Question on Hasselblad shutter speeds

[jools230575]

Evening folks

I am planning to go out with my Hassie tomorrow and get a feel for using it for real.

With regards to setting the shutter speed and bracketing, I have a question. Now, I know that I can step the aperture ring in half stop increments as there is a notch for "in-between" settings. However, you don't get this on the shutter speed dial.

Is it possible to bracket in half stops on the shutter speed ring? Can you put it "in-between" to get your half stop increment?

Sorry for all the questions.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

...Is it possible to bracket in half stops on the shutter speed ring? Can you put it "in-between" to get your half stop increment?...

No.

[jools230575]

Thanks for that. I presume that EVERY Hasselblad lens is the same?

[John R Smith]

Jools

All Hasselblad C, CF and CFE lenses are the same. You can't have "in-between" shutter speeds. Frankly, if I am shooting B/W or colour negative film, I never bother with differences of half stops. You might need to with transparency colour film, of course. The nearest EV has always been fine for negative film - you kind of get a feel for it after a while, and a half stop of over-exposure never seems to hurt. With my digital back I have to be a bit less sloppy!

John

[jools230575]

Well I normally shoot with Velvia or today I bought a roll of Provia 100 to have some fun. I know that slide film is less forgiving than negative film, which is why I asked.

[John R Smith]

Well I normally shoot with Velvia or today I bought a roll of Provia 100 to have some fun. I know that slide film is less forgiving than negative film, which is why I asked.

Fair enough. Half-stops it is, then. What light meter are you using?

John

[K.C.]

You're assuming that the shutter speeds on your old lenses are accurate. Unless they've been through a good service in the last year or two and in regular use chances are they're off. The highest speeds will have the greatest error.

These are very mechanical cameras and lenses, lots of moving parts and springs.

[jools230575]

Fair enough. Half-stops it is, then. What light meter are you using?

John

I use a Gossen Starlite for my work. It has always provided me with good service.

How would you suggest bracketing? Normally I go 2/3 stops either way of what I believe to be the correct exposure.

[John R Smith]

I use a Gossen Starlite for my work. It has always provided me with good service.

How would you suggest bracketing? Normally I go 2/3 stops either way of what I believe to be the correct exposure.

Jools

The meter should be fine. It's no use asking me about bracketing, I've never bracketed a shot unless it was really tricky (church interiors, but not often then). I just couldn't afford to waste film, and you only have 12 shots. Funnily enough, I shot hundreds of frames on Ektachrome back in the '80s for magazine covers and calenders (processed them myself in E6) and I never bracketed. I think I might have lost two or three to bad exposure, no more.

The shutter speeds on the 'Blad lenses tend to be pretty good. 1/500s is always a bit slow, it doesn't really matter. On one of my lenses (the 250mm) I think 1s is running a bit fast. Again, with negative film, a little variation won't bother you.

John

[vandevanterSH]

How would you suggest bracketing? Normally I go 2/3 stops either way of what I believe to be the correct exposure.
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Bracketing gets "old" really fast with 12 shot 120 film.  Years ago, shortly after getting a 503, I shot slide film in the Southwest, often using a polarizing filter and bracketing.  After that trip, I bought a metering Prism.

Steve

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

I use a Gossen Starlite for my work. It has always provided me with good service.

How would you suggest bracketing? Normally I go 2/3 stops either way of what I believe to be the correct exposure.

That is what a good spot meter and experience using it is so crucial: you do not need to bracket as much (if at all). You know what you want to accentuate in a slide, and meter accordingly. And if for some reason you still need to bracket, 1/3 of a stop is not going to make much of a difference.

And once again the question of workflow pops-up: are you going digital after exposure or retro all the way? If digital, you can "bracket" a single slide in post-processing. Or if you planned to do HDR compositing, you would bracket slide film much wider: more likely two, three stops on underexposure and one, two stops on overexposure side. Again, 1/3 of a stop precision would be of no help here.

[UlfKrentz]

Can you put it "in-between" to get your half stop increment?

Avoid to do this, it won´t have the desired effect and as far as I´ve been told it is harmful for a mechanical shutter, I don´t know if it´s true but shutter repairs are not cheap.

Cheers, Ulf