Match Needle Technique with Nikon FE

Rob MacKillop

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I got a near-mint Nikon FE a few days ago, and found time to run some XP2 through it today. It was a bright, sunny day, and I could see the two needles, one green, one black, clearly. My understanding is that for good exposure, the needles should match each other.

I was photographing something I wanted to stand out from the background, so set the 50mm lens to f1.8, and then adjusted the shutter speed needle to match the other needle. I had to change aperture to f22 before they would align. Obviously this was useless for my intention, so I ended up setting the shutter-speed dial to Auto, and returning to f1.8.

So, what am I missing? With the film speed dial set to 400, and the aperture set to f1.8, all I could adjust was the shutter speed, but the needles refused to match. I'm sure the fault is mine, as the camera has been repaired to optimum condition by a reputable repair company.
 

BrianShaw

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If I understand your situation and concerns correctly...

Your film was too fast for the lighting conditions, limiting your exposure options. In that situation either user slower film or a filter, like a ND or polarizer or red contrast, that will allow you to use the aperture more to your liking.
 

Chan Tran

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Make no difference whether in Auto or Manual. If you insist on f/1.8 and ISO 400 the light has to be LV10 or below which isn't very bright. About a shaded area. Otherwise you will over expose your film.
 

tedr1

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At 400 and f1.8 a subject in bright sun probably calls for a shutter speed around 1/16,000 seconds, which is not available from an FE, or almost any other camera.

Using 100 film instead the shutter speed drops to 1/4000 sec which is possible for some cameras.

Wide open lens settings such as f1.8 are very useful indoors and in low light generally.

Either close the aperture or use slower film.
 

images39

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I love the ergonomics and overall design of the FE series. I think Brian is correct, if you were shooting on a bright day with ISO 400 film, it might be difficult to shoot at an aperture of 1.8 unless you use a filter to reduce the light getting to the film. Also keep in mind that matching the two needles in the viewfinder just means that you're setting the shutter speed to what the meter recommends, but you may want to compensate for lighting conditions. For example, if you're photographing a bright subject, the meter can be fooled and you may need to increase exposure to compensate.

Dale
 

BrianShaw

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Rob MacKillop said:
Hmm, I see. If I had set the film-speed dial to 200, would that have made a difference? ISO 400 is usually fine for Scotland, but it was a rare sunny day.
Click to expand...
You can do that, but you also need to have 200 film in the camera.
 

Theo Sulphate

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Rob MacKillop said:
Cheers, Dale. I see from the manual that you can deliberately overexpose or otherwise by setting the needles apart. I've never come across two needles before.
Click to expand...

The blue-green needle merely shows what your shutter speed dial is set to. If you're in manual mode, that's the shutter speed that will be used.

The black needle just shows the suggested shutter speed in manual mode for a "proper" exposure. In Auto mode the black needle shows the shutter speed that will be used.
 

summicron1

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In the situation you describe you need to go real close to the person you are photographing, take a reading off their face == which means if you set the camera on Auto, you look in the finder, put the lens at f 5.6 or whatever, then note what shutter speed the camera wants to use.

Then you take it off auto and set the camera at that manually -- lens opening and shutter speed -- and take your picture. Ignore the needles at this point; The part you want will be properly exposed.
 

summicron1

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Rob MacKillop said:
Great advice there, summi. I wouldn't have thought of doing that.
Click to expand...
my pleasure. if you are relatively new to film photography, i might suggest a basic book on metering technique -- it is not difficult, but there are a few things such as this trick that make it a lot more predictable.

Modern computer digital cameras, when they key in on faces in a scene, are doing what I just described automatically because the designers know that folks want faces properly exposed but don't always watch to make sure they are properly lit. This camera doesn't have that ability, but the amazing microprocessor lodged between your ears does, if you will install the proper software.
 

macfred

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Rob MacKillop

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I don't want to give the impression that I'm a complete newby at film, because I'm not. In fact I would say I have quite a few decent film shots. But the only film I've shot in the last couple of years is through a Konica Hexar, which I just stick on P mode and fire away. The camera always comes up with the goods. So I've got out of the way of really thinking about what I'm doing, which is why I relish the return to doing just that. I got confused with there being two needles, not being sure which was which...and hadn't read the manual. My mistake. I also wanted to test the bokeh of the lens at 1.8, and wasn't really thinking through the consequences.

But I think I understand it all now. Thanks for the comments and advice.
 

Dennis-B

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Rob MacKillop said:
Excuse my ignorance, Chan, but what does LV10 mean?
Click to expand...
I didn't see this answered, so...

LV = Light Value.

Light meters, regardless their type, measure light with a constant value, usually anywhere from EV1, to EV24. For each LV, there's a corresponding aperture and shutter speed based on the ISO of the film. For instance if a meter reads EV13, there's an algorithmic scale which translates the meter reading to a camera setting. A spot meter such as a Pentax will provide an EV readout in the viewfinder, then you can match the readout value to a scale around the viewing lens. You'll get all the combinations based on that EV.

I still use a spot meter for my Hasselblad and my view cameras. Most people that still use spot meters, can still calculate averages mentally, and set the exposure according to the way the scene needs to be interpreted.

The older CF, or "silver" lenses use EV's by default, and once that value is dialed, each aperture change will also change the exposure value in the shutter.
 
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Rob MacKillop

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Many thanks, David. I'll read that two or three times

Here's a couple from the first (and so far only) roll. Some of the shots were way off in terms of exposure, but I got a few that are not awful.

1. Peace Garden



2. Curiosity



3. Books - this one I adjusted a little in Elements 11

 

BrianShaw

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Nice. Very nice.

BTW, if you don’t know this already, the A mode on the FE is terrific.
 
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