Longest F3 exposure?

semi-ambivalent · Nov 8, 2012

I know the Nikon F3 can do a max of 8 sec. when on manual, but what is the max. on Auto? Isn't it something like 30 min?

thanks,

s-a

Mick Fagan · Nov 8, 2012

The F3 has a T setting, this allows you to keep the shutter open until you turn the dial off T.

T stands for Time.

I don't know what the longest auto shutter speed would be, but that would also depend upon the ASA setting and aperture setting you have set. I don't ever remember ever requiring anything like a 30 minute exposure on auto, which is aperture priority in that camera.

Mick.

jochen · Nov 8, 2012

Hello,
most aperture priority cameras like the F 3 make much longer long time exposures than specified. But in such low light situations the linearity of the exposure is no longer guaranteed. You have to compensate for the so called Schwarzschild-Effekt and the camera does not know the algorithm for your film. Some cameras like the OM 2n stop after 2 minutes, others do not close the shutter again and wait for the exhaustion of the battery.

okto · Nov 8, 2012

Mine would do exposures as long as 35 minutes on A. It's an analog feedback circuit, so until the right number of photons are collected by the metering cell or the battery runs out, it will keep the shutter open.

I believe the F5 will do this as well; anyone care to chime in on that?

Chan Tran · Nov 8, 2012

okto said:
Mine would do exposures as long as 35 minutes on A. It's an analog feedback circuit, so until the right number of photons are collected by the metering cell or the battery runs out, it will keep the shutter open.

I believe the F5 will do this as well; anyone care to chime in on that?

How long the F3 would do an exposure on A varying between cameras and I would not use it that way, not pass the 8 sec. With such low light level the meter doesn't have enough light to make a good reading any way. Unlike the Oly the F3 is a sample and hold camera that is it would take the light measurement and use that value for the exposure. If you don't think so, with the camera on A, release the shutter with the lens cap on, open the lens cap and shine bright light thru it. The shutter won't close. But if you do this on the Olympus OM-2 the shutter would close right away.

I have to check the F5, although you can manually set the shutter speed to 30 minutes, I think the F5 would simply quit working on A if the light level is too low.

ajuk · Nov 8, 2012

I always wondered why there was never a camera that could be programmed to know the reciprocity failure times for different films, Maybe that'll be a feature of the F7?

Chan Tran · Nov 8, 2012

With the lens cap on my F3HP only does 40 seconds exposure on A. I will check my F5 after I have the battery charged up.

Chan Tran · Nov 8, 2012

ajuk said:
I always wondered why there was never a camera that could be programmed to know the reciprocity failure times for different films, Maybe that'll be a feature of the F7?

Could you make up a program that would compensate for reciprocity failure or if you know the algorithm to do so? I know it can be done but I personally don't know where to start.

Chan Tran · Nov 8, 2012

My F5 when on A and with lens cap on it only does 20 seconds.

Klainmeister · Nov 8, 2012

Weak! My FE went to 7.5 minutes once and was dead on. I thought the F3 was supposed to be superior!

Aja B · Nov 8, 2012

Chan Tran said:
I have to check the F5, although you can manually set the shutter speed to 30 minutes...

30 seconds, perhaps?

destroya · Nov 8, 2012

in the custom settings of the F5 you can set it to do exposures in shutter mode out to 30 minutes. I've done it, albeit with not very good luck, more just to see if I could do it

Chan Tran · Nov 8, 2012

Aja B said:
30 seconds, perhaps?

Yes 30 minutes. The F5 as default you can set it to 30 seconds. But with custom setting you can change the longest shutter speed to 30 minutes. As I have said in earlier post if left to auto mode it only does 20 seconds(my own camera, I don't think all F5 are the same in this respect).

Russ - SVP · Nov 8, 2012

With lithium batt's in my FE and FE-2, I've gone for an hour or more.

Les Sarile · Nov 8, 2012

I tested all my aperture priority auto expose capable cameras (Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax & Ricoh) and found only the LX to be capable of hours long auto exposure. Also, unlike the others - with the exception of the OM's, it constantly monitors the scene for changes in lighting and will adjust accordingly + or -.

Regarding adjusting for reciprocity, I am certain most all film makers only account for up to minutes long.

lxdude · Nov 9, 2012

Les Sarile said:
I tested all my aperture priority auto expose capable cameras (Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax & Ricoh) and found only the LX to be capable of hours long auto exposure. Also, unlike the others - with the exception of the OM's, it constantly monitors the scene for changes in lighting and will adjust accordingly + or -.

Yep, set it up after it gets dark, put slow film in it, set the lens to f/22, and go to sleep. If you're a light sleeper the sound of the shutter closing will wake you at dawn.

Chan Tran · Nov 9, 2012

Klainmeister said:
Weak! My FE went to 7.5 minutes once and was dead on. I thought the F3 was supposed to be superior!

I prefer that my cameras don't try for an exposure that is beyond its metering capability. I always do long exposure on manual. First long exposure generally mean low light and if the light is below the metering range I don't trust it. I would have to put in compensation for reciprocity failure any way. Night scene is generally very high contrast and a single center weighted meter measurement would not yield good exposure.

okto · Nov 10, 2012

Haters gonna. C41 is your friend for exposures like that, the latitude helps compensate for reciprocity failure. The half-hour exposures I made with my F3 were on Reala; don't know if it's particularly good at long exposures or what, but the negs turned out okay.

Man, I am bummed to find YET ANOTHER reason I shouldn't have sold that camera...

benjiboy · Nov 10, 2012

You don't get many 30 minute exposures on "A" before the camera batteries are flat, it's much better top make a time exposure.

Les Sarile · Nov 10, 2012

Chan Tran said:
I prefer that my cameras don't try for an exposure that is beyond its metering capability. I always do long exposure on manual. First long exposure generally mean low light and if the light is below the metering range I don't trust it.

I believe this is true - at least for my FE2, FA, F3 & FM3A, as I have gotten as low as 15minutes to as much as >1hour unpredictably.

This is not the case with both of my Pentax LX bodies as they time reasonable similar even though the manual does state only 125 seconds at f1.2.

lxdude · Nov 11, 2012

My LX will time for hours. All night even, until it gets enough light on the photocell that it's satisfied. About the only time I use AE.

lxdude · Nov 11, 2012

benjiboy said:
You don't get many 30 minute exposures on "A" before the camera batteries are flat, it's much better top make a time exposure.

My batteries start out flat.

On two sides.

Longest F3 exposure?

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