Huck Finn
Well-known
The review of the ZI that Roger Hicks has been working on is scheduled to appear in the April issue of Shutterbug, followed by his lens tests in May.
Huck
Huck
physiognomy
Confirmed RF addict...
Just got my copy in the mail yesterday... An interesting read considering it also has a review of the Bessa R2/3a... Hicks mentions a lot of the subjects discussed here about the ZI and gives a very positive review.
Peter
Peter
W
Way
Guest
Looking forward to reading it!
Way
Way
C
ch1
Guest
I'm not a subscriber will try to grab a copy from a newstand at lunchtime. Nice to see a film camera getting a review nowadays - even better to see two of them! 
Huck Finn
Well-known
I was able to read this review when a copy of Shutterbug arrived at a nearby library this week. I enjoyed the review & it was generally well done, raising a number of interesting points on which I will elaborate in another post.
Anyone using this review as a guide to making a decision about a purchase, however, should be advised that there are a couple of errors in the report:
1. The authors state: "If the required exposure is outside the range available, the camera will set 1 second or 1/2000 sec but there is no "over" or "under" warning." This is not correct.
From the instruction booklet regarding manual exposure: "Fast blinking of the LED of "2000" when the Shutter Speed Ring is set to 2000 indicates "out of range due to overesposure. . . Fast blinking of the LED of "1" when the Shutter Speed Ring is set to 1 indicates "out of range due to underexposure."
From the booklet re AE: "If the "2000" LED blinks fast, this means out of range due to overexposure. . . If the "1" LED lights, the shutter will be released at the speed of 1 sec. to 8 sec. If the LED of "1" blinks fast, the image in the camera is too dark for reliable metering."
As stated above, that is the way it works in actual use.
2. The authors state: "Although the metering system works well, . . . it has two disadvantages. First, it can be hard to see the shutter speeds in bright conditions. Second, the resoultion is limited to one stop. With a "traffic light" system (under-over-correct) as used on Voigtlanders prior to the R2A/R3A and on Leica Ms, the resolution can be as accurate as you like: with an MP or R2 it is approximately 1/3 stop, with +/- variations indicated by reduced brightness or two lights on at once." While this is technically correct, it is not the way it works in actual use.
I should note first that the authors make an excellent observation & valid criticism in noting that it can be hard to see the shutter speeds in bright conditions. This same criticsim has been made of the match needle system ot the Nikon FM3a, which has a similar lay-out, as well as of other similar systems.
Regarding their second criticism, it is necessary to understand the system as a whole rather than looking at the body in isolation. While it is true that the traffic light system does provide information in 1/3 stop increments, it is also true that 1/3 stop adjustments are not available on these other systems since shutter speed adjustments can only be made in full stops & aperture adjustments in 1/2 stops. So, I don't know how the authors conclude that "resolution can be as accurate as you like."
In contrast ZI lenses offer aperture settings in 1/3 stop increments, so you actually can make such fine adjustments. The way the system works on the ZI is that once an exposure setting is indicated as accurate by the meter, it will continue to indicate an accurate exposure even when the aperture setting is changed by 1/3 stop in either direction, so 1/3 stop information is available once the photographer understands how this operates even though there is not an LED blinking in the viewfinder. Shutter speed adjustments of course are only available in full stops as is the case with any manual camera.
There is a second way in which the meter provides 1/3 stop information, which is in AE mode. When the camera has selected correct the shutter speed for a selected aperture, the photographer has the option of employing exposure compensation. When the shutter speed dial is turned to +/- 1/3 EV the selected shuttere speed will remain, but it will blink. When turned an additional 1/3 EV, it will change to the next shutter speed.
The Zeiss Ikon system is unique among rangefinders in using 1/3 aperture settings on its lenses. Combined with 1/3 EV settings on its exposure compensation, there is considerable information available to the photographer once s/he has learned to work with the system as it is designed.
Anyone using this review as a guide to making a decision about a purchase, however, should be advised that there are a couple of errors in the report:
1. The authors state: "If the required exposure is outside the range available, the camera will set 1 second or 1/2000 sec but there is no "over" or "under" warning." This is not correct.
From the instruction booklet regarding manual exposure: "Fast blinking of the LED of "2000" when the Shutter Speed Ring is set to 2000 indicates "out of range due to overesposure. . . Fast blinking of the LED of "1" when the Shutter Speed Ring is set to 1 indicates "out of range due to underexposure."
From the booklet re AE: "If the "2000" LED blinks fast, this means out of range due to overexposure. . . If the "1" LED lights, the shutter will be released at the speed of 1 sec. to 8 sec. If the LED of "1" blinks fast, the image in the camera is too dark for reliable metering."
As stated above, that is the way it works in actual use.
2. The authors state: "Although the metering system works well, . . . it has two disadvantages. First, it can be hard to see the shutter speeds in bright conditions. Second, the resoultion is limited to one stop. With a "traffic light" system (under-over-correct) as used on Voigtlanders prior to the R2A/R3A and on Leica Ms, the resolution can be as accurate as you like: with an MP or R2 it is approximately 1/3 stop, with +/- variations indicated by reduced brightness or two lights on at once." While this is technically correct, it is not the way it works in actual use.
I should note first that the authors make an excellent observation & valid criticism in noting that it can be hard to see the shutter speeds in bright conditions. This same criticsim has been made of the match needle system ot the Nikon FM3a, which has a similar lay-out, as well as of other similar systems.
Regarding their second criticism, it is necessary to understand the system as a whole rather than looking at the body in isolation. While it is true that the traffic light system does provide information in 1/3 stop increments, it is also true that 1/3 stop adjustments are not available on these other systems since shutter speed adjustments can only be made in full stops & aperture adjustments in 1/2 stops. So, I don't know how the authors conclude that "resolution can be as accurate as you like."
In contrast ZI lenses offer aperture settings in 1/3 stop increments, so you actually can make such fine adjustments. The way the system works on the ZI is that once an exposure setting is indicated as accurate by the meter, it will continue to indicate an accurate exposure even when the aperture setting is changed by 1/3 stop in either direction, so 1/3 stop information is available once the photographer understands how this operates even though there is not an LED blinking in the viewfinder. Shutter speed adjustments of course are only available in full stops as is the case with any manual camera.
There is a second way in which the meter provides 1/3 stop information, which is in AE mode. When the camera has selected correct the shutter speed for a selected aperture, the photographer has the option of employing exposure compensation. When the shutter speed dial is turned to +/- 1/3 EV the selected shuttere speed will remain, but it will blink. When turned an additional 1/3 EV, it will change to the next shutter speed.
The Zeiss Ikon system is unique among rangefinders in using 1/3 aperture settings on its lenses. Combined with 1/3 EV settings on its exposure compensation, there is considerable information available to the photographer once s/he has learned to work with the system as it is designed.
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Huck Finn
Well-known
Having completed my rant above, I want to congratulate the authors for an in depth look at viewfinder comparisons. They note that the 85 frame of the ZI is identical to the 90 frame of the MP! They then go on to provide a chart comparing frame lines of the ZI with the M2, MP, R2, & R3A as well as with a half dozen, Zeiss, CV, Russian, & Tewe axiliary finders. I will list below the comparison with the other finders built into the bodies, but not the auxiliary finders. Since the ZI was topic of the article, they labeled the size of their finder as 100%. They then represented the other finders as "+" or "-" in relation to the ZI with "+" indicating that this camera shows more than the ZI finder & "-" meaning that this camera shows less than the ZI. Note that all other cameras listed should show "-" for their 90 frame because 90 is a narrower field of view than the 85 of the ZI.
Leica M2: 28 (N/A), 35 (+8%), 50 (identical), 90 (+3%)
Leica MP: 28 (+3%), 35 (+6%), 50 (-5%), 90 (identical)
Bessa R2: 28 (N/A), 35 (+3%, 50 (+2%), 90 (+6%)
Bessa R3A: 28 (N/A), 35 (N/A), 50 (+2%), 90 (-3%)
Amazingly, 3 of the 4 are as wide or wider at 90 mm than the ZI at 85 mm. So, if you're wondering if you can use your 90 with the 85 frame of the ZI, the answer is a resounding "yes!" However, it probably rules out meaningul use of 75 mm or 80 mm lenses.
It's also interesting in general just to see the variability among 5 different RF cameras in the actual size of their frame lines. It certainly explains why I've had good success using my 40 mm lens on the ZI since this has the smallest "35" frame of any of the 5 cameras. I might not be so lucky with a Leica.
This was a nice job by the authors to show just how much of a guestimating we play with a rangefinder.
Huck
Leica M2: 28 (N/A), 35 (+8%), 50 (identical), 90 (+3%)
Leica MP: 28 (+3%), 35 (+6%), 50 (-5%), 90 (identical)
Bessa R2: 28 (N/A), 35 (+3%, 50 (+2%), 90 (+6%)
Bessa R3A: 28 (N/A), 35 (N/A), 50 (+2%), 90 (-3%)
Amazingly, 3 of the 4 are as wide or wider at 90 mm than the ZI at 85 mm. So, if you're wondering if you can use your 90 with the 85 frame of the ZI, the answer is a resounding "yes!" However, it probably rules out meaningul use of 75 mm or 80 mm lenses.
It's also interesting in general just to see the variability among 5 different RF cameras in the actual size of their frame lines. It certainly explains why I've had good success using my 40 mm lens on the ZI since this has the smallest "35" frame of any of the 5 cameras. I might not be so lucky with a Leica.
This was a nice job by the authors to show just how much of a guestimating we play with a rangefinder.
Huck
cp_ste.croix
At the beginning again.
Wow, thanks Huck. Insightful and well written as always!
nayanan
Member
Hi, Huck
I find your postings very helpful as always.
Your coments on the 1/3 stop adjustment and the difference in frames,
in particualr, are very much insightful for a current ZI user.
So here's my "thanks!" which I feel I owe you...
I find your postings very helpful as always.
Your coments on the 1/3 stop adjustment and the difference in frames,
in particualr, are very much insightful for a current ZI user.
So here's my "thanks!" which I feel I owe you...
Huck Finn
Well-known
Thanks for the comments, guys.
I realize that I should correct one thing I said, which is that cameras other than the ZI cannot make 1/3 stop adjustments. This is true only in manual mode. Most AE systems that I know of offer stepless shutter speeds in AE, so adjustmetns in 1/3 stop increments can be made in other cameras. The ZI also has the same stepless shutter speeds in AE.
Huck
I realize that I should correct one thing I said, which is that cameras other than the ZI cannot make 1/3 stop adjustments. This is true only in manual mode. Most AE systems that I know of offer stepless shutter speeds in AE, so adjustmetns in 1/3 stop increments can be made in other cameras. The ZI also has the same stepless shutter speeds in AE.
Huck