Olympus trip to take higher than 400?

[TomMessenger]

Hi all, I'm new I hope this is the right forum, but it was a toss up between the 35mm camera and the film etc one.

I picked up a really nice olympus trip on saturday for next to nothing, but the ASA for the meter only goes up to 400. I got this with the intention of shooting street images, but the only problem is that when it switches to it's 1/40 setting, all I'm going to get is a big blur if I'm moving! My question really is can it be tricked to take a higher ASA, and so improve my shutter speed?

Or would I just have to try the 1/200 modification, and work my apertures manually?

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Mike Wilde]

There are modifications. The one where you hook a staple around a cam, and slide a ty-rap back and forth to selsect shutter speed appears to be feasible,. based on my experience of having one of mine apart to repair a cracked resisitor (of all things to fail in this simple camera it was not the first suspect).

There are also tricks when using this camera to get 1/200 without the need for surgery.

First step is Fred Parker's 'The Ultimate Exposure Calculator'. The most important of which are the two tables near the end, which classify light levels to EV values, and then translate EV values to the shutter spped and aperture corresponding to the film speed you are using.

If you point the camera at the sun, the sensor CDS cell causes the meter to move full scale. In aoto mode when you partially depress the shutter, the shutter speed sensor contacts the meter needle, and uses its position to decide if it is going to be a 1/40 or 1/200 shutter speed exposure. If the sensor cell was pointed at the sun then you are sure to get 1/200 shutter speed.

Then recompose your frame, move the aperture ring off of the A setting, and know what aperture coresponds to the EV level of the scene you are shooting.

They are fun little cameras; I have 2. Then again I have about 20 others.

Happy shooting.

 

[naugastyle]

I use higher ISOs in my Trip all the time, but not for the same reason. I use it for low light, not for increased shutter speed. For my purposes it's easy--load whatever film you want, then estimate what aperture is needed in your particular lighting situation, knowing that the shutter will always be 1/40. My most commonly-used ISO in the Trip is 3200--Delta 3200, Neopan 1600 pushed, Tri-x pushed.

My street photography is probably different from yours, but I do not find MY movement to be an issue. Unless I'm taking photos of breakdancers, 1/40 is frequently sufficient--again, I'm not the one that's moving, I stay still and take the photo. I'm also pretty sure the camera defaults to 1/200 whenever possible--I think most P&S cameras do to avoid camera shake--so with ISO 400 and f/2.8 you'll probably get 1/200 in most daytime lighting. If full sun is f/22 1/200, there are maaaany stops of light to go down before the camera would switch to 1/40.

Mike, I've heard of your "pointing at the sun" trick but am not understanding the second part of it. How would the shutter still be at 1/200 after you move the dial off A?

 

[Mike Wilde]

The way I recall it ( I have not had the hood off one in a few years ) the half press traps the 'stepped ramp' against the meter needle, which is the first step that determines speed and aperture. The ramp has two major steps, and each of these two steps has several minor steps. The two major steps are for the shutter speed selection, and the minor steps are for the aperture opening that makes with the shutter spped, the correct exposure for a given EV.

Once the half press of the shutter traps the meter needle, the full shutter depressing causes the shutter speed to be appropriately selected and the lens aperture to be set, when the lens is on A.

So going to half depressed shutter lets you select the shutter speed, depending on where the lens/meter is pointed. After that you turn the aperture dial off of 'A' , and it sets the aperture based on what you dial up, rather than what the cam following the minor steps in the stepped ramp arrangement says.

 

[naugastyle]

Interesting...will have to test this sometime. Thanks, Mike.