Question about my newly received Cine Kodak K-100

Adam n · June 26, 2008

I was recently given a k-100, and plan on shooting in a month or two (already have film.) I was wondering about how to set my camera at the correct exposure since the calculator on the side which i assume is for that is missing a piece (See Pic : http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g304/ada...Picture1-7.png )

In other words, i am clueless as to how to set exposure, (my only experience with film is photography where i have had a light meter)

thanks a lot! I really like these forums, im surpised it took me so long to find them!

Edited June 26, 2008 by Adam Netsky

Bruce Taylor · June 26, 2008

In other words, i am clueless as to how to set exposure, (my only experience with film is photography where i have had a light meter)

You set it just like the other kind of photography, f stop, shutter speed and film speed. I think that camera has a 1/50th sec exposure @ 24 frames per sec (close enough, anyway), set your meter to the correct film speed and read out the f stop. Pretty simple (at least to get started!).

Bruce

Adam n · June 26, 2008

You set it just like the other kind of photography, f stop, shutter speed and film speed. I think that camera has a 1/50th sec exposure @ 24 frames per sec (close enough, anyway), set your meter to the correct film speed and read out the f stop. Pretty simple (at least to get started!).

Bruce

I dont think i have a meter, or i dont know where it is on the camera, which is kind of my question, can i get a seperate meter?

Charles MacDonald · June 27, 2008

I dont think i have a meter, or i dont know where it is on the camera, which is kind of my question, can i get a seperate meter?

you will almost have to. the old Kodak units did not have a built in meter, and if they did by now it would not likly be accurate.

Bruce Taylor · June 27, 2008

I dont think i have a meter, or i dont know where it is on the camera, which is kind of my question, can i get a seperate meter?

Sorry, I guess I didn't quite understand your question. The pic you have is an of an exposure guide-- a guessitimate, and it's missing a piece, but it really doesn't matter because it isn't very useful anyway. The K-100 has no light metering capabilities. You need to get a separate photographic lightmeter and use it to determine exposure.

Bruce

Adam n · June 27, 2008

Could someone link me to a guide for light meters, like what exactly they do, and what i will need for only simple purposes of getting a well exposed image. So the if the shutter speed for 24fps is about 1/50 if i used the lightmeter from a 35mm photocamera and had it set at 1/60th could i get a good aperture reading that would get a good image? or should i get a separate light meter?

Thanks a ton for all this info, im totally new to the non-digital world, but hope to get to use film a lot more, and I really appreciate it!

Kristian Schumacher · June 27, 2008

Hi Adam,

If you have a digital photo camera, you can use that. Set the iso on the photo camera to match your film, shutter speed to 1/60 for 24 fps and determine the aperture from the digital camera. I find this very useful, and especially with "special" exposures - silhouettes etc.

Best of luck,

Kristian

Richardson Leao · June 27, 2008

Hi Adam,

If you have a digital photo camera, you can use that. Set the iso on the photo camera to match your film, shutter speed to 1/60 for 24 fps and determine the aperture from the digital camera. I find this very useful, and especially with "special" exposures - silhouettes etc.

Best of luck,

Kristian

you can also buy cheap handheld meters but for me, after my kinor 16, my pentax spotmeter is the most useful piece of film equip i bought

Tom Hepburn · June 27, 2008

Hi Adam,

I have the same camera and the same little piece is missing. As has been stated, I wouldn't go by that anyway. I think when the camera was made (1957-ish) they included that as a "general" form of light measurement. Obviously, they are subjective words and so not very accurate. I would grab an analog meter off of ebay. I would leave nothing to chance as it's quite costly if you end of with shots and or footage that is blow out or underexposed. Or the camera option is good as well.

This is a nice camera though for the money. I have found that mine shoots extremely stable images.

Good luck,

Tom

Will Montgomery · June 27, 2008

The little insert you're talking about usually came with the film back in the day. Just a little card that slipped in there and gave ball park estimates for exposure. I think mine still has a Kodachrome one in there.

If you look for a meter on eBay, make sure it is a Ciné or movie meter. There are plenty out there. You just have to account for film speed too, something still cameras don't have to worry about.

New ones can cost as much as $350 or more, but you can probably find an old one on eBay for $10. Problem is old light meters are rarely reliable but for $10 you might as well try.

You have a great camera and you'll have alot of fun with it. Watch out, it's an expensive hobby.

Zachary Vex · July 3, 2008

I'd suggest an incident light meter. The type you need for accurate measurement without spending too much money will have a hemispherical plastic globe attached to it. You'll place it near the face or other subject position with the hemisphere facing the camera's lens, being careful not to shadow the meter with your head or body, and take a reading. Follow the meter's instructions to set ASA (film speed, from the film's carton, and be sure to check daylight versus tungsten), and frame rate (typically 24f/s, but set it on the camera first), or if you can't set the meter for frame rate, set it to 1/50 sec exposure for 24 frame/sec. The meter will tell you how to set the aperture's f-stop on the lens.

When I started shooting 16mm in 1984 I had a Kodak Model K and I found a cheap Sekonic Studio Deluxe meter that gave me great exposures.