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Thread: Greater than 1 Second shutter speeds

  1. #1
    Michael Hewson
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
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    Ferny Grove, Brisbane, Australia
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    31

    Greater than 1 Second shutter speeds

    G'day forum - firstly I have learnt heaps from this forum as a 'newbie' in LF. Thanks to all. I have started for instance, to learn that tilt contributions to focussing is a ground glass adjustment and not a guess (yeah I know - silly me).

    Secondly - my Nikon SW90 has a 1 second longest exposure and the usual B and T. My question is this - how do you more experienced people 'count off' any shutter speed greater than 1 second?

    Do you, using T or B: - use the '1 cat dog', '2 cat dog' etc method?; - a second hand on a watch?; or - or something else?

    I should think if you are using 2 or 4 seconds then you would want to be reasonably accurate? Not so?

    I rarely had this to think about with my Nikon 35mm due to the choices of longer shutter timings with the lenses.

    kind regards

  2. #2

    Join Date
    May 2004
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    115

    Greater than 1 Second shutter speeds

    MR. Casio does it for me. alot of people use metronome to be able to keep an eye on the subject but i find that useless since there is not much you can do to the shutter if a persone or someone walks in to the frame. so i observe the usrronding to see if there is any possible problems then i trip the shutter at 10,20,30,40,50 or 0 and count from there... pretty easy.. never had a problem with 2-3 sec exposures. just dont panic out..

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Montgomery, Alabama
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    46

    Greater than 1 Second shutter speeds

    Micheal, You can count one thousand one, one thousand two, etc. but also be aware of the reciperocity (I can't say or spell it right) on long exposures. Most modern books on Large Format have a section on it. I keep a copy in my bag and the car. I find that the longer the exposure the more latitude on the timing. I always shoot two negs and develop one to be sure I was on the money and if needed adjust for the second one. Good luck.

  4. #4

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
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    Iowa
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    Greater than 1 Second shutter speeds

    I use a tiny metronome that fits in my ear. Works great. Takes no room in the bag. Sometimes I need to take a shot between wind gusts. I like to watch the scene to see if anything moves, so I can take a backup shot if need be.

  5. #5
    Yes, but why? David R Munson's Avatar
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    Jul 1999
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    Saitama, Japan
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    1,494

    Greater than 1 Second shutter speeds

    I just look at the second hand on my wristwatch. Even at 2 seconds I'd say it's plenty accurate. Give it a few tries just firing the shutter to get used to the process before you burn film. I hardly even think about it any more.

  6. #6

    Join Date
    Nov 2001
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    129

    Greater than 1 Second shutter speeds

    One-Ansel-Adams, two-Ansel-Adams...


  7. #7

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    New Jersey, USA
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    267

    Greater than 1 Second shutter speeds

    I use the second hand on my watch. It timed my exposures before I had a shuttered lens (and when I use barrel lenses) and also handles my darkroom timing needs when no clock is around.

    You could get a cable-release exposure timer, B&H sells one, I think it's a Compur or something. Has a dial and a button, threads into cable release, times it. Someone could even make an electronic one.

    As to reciprocity, I carry the Kodak, Fuji, and Ilford dataguides in my bag. If you don't have them, they'll send them for free.

  8. #8
    Resident Heretic Bruce Watson's Avatar
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    Greater than 1 Second shutter speeds

    http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0089bK

    Bruce Watson

  9. #9
    Whatever David A. Goldfarb's Avatar
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    Mar 2000
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    Honolulu, Hawai'i
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    Greater than 1 Second shutter speeds

    I like the metronome. Set it at 120 and subdivide in your head to 240 beats per second and you'll be able to time even 1/2 sec. more accurately than most older shutters can do mechanically. Musicians need to be able to count even much shorter durations accurately to a precision of a few thousandths of a second.

  10. #10

    Greater than 1 Second shutter speeds

    I use the second hand on my watch. Remember that even if you're off by half a second on a two-second exposure, that's only (roughly) a quarter of a stop. Not a big deal.

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