I feel like an idiot. I forgot to press down the spot button *and* the shutter half way down in order to lock it. Just tried that and the EV values stayed where they were metered from! Jeez I need to take a break from all this tinkering as my memory must be bloody awful now! 😀

 

[Solinar]

Try a Zinc-Air replacement battery or an MR-9 battery adapter with the silver oxide, as the meter will lead you to under-expose by as much as 2 stops in full sun, if you use a silver oxide cell with no modifications.

My Olympus 35SP web page is a good starting point for this camera. I originally wrote it for the totally uninitiated back in 2000.

 

[jlw]

Right you are. The spot meter button only changes the metering pattern -- it is NOT an exposure lock button as well.

It works that way on a lot of current SLRs that offer spot metering, so it's easy to see how that might be overlooked.

If you want to check that your spot meter is working, you'll need to set up a test scene with a small light patch against a very dark background, or vice-versa. Try panning the camera across the scene with the spot button held down, and note the difference in how the meter responds vs. when the button is NOT held down. The spot metering area should be mapped roughly to the area of the rangefinder spot in the finder.

Note that even the non-spot meter in this camera is very selective (about 20 degrees) so unless your light/dark test target is very well separated, you won't see as much difference between spot and non-spot readings as you might expect.

 

[zuikologist]

JLW

I agree - the 20 degree spot is not exactly a small, but still quite uesful for metering different areas of a scene. I think the spot is only slightly smaller than the metering area on a Gossen Lunasix.

 

[garythegit]

The silver oxide is used with a voltage adapter that lowers it to 1.4v so should be ok on the exposure side. As a test shot I spot metered the room and them composed it with the window in view. The EV stayed right where it was when I metered the room and hopefully that should be better exposed.

The shutter selection ring is a bit stiff, I want to clean the inside possibly, are there any repair manuals out there?? There was none at kyoto

 

[Solinar]

Yep, I misread your original post. The battery adapter should do the trick.

With regards to the shutter ring, they feel like the gear shifter on a cheap 15 speed bike with an index shifter.

You'll also notice the slow speed escapement winding up and releasing as you move the shutter speed ring into or out of the slowest speeds.

 

[Trius]

Zuikologist: I don't think the spot is 20 degrees, I think that's the (centre-weighted?) averaging mode, and the spot is much narrower, perhaps 6 degrees. I'm pressed for time right now but will check the manual later to verify. If you re-read JLW's post, he indicated that the "non-spot" metering is 20 degrees.

Trius

 

[Solinar]

You are correct . The spot metering covers 6 degrees.

 

[Trius]

Just an FYI for anyone who doesn't have a manual:

from page 16, Olympus 35SP Instructions (0970 5MS)
________________________________________________________________________
Spot exposure zone
The bright rectangular area in the center of the viewfinder, where the double images are to match with each other for focusing, is the area for your spot measurement.
After you compose your spot measuring subject, release the shutter while keeping the spot reading button pressed in, and you will obtain correct exposure for the subject in the automatic photography.
In the manual photography, you must obtain an EV value. Pres the spot reading button to read the correct EV value on the EV scale, which has to be transmitted to the window on the shutter ring.
________________________________________________________________________


Trius

 

[zuikologist]

Trius - thanks. Of course, you are right. I should think before I type.

 

[garythegit]

Just fixed up the SP's shutter speed ring! It turns out to be much MUCH easier than fixing a canonet! (which I failed miserably btw 🙂) The name ring is actually glued on with weak glue and a minor lift from outside the silver ring with a flat screwdriver was enough to lift it. After that the *whole* (that's right canonet owners) lens group screws out easily and happily 🙂

There's three screws that holds the shutter speed and the aperture selection rings, unscrew these ones and everything should just fall out. Marking out what setting you took the rings off is helpful but because of the way the rings slot onto the selection gears you really can't go wrong!

The cause of the friction were two copper washer rings under the respective rings. These were heavily corroded (who ever thought of using copper?!?! One of the most reactive metals out there!) I cleaned these up then lubed them slightly and reassembled the whole thing. The selector rings are now crisp and responsive when changed 🙂 Let me know if anyone need pics of this and I will post some up. For all I know G'man probably already wrote a turotial somewhere! 😀

 

[Trius]

Trius - thanks. Of course, you are right. I should think before I type.

I hope that's not a requirement or I'm in trouble! 😉

Trius

 

[Trius]

garythegit: I visited your Flickr site... you've got some very nice shots posted, taken with quite a nice collection of cameras. I was especially glad to see all the shots of Scotland, as my ancestry goes straight back to Morayshire.

Looking forward to some posts there of shots taken with the SP.

Slainte,

Trius

 

[garythegit]

Cheers old chap! Just sent my first roll from the SP for development. Should have some up by tuesday! 😀 Running another roll through it now!

The SP came to me in pretty bad shape but all it needed was a little TLC. It's all nice and clean and everything works smooth as butter now. I just wised my canonets were so well made! 🙁 The only thing that bothers me slightly is that the EV needle is hard to see in anything but bright light. I don't think it's a rangefinder glass problem although it is a bit dimmer than I would like. Does anyone know a way around this?

 

[Trius]

I've noticed that in varying light conditions, and on the odd occasion. Moving my eye position solves the problem. I think I need to find the right spot to get it right 100% of the time.

Trius

 

[Folderholder]

Olympus 35 SP spot metering function

The only thing that bothers me slightly is that the EV needle is hard to see in anything but bright light. I don't think it's a rangefinder glass problem although it is a bit dimmer than I would like. Does anyone know a way around this?

I find the EV scale readable in any light bright enough to hand hold the camera. It does require shifting viewing positions sometimes. Congratulations on your refurb work.