Zorki 4, Rollei 400s and exposure times

Brent Bechtel · Nov 9, 2021

I'm an amateur photographer, and I've never shot this film before.

The Zorki is limited on exposure times, obviously. So, let's say it's a sunny day, and I shoot under the relative shade of a tree (out of direct sunlight) and want to take a portrait using the Jupiter 8 lens at f2.

Using Rollei 400s, what are typical exposure times for the given circumstance? I'm still trying to learn, and a lot of the film I've shot has been ISO 100, and my photos often come out underexposed.

Would a .5 second exposure using 400 speed film possibly come out ok? I'm ok with overexposing; I'm still trying to get a feel for this.

I dislike being this ignorant, but Google isn't much help with this.

Best,
Brent

Andrew O'Neill · Nov 9, 2021

Hard to guess these things unless one can actually see the lighting conditions... But I would guess that you would have excessive over exposure using 1/2 second shutter...f/2. ND filter that reduces light transmission by several stops, perhaps? Will you not be using a light metre?

Brent Bechtel · Nov 9, 2021

Ah. I don't have a light meter offhand, although I could use my Nikon FG-20s light meter, suppose ... although on some shots, that camera underexposes some frames. I think what I'll end up doing today, minus a light meter, is trying different exposures under the same conditions to get a feel for it. Soon, I will get a dedicated light meter. Thank you. (And perhaps invest in some filters.)

cramej · Nov 9, 2021

1/2 second at f2 in open shade for ISO 400 is waaaaay off. It whould be several stops overexposed. 1/2 second at f2 for ISO 100 would also be too much. Methinks you have a shutter problem.

Open shade for ISO 100 would be in the 1/125 at f/5.6 or f/4 range.

Brent Bechtel · Nov 9, 2021

Okay. The film is ISO 400, and I shot a roll of Rollei 400s using a variety of settings, partially initiated because the shutter speeds don't line up with the knob quite like they should. I guess this roll is a test to see how this particular camera acts. For example, I took a photo indoors of my cats at 1/100 at f/2, and we'll just see how it comes out. Maybe everything will be blown out. But when I take photos indoors on my AGFA Isolette using TX 400, sometimes I get good results with a cable release and counting: one, two ... at least with that camera, it really underexposes. Either that or TX 400 is very forgiving. I guess I'll update with the outcome in about a week. For example, I think I took this self portrait at f/5.6 and held the cable for about a second. It's got a lot of grain. I really haven't learned what I'm doing yet, exactly.

abruzzi · Nov 9, 2021

if you're shooting in the sun, then sunny 16 suggests 1/400 (or 1/500) at ƒ16. If it is in the shade, but still a sunny day (i.e. not dark shade), I usually add two stops, which puts you at 1/100 or 1/125 and ƒ16. So now you want to shoot wide open at ƒ2, which is 6 stops wider than ƒ16, which should push your shutter speed to 1/8000 (which of course no Zorki can do.) For cameras with slower top shutter speeds, you either need smaller apertures, ND filters, or slower film.

Brent Bechtel · Nov 9, 2021

Thank you. Looks like I'll be getting some ND filters, and studying sunny 16. I was kind of hoping it would be like my Isolette outdoors, where I can set it to 25 or 50 with 400 ISO film and get useable results. Ah! Damn. I have to learn how to do this.

cramej · Nov 9, 2021

Brent Bechtel said:
Okay. The film is ISO 400, and I shot a roll of Rollei 400s using a variety of settings, partially initiated because the shutter speeds don't line up with the knob quite like they should. I guess this roll is a test to see how this particular camera acts. For example, I took a photo indoors of my cats at 1/100 at f/2, and we'll just see how it comes out. Maybe everything will be blown out. But when I take photos indoors on my AGFA Isolette using TX 400, sometimes I get good results with a cable release and counting: one, two ... at least with that camera, it really underexposes. Either that or TX 400 is very forgiving. I guess I'll update with the outcome in about a week. For example, I think I took this self portrait at f/5.6 and held the cable for about a second. It's got a lot of grain. I really haven't learned what I'm doing yet, exactly.View attachment 290595

Backlit subject indoors with only tungsten light.....1 second sounds about right at f/5.6.

Decree from above - get thyself a light meter and learn the ways of the light.

spark · Nov 9, 2021

Look up exposure value or exposure index chart on google to help get a feel for how exposure needs to change with different light conditions. There are also decent photographic light meter apps for smart phones, some are free. Also, don’t worry too much- have fun with your camera.

reddesert · Nov 9, 2021

Brent Bechtel said:
Okay. The film is ISO 400, and I shot a roll of Rollei 400s using a variety of settings, partially initiated because the shutter speeds don't line up with the knob quite like they should. ...View attachment 290595

Two thoughts: You can find rule-of-thumb settings for sunny-16 at 1/ISO in full sun, a few stops more for open shade, etc. Exposure guidelines like this used to come printed on the inside of film boxes or on the back of cameras.

Second, on many older rangefinders including the Zorki, the shutter knob rotates during exposure. You have to set the speed after winding the film/shutter or the numbers don't line up correctly; that might or might not be your issue.

Ares_der_Ruderer · Nov 11, 2021

Rollei Retro 400S is not a 400 speed film, despite Rollei's rather ambitious advertising. It is repackaged Aviphot 200, aviphot being a film specifically designed for aerial photography, and thus possesing rather sharp contrast. Therefore, shooting at anything other than 100-200 ISO will result in excessive contrast, i.e either the highlights getting blown out, the shadows crushed, or both. If you are shooting with an older uncoated lens, 200 is probably fine, as the lack of contrast from the lens will counteract the contrast of the film, but if you are shooting modern coated optics, I'd suggest 100. As for developing, I would also suggest decreasing Rollei's development estimates by a good 20%, as I'm suspecting they've set them so that you essentialy push develop to get some half usable results at 400. Of course, this is all rules of thumb to get you going, the only way to fully determine the settings at which you should be shooting with your specific equipment, both in terms of camera and development enviroment, is to conduct bracketing and development tests on pictures of standardized step wedges correctly exposed.

Brent Bechtel · Nov 16, 2021

Ares_der_Ruderer said:
Rollei Retro 400S is not a 400 speed film, despite Rollei's rather ambitious advertising. It is repackaged Aviphot 200, aviphot being a film specifically designed for aerial photography, and thus possesing rather sharp contrast. Therefore, shooting at anything other than 100-200 ISO will result in excessive contrast, i.e either the highlights getting blown out, the shadows crushed, or both. If you are shooting with an older uncoated lens, 200 is probably fine, as the lack of contrast from the lens will counteract the contrast of the film, but if you are shooting modern coated optics, I'd suggest 100. As for developing, I would also suggest decreasing Rollei's development estimates by a good 20%, as I'm suspecting they've set them so that you essentialy push develop to get some half usable results at 400. Of course, this is all rules of thumb to get you going, the only way to fully determine the settings at which you should be shooting with your specific equipment, both in terms of camera and development enviroment, is to conduct bracketing and development tests on pictures of standardized step wedges correctly exposed.

I shot a roll of film, using long exposure times, and most everything came out, at least what I shot outdoors:
Zorki 4, Jupiter 8, Rollei 400S, f/2 ? something like that. 1/25 or so

Brent Bechtel · Nov 16, 2021

Therefore said:
With the camera speeds I have available and how the developing went, I'm sort of treating the Rollei 400S like it's ISO 80. We'll see how the second roll comes out, now that I started metering.

I was just guessing with the first roll; thankfully, I got a lot of useable images by using excessive exposure times.

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