Beaulieu 4008 zm2 and Lightmeter settings

[Matteo Cocco]

Hi Guys,

 

I´ll be shooting some footage with the Beaulieu 4008 zm2.

 

Does someone know the exact settings for an incident lightmeter?

 

I know the shutter speed ist 1/86 at 24fps. But am not pretty sure about the shutter angle, also because the Beaulieu doesn´t have a "normal" rotating shutter...

 

How do you set your lightmeter?

 

Please respond asap!!!!

 

Thanks,

MAtteo

[Guest Glenn Brady]

You don't need to know the shutter angle, just the exposure time and aperture (and filter factor if a filter is used). If you know the exposure time, you don't need to know the shutter angle (which doesn't apply to the guillotine shutter in the Beaulieu anyway).

[Rafael Rivera]

My Sekonic is set for 180 degrees (mentioned in the manual), and I round the Beaulieu ZMII to 90 degrees. That's 1 stop difference, so set the meter to the films speed, and take a reading. If my meter reads f5.6 I set the lens to f4.

[Bengt Freden]

Hi Matteo,

 

When I am not using the internal meter in the camera, I usually 'round off' the shutter value to 1/90th of a second (I am shooting at 25 fps here in Europe), which is in between 1/60 and 1/125 on the indident light meter.

 

However, it's also important to make a slight plus adjustment for the 1.8/6-66mm zoom lens, if you don't happen to have the Angénieux T1.4/6-80mm zoom lens, which is the only Super 8 lens with professional T (transmission) aperture stops. This lens has a largest f-stop of 1.2, but the actual light equivalent that reaches the film is only T1.4.

A zoom lens normally has about 15 lens elements, which means that there are about 30 or so lens surfaces that reflect off some of the light for the film gate, not counting a glass filter (for example a W85). So, do some tests, and add 1/2 or 2/3 of a stop, depending on your film stock. If you are shooting color negative stock, a slight overexposure (perhaps 1/2 - 1 stop?) will give you a better and more contrasty negative to scan or print, with tighter grain.

 

This is not a problem when using prime lenses, with a smaller amount of lens elements, for example the superb Schneider Macro-Cinegon 1.8/10mm lens for the Leicina Super 8 camera (which can be adapted to C-mount cameras, via an Leica M-mount to C-mount adapter).

 

All the best,

Bengt F

Sweden