Auto exposure spee in "reglomatic" type cameras

[andrew parrish]

Hi all,

 

I am thinking about getting a camera with interchangeable lens,( 4008z, Leicnia Special) and I was wondering how fast the reglomatics are at adjusting the exposure on the stock lens? Would they be fast enough to film up close and fast moving things, like Skateboarding with reversal film? What are the weakness and strong points of this type of auto exposure? With practice, can you "run and gun"?

 

Thanks,

AP

[Andries Molenaar]

What is the point of getting interchangeble lenses? Wide angles shorter than 6mm? These are difficult to find.

 

The Leicina Special has only two fitting lenses. Only the zoom with EE motor. The Beaulieu has more options through the C-mount. But only the original zoom has reglomatic.

 

If the light isn't changing you actually don't need adapting the aperture. The reglomatic can cope with changing light but not while the camera is running. It will always lag behind and if the batteries are a bit off (mid-voltage) you will notice that the control will shoot past the intended value and will need to back-up. Not very pretty on film.

 

Run and gun at $10 per minute (ex transfer) is tricky and expensive. Better practice using something other than S8

Edited August 29, 2010 by Andries Molenaar

[andy oliver]

Hi all,

 

I am thinking about getting a camera with interchangeable lens,( 4008z, Leicnia Special) and I was wondering how fast the reglomatics are at adjusting the exposure on the stock lens? Would they be fast enough to film up close and fast moving things, like Skateboarding with reversal film? What are the weakness and strong points of this type of auto exposure? With practice, can you "run and gun"?

 

Thanks,

AP

 

Hi, leicina special reglomatic and exposure accuracy is better than my beaulieu 4008 and 7008, used to swear by canon 814 and 1014xl-s cameras for run and gun, but now i swear by the special. Possibly the worst camera in my toy box for auto iris lag and exposure accuracy is the 4008. Where possible use manual iris.

[andrew parrish]

What is the point of getting interchangeble lenses? Wide angles shorter than 6mm? These are difficult to find.

 

The Leicina Special has only two fitting lenses. Only the zoom with EE motor. The Beaulieu has more options through the C-mount. But only the original zoom has reglomatic.

 

If the light isn't changing you actually don't need adapting the aperture. The reglomatic can cope with changing light but not while the camera is running. It will always lag behind and if the batteries are a bit off (mid-voltage) you will notice that the control will shoot past the intended value and will need to back-up. Not very pretty on film.

 

Run and gun at $10 per minute (ex transfer) is tricky and expensive. Better practice using something other than S8

 

Thanks for the Info Andries. I shoot skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing, and I was hoping to find a high quality camera that was adaptable to all three. I would like to get just one camera, that I can really master , and keep the amount of kit I lug to a minimum. I get kind of erked trying to get the coverage I want from the five different cameras I have now, especially when it comes to reliabillty/paying for multiple CLAs.

 

As you pointed out, the skateboard photography often needs very wide angles, and surf, often over 800mm of 35mm focal length. I can get about 500mm with my Canon and adapter. Also, with the changing film stocks, I don't want to spend money on a camera that doesn't have a flexible metering system. If I find that I am asking too much of one tool, I'll have to come up with a new plan. Your Point is taken about the necessity of using the auto exposure. I'll take out my Hv30, lock out the exposure, and do some experimenting.

 

I believe that the godfathers of Surf/Skate flicks, Weaver and Wills, used Beaulieus , So there should be no reason why I can't. In terms of the money,When I started photography, I quickly discovered that the the most expensive part of of getting good at it was not the equipment, but the massive amounts of film you need to shoot. Mistakes are a comin', and they ain't gonna be free.

[andrew parrish]

Thanks for another great tip, Andy. By the way, who does the servicing on your special?

 

Thanks again,

 

Ap

 

 

Hi, leicina special reglomatic and exposure accuracy is better than my beaulieu 4008 and 7008, used to swear by canon 814 and 1014xl-s cameras for run and gun, but now i swear by the special. Possibly the worst camera in my toy box for auto iris lag and exposure accuracy is the 4008. Where possible use manual iris.

[Andries Molenaar]

So if you need a wide-angle you should find the 5.5mm Fujica or this specal 3.8 (?) . Also the UWL III from Schneider could work as you will not be shooting BW patterns too often.

 

With such dynamic situations a wire-frame viewfinder as used underwater might do the trick. Easy to aim the camera and keep an eye out for people moving about.

 

 

[andy oliver]

Thanks for another great tip, Andy. By the way, who does the servicing on your special?

 

Thanks again,

 

Ap

 

Hi, only my beaulieu cameras are serviced, I just don't know anywhere who can service a special, apart from one of my specials (which is running at approx 17fps instaed of 18fps), the others are working fine. The Schneider UWL III gives you approx 4mm on the 6-66 lens.

[andrew parrish]

Andreies/Andy-Do you guys know if you can put a filter stack behind of, or in front of the uwl III? For the past few years I have been using a canon wc dc58. It is designed to fit on my G9, but with a little modification, it fits on any old 58mm threads. I have been told that because it is for still cameras, the curvature of the lens may cause distortion. If it does, it's not been a bother to me. However, with 100d, I am starting to use NDs more, and finding that I am getting harsh vignetting, and it's got no threads up front (the filter would have to be 100mm anyway). I have a rail that I could fab up a Conkin holder on, with a mat box, but that kindda goes in the face of my "keep kit simple, and under the radar" philosophy. I would like to find a soulution that doesn't include 3 sets of filters. Maybe I should get one big set, and add to my collection of step down rings.

 

Cheers,

AP

 

 

So if you need a wide-angle you should find the 5.5mm Fujica or this specal 3.8 (?) . Also the UWL III from Schneider could work as you will not be shooting BW patterns too often.

 

With such dynamic situations a wire-frame viewfinder as used underwater might do the trick. Easy to aim the camera and keep an eye out for people moving about.

[andy oliver]

I'm pretty sure i used an 85b filter between lens and UWL with no problem a couple of years ago. Just performed a look through the viewfinder test with a B+W ND pro series filter ( they're very thing ) and observed no fouling/vignetting.

[Chris Burke]

Hi all,

 

I am thinking about getting a camera with interchangeable lens,( 4008z, Leicnia Special) and I was wondering how fast the reglomatics are at adjusting the exposure on the stock lens? Would they be fast enough to film up close and fast moving things, like Skateboarding with reversal film? What are the weakness and strong points of this type of auto exposure? With practice, can you "run and gun"?

 

Thanks,

AP

 

the major weakness of this method is the stock itself. Reversal has as you already know, limited dynamic range. Have you tried the new '13 stock in super 8? Amazing stuff! Huge exposure latitude and sharper than reversal.

[andrew parrish]

[

 

I hear you on that one Chris. I have not tried the new stocks yet. I am afraid of getting "a taste for caviar". I try to shoot allot of "lifestyle stuff" there is quit a bit that is ending up on the floor. Right now I am running at $23 a cart for color, ($30 BW), processed. Looks to me that Shooting Negative is about twice that, for a bulk package. Plus with reversal, I can edit out the crap before scanning. Is this assumption price in the ball park, or is their a way to shoot these juicy stocks on the cheap?