Hasselblad Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm Exposure Values?

[DSLR]

Total noob questions

I'm trying to figure how to use my Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm lens with a Gossen Digisix light meter. The lens has the f Stops 2.8 * 4 * 5.6 * 8 * 11 * 16 * 22. The numbers each have a space between them. What f stop would those spaces be??? Also the Digisix has two spaces between the numbers. What if the meter tells me I should be on that second space which my lens doesn't even have? I'm so confused I don't know how phrase the question. I don't have the light meter yet, i just ordered one from Adorama and I guess they're on some kind of a Jewish holiday right now so I won't get it for a while, but I'd like to know how to use it before I get it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ian David]

The spaces on the lens are half stops. I don't have a Digisix in front of me, but the marks on the meter are presumably 1/3 stops. If your meter reads a 1/3 increment, just use the closest 1/2 stop on the lens.

Ian

EDIT: As an example, you could view your lens as having settings for the following f-stops: ... 8 9.5 11...

Your meter then has increments of ... 8 9 10 11...

If your meter then reads f9 or f10, just use f9.5 on your camera (until you get a bit more experienced and confident to play around with the exposure according to the conditions)

 

[artonpaper]

EDIT: As an example, you could view your lens as having settings for the following f-stops: ... 8 9.5 11...

Your meter then has increments of ... 8 9 10 11...

If your meter then reads f9 or f10, just use f9.5 on your camera (until you get a bit more experienced and confident to play around with the exposure according to the conditions)[/QUOTE]

The above is the correct and perfect advice. Just to add one thing, unless you're shooting color positive transparency film, it is not usually necessary to concern your self with 1/3 stops, and this is just IMHO, but even half stops don't typically make much of a difference with negative films, espesially if one has taken the time to do threshold exposure tests as suggested in most zone system manuals. Most important are good metering techniques. Enjoy that camera and lens. They can really deliver superb results.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

The attached image has a 1/3 stop and 1/2 stop scales.

As 'artonpaper' suggests above, just round to the closest half stop when you meter for thirds.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Ditto what Thomas said, with the additional caveat of: IF shooting negative film, then round UP (ie, if it says f8 2/3 on your meter, round to f8 1/2). IF shooting transparency film, round DOWN (ie if it says f8 2/3 on your meter, use f11).

 

[DSLR]

Hey guys, thanks for the help. I think I've got it figured out. I just gotta get out there and start shooting.

One more thing...I have a Yellow filter, a Y2, that means you lose one full stop, no?

Thanks

 

[Diapositivo]

Although your mileage may vary, and you should seek professional advice before doing anything at home, consult your instruction manual, and [add your favourite "safe harbour" provision here] it should be noted that, in general, lenses have "stops" just to help the photographer set the aperture ring without stopping looking inside the viewfinder or, for let's say street photography, to let him adjust aperture by counting clicks, without even looking at the camera. The aperture ring will normally be settable at any position, regardless of clicks, also on lenses which have clicks. Lenses were created without clicks. Clicks were added later to help Henri Cartier-Bresson (or whomever) set the camera without getting too much attention or without distracting him from the action.

For calm and reasoned work while using an external light meter you can normally set them at 1/10th of a stop if you feel like. Light meters give you values in thirds, or in tenths of a stop because you can actually use those values, normally. (OK they do it also for other reasons such as checking evenness of illumination but I digress).

It obviously makes sense only with slide film to be so precise, but it does make sense with slide film if you like working with exactitude and if you don't like surprises.

Remember that shutter speeds and aperture rings will not necessarily give the exact exposure that they say.

The shutter might introduce a 0.25 stops error, and maybe the diaphragm another let's say 0.25 stops error. Now you also approximate your light-meter reading with another 0.25 error and you have three 0.25 errors. IF you are very unlucky, and those errors are all on the same side, you end up with an exposure which is 0.75 stops different than what you thought.

God knows how much "bracketing" is due to all those mistakes that creep here and there and make the final result slightly unforeseeable when using slides.

The scrupulous photographer checks his shutter's precision, buys good lenses with precise diaphragms (they were not created all equal), and uses the entire movement of his aperture rings (without being limited by "stops") so as to minimize all those rounding errors.

When doing serious work which provides for the soup at dinner, bracketing is also an option

 

[RalphLambrecht]

+1

 

[EASmithV]

LOL i'm surprised this forum let you choose the name "DSLR"

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Total noob questions

I'm trying to figure how to use my Carl Zeiss Planar 80mm lens with a Gossen Digisix light meter. The lens has the f Stops 2.8 * 4 * 5.6 * 8 * 11 * 16 * 22. The numbers each have a space between them. What f stop would those spaces be??? Also the Digisix has two spaces between the numbers. What if the meter tells me I should be on that second space which my lens doesn't even have? I'm so confused I don't know how phrase the question. I don't have the light meter yet, i just ordered one from Adorama and I guess they're on some kind of a Jewish holiday right now so I won't get it for a while, but I'd like to know how to use it before I get it.

Thanks in advance.

some lenses have intermediate stops.Yours are likely to be half stops.Your light meter will will increment in third stops(two clicks in-between the full stops). if you set your lens to the closest half stop, your exposure 'error' will never be larger than 1/6 stop,which is nothing ton worry about with film negatives. the Digisix is an excellent meter and will give you years of reliable service, I'm sure; best.

 

[wiltw]

A somewhat simpler way of thinking of things...rather than memorize the numberical values of the half-stops, and values of the third-stops, is to convert everything mentally to DECIMALS to find the 'closest' value...if the whole f/values are X and Y, then the progression goes...

• X, X.33, X.5, X.66, Y
• X.33 is closer to X.5 than it is to X (difference of 0.17 vs. difference of 0.33)
• X.66 is closer to X.5 than it is to Y (difference of 0.17 vs. difference of 0.33)

...so you ALWAYS know that any value of X.33 or X.66 always rounds to the half-stop aperture value on the lens!

It matters not the values of X vs. Y, the above is a truism for all cases...

• f/2 vs.f/2.8
• f/8 vs. f/11
• f/22 vs. f/32

...you ALWAYS know that any value of X.33 or X.66 always rounds to the half-stop aperture value on the lens!