I wonder if anyone could help...

WillMcC · Aug 10, 2012

Firstly, Hello! My first, of hopefully many, posts on this very interesting looking website.

Anyway,
I've recently acquired an Exa 1B. It has the factory 50mm Jena DDR f2.8-f22 lens fitted. I've just finished and developed my 'Tester' roll. I've been varying between the 'Manual' and 'Automatic' option on the lens housing. It has made no difference to my photographs at all? Does anybody have any idea as to why?
Thanks in advance,
Will.

BMbikerider · Aug 10, 2012

I am not sure what you mean by automatic or manual.

Can I ask do you mean automatic iris closing when you fire the shutter and manual do you mean setting the aperture with the auto facility disconnected. If so, there won't be any difference with the picture, the only difference at all will be how dark the viewing screen is when you look though the viewfinder.

WillMcC · Aug 10, 2012

Thanks for the quick reply.
I mean that with the aperture on manual, automatic disconnected, I am still unable to see the aperture open and close between f-stops.
There is no difference in the photos as in depth of field? I'm thinking my aperture mechanism might be faulty.

Thanks for the help!

BMbikerider said:
I am not sure what you mean by automatic or manual.

Can I ask do you mean automatic iris closing when you fire the shutter and manual do you mean setting the aperture with the auto facility disconnected. If so, there won't be any difference with the picture, the only difference at all will be how dark the viewing screen is when you look though the viewfinder.

Prof_Pixel · Aug 10, 2012

In the lens manual mode, you should be able to see the aperture open and close as you move the aperture ring. If I understand you correctly, this isn't happening.

Edit:

My comments were based on an Exa I had in 1955-1957 which, after checking the web, is a far different camera from the later Exa 1B the original poster has.

Worker 11811 · Aug 10, 2012

Assuming all other things are equal, if you use a manual mode to set an exposure suggested by the camera's internal light meter, it should produce an equivalent result to one which was selected by the camera's internal automatic/program exposure mode.

The difference would be that, in the camera's automatic mode, a pre-programmed series of aperture and shutter combinations is used to select the right exposure for that shot whereas, you get to choose the aperture/shutter combination, yourself, in manual mode.

That is what "manual mode" is for. It allows you to use selective focus, via depth-of-field adjustments, and to freeze or blur action, via shutter speed adjustments, to compose the picture the way you want it to look yet still get an acceptable exposure without having to fuss too much.

Someonenameddavid · Aug 10, 2012

No I think in the age to which that camera belongs, if it is a 42mm thread, the automatic setting refers to the stopping down of the lens to the set aperture. In Pentacon/Pentax/universal thread bodies there would be a plate which pushed a pin on the lens causing it to close down to the set aperture. When you switched the meter on, the screen would go dark and the TTL meter would register. Full aperture metering used a second pin to tell the meter what aperture was set. Pentax, Pentacon and Fuji had different ways of doing this so they were only mildly compatible. Then they went to bayonet mounts. If your Exa is fairly old it may not have the pusher plate and the A/M setting is irrelevant.

David

Worker 11811 · Aug 10, 2012

Okay. That makes sense.

The reason I thought that was because all the cameras I own which have TTL meters (or meters at all, for that matter) have a notch on the aperture ring, "A" for "automatic."
That setting chooses automatic mode on the aperture, either allowing you to use Aperture Priority mode. If the camera has the feature, you can set the shutter for Automatic, as well, and go for Programmed Exposure mode. Of course, you can turn them both to manual and shoot in full-manual mode.

I just assumed he was talking about a camera like that.

Few of the other cameras I own even have TTL meters. Some don't have meters at all. Because of that, I just made a leap of logic.

WillMcC · Aug 11, 2012

Thank you all for being so helpful!
The 'A' and 'M' function on my camera lens would appear to not be working as it should. I managed to get a hold of a second Jena DDR 50mm and the noticeable difference between the two was that, if I was to click between stops on the aperture ring, I could see it opening and closing. So I'm guessing the pin/mechanism in my lens body was faulty?

Just for anyone that's curious, or if anyone comes across this with a similar problem, when shooting in 'A' mode, you can preview the depth of field by pressing the shutter release half way, without actually taking the shot.

Thank you again everyone!

Prof_Pixel said:
In the lens manual mode, you should be able to see the aperture open and close as you move the aperture ring. If I understand you correctly, this isn't happening.

Edit:

My comments were based on an Exa I had in 1955-1957 which, after checking the web, is a far different camera from the later Exa 1B the original poster has.

I wonder if anyone could help...

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