Susie Posted March 22, 2019 Share #1 Posted March 22, 2019 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello All, A few days ago I bought one of the 0 Series cameras made in 2000. Very nice, beautifully made (all original packaging etc) but completely bonkers! Looking at it I doubt it has had a roll of film through it yet. Anyway, one thing that has always seemed odd to me was the apparent method of determining the shutter speed with the "2 on the dial represents a 2mm slit width which corresponds to a shutter speed of 1/500 second" and so on. I had only seen this in postings and in the Leica World magazine article and had thought the writer was grasping for an easy explanation, but sure enough, there it is in the instructions. When I first I saw this, to me, complicated and clumsy explanation I wondered if someone at the works thought that it would be easier for the average user to understand rather than just saying that the numbers on the dial refer to the speed in milliseconds. Is this generally recognized, is it something that has occurred only to me, and is it a case of factory dumbing down? Now that it has stopped raining and being miserable here I should go and try it out - and see how many shots I spoil by not capping the lens when I wind on! Susie " 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 22, 2019 Posted March 22, 2019 Hi Susie, Take a look here Reproduction 0 Series shutter speeds. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
levegh Posted March 22, 2019 Share #2 Posted March 22, 2019 Perhaps they were just accustomed to thinking in those terms then; the large box shaped single lens reflex cameras of the time often needed slit width and tension set separately. Stuart Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
M9reno Posted March 22, 2019 Share #3 Posted March 22, 2019 (edited) Susie, you will easily get used to all the idiosyncrasies of this lovely camera with time. Enjoy it! Edited March 22, 2019 by M9reno 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerzy Posted March 22, 2019 Share #4 Posted March 22, 2019 exposure time of each "pixel" on a film frame is determined by 2 factors - width of the slit and the speed at which the slit moves across the frame. For simplicity we may assume that the speed at which slid travels (speed of both curtains) is constant across the whole frame and constant for each of the speeds, slit needs approx 20ms for it's travel from right to left. If slit is wider than each "pixel" will be exposed longer to incoming light, exposure time increases. 20ms travel time is for 0-series, but as well for all LTMs until IIIc, from IIIc on travel time is approx 15ms. In reality this is a bit more complicated - travel speed is not constant accross the frame (spring loosing tension when unwounding) and with shorter speeds the travel time is shorter (less friction between components of the shutter). But coming back to 0-series, this is what I found in instruction manual. As you correctly wrote the numbers engraved correspond with slit width Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Did it asnwer your question? Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Did it asnwer your question? ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/295428-reproduction-0-series-shutter-speeds/?do=findComment&comment=3707224'>More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted March 22, 2019 Share #5 Posted March 22, 2019 Hello Susie, You are certainly right. Sometimes when people come from an earlier system, or are inventing a new system, they do not always choose the most optimal way of presenting things. For whatever reason. When viewed from the perspective of how this new system will be, or is, integrated into things in the future. Later, sometimes, for various reasons, there is still some type of "lag" in implementing improvements. Sometimes, not always, this lag in implementation is called "tradition" or "traditional". Best Regards, Michael Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted March 22, 2019 Share #6 Posted March 22, 2019 If you think that is complicated, the following are the shutter/aperture controls on a Vest Pocket Kodak (VPK) from 1915 and this was intended to be one of the simplest cameras on the market. Contemporary Kodak literature makes no reference to film speed, as presumably all VPK 127 film produced by Kodak was at a standard speed (perhaps the equivalent of ISO 5 , 10 or 15 in todays currency)and ISO/ASA did not exist at that time anyway. Kodak users could presumably then follow the ' distance, geography and weather' instructions with some degree of certainty. The slit width on the Leica might have made sense to the German engineers who working on the prototype, but not much to a user who might have been struggling with film of various speeds. By the time the I Model A appeared in 1925 it had actual shutter speeds just like the VPK, which actually had two speeds 1/25th and 1/50th as well as B and T settings. I have not used the 0 Series reproduction model, but I have got nice photos out of VPKs from 1915 and 1919 and from two I Model As from 1926. The exposures for the VPKs were very much guesswork, but I could meter for the I Model As just like I can for a modern camera. I am glad that Leica dropped the slit width and that Kodak also went for more standard measurements. Older members here will remember the Sunny 16 instructions on the inside of film boxes. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! William Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! William ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/295428-reproduction-0-series-shutter-speeds/?do=findComment&comment=3707259'>More sharing options...
Susie Posted March 22, 2019 Author Share #7 Posted March 22, 2019 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi Guys, I was not comparing this shutter with those of other cameras - the shutter on one old Contessa Nettel model certainly needed both slit width and travel speed set, but on the seemingly clumsy way it is described in the instruction book. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
willeica Posted March 22, 2019 Share #8 Posted March 22, 2019 Although the camera you have is a replica, I would treat it as a genuine old camera and make notes as a test roll is run through. Film will give you a lot of latitude, of course. I look forward to seeing the results. George Furst has got superb results with his 'home made' Ur Leica replica which can be seen elsewhere on this forum William 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ambro51 Posted March 22, 2019 Share #9 Posted March 22, 2019 (edited) Changing shutter speeds must be done correctly. After the shutter has been fired, cap the lens and begin to wind on, watching the red dot on the shutter speed dial. When it lines up with the mark, the shutter speed dial is lifted up and rotated so the index pin of the selected speed sets into the dial. Then the film can be wound on, ready for the next exposure. All in all a PITA I usually open of close the aperature as needed. Brilliant Camera BTW ...........truthfully images from this camera show no distinctness or artifact you may expect from basically a century old camera. It makes perfect pictures. Edited March 22, 2019 by Ambro51 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomB_tx Posted March 22, 2019 Share #10 Posted March 22, 2019 My old Graflex SLR also required selecting a curtain slit and winding the appropriate spring tension, but it gave a convenient table on the side of the camera to match with the speed wanted: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/295428-reproduction-0-series-shutter-speeds/?do=findComment&comment=3707390'>More sharing options...
George Furst Posted March 25, 2019 Share #11 Posted March 25, 2019 On 3/23/2019 at 3:32 AM, willeica said: Although the camera you have is a replica, I would treat it as a genuine old camera and make notes as a test roll is run through. Film will give you a lot of latitude, of course. I look forward to seeing the results. George Furst has got superb results with his 'home made' Ur Leica replica which can be seen elsewhere on this forum William As Welleica said, do not underestimate the ability of this camera to take great pictures with excellent sharpness and contrast. The lens in this O series camera is a refomulation of the excellent Elmer 50mm f3.5 lens and is an improvement on this veneral lens that surprised many of us. We did not think it was possible to improve upon. The trick with this camera is covering the lens when advancing the film to the next frame. I am sure that you know this. It is much easier to use than my UR Replica in that you do not need to load and unload it in the dark! But then it is much more complex in that the shutter window width can be changed. In some ways I like the fact that the UR has a fixed 8mm shutter window as it is one less thing to think about before taking a picture. And again as Welleica said, I let the film latitude take care of the exposure. I really like your idea of thinking of the shutter speed dial numbers on the Leica O camera in milliseconds. Now that makes sense. Great idea that I never thought of but it is brilliant thinking on your part. 1 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted April 9, 2019 Share #12 Posted April 9, 2019 (edited) As an owner of a replica 0 series, my personal view is that, as Leica decided to be anachronistic by coating the anastigmat lens, it would have made a far more practical camera to have also used a self capping shutter. Leica themselves realised this, as the Model 1A has such a shutter, just one year on from the 0 Series. I would love to use it more but I find having to use the lens plug a total pain. I must lose at least 5 or 6 images on every roll by either forgetting to put the plug in to wind on or forgetting to take it out before taking a photo. Mine is the original version with the useless wire frame viewer. If I hold this far enough away for the image to be in focus, it is so small as to be close to invisible. I therefore use a SBOOI bright line 5cm finder, which is a big improvement. The later version of the 0 replica has a better reverse Galilean finder but it comes with a very tacky picture of Barnack painted on the back. I agree that otherwise it is a very nice little camera. I tend to use it with Tri-X, as that film's very wide exposure latitude makes up for my incompetence on estimating exposures using sunny 16. Wilson Edited April 9, 2019 by wlaidlaw 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted April 9, 2019 Share #13 Posted April 9, 2019 57 minutes ago, wlaidlaw said: As an owner of a replica 0 series, my personal view is that, as Leica decided to be anachronistic by coating the anastigmat lens, it would have made a far more practical camera to have also used a self capping shutter. I therefore use a SBOOI bright line 5cm finder, which is a big improvement. The later version of the 0 replica has a better reverse Galilean finder but it comes with a very tacky picture of Barnack painted on the back. Yes, I think you are probably right on both counts. Lens coating aside, the first replica/reissue (in 2000) is truer to the original camera so I can understand why Leica chose to do it the way they did but the non-capping shutter is a pain and the gun sight finder is also an acquired taste. You are also right that the later version with the optical finder makes more sense other than the awful Barnack engraved plate on the rear. With a self-capping shutter and the optical finder, the 0 serie would be a very handy compact camera with a terrific lens (and would be a very attractive Leica alternative to the popular Rollei 35). 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ambro51 Posted April 9, 2019 Share #14 Posted April 9, 2019 Put a lens hood on and simply put your palm over as you wind. Doing this eliminates the “cap left on” mistake. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie Posted April 9, 2019 Author Share #15 Posted April 9, 2019 Well maybe for the 100th anniversary they will make a reproduction of the 1A. That would be nice. S 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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