Zeiss Ikon Meter readout query

[BSH]

Hi!

I'm pretty keen on buying a Ziess Ikon RF.
The main reason is the way the meter readout looks, I like to just glance at it and see a number, thats what works for me.
On my Minolta x700 it shows if you are between shutterspeeds by displaying two speeds .

My question is does this camera give you accurate measurements in half stop increments and how?

Thanks!

Benjamin

Www.stoneherbert.com

 

[teleparallel]

I don't have an Ikon, but I do have a Bessa R4A witch is pretty close in electronic design, and although it show all Shutter Speeds it doesn't show half stops by showing two consecutive speeds speeds. Also in manual mode you don't have the half stop precision. What I do in manual mode is to see how much above I am by changing two half stops up or down, to see how soon the camera changes the shutter speed recommendation, so that I know where I am exactly in up to one third stop, cause the camera has a pretty good resolution in this regard.

In aperture priority mode, I don't see the point, since it gives you the closest speed, and not the actual, and in my option has no use to know it exactly. Also, according to Zeiss site, the meter has a 1/12 stop resolution, meaning it breaks down the shutter speed in 12 parts in Aperture priority mode, so you get a very accurate exposure, you just won't know the speed exactly.

 

[Pioneer]

The Zeiss Ikon meter readout shows the full shutter speeds only. There are no half speeds shown at any time. When in Auto Exposure mode the shutter is stepless, so it will actually fire the shutter in increments of the full speeds, but it will only show the closest full speed in the viewfinder.

 

[Roger Hicks]

From http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/zeiss.html (which you may care to read):

The meter is perhaps the weakest point of the camera, for two reasons. First, the numbers can be hard to see in bright light, and second, resolution is limited to one stop. With a 'traffic lights' system (under-on-over) as used in Voigtländers prior to the R2A/R3A, and as found in the Leica MP, the resolution can be anything you like. A typical solution is that 1/3 stop out lights both the 'on' LED at full intensity and one of the others (over/under, as appropriate) at half intensity; 1/3 to 2/3 stop lights the two at equal intensity; and 1 stop or more lights only the appropriate 'over' or 'under' light.

Actually this is less of a problem than it might seem because with negative films, exposure is not especially critical as long as there is plenty of it, and with slide (transparency) films the wise photographer will arm himself or herself with an incident light meter anyway.

Fortunately, too, the AE lock and exposure compensation on auto-exposure are so clever that you can usually get away with relying on automation unless you are the sort of purist that insists on retaining manual control (which we are).

Cheers,

R.

 

[thegman]

I shot loads of Velvia in my Zeiss Ikon, the meter was bang on every time. Obviously everyone's standards are different, but for me, the exposures looked perfect.

As Roger says, you can get a better meter if you want, but I never had a single complaint with the built in one.

 

[Keith]

The only time the meter caught me out on my Ikon when I had it was shooting in portrait mode ... which I always did shutter down. Because the metering is weighted to the lower left of the frame the camera would under expose out doors a lot ... to much sky!

 

[BSH]

Thanks guys. I went ahead and bought the ZI and I am sure I won't regret it!
All the best

 

[Biggles]

The meter is perhaps the weakest point of the camera, for two reasons. First, the numbers can be hard to see in bright light...

Fortunately, too, the AE lock and exposure compensation on auto-exposure are so clever that you can usually get away with relying on automation....

Mr. Hicks is dead nuts on. I regularly find myself hunting around in the viewfinder for the meter numbers- on those odd occasions I have the thing set to Manual. In daylight, I leave it on Auto with the exposure compensation set to overexpose a third of a stop or two or three, and I can't remember an underexposed picture that's resulted from this egregious delinquence.

It's a lovely piece of kit. And not terribly heavy.

 

[Pioneer]

I use this camera almost continually and I agree. The meter readout is very hard to see in bright daylight, particularly if you are wearing glasses. However, the auto exposure mode is so good that I also just leave on AE in those circumstances.

Every camera I have every used has at least some minor annoyances. With the best of them the good outweighs the annoyances. That is certainly the case with this camera.

 

[krice58]

I use my ZI extensively and really love it. I use it in A mode usually and mostly have it set to under expose by 1/3 stop. I have to admit that looking at the shutter speeds in the VF in sunlight (particularly the highest shutter speeds because they are at the top of the VF ) is frustrating. I also don't like the location of the AEL button - it is hard for me to reach. But, as someone mentioned above, every camera has its quirks. The ZI is perfectly balanced, handles well and is a fabulous instrument. You will enjoy it.

 

[jawarden]

Thanks guys. I went ahead and bought the ZI and I am sure I won't regret it!
All the best

Good for you. It's a great camera. Enjoy!