Bronica Lenses and Temperature Changes

derelict · Nov 21, 2016

I am going to be taking my ETR and related lenses out with me over the Thanksgiving holiday. My concern is with the lenses and how to take care of them. I will be keeping the lenses and related gear with me indoors (around 72 F) and then heading outside to catch sunrise and generally all day (temps in the 20s). Anything I need to do to prevent fogging or anything like that? I have never used a system where the shutter was in the lens itself.

Thanks.

Jim Jones · Nov 21, 2016

Fogging usually occurs when a camera that has been in the cold for some time is brought into a warmer moister environment. It can also occur when one breathes on a lens in the cold. You will likely have no problems with either shutters or lenses at 20 degrees.

TSSPro · Nov 21, 2016

acclimatize the lenses before use to get the glass the ambient temps is always a good bet, but you shouldn't have any issues. I haven't in the past. I've dragged my Bronnies through the snow many a time, shouldn't have any issues. Hope that you get some good stuff!

derelict · Nov 21, 2016

Awesome. I have never really worried about it before with my digital or 135 gear. The bag will come out with me and it will take several minutes to set up, meter, etc... so that will probably be enough time to make sure that the lenses are clear.

I am hoping that I get decent stuff. It will be my first landscape effort with the equipment and it will also be my first time shooting E6 (Provia). I am really looking forward to it and the different metering that you do with slide.

moto-uno · Nov 21, 2016

Leave it in the garage overnight and check that everything works before you take off with it next day.
Concerning E-6 , keep in mind that overexposing pretty well wipes out the highlights and you can't get
them back in post processing . Peter

adelorenzo · Nov 21, 2016

I've never taken any precautions with camera gear in the cold and I shoot as cold as 40 below. I've never had any issues. IME the photographer gives out before the gear does.

Don't breathe on your lens or ground glass/viewfinder.

hsandler · Nov 21, 2016

Taking it outside isno problem, and does not require acclimatizing. Be careful not to breath on the lens or viewfinder while outside. When you are ready to come in, put the camera and lenses into ziplock bags while still outside. That way, condensation will not form from the moister indoor air, except on the outside of the bag. Let the gear warm up for an hour or so before removing from the bags.

derelict · Nov 22, 2016

Thanks to everyone for lending some advice. I will use the bag trick.

moto-uno said:
Concerning E-6 , keep in mind that overexposing pretty well wipes out the highlights and you can't get
them back in post processing . Peter

I plan on spot metering the area I want to be perfectly exposed, like sunlight patch on the valley, and then metering the darkest I want to have detail to and the lightest spot. If there is more than a 2 stop difference between them, I will probably wait for the lighting to change (since I plan on shooting around sunrise). Does that make sense? I am probably overthinking it. I plan on loading some negative film in a second back to take shots at the same time, just so I get the shot I have framed up.

wiltw · Nov 22, 2016

derelict said:
I plan on spot metering the area I want to be perfectly exposed, like sunlight patch on the valley, and then metering the darkest I want to have detail to and the lightest spot. If there is more than a 2 stop difference between them, I will probably wait for the lighting to change (since I plan on shooting around sunrise). Does that make sense? I am probably overthinking it. I plan on loading some negative film in a second back to take shots at the same time, just so I get the shot I have framed up.

Hey, there WILL almost always be 'more than a 2 stop difference'!!!
I can meter scenes with a spotmeter and easily find scenes with a 10EV difference without trying hard, and find 13EV ranges with only a little bit of effort.
Remember the 'Zone System' (associated with Ansel Adams)...it is a 10 Zone system with Zone V (midtone) in the middle! Zone II and Zone VIII still have detail, while Zones I and iX are 'detailess'.
IOW, the scenic range with detail is

-3EV --> Zone V --> +3EV,

not -2EV --> +2EV

derelict · Nov 22, 2016

wiltw said:
Hey, there WILL almost always be 'more than a 2 stop difference'!!!
I can meter scenes with a spotmeter and easily find scenes with a 10EV difference without trying hard, and find 13EV ranges with only a little bit of effort.
Remember the 'Zone System' (associated with Ansel Adams)...it is a 10 Zone system with Zone V (midtone) in the middle! Zone II and Zone VIII still have detail, while Zones I and iX are 'detailess'.
IOW, the scenic range with detail is

-3EV --> Zone V --> +3EV,
not -2EV --> +2EV

True, sorry. What I meant was 2 up and 2 down from where I am basing my scene around. With slides, isnt it more likely to have sharp drop offs after about that range, i.e. overexposed to white and under to black?

And, of course, like all people doing something for the first time, I know that I am WAY over thinking this.

John Koehrer · Nov 22, 2016

I guess the consideration to zone methods are good but chromes aren't tolerant of
exposure extremes. Most times you want a tiny bit of underexposure for good saturation,
Over exposure is usually death to slides.
I used evenly lit grass as a Zone V & applied a bit of Kentucky windage to cope with
much beyond that. If you're across a valley, the exposure is constant IF you're in
the same light.
Think in terms of Zone V +/- 1/3-1/2 stop. Roll film is easy to bracket(take notes).
When you get the slides back it's easy to see what's over or under.

Bronica Lenses and Temperature Changes

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