Zenit-E settings

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I had this camera for a long time, and I always wanted to start taking pictures (I take long walks every couple of days), but never really started doing that, as the film's really costly. Recently a friend of mine gave away 2 film rolls (ISO-200 and ISO-400) that he won't use, as he bought a digital camera, so I can take 48 pictures.

I don't know much about photography, I've read various articles about photography (of which most are on digital photography) and my camera. I still have some trouble understand some, I think basic, things, so here I am. But before I begin asking questions, here's a link to some information (or at least pictures) about the camera.



Before doing anything, I have to set the film exposure format, which would be 250 and 500 for ISO-200 and ISO-400 respectively. Then I have to set the lighting level according to what the light meter says. After that, there's a reading for the aperture rating, and that is where I'm starting to have a problem.

I've read that shutter speed and aperture level should be changed accordingly. Since I have a reading for the aperture rating, I should limit the aperture rating on my lens, but what to do then? What should be the shutter speed?

Another thing is that when I "click" (limit/set) the aperture rating on for example f/4 (which is what I get during a cloudy day), I can still control it with the second ring, I can set it somewhere from f/2 to /f4. But if I have to limit it, why can I still control it? And why can't I set the sharpness to f/16, why do I have to "limit" it?
 
Ah, that probably would've been a better link. Thanks for posting. I was talking about the two first rings on this picture, when I mentioned the "doesn't make sense" part.

P.S. I'm also wondering about the "Depth of Field" index. I believe it tells which aperture settings would be optimal for the set distance, but there's no indicator or anything that would show the range...
 
OldPic said:
Before doing anything, I have to set the film exposure format, which would be 250 and 500 for ISO-200 and ISO-400 respectively. Then I have to set the lighting level according to what the light meter says. After that, there's a reading for the aperture rating, and that is where I'm starting to have a problem.
Click to expand...

looks like you're confusing film speed with shutter speed

first of all set the film speed on the camera iso/asa 200 or iso/asa 400 depending on what film you want to use point the camera to the subject slightly down rather than up ,match the needle with the ring on it over the one without , then you can read off what aperture to use with the correct shutter speed
 
donutagain said:
looks like you're confusing film speed with shutter speed

first of all set the film speed on the camera iso/asa 200 or iso/asa 400 depending on what film you want to use point the camera to the subject slightly down rather than up ,match the needle with the ring on it over the one without , then you can read off what aperture to use with the correct shutter speed
Click to expand...

Hm. Let me take you through my process with images, so it would be easier to understand. :)
 
for some reason on the z-e they dont have iso 200 /400 but give you the option of 250 /500 ,but you can set it up for the din on the right side of the dial iso200 is din 24 and iso 400 id din 27 if you use these you can see they dont exactly match up on the 250 or the 400 ,but its as near as ,,,to get the exposure point the camera at your subject ,then move the outer ring of the dial on the left so that the small circle covers the needle in the curved window then you can read off the correct exposure values from the outer ring and the next one in ,shutter speed is on the outer f stops on the inner
so you might have for example 15th of a sec at f 16 or 30th of a sec at f11or 60th of a sec at f8 or 125th of a sec at f 5.6 etc etc .any of these combinations can be used for the correct exposure
 
oh and the lens , ita a bit wierd ,the front ring locks the aperture at a given stop .say f8 the next ring back opens or shuts the aperture blades,it will open the blades right up ( f2 ) but it will only close them back down to f8 ( or whatever it is locked at ) so if you decided that the exposure you wanted was 125th of a second at f11 you would set the shutter speed ,then the aperture to f11 , but at f11 the viewfinder would be quite dark so you would then open the aperture blades with the second ring so that you could focus easier , then shut the blades down again ( till they stopped at the locked point at f11 ) then take the picture
 
Thanks, I'm going to use DIN scale from now on.

So basically I pick a shutter speed and then according to that shutter speed I fix the aperture. I can then manipulate the aperture in a range of (for example) f/11 and f/2, if for example I don't want the image to be sharp, I can have the aperture fixed on f/11, but I can use the second ring to set it to f/2 or f/4. Is that correct?

Another question about shutter speed - since I don't have a tripod, I probably should use 1/500 shutter speed? Or is there some rules about that?
 
if you use 500th of a second shutter speed you must use the f stop number that is next to it on the inner dial ,so you may only get something like f2 or f4 ,but unless you have hands that shake like a piece of bog roll on a windy day you can hand hold down to 30th / 60th of a sec fairly well ( with a 50mm lens,although the longer the focal length the faster the shutter speed ),generally i try to keep the shutter speed to 125th for non fast moving things,
f2 and the thing you focus on should be sharp and things behind may be out of focus ( depending on how close you are and the focal length of the lens )
f8 / f11 and most of the pic should be sharp
 
Okay, I get it now. I do have some more questions though:

Why is there red values on the outer ring (30 15 8 4 2 1 2 4 8 15 30)?

What happens if I use f/16 or f/11 with 250th or 500th shutter speed when the calculator says that I am allowed to use from f/2 to f/5.6 or f/2 to f/4?
 
the red values ,, they start at 15th of a second ,most likely in red because its getting a bit slow to hand hold without getting blurred pics , ( see camera shake )then its 8th of a sec quarter of a sec half a sec one sec 2 secs 4 secs 8secs etc etc

if you use f16 when its telling you to use f4 it will not get enough light to the film and be very underexposed ( black frames , no pics ) there will only be one correct exposure vale , you dont get a given shutter speed with the option of f stops from X to Y . when you have the exposure , if you change either the f stop or the shutter speed you must make an adjustment with the other to compensate for the amount of light getting to the film
 
donutagain said:
the red values ,, they start at 15th of a second ,most likely in red because its getting a bit slow to hand hold without getting blurred pics , ( see camera shake )then its 8th of a sec quarter of a sec half a sec one sec 2 secs 4 secs 8secs etc etc

if you use f16 when its telling you to use f4 it will not get enough light to the film and be very underexposed ( black frames , no pics ) there will only be one correct exposure vale , you dont get a given shutter speed with the option of f stops from X to Y . when you have the exposure , if you change either the f stop or the shutter speed you must make an adjustment with the other to compensate for the amount of light getting to the film
Click to expand...

That makes sense! But I can't set shutter speed slower than 30th of a second. How come there are these values?

Thank you for explaining!

EDIT: Also, how come there is a second ring that allows me to change aperture from f/2 to the set value (for example f/8)? What is that ring used for then?
 
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donutagain said:
oh and the lens , ita a bit wierd ,the front ring locks the aperture at a given stop .say f8 the next ring back opens or shuts the aperture blades,it will open the blades right up ( f2 ) but it will only close them back down to f8 ( or whatever it is locked at ) so if you decided that the exposure you wanted was 125th of a second at f11 you would set the shutter speed ,then the aperture to f11 , but at f11 the viewfinder would be quite dark so you would then open the aperture blades with the second ring so that you could focus easier , then shut the blades down again ( till they stopped at the locked point at f11 ) then take the picture
Click to expand...

the camera only has shutter speeds from 30th to 500th of a sec
 
donutagain said:
the camera only has shutter speeds from 30th to 500th of a sec
Click to expand...

Actually the viewfinder is dark when I set it on f/2, as the lens closes up.

So if it has shutter speeds from 30th to 500th of a second (as I mentioned before), why would it have 15th of a sec - 30sec settings on the calculator?
 
OldPic said:
Actually the viewfinder is dark when I set it on f/2, as the lens closes up.

So if it has shutter speeds from 30th to 500th of a second (as I mentioned before), why would it have 15th of a sec - 30sec settings on the calculator?
Click to expand...

the viewfinder gets brighter when you open the aperture to f2

the calculator is just a lightmeter , and it tells you what the exposure should be ,dosent mean the camera can do the shutter speed though
 
OldPic said:
Why is there red values on the outer ring (30 15 8 4 2 1 2 4 8 15 30)?
Click to expand...

That looks like it could be a DOF scale to me. ?
Anyone confirm before I explain how it works ?
 
Thanks, although I've decided that photography is another thing I can't do with my current monetary situation. I'm putting the camera somewhere deep in my closet. I maybe would have enough money for one film roll a month, but the development/scanning costs... And one film isn't much, especially for a beginner, who wants to test a lot before being able to take good pictures.

Just as I said in another thread - thanks for your help.
 
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