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Shutter angle?


Tom Law

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Hello,

 

I hear a lot about shutter angle on this forum, and how it's used to create effects etc. How can it be modified? I have a Nizo s560, and there is no dial to change it. How do i use it to my advantage?

 

Cheers,

 

Tom

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Hello,

 

I hear a lot about shutter angle on this forum, and how it's used to create effects etc. How can it be modified? I have a Nizo s560, and there is no dial to change it. How do i use it to my advantage?

 

Cheers,

 

Tom

 

Not all cameras have an adjustable shutter. Some are fixed at 180 degrees or something in that ballpark.

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The Nizo 560 has a variable shutter-- it's that lever on the other side of the camera, at the bottom.

 

What it does is basically open and close the revolving disk that spins around the aperture. The disk has slots or sectors cut into it-- when the film advances to the next frame, you don't want that part exposed, so the slot is blanked out-- but as the disk continues to spin around, the open slot or sector rolls into place to expose the film.

 

The size of the slot determines the length of the exposure and the amount of light that reaches the film. Size is measured in degrees-- since the circular disk is 360 degrees total, the size of the slots are calculated proportionally-- if the open sector is half the size of the disk, that's 180 degrees, etc.

 

A variable shutter just allows you to adjust the size of these open sectors.

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How do i use it to my advantage?

 

 

Variable shutter designs (which can be adjusted electrically or manually while camera is running) paired with good glass are the hallmarks of some top-level production cameras for the Super 8 format. The Schneider on the S560 isn't particularly well-coated, but it's fine lens, and a good camera you chose in the first place.

 

 

The Nizo S560 manual (which you might not have?) states (translated from German to English by Marty :)

 

Shutter leaver: When forward....shutter is fully open, when you slide

it slowly backwards the shutter slowly closes and will effect a

FADE-OUT. If you hold it all the way back, then begin filming

and slowly release it to the front it will effect a FADE-IN. By

moving it to the middle position (half darkened circle setting) and

then pulling it down so it locks into a small detent....you can lock

the shutter in the half closed setting, which increases the shutter

speed per frame by a factor of two, and will open the lens up if set to

AUTO exposure by 1-Stop. Useful for smoother fast action, or if you

desire less depth-of-field etc. By depressing a small black button at

the end of the fadeout range....you can move the lever into that

position and then release that button, and it will hold the lever in

that position. This will LOCK the SHUTTER FULLY OPEN. By doing

this...you can make a timed exposure longer than normal per frame. By

using the time lapse intervalometer, you can time the exposure per

frame from 1/10th second down to ONE MINUTE PER FRAME! This means you

can film under a full moon with Kodachrome...believe it or

not....however....when doing this...you have to use a separate handheld

light meter to determine your correct exposure, also you'll have to

lock the run lock switch or use a cable release so the camera

stays running continously for the duration of your long exposure

filming session, and you'll want to use a tripod of course. Using

this....you can film highways at night...and get those nice long

colorful streaks from the car lights coming and going like in TV

commercials etc.

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  • 13 years later...

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