11 replies to this topic

[ScubaDiva]

Well I've just acquired a Pentax MZ-M film SLR which belongs to my OH but was in the attic at his mother's house. I have managed to get a manual online so now know what all the buttons do (I think) and have had a bit of a play with it. I just managed to get it to rewind a 36 roll after just 24 shots - the roll was already in and I guess the OH didn't set it to 36 when he put it in originally.

Anyway I'm off out to buy some film so any ideas what speed/type of film I should get?

Bearing in mind that I don't have a dSLR and have only once on a dive used one and, therefore, only once used one that was fully manual (my compact doesn't even have Av or Tv). And any suggestions on little mini-phot projects I could do to start to learn how to work this thing? I'd like to start by figuring out how to control DoF - so some suggestions for different things to do there would be much appreciated.

[fotoscubo714]

Well I've just acquired a Pentax MZ-M film SLR which belongs to my OH but was in the attic at his mother's house. I have managed to get a manual online so now know what all the buttons do (I think) and have had a bit of a play with it. I just managed to get it to rewind a 36 roll after just 24 shots - the roll was already in and I guess the OH didn't set it to 36 when he put it in originally.

Anyway I'm off out to buy some film so any ideas what speed/type of film I should get?

Bearing in mind that I don't have a dSLR and have only once on a dive used one and, therefore, only once used one that was fully manual (my compact doesn't even have Av or Tv). And any suggestions on little mini-phot projects I could do to start to learn how to work this thing? I'd like to start by figuring out how to control DoF - so some suggestions for different things to do there would be much appreciated.

Start with 100 ISO slide film to practice your skills.

Your DoF depends on your lens and aperture setting. Narrow DoF if you use a telephoto versus wide angle. (you did not say what lense(s) you have). Open aperture, like f2.8 will give you narrow DoF as for deepest at F22. Use aperture priority (Av) mode and shoot every aperture to see what it does to your DoF. A good subject matter to shoot is a fence from the side and you will see the changes in how much front and back is in focus. BTW keep the focus set on all settings for the same distance. Have fun .

Bo

Edited by fotoscubo714, 28 December 2009 - 11:19 AM.

[ScubaDiva]

Well the shop didn't have any 100 iso so 200 it was. Out I went to go to the park and take photos. I didn't get to the park because after taking 5 or 6 of a church along the way the camera decided to rewind the roll. And it was a 36 as well.

It did this with the roll that was already in when I switched it on, but to be fair it had been switched off for 10 years and the one photo I took was no. 24 - so I just figured that the camera thought it had a 24 rather than a 36 roll in.

I'll pop in another today and hope it doen't do the same.

[ornate_wrasse]

Well the shop didn't have any 100 iso so 200 it was. Out I went to go to the park and take photos. I didn't get to the park because after taking 5 or 6 of a church along the way the camera decided to rewind the roll. And it was a 36 as well.

It did this with the roll that was already in when I switched it on, but to be fair it had been switched off for 10 years and the one photo I took was no. 24 - so I just figured that the camera thought it had a 24 rather than a 36 roll in.

I'll pop in another today and hope it doen't do the same.

You might want to have a camera technician take a look at your camera. Perhaps the technician can determine why it rewinds the roll after 24 pictures have been taken instead of waiting until all 36 have been exposed.

There is a gizmo called a film retriever and you may want to buy one so you can use up the remaining unexposed film in the roll. Not underwater, of course.

I'd also suggest using Velvia slide film, either 50 or 100 ISO.

Ellen

[ScubaDiva]

Thanks for the tip!

I've been out today and managed to take 10 pics without it doing anything so finger crossed. Maybe I accidentally poked something into the mid-roll rewind button during the last roll. I'll see how it goes.

[vazuw]

Im an old film guy. Its very helpful to try and remember what your settings were on shots, then go back and study the film to see whats working for you, and whats not. Its a much steeper learning curve. The more you study what worked and what didnt the better. Steven Frink had a great underwater photography book for film, also jim church had a bunch. Check them out.

[LanceG]

Is there a selection on the camera for determining the number of photographs on the roll?
Since, this camera has auto-rewinder it sounds like either it not reading the bar code information on the roll for the film size or the selection is set to 24.

[ScubaDiva]

Is there a selection on the camera for determining the number of photographs on the roll?
Since, this camera has auto-rewinder it sounds like either it not reading the bar code information on the roll for the film size or the selection is set to 24.

I've been through the manual but can't find anything on it even though I'm sure i saw something to this effect the first time I looked!

In any case it needs to be sorted as it rewound its 3rd film the other day - I think I reached 11 shots before it did it this time though.

[fotoscubo714]

I've been through the manual but can't find anything on it even though I'm sure i saw something to this effect the first time I looked!

In any case it needs to be sorted as it rewound its 3rd film the other day - I think I reached 11 shots before it did it this time though.

If I was you, if I did not have a lens investment, I would drop the camera and get another. Why be trying to outguess the camera when it will rewind unwillingly?

The used market is full with cheap great manual SLR's which will give you all the control and allow you to learn all the fundamental basics of photography (like understanding DOF). It will better prepare you to understand a future upgrade to various digital SLR functions with more appreciation to the new developments in photography technology. Learn to use a camera manually first to understand and appreciate its automatic features.

May I suggest a camera like a Canon or Nikon F-1 from the 1970's.

You need to be the "master/mistress" of your camera, not the other way around.

Bo

Edited by fotoscubo714, 09 January 2010 - 12:22 PM.

[ScubaDiva]

You need to be the "master/mistress" of your camera, not the other way around.

Ha ha - yes you are right! I will probably be acquiring a nikon D80 soon anyway so i was just playing with this one. It is actaully my other halfs that was just in his mothers attic for ages so I will see what he wants to do with it.

[Deep6]

Ha ha - yes you are right! I will probably be acquiring a nikon D80 soon anyway so i was just playing with this one. It is actaully my other halfs that was just in his mothers attic for ages so I will see what he wants to do with it.

I think Nikon will stop D90 production soon. IMHO, the D90 is a far better camera than the D80. You may want to wait until PMA (Feb 2010) and see what comes out of the Nikon stable.
Bob

Edited by Deep6, 10 January 2010 - 08:23 PM.

[ScubaDiva]

I think Nikon will stop D90 production soon. IMHO, the D90 is a far better camera than the D80. You may want to wait until PMA (Feb 2010) and see what comes out of the Nikon stable.
Bob

Ah I didn't know that - thanks for the heads up.