F2 and 50/1.8 Ais, how to under 1/3 stops for slide exposure?

where is adjust to get 1/3 or 2/3 exposure values? Lense or camera??

Hi Alfred

 

You'd usually adjust the light meter (if you use a photomic head or if you use a separate light meter it is the same thing). One third of a stop is the difference between two consequetive ASA numbers, eg 50, 64, 80, 100, 125 etc. The difference is one third of a stop each time. To underexpose, you are letting in less light, so set the meter as if the film was faster. For Ektachrome 100, set the meter to 125.

 

With an F2 and lenses of that period you can only get half stops, so using the lens is not an option anyway.

 

But before you get too far into doing this, it would be wise to do a test film at a range of film speeds and see what particular exposure suits you and your equipment. Slight underexposure such as you propose is just a general a rule of thumb to avoid getting bright spots (highlights) washed out completely, at the price of the darker areas possibly blocking up solid. It won't help if the scene you photograph has too much variation in light levels.

 

Everyone's equipment is slightly different. Your meter may be slightly off, your film speeds may be slightly off, your lens aperture may be slightly off. Do a test sequence of several shots of the same subject with -1, -2/3, -1/3, normal, +1/3, +2/3 and +1 stop to see for yourself what difference the changes make. Confirm for yourself what is best for YOU. Then post some prints for us to admire ;-)

 

Regards, Ross

Alfred,

 

Heres a manual about all funtions and 'how-to's' of the F2.

 

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf2/index.htm

 

Greetings,

The aperture ring on a lens is an analog, and not digital, device and although click stoped at 1/2 f-stops can be set anywhere. If you are looking for 1/3 stop under exposure for the whole roll of film set the ASA dial to one number higher (1/3 stop).

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I seem to remember that the F2 allows continuous intermediate shutter speeds between the click stops, even though it's a mechanical shutter.

 

That said, you also have continuous control between the aperture stops, but it's difficult to set it accurately, repeatedly. The shutter control seems to have a more fine 'controlability', but in either case it's a somewhat coarse adjustment, and its best to rely on the meter for judging the adjustment.

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Correct me if I'm wrong here, but I seem to remember that the F2 allows continuous intermediate shutter speeds between the click stops, even

though it's a mechanical shutter.

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Yes, the high speed shutter movement (1/90th and faster) allows intermediate settings. The mid speed movement (1/60th down to 1/2) does not, and the slow speed movement (via self timer) does.