Single 8, Fujica Z-2 [o/t?]

[megalith6]

hi,

advice please - this is the first time i have used this film or the fujica Z-2 camera.

the general tone of this daylight film shot in daylight conditions was - to me - dull.

[img]graemlins/storm.gif[/img]

presumably slightly underexposed? the aperture on the camera is controlled by the camera's separate light meter, an 'electric eye' lens above the main lens.

the light meter lens has three manual settings: fully open, half shut down and three quarters shut down, thus affecting the light reading and modifying the automatic aperture (exposure), it appears

so, if you want 'brighter' images, you need to either semi-close the light meter - affecting the auto aperture -

or manually manipulate the main lens aperture -

there is a dial for this - 'variable shutter dial' - it looks rather ' hit and miss ', to me, because the light meter is separate to the main camera lens...

you have no idea what the variable shutter dial is doing to the aperture / exposure, at the time - the light meter only records what is directly in front of the camera, not the light coming through the main lens, like on a modern 35mm SLR camera.

[img]graemlins/camera.gif[/img]

the other thing i notice is that K40 is 40 asa whilst Fujichrome is 25 asa, the slowest filmstock i have used.

[img]graemlins/film.gif[/img]

i've found the quicker the film in daylight conditions, the paler the results - Ektachrome and Tri-X gave me some very pale shots (films rated at 125 and 200 asa, respectively), in fully lit, sunny conditions

[img]graemlins/sun.gif[/img]

so what might be the best method for 'brightening' the single 8 film results, next time, please?

[img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

many thanks,

[cameraguy]

Originally posted by megalith6:

so, if you want 'brighter' images, you need to either semi-close the light meter - affecting the auto aperture -

or manually manipulate the main lens aperture -

there is a dial for this - 'variable shutter dial' - it looks rather ' hit and miss ', to me, because the light meter is separate to the main camera lens...

you have no idea what the variable shutter dial is doing to the aperture / exposure, at the time - the light meter only records what is directly in front of the camera, not the light coming through the main lens, like on a modern 35mm SLR camera.

[img]graemlins/camera.gif[/img]

the other thing i notice is that K40 is 40 asa whilst Fujichrome is 25 asa, the slowest filmstock i have used.

[img]graemlins/film.gif[/img]

i've found the quicker the film in daylight conditions, the paler the results - Ektachrome and Tri-X gave me some very pale shots (films rated at 125 and 200 asa, respectively), in fully lit, sunny conditions

[img]graemlins/sun.gif[/img]

so what might be the best method for 'brightening' the single 8 film results, next time, please?

[img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img]

many thanks,

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Variable shutter should be open for normal filming, It effects exposure time via the shutter only not the aperture. Usually a camera with a variable shutter will have a compensation dial for the auto meter. So leave the shutter open and compensation on zero (no compensation), A picture of the left side of the camera would help.

If memory serves me correctly these Fujica cameras have a seperate dial for the lightmeter marked with an A and MANUAL. If on A the aperture will be set automatically and you can see what aperture it picks in the viewfinder via the small needle. With manual you turn the dial and pick the aperture yourself.

[megalith6]

Hello,

"Variable shutter should be open for normal filming, It effects exposure time via the shutter only not the aperture. Usually a camera with a variable shutter will have a compensation dial for the auto meter. So leave the shutter open and compensation on zero (no compensation), A picture of the left side of the camera would help.

@ I will try to get one to you - i trawled google and found several z-2's but shown from the right! The only thing I really know about the variable shutter is that if you rotate it form '0' to 'C' it fades a shot out

"If memory serves me correctly these Fujica cameras have a seperate dial for the lightmeter marked with an A and MANUAL. If on A the aperture will be set automatically and you can see what aperture it picks in the viewfinder via the small needle. With manual you turn the dial and pick the aperture yourself. "

@ yes, the z-2 has this - I leave it on 'A' Auto; I can see how the 'M' setting could be used, though - for setting an aperture for a subject in strong back-light, for example, and manually setting the light meter/aperture for the subject.

@ will update

@ thanks,


[img]graemlins/film.gif[/img]

[megalith6]

hi cameraguy,

i now have some pictures of the fuji cin? camera - is there any way i can upload / forward / attach them, please?

thanks


[img]graemlins/film.gif[/img]

[cameraguy]

Originally posted by megalith6:
hi cameraguy,

i now have some pictures of the fuji cin? camera - is there any way i can upload / forward / attach them, please?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You can upload them to this site below

http://www.filmshooting.com/scripts/gallery/

Click on the Super 8 camera gallery and in the top right corner there is a add photo link. Once there anybody will be able to see them.

[megalith6]

hi cameraguy,

you wrote:

"You can upload them to this site below
http://www.filmshooting.com/scripts/gallery/

"Click on the Super 8 camera gallery and in the top right corner there is a add photo link. Once there anybody will be able to see them."

= thanks but, the filmshoot images page will not let me log in

[img]frown.gif[/img]

Please advise.


[img]graemlins/film.gif[/img]

[megalith6]

update - i got in!

[img]biggrin.gif[/img]

the Fujica Z-2 is on the following page

http://www.filmshooting.com/scripts/...ameras?page=29

the variable shutter control is the larger wheel above the camera-lock knob;

the electric eye aperture has 3 settings or stops, '0' for open, '2' for one stop, '4' for two f-stops

basically, the brighter the light source, the more you stop down the electric eye...

thanks

[img]graemlins/film.gif[/img]

ps. afraid i duplicated the jpegs by refreshing the image page - there does not seem to be a 'delete' button?

apols -

ric

[cameraguy]

Originally posted by megalith6:
the variable shutter control is the larger wheel above the camera-lock knob;

the electric eye aperture has 3 settings or stops, '0' for open, '2' for one stop, '4' for two f-stops

basically, the brighter the light source, the more you stop down the electric eye...

thanks

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">What you call the electric eye aperture is the variable shutter compensation. Leave it on 0 and leave the variable shutter on 0. The aperture is really controlled by the A ---&gt; Manual dial, leave that on A and the camera should be all set. You can't see the actual aperture since its behing the taking lens (but you can see what aperture it is picking in the viewfinder). So if the light source brightens the aperture will close automatically inside the camera.

The variable shutter changes the shutter opening which in turn shortens the exposure time. Picture it as a circle with a piece cut out like a pie. It spins around and each time the pie piece opening goes by a frame gets exposed, then the camera will advance to the next frame in time for the next exposure. The size of the pie piece determine the shutter speed, the bigger the piece the longer the light hits the frame. The v. shutter varies the opening size. So if you turn the v. shutter to "2" your exposure time is twice as fast as full open (opening is twice as small now), but in order to compensate for that you have to turn the compensation to "2" as well which reduces the light coming in the meter window so that the auto meter will open the camera aperture by 1 stop since it needs twice the light.

Reasons for using the v. shutter are, A) if its so bright the auto aperture can't close down enough you can close down the shutter to 2 or 4 to reduce the light (of course remembering to turn the compesation to match). The side effect is the increased shutter speed increase the sharpness of each frame which gives a strobing look to fast move objects in the frame. B) you can also use it to do fade ins or outs or even lap dissolves/double exposures if your camera can rewind. A fade out is simply while filming turn the shutter dial to the closed position, closed is no light gets through. To fade back in, just move it from closed back to 0.

The film speed (ASA/DIN) is automatic and should be set by inserting a cartridge.

Does this make it any clearer as to what the variable shutter is doing?

[megalith6]

Hi,

I think i'm starting to get the hang of this - been so long on stills 35mm SLR, takes a bit of getting used to!

i didn't realise you needed to manipulate the 'electric eye' in tandem with the Variable Shutter Dial

liking what i hear about 'strobe effects', i guess i'll just have to experiment. Yes, i worked out the shutter dial will give me fade out/in - it is very similar to the Canon 814 shutter dial.

it's a challenging beastie, this Fujica Z-2: the Canon and Nizo you just point, focus and shoot film - but i really liked the feel of the Fuji film which did come back from the lab okay

is it also because Fuji single 8 is slower than super 8 Kodachrome K40, that i have difficulty filming with it? - all the Fuji film tended to come out on the dark side: and that was with 'electric eye' open and variable shutter fully open as well, in bright daylight, back in August.

Many thanks for your help!

[img]graemlins/film.gif[/img]

[cameraguy]

Originally posted by megalith6:

it's a challenging beastie, this Fujica Z-2: the Canon and Nizo you just point, focus and shoot film - but i really liked the feel of the Fuji film which did come back from the lab okay

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Fujica with electric eye open, shutter open and aperture control on A it should be just point, focus and shoot.

Originally posted by megalith6:
is it also because Fuji single 8 is slower than super 8 Kodachrome K40, that i have difficulty filming with it? - all the Fuji film tended to come out on the dark side: and that was with 'electric eye' open and variable shutter fully open as well, in bright daylight, back in August.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">K40 needs just as much light as Fuji 25 film in daylight. This is because the K40 requires an 85 filter in daylight (built into most cameras) so its working ASA is 25 as the extra light is absorbed by the filter. As to your film coming out a bit dark it could be that the meter in the camera is off. It is nothing unusal to have a built in meter lose its calibration or not even work at all. These cameras are 20-35 years now!