Film cameras
Konica III User manual
User manual for Konica III. 58 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
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- Brand
- Konica
- Model / document
- Konica III
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 58
- File size
- 3.6 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
- Document date
- Not specified in catalog
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CHAPTER 2
Operating the Konica lllA and the Konica lllil,I
Good photography-t"ttot-tyrequire,s tle rnastery By the way, you will get the most out ofand coor&inatiJn bf individual opera- the following sections, if you keep your
tions, each of them relatively sirnple to Konica IllA-unloaded and nearby so yot:
learn. The photographer rnust combine these can practice as we go along.
simple proi"durei until technique becomes
instinctive. In takinq pictures, we want to HOW TO OPERATE THE KONICA IIIA
be free to turn o.,i upon the world haae "y"tthan we normally d9. A Note on the Konica lll: As weand look more deeply
What we see that Excites us and has signifi- indicated in Chapter l, the Konica lllA
cance we want to transform into satisfying is an outgrowth of the earlier rnodel Konica
black-and-white and color pictures. Tech- lll. Consequently, if you own a Konica lll,
the that gtad"to'kiow you raill bb interfere. follouiltE not should mattersnical "sections also lllA Konica on the uritten operations specific are few there While
in photography that are difficult to grasp applu- to the Konica lll: The Lens, Louding
in lhemselves,- it is very important to llc- anrl Llnlouding, The Automatic Exposure The Reuinding and Unloading, each pro- Counter, familiar with thoroughlycome Double Expo- lnientional "make -haste Cocking Leaer, And to - it's sensiblecedure.
slowly." sures, fhe Shutter Release Button, Delayecl
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Action Shutter Release, How to Focus, The struction. They are extremely sharp with Shrfiter and the Di.aTthragm, The Light high resolving power over the whoie lens Vlly? (first ttoo Ttaiagraphs), Deith area. The Konica lenses have an improved -System
of Field. amber-blue hard coating, which no? only ln addition, all of the other chanters in increases their light transmission character-
this book witl be u'seful to the Kohica lU istics, but also gives complete color cor-
ouner. rection. In addition, the arnber-blue coating
enhances the functions of yellow, red, and
There's an old saying that a camera is gre^gn filters in black-and-white photography.
as good as its lens. Thit statement is still Since your camera has a fine leni, it ls
true. The Konishiroku-made Hexanon lenses irnportant to take good care of it. Here are
are optical instruments of proven excellence. a few suggestions 6n lens care:Here is some basic information about your
Konica lens. 1. The removable lens cap that comes
with your Konica is the lens. best friend.
Keep it on at all times when the cameraThe Lens is not in use. It keeps out dust, grit and
also permits you to handle the cameia freely
The Konica IIIA comes equipped with without worrying about getting ffnger marks -lenseither a Hexanon f/L8 Somm or a on the lens whi6h often"appeir in"the ffnal
Hexanon f/2 48mm lens. (The Konica IIIM picture.
has a Hexanon f/1.8 50mm lens. ) These 2. Never allow your ffngers to touch the
lenses are the result of nearly a hundred coated surface of the lens. It's a good idea
years of progress in design. 'ih" H"*u.ron to purchase an inexpensive cariel's hair
lenses have a five-group,- six-element con- brush at your photo dealer. Check the lens
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before shooting and during a long picture- pictures. Dust spots and ffnger marks can
taking session. Dust the lens genthT with spoil enlargements and show up annoyinglv
lhe camel's hair brush. when color slides are projected. These few
3. Sometimes finger marks get on the precautions will enable you to enjoy pic-
lens no matter how careful you are. Get a ture-taking with the Konica for many years.
few packages of lens tissue at your camera
store. Any other tissue may injure your lens.
First, brush the lens carefully, then breathe It is essential that you study carefully theon it lightly until the surface is clouded and andwipe it gently with the lens tissue. Do not following pictures of the Koni,ca lllA its nomenclature. Make sure Aou can locaterub. While modern lenses are hard-coated eDerA feature of your camera.they are not indestructible.
4. It's also a good idea to keep a bottle
of lens cleaner handy in case the lens be-
comes verv dirtv. Follow the instructions
on the botlle. There are a number of good
cleaning preparations on the market.
5. The rear element of the lens should
be cleaned occasionally, but most carefully.
With the camera back open, brush the lens
once or twice with the camel's hair brush.
All of these precautions will take only a
few moments of your time. Tliey will have a
very favorable efiect on the quality of your
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operation that will become auto-Loading tlte Camera a simple
matic once you have the steps down pat.
It is suggested you read this book Here's a case where simplicity of design
through before you actually load your can- works to make this operation easy for you.
era and start taking pictures. Read this sec-
tion on loading through now, following the ( If you are loading the Konica S skip the
steps with your camera and a practice roil next two paragraphs. Instead simply open
of film. Your dealer will likely be able to the back of the Konica S by pulling out
supply you with a practice roll for a few back lid catch. See nomenclature in chap-
cents. It's even worth sacrificing a regular ter 3. Close camera by snapping back lid
priced roll of black-and-white film to get shut. The rest of this section applies
the loading procedure straight. equally to the Konica S. )
I am going to take up the loading and
unloading procedure in some detail because To open the Konica IIIA or IIIM, lift the
it is important to carry out these operations half-ring and turn it until the arrow points
exactly as recommended by the manufac- to O. Turn the half-ring dousn towards the
turer. The operations are simple and you O and press it firmly with your thumb.
won't have to give them a second thought ( See ffgure 3. ) The camera back will poponce you have them accurately in mind. open. Turn the camera so it is resting on
If you are unfanriliar with caneras, it is the lens cap and open the back with the
this author's hope to prevent confusion and lid facing auaA from you.
muke things easy for you. Read the section Pull out the film rewind crank, located on
on loading over again before you start on top of the camera, all the way. ( See figure
your first roll. 4.) Place the cartridge of film in the film
Loading the Konica IIIA ( IIIM or S ) is chamber so the knob end of the cartridge
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Frcunn 3. Half Ring
Frcunn 4. Film Rewind Crank
fits snugly in the slot provided for it inside
the film chamber. (See figure 5.) Return
tlie film rewind crank to lts forrner posi-
tion-and make sure the crank is pushed in
Frcunn 5. Cartridge Fits in Slot, Bottom all the way. ( See figure 6. )
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F rcunn 6. Push Cranl; Buck ln Frcunn 7. lnsert Film in I.ake Up Spool Slot
Now tl-re film leader should be pointing uau. ( See figure 8. ) lf Uou f ollou this
away from you. Take the fihr leacler and rnethod, when llou are through shooting
insert it in the slot providecl in the take-up and ready to rewind, the film will detaclt
spool. ( See figure 7. ) easily from the take-up spool. There are two possible ways of inserting It is possible to insert the film leader in
the film leader in the take-up spool. The the take-up spool in another manner. ?hfs
following illustration indicates the correct is not recommendetl However, sl-rould vou
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FrcunB 8. Corcect Wuy of lnserting Filnr F-rcunn g. lncorrect Way of lnserting Fi,lm
accidentally use tl-ris procedure, tl-rere is After the film leader is inserted in the
nothing to worry about. Here is how the t:rke-up spool correctly (ns in figure 8
film leacler will look when it is insertecl above ) press the shutter release button.
incorrectly. ( See figure 9. ) Nert, make sure the perforations at the
If you insert the film in this manner, edges of the film fit over tl-re sprocket
it will not detach from the take-up spool teeth-this is quite important. The film will
wlren you have finished rewinding. In this not feed unless the perforations are fitted
( See figure 10. )case, tlo not force the filn rewind crank. over the sprocket teeth.
Open the back lid and release the film from Now gently operate the cocking lever
the take-up spool with your finger. twice to transport the film and make sure
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knob will still be pointing to O. Lift the
half-ring until it is vertical, and turn it
clockwise until the arrow points to C. Turn
the half-ring down towtrrds C until the ring
is in flat position. Now your Konica is loaded
and closed. (See fieure 11.)
Frcunn 10. Film Perforations Fit Ouer
Sprocket Teeth
it is winding smoothly on thc t:rke-up spool.
Close the btrck lid. It will snap sl-rut. (If you
trre using the Konica S, skip rest of tl-ris
paragraph. Last paragraph of section applies
to the Konica S. ) Turn the Konica IIIA orIIIM bottom up. The arrow inside the lock Frcunr II. Arrow Points to C (Closed)
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Lift the rewind crank and turn gently in
lthe direction of the arrow marking on crank
to take up any slack in the film. Then' return
the rewind crank to its normal position.
The Automati,c Exposure Counter
On top of your camera, right .next to thesl-mtter iel"aie button, you will find the
window of the automatic exposure corrnter.
(See figure 12. ) This is a remarkably well-
designei device. It resets itself to the start
posiiion ils soon as you open the back of
tlr" crrnera after shooting a roll. Shorrld
tl-rere be a couple of extra shots on yolr
roll beyond the normal 36 exposures, the
counter sirnply remains inactive. Frcunn 12. Automatic Exposure Counter
Having completed the loading operation
up to the last point in the previous section,
film- so you will be tl-re acl'vi.tce mustviu the film into the calrera, the two arrows the first to takei"ady Picture' The exposure counter has two arrow will coincide. Press down twice on the rnarkers: 6ne imbedded in the metal out- cocking lever and you will see the-exposu-re
side the counter window and one inside, countei advance to the first dot. Press the
beneath the glass. Now that you have loaded shutter release button, making sure your
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lens cap is on. Repeat this operation until
counter the arrow points to No. 1, and you __i;_;. _*-*"***:,.r: i :,. a, "+.* are ready to take your first picture.
While you are advancing the film to 1,
you can check to make certain that the
film is feeding correctly. The rewind cranl<
spindle (see figure 13 ) should be turning
counter clockwise when the fihn is feeding
properly.
Here are a few precautions worth remerrl-
bering in loarding any carnertt:
1. It is best not to load in direct sun-
light. If you can't get into the shacle, turn
your back to the sun.
2. No matter wh:rt is happening, a
wedding or an earthquake, take your time
loading and unloading Aour Camera. Ilearned this lesson while shooting a TV
show. I was trying to unload and reload
two cameras very quickly, and became con-
fused and opened the back of one before Frcunn 13. Reuind Crank Spindle
rewinding, accidentally exposing the film.
I rnanaged to snap the back lid closed
quickly and saved all but a few pictures.
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The moral: no matter what's happening ent in photography is one of the factors
take your time. that makes this art different from painting.
3. Alwtrys keep your lens cap on while More could be written on this subject but
loading trnd unloading and while you tue for the moment it is useful to say that any-
advancing the film to No. I. one wanting to take good pictures should
4. If you are shooting an important be aware of time and how to space their
event trncl you know the noment when the shooting in time.
most exciting activity will take place, make
sure you have enough filnt in your camera
to cover it without reloading in the middle. Rewinding and Unloading
If you have six frames left before the
activitv strrrts. it's best to sacrifice them All Konica cameras tiike rolls of 35mm
and start with a new roll. fflm in 20- or 36-exposure cartridges. After
you have ftnished shooting a roll, the film
Anticipating interesting activities about within the camera will be wound neatly
to happen und preptrring for them in ad- arouncl the take-up spool. Incidentall/, Kon-
vance will give you lnany satisfying photo- ica design hers provided for the filnr to feed
graphs. f ime is a significant element in onto the take-up spool emulsion side out,
the trrt of photography. Exciting events are which means greater protection for the sensi-
spaced out in time; there are lulls and tive ernulsion and no troublesome scratches.
sudden moments of great activity. This is Now it is necessary to return tht: film from
tl-reas true for photographing a family cele- the take-up spool to the cartriclge before
bration at home as it is for covering a camera bick- is openecl. On the bottom of
public event, say the intrttgttration of a the camertr. vou will find the rewind button.
president. The elernent of tinre thtrt is pres- (See figure").4.) Push it down with your
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pressure on the crank handle will increase as
the film is wound back into the cartridge.
There will be some slight resistance when
the end of the film comes off the take-up
spool. When the crank again turns easily,
you will know the film is back in the car-
tridge and the operation is completed.
Open the back lid as described in section
on Lo-ading The Camera, and pull out the
rewind crank spindle all the *uy. Remove
the cartridge from the chamber. The film
should be entirely within the cartridge. Now
you are all set to put in another roll.
Let's take a look at the controls on your
Konica.
F'rcunn L4. Reusind Button
The Cocking Leoerfingernail until it clicks into place. This
little button stays down once it clicks and uniquely designed front-positioned Th"also resets itself automatically after rewind- cocking lever takes two strokes to operate.
ing. The first stroke advances the film hilf the
Once you have pushed the rewind button, distance and cocks the shutter; the second
unfold the rewind crank. Turn the rewind stroke carries the film the rest of the wa/,
crank in the direction of the arrow on the releases the double exposure prevention lock
crank handle. As you begin to rewind, and counts the frame. By -dividing these
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operations into two strokes instead of one,
the film is advanced more gently and care-
fully; scratches, tears in the film perforations
and a number of other hazards are avoided.
( See figure 15.)
The cocking lever is positioned at the
front of the camera to make it e-asier to take
vertical pictures. It is really quite impos-
sible to make a mistake in using the lever.
For example, with your unloaded camera in
front of you, push the lever down one and
a half times instead of the correct two, and
see what happens when you try to push the
shutter release button. You will find that
it is impossible to release the button. This
is a gentle hint that you have not finished
cocking. Now push the lever down the rest
of the way and let it snap up. You will find
that the shutter release butlon is ready to
go. In other words, any partial cocking
short of the necessary two strokes will not
allow you to releasb the shutter button. Frcuns f5. Cocking Leaer
You can't make a mistake and get half a
picture. lever the necessary two strokes but your
Furthermore, suppose you have given the attention is distracied before you puslr- the
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shutter release button, and you don't re- occur, the camera should be opened in a
member whether or not yo., harre cocked dark room, if the fflm is to be saved.
the shutter. Again, it is impossible to make
mistake.a lever Once the has been pushed
down the necessary times, not Intentional Double Exposures two you cian
repeat this operation until you have pushed
the shutter release button. The Konica IIIA and the IIIM are fully
The two-stroke cocking lever works so protected against accidental double
swiftly that it is quite poJsible to take five, sures. However, should you want to make"tpo-a
and even more, pictures in 10 seconds, if double exposure, just follow these steps:
a fast-moving action situation demands it. l. Operate the cocking lever twice (once -Naturally, gen- shooting is not this sort of S Konica for the press shutter the ) and-erally recommended; howevei, it is very release button picture. take to the firstuseful to know that the Konica can b'e 2. Unfold the fflm rewind crank andoperated rapidly if you happen to be shoot- turn it in the direction of the arrow to takeing a child at play or some sports activity. up the slack. Should the cocking lever ever jam part 3. Press the fflm rewind button.
way through a stroke, press the film reriind 4. Rewind a small portion of film-aboutbutton to disengage the sprocket; then, one turn of the crank.push the lever to the end of its stroke. q Operate t!," cocking lever normally Once the film has run out, never force and press the shutter release button.the cocking lever because you may strip
the film perforations and cause other diffi- While you can take intentional double
culties which might prevent rewinding the exposures in this _manner, the superimposedfflm into the cartridge. Should this ever pictures will not be in exact register. How-
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ever, this procedure can give y9u some spoiling the picture by jarring the camera.
interesting night shots of fireworks, neon Second-, you will be ready to release the
lights, cainival Ferris wheels and the like. shutter at the exact instant to catch the
Also, you may want to use tl-ris techniclue fleeting expression you want to put on filn-r.
to test the synchroflash circuit. In addition, A painter can see the same fleeting,expres-
it may come in handy if you have shot sioir, think about it and paint it later in
a picture without remembering to remove the studio. You must be as ready as you can
the lens cap or if you have failed to insert be at the very moment the expression occurs'
a flashbulb in the gun. Therein lies much of the excitement of pho-
togrtrphy. If you are ready and succeed,
some- of the drama of reality-as-it-happens
The Shutter Release Button will be in your picture. If you are shooting
fast-action pictures you will have to push
It is very important to depress the shutter thc sl-rutter button rapiclly, but even in this
go case be as gentle as possible.release button firmly as far as it uillwhenever you are shooting a picture. But There is provision made for the use of
make s.tre to press genthTl Operate the cock- a cable releaie instead of the regular shutter
ing lever and press the shutter release a few release button. (If you are using the Konica
times. You will notice the release has some S skip rest of paragraph. ) Turn the knurlecl
slack that is ttrken up before the shutter shutter release button on the Konica IIIA
is set off. It is extremely useful to get in the ancl IIIM counter clockwise and it will un-
habit of taking up the slack on the shutter screw. Remove it and insert an approPriately
release button before actually taking the threaded cable release in the hole. (See
picture. Why? For two reasons: first, you figure 16. ) It's best to put the tiny regular ^will release the button gently and avoid sliutter release button away in a sealed en- ril
,38, tr{I
i
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lar or in flash photography at all shutter
speeds other than B by means of the delayed
action shutter release located on the front
of the Konica IIIA. First operate the cock-
ing lever in the regular manner; then, ro-
tate the delayed action lever all the way
down, ( 180 " ) . ( See figure L7 .) Press th;
shutter release button and the shutter will
go off after about a ten-second delay. If
you rotate the delayed action lever down
half _ way-about 90'-you will get a delay
of about five seconds. The delayed action
mechanism will not function if iL is pressed
down much less than half way.
The delayed action mechanism will allow
Frcunn 16. Cable Release Screu;edSr Into you to get into the picture yourself . It is
P osition also useful in many cases when your cam-
era is on a tripod. Tripods, except the most
velope so you won't lose it. Replace the expensive, tend to shake a bit after you
regrrlar button as soon as you are through have set the camera controls. If you are
using the cable release. shooting at slow shutter speeds, as you
likely will be when using a tripod, a slight
Delayed Action Shutter Release shake can make for a blurred picture. Using
the delayed action device will give you just
You can release the shutter either in regu- enough delay to allow the tripod to become
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delayed action mechanism will give_ you a
chance to brace yourself firmly so there is
no movement. Naturally, the delayed action
mechanism is very useful during the precise
operations of copying or in scientific Pho-
tography.
U sing the Vieu:finder-Rangefinder
The Konica viewfinder-rangefinder is one
of the best on the market today, regardless
of price. This statement, I believe, can be
backed up and proved. When you become
familiar with the Konica IIIA or IIIN{ view-
finder-rangefinder, compare it with the ones
on your friends' cameras, whatever theil
make or price, and judge for yourself. Check
particulaily for over-all brightness and ease
F'rcunn 17. Delayed Action Shutter Release. in focusing.
Rotate Doton. The Konica viewfinder-rangefinder is of
unusual design and incorporates several fea-
firm before the picture is taken. In some tures that do not appear on any other cam-
cases, if you want to take a hand-held time era. Let's take a look at what this instru-
exposure of I 15 or L 12 a second, using the ment can do for you:
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1. Look through the viewffnder of the and what you feel about it, you must see
Konica IIIA or IIIM and you will see a it within the four lines of the brightJine
life-size image. ( The populaily priced Kon- frame,. lf you t'un't see it in the aiewfinder,
ica S has a slightly reduced but very bright you won't get it on film. I stress this pointimage. ) The image you get permits you to because very often we are overwhelm"a UV
sight, focus and compose with both eyes a landscape, very excited by a certain can-
open. In fact, it's best either to work with did scene^-we siroot. The pictures are de-
both eyes open or one just slightly closed. veloped and we are disappointed. Why
This makes for less strain and aliows you aren't those exciting moments we remember
to catch action, out of the corner of your recorded on the film? There is a good
is about to move into your sighting reason: unless the excitement and beauty
;l;..n* that intrigued us was framed within thl
2. Notice the bright-line frame with its four bright ljnes of the viewffnder, they
four lines and dots. Your picture falls within cannot -be in the picture. Behind hunttrn eyes
this area. You get precisely what you see, is a lifetin-re of perceptions and emotions,
no more and no less. No error in sighting behind the cameia's piecision-made opticai
tlre full picture can occur as long is the eye lies sensitized film. The beauty and
four sides of the bright-line frame are in excitement that lie in the world before us
view. There is no aberration if your eye must be composed within the four lines of
is positioned a little ofi from where it should the viewfinder so that what is outside may
be. enter the high-speed lens and be recorded
It's important to become really familiar on fflm. Thelens can see exactly, but it can
with your viewffnder-rangefinder as quickly not feel, compose, or express itself.
as possible. For a picture to be exciting, It is quite important to give this matter
memorable and expressive of the subject some thought. Remembering that only what
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Surprisingly enough, the Konica IIIA, IIIM board mounted color slide trims a small
and S are the only cameras made anywhere portion off the picture. The inside edge o{
in the world, at any price, that not only the bright-line frame shows you the exact
compensate for ptrrallax but also for the picture you will get when your color slide
angle of view. In practical shooting terms returns frorn the processor trimmed slightly
this means that within the bright-line frame by having been placed in a cardboard mount.
you see exactlv what the lens sees-no
more. no less. How to Focus The Konica viewffnders are actuallv more
accurate than the viewfinders of most'single- The Konica rangefinder is a precise and
lens refex cameras. In the single-lens refler, rugged instrument that is mechanically
you see right through the k'ns itself, not coupled to the lens systen. It has been ad-
through a separate system. However, single- justed to extremely close tolerances by expert
lens reflex cameras tend to get a little nore technicians. Consequently, the position of
on the fihn than they sho'i' through their the focusing lever is always in a precisely
viewing systems. correct relation to the moving image of the
Here is an indication of just how accurate subject within the bright-line frame. Here
the Konica viewfinclers are. The outside is how you focus on the subject:
edges of the four sides of the bright-line
frame correspond precisely to the area I. Look through the viewffnder. At the
c'overed by the lens. The inside edge of center of the biight-line frame you will
the four bright lines corresponds exac[ly to see n small, briglit square area. Now sight
the area of a regular 35mm color slide that through this area at a subject about 10
has been mounted in a cardboard Kodak feet away. If you look through the bright
Readymount. In other words, every card- spot at a corner of the subject, you will
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see a double image of the corner.
2. Move the focusing lever slowly from
one side to another and you will see one
of the double images of the subiect move
horizontally. When the two images coincide
exactly you are in focus. (See figures 18
and 19.)
Now if you look through the bright focus-
ing area and move the lever ever so slightly
so the sub ject is out of focus, you will
notice that one of the double images has
a lavender tinge while the other has a yellow
tinge. Move the lever until the two images F'rcunr 18. Out of Focus. Double lmage of
coincide, and you will see the sub ject in Plane's Door in Center.
natural color within the focusing area. In
short, when the subject is out of focus yotr lizes the principle of light wave interference
get a double image-one lavender and one and imparts complementary hues ( lavender
yellow; when the subject is i,n correct. f oc_us, and yellow ) to the stationary and moving
you will see a single image in natural color. images of the subject on which you are
This arrangement is of special Konish- focusing.
iroku design, and it is a great help in getting Here are some suggestions that will help
your subject quickly into focus. The p?t- you in focusing:
ented system is based on a color comple-
menting arrangement. A triple coating uti- 1. While the focusing arrangement on
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