Sunset photography with a Zorki

[tho60]

Dear Buddies,

how could I photograph the sunset at the sea with a Zorki camera? The strong light can burn pinholes into the shutter cloth.

Question 2: how might I set the camera exposure during sunset at the sea? Some people suggest f/4 at a shutter speed that’s the reciprocal of the ISO (sunny 16 rule), but the reflected light from the water surface comes into play.

 

[Steve M.]

This is a good question (having owned several Zorki cameras that had fragile shutter cloth in them). Unless you're going to take forever setting up the shot, it should be fine. With the lens stopped down all the way, which is how I'm sure you'll be shooting, you have a very focused beam of light hitting that shutter, so again, just do it quickly. Don't shoot it at f4, try f8 at least.

I'm not sure on the metering because it depends on what film you have in there, the timing of the sunset, etc. Sunsets are very temporary, so I would bracket the shots. Don't meter for the sun, obviously. If the sea is your main interest (ignore the shimmering reflections), meter for that. If the sky is the main interest, meter for that. In all likelihood it will all come out fine. Before I seriously got into photography, we shot a lot of sunsets w/ those cheap little disposable cameras that have no meter and no way to change exposure, and all those shots look great!

 

[Kekoekoo]

When I photograph the sunset I always leave the lens cap on until I set all the shutter, aperture, focus...then I remove it just to push the button. It cost me a hole on a zorki's shutter cloth to learn it.
Anyway, I gess that if you do everything kind of quickly it should be fine. About the exposure i'm with Steve M., expose to the main subject (sea, sky or whatever) and bracket a couple shot just in case.

 

[KnipsOmat]

When I photograph the sunset I always leave the lens cap on until I set all the shutter, aperture, focus...then I remove it just to push the button.

This would have been my suggestion, too. At least if you're working from a tripod.

Hand-held, you can set shutter speed, aperture and for landscapes in most cases even focus with the camera turned sidewards, then just turn it in the direction you want to shoot and press the shutter release.

Anyway, a sunset is far less critical than a midday sun in the image. At sunset, the light's much less powerful and doesn't burn holes all that quickly.

But even midday sun will not burn a hole in your shutter cloth in half a second you need to frame and press the shutter release.

 

[newspaperguy]

Unless you are doing time exposures on a tripod, I've never had a problem. A setting sun is pretty cool.

The only shutter burns I've ever seen were folks setting their cameras down, for long periods of time, 'lens to the sky'. But maybe I've just been lucky for the past 60 years or so?

Try this - Unscrew your lens and go outside. Now, try to burn a hole in a stiff piece of cloth... something like denim. I can assure you, it's not that easy.

 

[wolves3012]

But even midday sun will not burn a hole in your shutter cloth in half a second you need to frame and press the shutter release.

Some years ago, I re-shuttered some of my FSU cameras and had some scrap pieces of shutter-cloth left over. Having heard of the possible sun-burn issues, I put the idea to a fairly crude test. Using a Jupiter 8 I was able to sun-burn a hole in the cloth in well under a second with the lens wide open (f/2). By the time I got to f/8 it did require several seconds to scorch it, however.

Bear in mind that this was a deliberate attempt and I was careful to focus the sun's image as accurately as possible. Even so, it shows that this is indeed quite possible, given the right circumstances. Of course, the image is not normally focussed accurately on the shutter curtain but just behind it at the film distance and you wouldn't normally hold a camera still for long enough nor use f/2 into the midday sun. At sunset the power of the sun is reduced by the extra atmosphere the light passes through, so the danger is much reduced unless you're using a long and fast telephoto.

 

[KnipsOmat]

Using a Jupiter 8 I was able to sun-burn a hole in the cloth in well under a second with the lens wide open (f/2).

I think we all agree that it is indeed possible to burn a hole in the shutter cloth. I got one or two FEDZorkis which arrived with Pinholes in the shutter cloth which might have been burned in by a previous owner, as the rest of the cloth is o.k. and not brittle or just old.

Having sait this, it never happened to me so far and I've taken many a shot pointing to even midday sunlight. Of course taking the necessary precautions, not pointing the uncovered lens towards the sun any longer than absolutely necessary, not doing it at wide open aperture etc.

It's good to think about what you do to avoid any risks, but it's not impossible to take photos against the sun with a FEDZorki.

Certainly it's a good idea to be aware of what could happen...

Cheers,
Andreas

 

[David Hughes]

It's nice to know there are still people who test things rather than believe everything they are told.

By the way, "Focus" is Latin for fireplace or hearth, a place where things are burnt...

As for sunsets (remember?) under-exposure by a stop or more is what I do after taking a very average reading of the sunset. Best after the sun has gone down, imo.

Regards, David