Exposure Compensation on Nikon FM10 - Please Help!

Apertureman · Nov 3, 2009

Hey guys!

I have a mint Nikon FM10, but I can't figure out how to do Exposure Compensation +/- on it. I can only adjust the shutter speed and aperture by 1 whole stop at a time (for ex. it will just from 1/60 up to 1/125 or down to 1/30).

I sure would love to be able to stop down or open up by at least 1/2-stop, and not the whole stop if I don't need to.

Maybe I could use a 1/2-stop ND filter and open up 1-stop?? Please give me some suggestions.

Thanks!

johnnywalker · Nov 3, 2009

Use the aperture for compensation instead of the shutter?

Apertureman · Nov 3, 2009

johnnywalker said:
Use the aperture for compensation instead of the shutter?

I would, but the aperture ring also snaps into full-stop increments. Someone told me that I can set the aperture ring in between 2 values to get a 1/2-stop difference, but please confirm if true.

Also, I heard that I can compensate for exposure using the camera's ISO setting, which varies by 1/3-stops. Not sure if it would work, because in reality the film inside the camera doesn't change...... so I will try that and see how it works.

johnnywalker · Nov 3, 2009

My Nikon ais Nikon lenses will stop anywhere between the full aperture stops, not sure about the lens you have on the camera but it should work. And yes, you can use the ISO setting for the film to adjust. Just remember to put it back when you're finished. I think adjusting the aperture would be your best bet. In other words, you should be able to adjust the aperture to 1/2 or even 1/3 stops.

Vonder · Nov 3, 2009

Why not just change the ASA (like johnnywalker said) to whatever you want? I mean if you want +1 exposure, and your film ASA is 100, set it to 50 and you'll get double the light.

John Koehrer · Nov 3, 2009

Yes you can set values between click stops for your 1/2 stops.
Just change the ISO setting by the desired correction if you want the entire film changed or set it back if you want only one or two frames changed. The intermediate lines are 1/3 ISO(stop) changes. By changing the ISO you're telling the camera what you want to do. The film doesn't change the exposure does.
For example, if you have 400 speed in the camera in the camera & want your negative to be more dense change the ISO to a slower speed. 1/3 stop would be 320, 2/3 stop 250.
Same thing if you want under exposure except you go the other way 400-500-640

Jon Shiu · Nov 3, 2009

Hi, changing the ISO for compensation only works on cameras with auto-exposure, as I think you have already figured out.

Jon

Vonder · Nov 3, 2009

Not exactly

Jon Shiu said:
Hi, changing the ISO for compensation only works on cameras with auto-exposure, as I think you have already figured out.

Jon

Even with manual cameras. Let's say the ASA 100 film says you need 1/60 and f8. If you change the ASA to 50, leaving the aperture alone results in a required shutter speed of 1/30, or, +1.

Jon Shiu · Nov 3, 2009

Yes, but remember, the whole point of this is he is trying to get 1/2 stop compensation and that is why some suggest using the ISO dial to adjust, which as I pointed out will not work with a fully manually adjusted camera.

Jon

Rol_Lei Nut · Nov 3, 2009

Jon Shiu said:
Yes, but remember, the whole point of this is he is trying to get 1/2 stop compensation and that is why some suggest using the ISO dial to adjust, which as I pointed out will not work with a fully manually adjusted camera.
Jon

???

Of course for experienced users, adjusting the aperture or the shutter speed (on those few lovely cameras which allow manual intermediate speeds ) directly for a 1/2 stop compensation is preferable.

But I don't understand why you claim that ISO adjustment won't work on a manual camera...

flash26c · Nov 3, 2009

Gee, when I was shooting my F100, I shot in shutter priority and if I set exposure comp, the shutter speed moved to my desired setting. In manual, comp exposure set in one direction when the button was pushed; then to add the comp to my setting after the button was released, you had to move the adjustment to bring the meter to center. After all, exposure compensation is just changing the amount of light hitting your film no matter how you do it or with any camera. My compensation with my view camera is more or less light reaching the film set by me manually.

Apertureman · Nov 3, 2009

Wolfeye said:
Even with manual cameras. Let's say the ASA 100 film says you need 1/60 and f8. If you change the ASA to 50, leaving the aperture alone results in a required shutter speed of 1/30, or, +1.

What if I need +1/3-stop? What will the meter suggest if I set the ASA to 80? 1/45 and f8?

That wouldn't really work, because I cannot turn the shutter dial to 1/45, but only either 1/60 or 1/30.

In this case, the only option I would have is to set the aperture ring position on the lens somewhere between f5.6 and f8. :confused:

Jon Shiu · Nov 3, 2009

Rol_Lei Nut said:
???

Of course for experienced users, adjusting the aperture or the shutter speed (on those few lovely cameras which allow manual intermediate speeds ) directly for a 1/2 stop compensation is preferable.

But I don't understand why you claim that ISO adjustment won't work on a manual camera...

I only mean it won't work in this case on a manual camera to get 1/3 or 1/2 stop compensation as it would on an auto camera. It is an old time trick to use on an auto exposure camera to set compensation where the auto circuits can choose shutter speeds steplessly. And that is why some people recommended it here, perhaps not knowing he has a fully manual camera. Sorry for the confusion.

ps I would just use the in-between aperture settings.

Jon

Apertureman · Nov 3, 2009

flash26c said:
Gee, when I was shooting my F100, I shot in shutter priority and if I set exposure comp, the shutter speed moved to my desired setting. In manual, comp exposure set in one direction when the button was pushed; then to add the comp to my setting after the button was released, you had to move the adjustment to bring the meter to center. After all, exposure compensation is just changing the amount of light hitting your film no matter how you do it or with any camera. My compensation with my view camera is more or less light reaching the film set by me manually.

Agreed. That is what I like to achieve = a more precise control of how much light is hitting the film. My manual camera only gives me an option of either doubling or halving the exposure.

For example: I'm metering a scene (or the subject on the scene to be more accurate) and the TTL meter suggests that 1/125 at f8 on ISO100 film is slightly overexposed (in which case I would see a middle green dot and the green "+" sign above it both light up). Okay, I have plenty of leeway (or so I think) so I turn the dial to 1/250, and now the meter says it's slightly underexposed (the middle green dot and the red minus underneath it light up). So, I have a subject that is lit in the way that is somewhere in between the values I can set on the camera.

*Sign*

Not sure how to deal with that

Rol_Lei Nut · Nov 3, 2009

Jon Shiu said:
I only mean it won't work in this case on a manual camera to get 1/3 or 1/2 stop compensation as it would on an auto camera. It is an old time trick to use on an auto exposure camera to set compensation where the auto circuits can choose shutter speeds steplessly. And that is why some people recommended it here, perhaps not knowing he has a fully manual camera. /QUOTE]

I was confused because, in fact, most lenses, even with full-stop clicks, allow intermediate settings (even if not fully stepless, I can easily adjust almost all of my lenses - including Nikon - to within 1/4 stop).
Also some manual exposure cameras allow stepless adjustment of the shutter speed (usually with a few limitations).

But I have several times used ISO compensation on a manual camera, even if it isn't my favourite method.

Leighgion · Nov 3, 2009

This doesn't address the exact problem presented, but I feel it's worth asking... what kind of film are you shooting?

If you're shooting negative film, you have a lot of latitude so rather than agonize over pleasing the camera's meter exactly, I'd just shoot the slight overexposure and call it good.

Apertureman · Nov 3, 2009

Rol_Lei Nut said:
I was confused because, in fact, most lenses, even with full-stop clicks, allow intermediate settings (even if not fully stepless, I can easily adjust almost all of my lenses - including Nikon - to within 1/4 stop).
Also some manual exposure cameras allow stepless adjustment of the shutter speed (usually with a few limitations).

But I have several times used ISO compensation on a manual camera, even if it isn't my favourite method.

That is the consensus I can see here so far: using the lens's aperture ring to adjust for a more precise exposure. I even like it way better than messing around with ISO settings (don't want to accidentally forget to set it back to default for the film).

I have a Cosina 80-210mm lens, but will buy a Nikkor 28-70mm lens as well soon. I am not much impressed with the former one, but it does have a click-stop aperture ring.

Leighgion said:
This doesn't address the exact problem presented, but I feel it's worth asking... what kind of film are you shooting?

If you're shooting negative film, you have a lot of latitude so rather than agonize over pleasing the camera's meter exactly, I'd just shoot the slight overexposure and call it good.

I shoot mostly 50% color negative, 30% black & white negative, and about 20% color transparency (and that's where I would like to have a more precise control of the exposure).

Apertureman · Nov 3, 2009

I tried turning the aperture ring between the stops and it worked! That's the easiest way I found so far! Thank you guys for all your help!!

johnnywalker · Nov 3, 2009

Apertureman said:
Agreed. That is what I like to achieve = a more precise control of how much light is hitting the film. My manual camera only gives me an option of either doubling or halving the exposure.

For example: I'm metering a scene (or the subject on the scene to be more accurate) and the TTL meter suggests that 1/125 at f8 on ISO100 film is slightly overexposed (in which case I would see a middle green dot and the green "+" sign above it both light up). Okay, I have plenty of leeway (or so I think) so I turn the dial to 1/250, and now the meter says it's slightly underexposed (the middle green dot and the red minus underneath it light up). So, I have a subject that is lit in the way that is somewhere in between the values I can set on the camera.

*Sign*

Not sure how to deal with that

Just adjust the aperture until the light is green without the + sign and leave the shutter speed alone. The aperture will stay wherever you put it. In this case it would be around 8 1/3.

Apertureman · Nov 4, 2009

johnnywalker said:
Just adjust the aperture until the light is green without the + sign and leave the shutter speed alone. The aperture will stay wherever you put it. In this case it would be around 8 1/3.

Thank you, johnnywalker, this seems to be working great so far!!

Exposure Compensation on Nikon FM10 - Please Help!

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