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PHOTOGRAPHY USING A SLR CAMERA

1. How to take pictures with zenit ?
2. How to set the Aperture ?
3. How to set Shutter Speed?
4. How to set film Speed ?
5. How to set Exposure Meter?
6. How to rewind the film?
7. How to change cells?
8. Note

How do take pictures with zenit ?

How to take pictures with Zenit

Focus – focus the subject you are trying to take picture of, by looking in the viewfinder and aligning vertical lines from your subject in the central circle of the view finder using the focusing ring on the lens.

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How to set the Aperture ?

Marked on lens asAperture- Aperture & shutter speed are correlated. The aperture also termed as f stops are in no.s

F-2, 2.8, 4 , 5.6, 8, 11, 16,. By moving from f-2 to f2.8 u are actually reducing the light by half, so by going down to f-4 have again reduced the light by half i.e. 1/4^th of f-2 and so on. Same way moving from f-2.8 to f2 you double the light reaching the film.

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How to set shutter speed?

Shutter speed- shutter speed is selected from the shutter speed dial from the top of the camera (right side), there is a line indicating which shutter speed has been selected. The shutter speeds are there in 1/30 sec, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250 1/500 & B (B = Bulb, i.e. shutter will remain open as long as u keep on pressing the shutter release button for this mode). Again by moving your shutter speed from 1/30 secs to 1/60 secs u are reducing the light by half and vice versa. WITH FLASH U HAVE TO ONLY USE 1/30 speed OTHER WISE ALL YOUR PHOTGRAPH WILL COME OUT BAD.

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How to set the film speed?

WHEN U LOAD YOUR NEW FILM CHECK THE FILM SPEED. They are marked as ASA on the carton and film can. I have given u a 100 ASA film they are the best for general use. Some time u may get 200ASA only from the market. On the left hand side there is a ASA (may be marked as ISO it’s the same) setting dial. So just set it to 100 if u are using 100 ASA film & 200 if u are using 200 ASA film. This setting only controls your exposure meter and is very imp. These ASA no indicate Sensitivity of the film. A 100 ASA film requires double the amount of light of 200 ASA film.

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How to set Exposure meter?

Exposure meter- IN the viewfinder on the left hand side there are three LED’s one in top (red) one in center (green) & one in bottom (red).

The exposure meter switches on when u press the shutter release button halfway down and one of the led’s will light up (The viewfinder may also go dark). These indicate exposure or light reaching your film is weather correct or not.

The top red L.E.D indicate the light is more than required. So either you have to move your aperture towards F-16 or shutter speed towards 1/500 secs, you may have to or can move both these setting to get the correct exposure (Green LED). Thus reducing the light reaching on the film.

The green LED indicates correct exposure this is when u should click your picture.

The Bottom red LED indicates the light is less than required by the film.

So you have to move the aperture towards F-2 or the shutter speed towards 1/30 secs.

Note exposure meter does not work with ‘B’ Setting.

If the light is low and you are not getting correct exposure by going down to F-2 and 1/30 secs, u have to use a flash.

THE EXPOSURE METER IS OVERSENSITIVE SO AT TIMES IT WILL SHOW EITHER –RED OR + RED LED WHEN U CHANGE YOUR EXPOSURE ie APERTURE OR SHUTTER SPEED, SO GO FOR THE SETTING IN WHICH +TOP RED LED JUST LIGHTS UP+ AFTER YOU ADJUSTED EXPOSURE AND GOT GREEN LED LIT ). This is because the film gives more workable result if overexposed rather than under exposed.

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When to use flash?

Using Flash- with flash u have to put shutter speed to 1/30 secs.

Use flash when you can not get green light on exposure meter due to less available light.

Don’t forget this. The exposure is only controlled by aperture now.

Even the exposure meter has to be ignored because it will just read low light(-red) for without flash conditions(DARK).

Each flash unit has a particular power indicated by guide no. the one I gave u has a guide no of 16.

So focus the normal way. Ensure shutter speed is on 1/30 sec.

After focusing check the distance in meters on the lens, say subject is at 2m. then 16/2 =8 so keep F-8 on your APERTURE = (GUIDE NO/DISTANCE)

Similarly for 3m distance 16/3= 5.33 so u can round of to f-5.6 or there is midway setting of 5.6 and 4. You may to keep on rounding off.

Ideally u should round of towards the lower side that is towards f-2 on the nearest F no: available.

Don’t worry u don’t have to calculate exactly each calculation i.e. for 16/3 u can just take 5. So the idea is to do quick approx mathematics and click.

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How to rewind the film ?

Rewinding the film. Press the black button in front of shutter speed button (The camera may click if u have advanced the frame advance lever). Now on the left side of the camera there is a cranking handle while keeping the black button pressed rotate the handle in the shown direction until the film is totally wound back, at almost the end the film will resist and then after going back totally in the can will become free. Now pull up the cranking handle and you can retrieve the can and load your new film. Send the exposed roll for development.

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How to change cells?

Cells you have to install two LR44 battery in the battery compartment on the left side of the viewfinder on the back of the camera. The plus sign of the battery has to be towards u and negative side towards lens. The battery is only for the exposure meter. U can work without batteries in flash mode (under low light conditions) as u don’t need your exposure meter then.

open the cell compartment using a coin or a screwdriver turn the top 90 angle once only.

(like fitting a light bulb into a holder )

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How to set shutter speed?

Tip- the normal day light exposure is 1/125secs at f-16 or 1/250 at f-11 so u can use these settings directly even without your exposure meter or batteries but only for kadak dhuup(daylight) not shadows or evening. And f-5.6 on flash mode will generally give workable exposure for all distance ranging from 2m to 4 m it the general distance from your friends.

Always move the film forwarding lever to max position (rotate anti clockwise till it resists)to load shutter correctly for next shot.

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Copyright © 2002 [Sameer Shrivastava]. All rights reserved. HOME
Revised: JUNE 03, 2003 .