The importance of an instruction manual

DaveO

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I just got my 120 film back from NCPS and found only 2 of 23 exposures came out. It had been a long time since I used my Rolleiflex 3.5F and I had the lever on the top left turned to flashbulb ( 1/30 sec ) instead of the electronic setting for the speedlight that I was using. It makes me feel really dumb after spending $ 37 on developing and scanning to see the results. I have no idea why two of the pictures even came out. The other 21 are underexposed enough to not be fixed.
It goes to show that it is good to read your instruction manual before shooting. I had a copy with me in my camera bag too.
 

Alan Gales

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We all make mistakes. The smart ones learn from mistakes. Gee, I hope I'm smart someday!

It sounds like you are one of the smart ones.
 

benjiboy

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It could be worse, you could have been shooting a wedding.
I've had the M flash sync. on my Mamiya medium format lenses disabled because I never use flash bulbs and to avoid these sort of accidents.
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rbultman

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benjiboy said:
...I've had the M flash sync...disabled...to avoid these sort of accidents.
Click to expand...

Can you explain this please? I don't understand how leaving them on any given setting my help prevent accidents. I always leave my various cameras and lenses on X with the rationale that I only have electronic flashes.

Thanks,
Rob
 

benjiboy

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rbultman said:
Can you explain this please? I don't understand how leaving them on any given setting my help prevent accidents. I always leave my various cameras and lenses on X with the rationale that I only have electronic flashes.

Thanks,
Rob
Click to expand...
The time delay on the shutter opening and sync. with the flash firing is different for electronic flash and flash bulbs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_synchronization
 

snapguy

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stray

I used Rolleiflexes and Yashicamats proferssionally since the 1960s. The "M" and "X" settings can be vexing. I currently own a Yashicamat that was owned by a large international news photo service and used in the 1960s. The cameras has several modifications that suit a professional. One of them is a small screw drilled in the front of the camera to prevent the lever from accidentally moving from "X" to "M." That lever can move when you are taking the camera out of the camera bag, or whatever, and it will ruin your day if you are using strobe -- which was virtually the only flash used by the wire service photogs at that time. Without that screw you just have to learn to be a tad bit paranoid about seeing the lever is in the right place when using strobe.
 

DWThomas

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I have also read that some of the Yashica shutters will lock up if you try to use the self timer with the switch on M sync. I'm considering a drop of silicone adhesive on the lever of my 124G. (Though I use a self timer about as often as I use flash, bulbs or otherwise, so it probably doesn't matter much. )
 

pdeeh

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DWThomas said:
I have also read that some of the Yashica shutters will lock up if you try to use the self timer with the switch on M sync.
Click to expand...

Correct, it happened to my 124. it's so easily knocked ... my solution consists of duct-tape however
 

Arklatexian

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Importance of an instruction manual and flash sync. info.

First, older shutters have, in some cases, three flash synch. settings: F, M, X. If the shutter was set on F, it had a 5 millisecond delay so the Gas-filled bulbs could start burning 5 milliseconds before the leaf shutter was wide open. Set on M, there was a 20 millisecond delay and of course on X there was no delay for electronic flash. For focal plane shutter cameras, a third bulb was made with a 20 millisecond delay and a longer burning period. It had the letters FP in front of its nimber. As has been said earlier, tape the synch switch so it won't move from X unless you want to use flash bulbs for old times sake. As for the instruction book, better yet would be to make yourself a "check list" to take with you until you get it memorized. And, of course, it won't work either unless you use it. You have just heard from "the voice of experience" who made the same mistakes more than once.
 

removed account4

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i wouldnt feel bad
i know someone (seasoned pro, now of 40 years? ) who bought a graflex slr and insisted he
read in the manual he could plug his 2 prong paramount cord onto the pc
and he ran probably 5 rolls of 120 through it trying to determine the synch speed ...

he didnt find it ....
 
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DaveO

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Thanks for all the answers. Even the humorous ones. I just need to use the Rolleiflex more often before they stop making a lot of the film for it. It's hard when you have a digital camera sitting there not doing anything.
 

MattKing

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rbultman said:
Can you explain this please? I don't understand how leaving them on any given setting my help prevent accidents. I always leave my various cameras and lenses on X with the rationale that I only have electronic flashes.

Thanks,
Rob
Click to expand...

It is too easy to accidentally change the flash synch setting on the Mamiya TLR lenses.
 

benjiboy

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It could be worse, you could have been shooting a wedding ! .
I've had the M flash sync. on my Mamiya medium format lenses disabled because I never use flash bulbs and to avoid these accidents.
Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk


Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk
 

mweintraub

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Nevermind, I see now that you said you were using an electronic speedlight. *le sigh* You might need to work on your manual reading, I need to work on my reading comprehension.



Question. I'm assuming you were shooting with flash? I ask because I've never heard of a camera firing differently (ie. single shutter) when set to "M" sync
 

benjiboy

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X flash sync is instantaneous M sync. has a 20 milliseconds shutter delay for flash bulbs.

Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk
 

narsuitus

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Many years ago, I was shooting a wedding in a large hotel with a Mamiya-Sekor twin-lens-reflex camera.

During a break in the activities, I met a colleague who was shooting another wedding in an adjoining ballroom. He commented on my camera and asked if he could see it because he was thinking of buying one. I carefully watched him as he inspected my camera to make sure that he did not accidentally drop the camera or open the back and expose the film.

After we parted to return to our respective weddings, I quickly checked my camera to make sure he had not changed by exposure settings. My settings were correct; however, I noticed that he had changed my sync setting from electronic flash (X) to flash bulb (M). Had I not found this change, the rest of my flash shots would have been ruined.

https://flic.kr/p/oPrHJV
 

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