CANON FT QL

hi the merter moves the same with the battery in and out when i turn the dial. i dont know if it is right.. thank you. alice. x

By "dial" do you mean the shutter speed dial, or are you referring to the aperture ring.

What is happening with the battery in and stopping down the lens? You are aware that to meter you need to stop the lens down, right?

FYI, the newer PX625 will give you a false reading. But don't worry, there are several way to get around that problem.

I don't remember exactly, but moving the shutter speed dial should move the meter battery in or out. But again, I'm not certain of this.

Alice, the needle will move when you turn the shutter speed dial, whether the battery is in or not. I think there's a mechanical linkage. The needle should only move when you change the aperture on the lens when the battery is installed, it should not move with no battery when you change the aperture. As Jim says, the FT QL which has the FL lens mount uses stop down metering, that is, you have to move the stop down lever towards the lens to get a reading. The later FTb QL had the FD lens mount which included meter coupling, which "tells" the camera what aperture the lens is set to.

I've found that mine gives reasonable exposures with a 1.5V battery installed, even though it was designed for the obsolete 1.35V Mercury battery.

Alice, the needle will move when you turn the shutter speed dial, whether the battery is in or not. I think there's a mechanical linkage. The needle should only move when you change the aperture on the lens when the battery is installed, it should not move with no battery when you change the aperture. As Jim says, the FT QL which has the FL lens mount uses stop down metering, that is, you have to move the stop down lever towards the lens to get a reading. The later FTb QL had the FD lens mount which included meter coupling, which "tells" the camera what aperture the lens is set to.

 

I've found that mine gives reasonable exposures with a 1.5V battery installed, even though it was designed for the obsolete 1.35V Mercury battery.

it deosnt work with any battery. im ok i dont use meters i can see the light ok. thank you. alice. x

im ok i dont use meters i can see the light ok.

As I've said before, the surviving C41 color films and chromogenic films have so much latitude that metering is much less necessary. Many B&W emulsions have a broad range. Slide films do badly need a good light meter.

People did get a fair rate of success with their Argus C-3 cameras and the exposure guide packed with the film.

see sunny-16

My favorite is Fred Parker's handy guide to Exposure Values: Ultimate Exposure Computer

I looked at it. it is too hard to understand for me ha.

Alice, have you tried using a hand-held meter (I use a Weston V) and the Zone System ? Looks complex to begin with, but is logical and after a while intuitive.

hi i han one but it was hard to see what do with it. i am ok with film it tells you in the box for the light to set your camera. i can do it good now ha.

You can get an exposure meter app for your phone too, if you want.

my phone is rubbish ha.

As mentioned above, use the Sunny 16 rule. It's surprisingly accurate.

hi its too many numbers for me. thank you.

I believe most film manufacturers still print exposure recommendations on the box. Just use those.

ha thats what i do.