Rolleiflex 2.8f back chart

hiroh · May 4, 2022

Can someone explain how to read this chart? What are the numbers in the black area?

Paul Howell · May 4, 2022

I don't see an attachment with the chart in question.

AgX · May 4, 2022

The figures are Light Values (abbr.: LV or LW).

These are relational figures to describe the luminance of a subject.
F1 @ 1sec = LV 0 (@ ISO 100)

With each full step at the shutter speed- or aperture-scale the LV changes by one full figure.

In the 50's LV's had been introduced at german light meters and shutters.

hiroh · May 4, 2022

Oh, it didn't attach because the file was too big.

hiroh · May 4, 2022

AgX said:
The figures are Light Values (abbr.: LV or LW).

These are relational figures to describe the luminance of a subject.
F1 @ 1sec = LV 0 (@ ISO 100)

With each full step at the shutter speed- or aperture-scale the LV changes by one full figure.

In the 50's LV's had been introduced at german light meters and shutters.

I see, but I don't know how that could help me? Do you use this chart?

AgX · May 4, 2022

I do not own any camera with such chart.

shutterfinger · May 4, 2022

That's an EV table. Meter the scene, find the corresponding EV in the table and set the shutter speed and aperture accordingly. EV = exposure value.
Many meters of the day have a EV scale.

ic-racer · May 4, 2022

The EV numbers are what you put on the dial of the E type. For whatever reason the F type also has the chart, but you can ignore it.

AgX · May 4, 2022

But the OP's question still is unanswered. "What use has this chart on a camera"

Such chart is useful in a textbook to understand EV's. But on a camera?

A meter with EV's already yields exposure times/aperture combos. One now may argue that such chart yields a wider range of values.

Is there any other manufacturer who put such chart on a camera?

Sirius Glass · May 4, 2022

shutterfinger said:
That's an EV table. Meter the scene, find the corresponding EV in the table and set the shutter speed and aperture accordingly. EV = exposure value.
Many meters of the day have a EV scale.

On the Hasselblad the exposure wheels interlocks replace that chart and from post #8 that is the purpose of the 'E' wheel on the E model.

McDiesel · May 5, 2022

@hiroh There are two types of light meters: those that display aperture + shutter speed pair, or those that display a single number called EV value. If you have the latter type, you need a lookup table to pick an aperture + shutter speed combination based on the EV value from a meter.

This is not often used these days, as nearly all light meters can display both the EV value and aperture + shutter speed combinations, so the need for these "translation tables" has been greatly reduced.

AgX · May 5, 2022

McDiesel said:
@hiroh There are two types of light meters: those that display aperture + shutter speed pair, or those that display a single number called EV value. If you have the latter type, you need a lookup table to pick an aperture + shutter speed combination based on the EV value from a meter.

I got a huge collection of light meters and no hand-held model comes to my mind that only shows EV's. This only I know of at built-in meters.
And in these cases the shutters, next to the EV scale, got aperture/exposure time scales too. Thus there the different combos are readable and settable.

Thus this chart only makes sense if one got a meter that only displays EV's and a classic (non EV) shutter.

Dan Daniel · May 5, 2022

The meters on the Rolleiflex D and E and T cameras are not coupled. You get an EV value from the knob and transfer it to the shutter and aperture dial. I assume that Rollei had so many back panel inserts and leather with cutouts that they just kept using their back stock. Or it was such an 'iconic' look for the back of their camera that they couldn't give it up. A Rolleicord Vb has an even more cryptic panel with little images of various lighting conditions tied to EV numbers, and an EV scale in one opening around the lens.

The meter on the Minolta Autocord does the same- give you a single number. The aperture and shutter levers each point to a number around the lens (along with top window read-out of actual setting). So if the meter gives you 13, you can set the aperture and shutter at any combination that adds up to 13. Yep, as much fun in real life as it sounds.

BrianShaw · May 5, 2022

Rollei had several different exposure tables on the back of their TLRs over the years. Some were very useful for determining an exposure without a light meter.

This one… not so much. From the manual:

Exposure value - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Sirius Glass · May 5, 2022

McDiesel said:
@hiroh There are two types of light meters: those that display aperture + shutter speed pair, or those that display a single number called EV value. If you have the latter type, you need a lookup table to pick an aperture + shutter speed combination based on the EV value from a meter.

This is not often used these days, as nearly all light meters can display both the EV value and aperture + shutter speed combinations, so the need for these "translation tables" has been greatly reduced.

An Ahh.. moment.

Sirius Glass · May 5, 2022

AgX said:
I got a huge collection of light meters and no hand-held model comes to my mind that only shows EV's. This only I know of at built-in meters.
And in these cases the shutters, next to the EV scale, got aperture/exposure time scales too. Thus there the different combos are readable and settable.

Thus this chart only makes sense if one got a meter that only displays EV's and a classic (non EV) shutter.

Hasselblad 45° PME for example. You are just not buying the right kind of equipment.

AgX · May 5, 2022

This is not a handheld meter. And for that chart to make sense we have to look at what meter/shutter combinations were used in the days of that camera.

And I ask again: what other manufacturer used such chart on their camera?

Ron (Netherlands) · May 9, 2022

ASAIK the 2.8F doesn't work with EV-figures, so the table on the back is handy when using a meter that provides EV-numbers and you want to translate these numbers into the comparable shutterspeeds and f-stops. It can come in handy when using flash compensation which is also put in + or - EV

Rolleiflex 2.8f back chart

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