Film cameras
Minolta XG Cameras User manual
User manual for Minolta XG Cameras. 65 pages in English. Read the original PDF, download or print a copy without registration.
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- Brand
- Minolta
- Model / document
- Minolta XG Cameras
- Document type
- User manual
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 65
- File size
- 6.3 MB
- Category
- Film cameras
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- Not specified in catalog
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REM(]VINGTHEWINOER 86 FilmsandFilters 106
POWERWINDING 86 FILMCHARACTERISTICS 106
REWINDINGTHEFILM 87 Speed.Grain.Contrast.ColorBalance.Reversal
MANUALCAMERA()PERATI(]N 88 andnegativefilms.Latitude.
SAFETYTIPS 88 SL()WFILMS 108
MIN()LTACHARGER 89 MEDIUM-SPEEDFILMS 108
HIGH.SPEEDFILMS 1 0 8
TheDataBackG 89 SPECIAL.PURP()SEFILMS 109
CameraCare 90 KodakHigh-ContrastCopyFilm.KodakDirect
CAMERABODY 91 PositivePanchromaticFilm.KodakHighSpeed
LENSES 92 InfraredFilm.KodakEktachromelnfraredFilm.
BATTERIES 93 Eastman5247.KodakEktachromeSlide
CAMERASTORAGE 94 DuplicatingFilm.
FILMCARE 95 FILTERSYSTEMS r10
INSURANCE 96 FILTERSF()RBLACK-AND-WHITEFILMS 110
FILTERSF()RCOLORFILMS 112
Color-conversionfilters.Light-balancingfilters'
Color-compensatingf ilters.
PARTTWO: GENERAL FILTERSF(]RB(ITHC()L()RANDBLACK-AND-
PHOTOGRAPHICTECHN IOUES WHITEFILMS 1 1 4
Polarizer.Neutral-densityfilters.Haze,UV and
skylightfilters.Introduction 98 EXP()SURECALCULATIONWITHFILTERS 1 1 5
LensesandtheirUses 98
LENSCHARACTERISTICS 98
Focallength.Speed.Depthof field. ElectronicFlashPhotognphy 1 1 6
Perspectivedistortion. DETERMININGEXPOSURE 1 1 6
N()RMALLENSES 1 0 1 AUT()MATICFLASH l l 7
WIDE.ANGLELENSES 103 MANUALFLASH 117
TELEPH()T()LENSES r03 BOUNCEFLASH 1 1 8
Z()()MLENSES 1 0 5 FILL-INFLASH 1 1 9View original page 4Page 6 · Read text
MINOLTAXG.g,XG.1, AND
xG-7
INTRODUCTION mtnolto
Welcometo the worldof the single-lensreflex(SLR)
camera.lt hasbeensaidthatoneof thegreatestthrillsin
photographyis lookingthroughtheeyepieceof an SLRfor
the first time and seeinga sceneas the lensseesit.
Whetheryou use a normal,telephoto,wide-angle,0r
super-wide-angle(fisheye)lens,youwill seea scenein a
waythatis beyondthe capabilityof the unaidedeye.
Youseeonlywhatthe lenssees-sharplyoutlinedby
the f rameof the viewingscreen- withoutall of the TheMinolta XG'sarc 35 mm single-lensreflex
distractingelementsthatarepart0f 0ne'snormalfieldof cam eras of fer i ng apert ure-p r i orit y aut om at i c
view.Youalsoseetheentirescenein focus(assumingthe exposuneas well as fully manual exposure
lensis focused); the humaneyenormallysees,in focus, control. Theyhavebuilt-in light meters, 8fr8 compatiblewith over4O Minolta lenses,and onlya verysmallpartof thesceneit views.SLR'sgivea can be used with the Minolta WinderG, Data
differentview of the world.lt is up to you and your Back G, and Minolta dedicatedflash units. The
imaginationto usethis extraordinarycapability. newest model XG, the XG-9, is shown above.
The MinoltaXG camerasare compacl,easy-to-use
SLR'sthatallowyou t0 selectan automatic(aperture-
priority)modeof exposurecontrolor a modethatgives Advancedphotographerswill be able to take full
completemanualcontrolwithfull metering. advantageof the XG cameras'featuresto extendtheir
The MinoltaXG camerashave been designedfor creativeabilities.More casualph0t0grapherswill find
maximumflexibility,dependability,diversity,andeaseof thesecameras'comfortablehandlingcharacteristicsand
operation.Becauseof theirconvenientfeatures,careful variousmodesof operationhelpfulin minimizingthe
engineering,andsolid-statecircuitry,theywill satisfyboth technicalaspectsof picturetaking.Bothgroupswill be
the advancedphotographer'sneedsand thoseof less- freerto concentrate0n theirsubiectswhilethe cameras
demandingphotographers. automatically(if desired)adiustfor properexposure.
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TheXG-9.XG-l,andXG-7bodiesarethe heartof a o An oversizedmirror,engineeredfor quick,quiet
camerasystemthat includesreadilyinterchangeable return,whichgivesnegligibleimagecutoffevenwith the
lensesandotheraccessoriesthatcanhelpyouexpandyour exceptionallylong-focal-length(1600mm)Rokkor-Xlens. I.|lrphotographichorizons.Thesetwo camerasare light- o A widerangeof automaticexposureparameters;for
weight- respectively,500 g (17-518oz.), 491 g example,witha 1.4lensandASA100film,therangeof
l'17-5116oz.),and505g 117-3116oz.)withoutlensesor sensitivityisf rom1/2 sec.at fl1.4to 1/1000sec.ar f/11.
powercells. o Through-the-lensmeteringat full apertureby means H r/ of two CdScellsin theviewfinder.Themeteringis center-
weighted,thatis, the centerareaof the picturehasthe
Amongtheseare:FEATURES mostinfluence0n the reading.ASA rangesfrom 25 to 'I| 1600canbe accommodated.
o A fixedpentaprismviewfinderwith a mattefresnel o A hotshoeaswellasa PCcontactfor on-camera0r
focusing-screenmaterialthatincreaseslighttransmission remoteflash.Synchronizationis at 1/60 sec.or slower.F4
throughit, therebypermittingbrighter,m0re uniform MF,andl/flash bulbswill syncat l/15 sec.illuminationand easierfocusingoverthe entirescreen t o Easilychanged,long-lifebatteriesthat powerthe
area.In additionto the picturearea,the viewfinderalso automatic-exp0surecontrols,the LED's,andthe electro-
displaysinformationessentialt0 properexposureby means magneticshutterrelease.
of LED's(Light-EmittingDiodes). o A quiet,horizontal-path,focal-planeshutterthat is lit
o A mainswitchthat turnsthe cameraon and off, releasedelectronically.The automaticspeeds(1/1000
checksthe batteries,andp0wersthe self-timer. sec.t0 one second)are continuouslyvariablein the
o An electromagneticshutterreleasethat requires automaticmodeand steppedin the manualmode.An
(bulb),0pensthe shutterwhentheonlya lighttouchto triggerit. t additionalsetting,I
o TouchEwitchmetering,which activatesthe cam' releasebuttonis depressedand keepsit openuntilthe
era'selectronicsystemas you lightlypressthe shutter- buttonis released.Thereis alsoa provisionfor operation
releasebuttonwhilelookingthroughthe viewfinder' of the shutterfrom a remotepointwith an accessory I|Ir o Acceptabilityof almostall applicableMinolta mechanicalor electroniccable.
accessoriesandlensesin themanualandautomaticmodes' o A shutter-speeddialthatis largeenoughto be easily
o A holderon the backof the XG-7andXG-9for the readandeasilyadjusted. * endpanelof thefilm boxas a reminderof the$pe of film o A bayonetlens mountwith a convenientlysized
in use.Withoutthispanelin place,anASA/DINconversion lens-releasebuttont0 facilitaterapid interchangeof
tableis seen(theXG-l hasonlythe ASA/DINtable). lenses.
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BASICOPERATIONOF THE
XG'S
The following12 stepsgive the basicinformation
necessaryfor makingperfectlyexposedphotographswith
thecamera.However,in orderto getthemostoutof your
cameraandto keepit in top shape,youshouldreadthis
manualthoroughlywith camerain hand.
In addition,after readingthis book and becoming
familiarwith all the knobs,levers,andbuttons0n your
camera,you mightwantto turnbackto this instructions
summarybeforey0ur nexl picture-takingsessionand
checkoff eachstepas yougo along.
CHECKBATTERY
Turnthemainswitchto 8.C.(BatteryCheck).lf thered
battery-checkindicatoron the frontof the cameralights,
the batteriesareserviceable.
TURNON POWER
Movemainswitchto o/, position.
OPENBACKCOVER
Pullup theback-coverreleaseknob/film-rewindcrank
untilthe backpopsopen.
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LOADFILM
Dropa 35 mm film cartridgeinto the spacedirectly
belowthefilmrewindcrank.Insertthefreeendof thefilm T intothetake-upsp00l.Advancethefilm untilthe holesof
bothedgesengagethe film sprockets.Closethe camera
back. T
ADVANCEFILM
Turnthefilm-advanceleveruntilthenumber/ appears
in the exposure-counterwindow. I To check the condition of the batteries turn
the main switch to B.C. The red battery-check
indicator on the front of the camera will light
if the batteries aneserviceable. To turn on the
power move the main switch fo on. Ir
I Advance the film by alternately stroking the
film-advance lever and firing the shutter until
the number 1 r's aligned with the index mark in
the frame-counter window. I
camera the To open
pull the back- SETFILMSPEED up back,
cover release knob. Pulltheringaroundtheshutter-speed/functionselector When the back pops I andturnit untiltheappropriateASAnumberappearsin the open, load the film and
close the camera back. film-speedwindow.
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SET LENS APERTURE
Sefectanyaperture,f0rexample,fl8. Lookthroughthe .ll viewfinder.Touchthe shutter-releasebutton (slight
pressuremaybe necessaryto activateelectronics).lf an
LEDdoesnot lightnextto any of the shutterspeeds,
; changetheaperturesettinguntilonedoes.Preferably,the
speedshouldbe 1/60sec.or fasterforhand-heldshooting.
FOCUS
Sef the film speed by pulling up on the collar of the shutter-speedlf unction dial and turning lr Turnthe lensfocusingring until the imagein ihe
it until the desired ASA number appears in the viewfinderappearssharp.
film-speed window.
; RELEASESHUTTER
SETSELECTORTO / Holdingthe camerasteady,pressthe shutter-release
buttonsmoothly.Forthe nextexposure,advancethe film
Thisputsthecamerain theautomaticmode. andwindthe shutterwiththef ilm-advancelever. rr
lr
lt
;|
To use the camera in the automatic mode, set To make an exposure, press the shutter-
the shutter-speedlfunction dial to A and set release button. Do this slowly to avoid shaking
the desired aperture on the lens. the camera.
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TURNOFFPOWER DETAILEDINSTRUCTIONS
Movemainswitchto off position. Thefirst stepin the properuseof any camerais to
becomecompletelyfamiliarwith all of its parts.lt is
importantto knowwheretheyareandto understandwhat
their purpgsesare, how they operale,and how they
interrelate.Thepreviousillustrationsshowfront,rear,top,
andbottomviewsof the XG-7andXG-l with key parts
clearlyidentified.Youshouldstudythesephotographswith
After you have finished a camerain handto becomeaccustomedto its operational
using the camera turn features.Do not hurrythe familiarization.Taketime to
off the power by moving understandthe mechanicsandelectronics.
the main switch to off. Whenyouknowwhatall theknobs,buttons,andlevers
REWINDFILM do,youarereadyt0 preparethecamerafor picturetaking.
Pushthe film-rewindbutton,0nthe bottomof the ATTACHINGLENSES
camera,then lift up the f ilm-rewindcrankand turn it Attachinga lens is easy.Removethe cap f rom the
clockwiseuntilyoufeelthefilmsnapoff thetake-upspool. camerabodyandthe rearcapfromthe lensby turningIt is a goodideato givethecranka few moreturnsafter thembothcounterclockwise.NoW merelyalignthe redyoufeelthefilm clearthetake-upsp00lto makesureit is index0n the lensbarrelwith theredindex0n thecamera
woundentirelyinto the film cartridge.Openthe camera mountand insertthe lens into the camera,turningitbackandremovethe film. clockwiseuntilit clicksintothelockedposition.Whileyou
Areat it, try removingthe lens.Pressdownon the lens'
releasebutton,turnthe lenscounterclockwiseasfar as it
will go,andthenlift it outof thecamerabody.Reinsertit
To rcwind the film, first asyoudidbeforeandyouwill be readyfor thenextstep.
push the film-rewind lf youmustsetdownthelenswithoutits rearlenscap,
button, and then lift the be carefulnotto damagethe diaphragmcontrolpin.The rcwind crank and turn it lenscanbe seton its frontendto keepit fromrollingaway. clockwise until you feel
a sudden releaseof A fisheyelensmust notheset0n itsfrontendbecausethe
tension. opticsprojectbeyondthe mountandwouldthereforebe
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damaged.Thefrontlenscapshouldbekepton at all times
whenyou are not shootingpictures;it was designedto
protectthe lens.
INSERTINGBATTERIES
Thisis accomplishedby removingthe battery-chamber
coverat thebottomof thecamerawitha coinor otherflat-
edgeditem.Theslotturnscounterclockwiseandthenthe
holdercomesout.Two 1.5-voltsilver-oxidebatteries-
Attach a lens by aligning the rcd index mark on
the lens with the red index mark on the Toinstall batteries,nemovethe battery-camera. lnsert the lens and turn it clockwise chambercoveron the bottom of the camera,until you hear it lock into position with a ctick. and inserttwo 1.s-voltsilver-oxidebatteries
with the positive ft) side facingoutward.
To remove a lensp/ess down the lens-release
button, turn the lens counterclockwise as far
as poss ible, and lift the lens out of the camera
body.
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g00dtimew0uldbe priorto insertingeachrollof film.The
testis simple.Turnthe mainswitchso thatthe indexdot
linesupwith B.C.lf theredbattery-checkindicatoron the
frontof thecameralightsup,thebatteriesareserviceable.
lf the indicatordoesnot light,the batteriesmaynot be
freshor theymayhavebeeninsertedimproperly.When
y0ureleasethemainswitch,it will automaticallymoveto
the on position.lf you do not intendto usethe camera
immediately,turnthe mainswitchto the aff positionto IH
The battery-check indicator will light if the l batteries have enough power to operate the
camera. Checkthe conditionof the batteriesby
turning the main switch so that the index dot
aligns with B.C. Thered battery-check T indicator on the front of the camerawill light
if the batteriesarc serviceable.Eveready5-76or theequivalent- shouldbe wipedclean Ir
anddroppedintotheroundsleeveof thebattery-chamber
coverwiththe + (plus)sideout.Thecovershouldthenbe
replacedandscrewedin tightly.Becausethesebatteriesarethepowersourceforthemeter,theelectronicexposure n
controls,the electronicshutter-speedsettings,and the
LED's,if they are not put in correctlynoneof these
featureswill operate. II
The conditionof the batteriesshouldbe tested
immediatelyafterinstallationandfrequentlythereafter.A
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eliminateunnecessarybatterydrain and/or accidental -.exposureif the shutter-releasebuttonis inadvertently
depressed.
The capacityof the batteriesis affectedby extreme
coldweather.A combinationof weakbatteriesandfreezing
weathermay produceunsatisfactoryoperationof the Open the camera bY
camera'selectronics.lf you anticipateshootingin putting-cover uP on the back-
conditionsthat are near freezing0r below,use fresh rclease knob-
batteriesandcarryfreshspares.Seethe sectionof this lnsert the film cartridge in the camera bodY so itbook0n cameracarefor furtherinformation0n battery resfs directlY beneath
care. the rclease knob and
'push the knob back into
LOADINGFILM its original Position.
Withthedesiredlensin placeandtheelectronicsof the
camerapowered,the nextstepin gettingreadyto take O Usingthe film-advancelever,windthe film around
picturesis to load the film. See the accompanying thetake-upsp00landcheckthatthesprocketteethfit into
illustrationthatrelatesto thisveryeasyprocedure. the perfoiations0n both edgesof the f ilm' lt may be
necessaryt0 depresstheshutter-releasebuttonto release
the film-advancelever if it stopsbeforethe wind is o 0penthebackcoverby pullingup 0n theback'cover
completed.releaseknob.Thecoverwill popopen. i closethebackof thecamera.lt will clickwhenit is o Inserta 35 mmfilm cartridgeintothe spacein the properlylocked.Thisactionautomaticallyresetstheframecamerabodydirectlybeneaththe releaseknobandthen counterfor the new roll.pushtheknobbackintoits originalposition.Youmayhave O Youshouldnow see a red .9 in the frame-counterto turnit just a bit to get it intothatposition. window.Usingthe f ilm-advanceleverand the shutter' o Insertthefreeendof thefilm leaderintooneof the releaseuuttonlwindthefilm untiltheindexlinealongsideslotsin thetake-upspoolas shown.Be surethatthetooth theframecounteris alignedwith /. Thefirstframeof theof thespoolis engagedin a sprockethole.Be carefulthat film is nowin position,ind thecamerais readyfor picturethefilm leaderdoesnotprojectbeyondtheslot;otherwise
taking.the film will notwindproperly.
33
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I
I
lnsert the film leader into one of the slots of A safe-loadsignal, which indicatesthat the ithe take-up spool, and hook one of the film fitm hasbeencorrcctly loadedand is winding
perforations on a tooth of the spool. properly,is displayedon the top of the camera-
Alternately firc the shutter and advance the A red bar appearsin the window to tell you the
film until the perforations on both edges of the film is advancingproPerlY.film engage the film sprockefs. i
Thesecamerashavean additionalsafetyfeaturethat
indicateswhenthe film is correctlyloadedandwinding
properly.A safe-loadsignalis displayedon thetop of the I camera.lf a redbardoesnotappearafterthebackof the
camerahas beenclosedand the film woundto the I
position,openthe backandrepeatthe loadingprocedure.
When the red bar appears,the camerais readyfor i shooting.Becausethe film leadercanslipoff thetake-up
sprocketso easily,it is essentialto checkfor proper
winding.Fewoccurrencesin photographyareas annoying, I embarrassing,or dishearteningasshootinganentirerollof
filmandthenfindingoutthatyounevergotpasttheleader.
It hashappenedto manyphotographers;trY notto let itAfter loading the film and closing the camera,
wind the f ilm, using the film-advance lever happento you. I o Additionalinformationonfilmhandlingcanbefoundand the shutter-rclease, until the number 1
aligns with the frame-counter index mark. in thesectionof thisbookon cameracare.
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ADVANCINGFILM
The f ilm-advancelevermoves30 degreesbeforeit
beginsitsadvancecycle.Theremainderof the130degree
strokeadvancesthe film andwindsthe shutter.Whenthe
leverslops,thecamerais readyfor thenextexposure.The
levershouldneverbe forced.
A"on,,;,:;',,.,'u'I"ffTil::3 va,ue,har
indicatesthe degreeof rheir sensitivityto light.ASA
(AmericanStandardsAssociation)and DtN (Deutches To adjust the metering system of the camera to a'particular film speed, lift the collar of the
IndustrieNormen)are the two types of f ilm-speed film-speed selector and turn it until the
designationyouwill seemostfrequently.Morethanlikely desircd ASA number shows in the small
you will be usingASAratings.The MinoltaXGcameras window. Herc the ASA rb set at I OO.
haveASAsettingsin thefilm-speeddial,andan ASA/DIN
conversioncharton the backof the camera. This ASAIDIN conversion scale appears on the
ThelowertheASAor DINnumbers,theslowerthefilm. back of the XG-7 and XG-g, inside of the film- memo holderMoreexposureis requiredfor a filmwitha lowASAor DIN
numberthanis requiredfor a filmwitha highnumber.The
differencesin filmswith differenrASAor DINnumbersgo
beyondtheir relativespeeds-for example,thereare
differencesin grain,resolution,exposurelatitude,andin
the case of color f ilms, color response.You should
thereforereadthe sectionon filmsin the secondpartof
thisbook,or oneof severalexcellentbooksavailable0n
thesubject,whichexplainthesedifferencesin detail.
Toadjustthemeteringsystemof yourXGcamerato the
speedof thefilm in use,youneedonlylift theringof the
speedselectorandturnit to the appropriateASArating
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SINGLE-LENSREFLEXOPERATION VIEWFINDEROPERATION
Beforestartingto takepictureswith thexG,youmight Justas the Minoltacamerabodyis the heartof the
camerasystem,theviewfinderis thecontrolcenterof the wantto readthisbriefexplanationof its single-lensrefiex rlr
operation. XG cameras.Throughit ygu carry out a numberof
The cameralens projeitsthe imageit seesonto a operations:Youseethesceneiustasthele.nsseesit; You
mirrorthatis locatedbehindthelensat a 4b-degreeangle frame,compose,andfocus;youseethe rangeof shutter T speedsat therightsideof theframein theautomaticmode in front of the closedfocal-planeshutter.Th; film, of
course,is behindtheclosedshutter.Thisimageis reflected with LED'sthat indicatewhichshutterspeedis being
upwardontoa mattescreenthat is directlybeneaththe selectedby the automatic-exposuresystem.Youhavea
visualindicationof an over-0r underexposurecondition penta(five-sided)prism.lr is rhenreflectedwirhinrhe r| prismandappears,whenviewedthroughthe eyepiece,
rightsideup andnon-reversed.you do not haveto cope Shownherc is the viewfinderof the XG-7- The
with upside-down0r reversedimages,whichcanbe very LED'I on the right indicatewhat shutter speed confusingunlessy0u are experiencedwith them.The H is beingselectedby the camera'sautomatic
pictureyouseeis the pictureyouget. exposules ystem. The triangularLED'sat top
when you pressthe shutter-releasebutton,several and bottom indicate over-and underexposune,
thingsoccuralmostsimultaneously.Themirrormovesup rcspectively. t outof thefilmpathso thattheimagetravelingthroughthe
lensfallsontothefilm; rhelensautomaticallistopsiown
to the correctf-stopfor properexposure;the focal-planeshutter0pensand closes,exposingthe film; the lens rl
returnsto its maximumaperture;and the mirror
immediatelyreturnsto its45-degreeposition,readyfor the
nextshot. T Forrapid-sequenceshootingyoudonotneedto remove
youreyefromtheeyepiece.Justreleasetheshutterand
advancethe film as quicklyas desired.Followingany
actionthroughan sLRviewfinderis easybecausey* ,r, Hthescenecontinuouslyexceptfor a briefinstantwirenfhe
mirroris up.
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Focusingis particularlyeasywith the XG cameras.
Thereis a split-imagespotin thecenterof thepictureand
a bandof microprismssurroundingthe splitimage.Both
are centeredin the mattef ield. After you havetried
focusingunderdifferentconditions,you will developa
knackfor quickfocusing,whichwill allowyou to take
advantageof thefollowingfeaturesof the XG.
o Theupperandlowerhalvesof theimageswithinthe
split-imagespotmovehorizontallyin relationto eachother
asyoulurnthefocusingring.Whenbothhalveslineup,the
subjectis in focus.Becauseit maybe a littledifficultat
first to seethe lackof alignmentin the two halves,you
Shownherc is the viewfinder of the XG- | . The shouldpointthe cameraat someobiectwith vertical
slowershutter speedsarenot numbered. They lines-for example,a fencepost,tree, pole, 0r win- indicatecaution when hand-holdingthe
cameraat thesespeeds. dowframe- and while turningthe focusingring,notice
howtheupperandlowerhalvesof theverticallinesmove
and,if youareusinga MinoltaX-seriesflashunit,theLED apartandtogether.lf youdonothavesomethingverticalin
oppositethe60 will blinkwhentheflashis chargedand the picturebut do havesomethinghorizontal,that is, a
ready.Theviewfinderof theXG-9alsoshowstheselected railing,horizontaltree branch,0r the like,iust turn the
aperture.All the data neededfor properf raming, camera90 degreesandfocuswith the splitimage.The
composition,focus,andexposureis righttherebeforeyour resultswill be thesame.Youcannothelpbutnoticewhen
eye. thetwohalvesareproperlyalignedandthereforein focus.
Theimageseenby yourlensis displayedon a bright O Thespacebetweenthetwo smallcirclessurround-
screenthat has at its centera split-image/microprism ingthesplit-image,whichconsistsof smallprisms,makes
focusingspot.The surfaceof the acutemattescreen the portionof the scenewithinthe two circlesappear
assuresevenbrightnessrightout to the cornersof the brokenup andfuzzywhenit is out of focus.So thatyou
picture.Thisis an aidto focusingin dimlightsituations0r will cometo recognizequicklywhentheimagegoesin and
whenusinglong-focal-lengthlenses,whichusuallyhave outof focus,practiceconcentratingonthebandaSyouturn
smalleraperturesandthereforetransmitlesslightthan thefocusingring.Youwill seethescenealmostsnapinto
shorter,fasterlenses. focusasyoureachthecorrectdistancesetting.Theserings
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o Witha givenlensat a givenfstop,the closerthe
canbe veryusefulwhentherearen0 continuouslinesin subjectis to thecamera,the lessdepthof fieldtherewill
thescene,suchas mightbe the casewith seascapes0r be.
fieldsof flowers.In suchinstances,youmightnotbe able
t0 usethe splitimagein the center. You shouldexperimentwith different subiectsat
o The entire screencan also be used for correct different distancesf rom the camera,using different
focusingbecausethe entirefield lookssharpor unsharp f-stops,in orderto seethepracticalresultsof manipulating
dependingon the setringof the lensfocusingring.By thesevariables.By usingthe propercombinationof focal
turningthe ringfromoneextremeto the other,the image length,lens aperture,subject-to'cameradistance,and
will go in and out of focusat mostdistancesfrom the subject-to-backgrounddistance,you will havecomplete subject. controloverhowmuchof thesceneis in acceptablefocus'
This controlis essentialin emphasizinga particular You shouldpracticefocusingon variousobjectsat elementin a scene0r in minimizinga distracting variousdistancesso thatyoucometo know,automatically, foregroundor background. thesequenceof functionsthatmustoccurbeforea picture The depthof field is indicatedon Minoltalensesby canbetaken.Practicingfocusingon movingobjectsis also meansof a depth-of-fieldscale.Forexample,if a 50 mm helpful. lensis focusedat approximately5 m (15ft'), andyouset Depthof field is an importantfactorin the impactof the apertureal fl\, everythingin the scenebetweenthey0ur pictures.The followingrules shouldhelp y0u pointsmarkedby thetwo smallBs-approximately3.5 mdeterminehowmuchdepthof fieldis desirableandhowto (11 ft.) and 10 m (30 ft.)-will be acceptablvsharp.achieveit. By definition,depthof field is the distancein Anythingcloseror fartherthanthosetwo pointswill befrontof and behindthe subjecton whichthe lens is lesssharp.Rememberingwhatwasdiscussedearlieraboutfocusedthatis acceptablysharp.Withthatin mind,read the apertureaffectingdepthof field,youcanreadilyseethefollowing: thatthedistance0n thescalemarkedoff by thetwo small
4's (oneis an P/ is muchlessthanthe distanceon the o At thesame/-stop,thedepthof fieldis greaterwith scalemarkedoff by thetwo small/5"s.In thelattercase,a shorterfocal-lengthlensthanit is with a longerone. everythingbetweenapproximately3 m (9 ft.) andinfinity o Withthesamelens,thedepthof fieldis greaterwith will be in acceptablefocus.Incidently,thesmallB is thea smalleraperture(larger-numberedlstop)thanit is with black- infrared with shooting focuswhen to youuse.alargeraperture(smaller-numbered/-stop).Therefore,the index different a slightly focusat rays Infrared film. and-whitefasterthe settingof a lens,the lessdepthof fieldthere pointthanvisibleraysandthedisplacementof thefocusofwill be.
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I
) I time the waterwas allowedto flow throughthe hosethelensfromthedianondtothesmallBcompensatesfor . -
thatdifference. woulddeterminehowmuchwaterwouldget0n thelawn. E 0bviously,a largehoseleft runningfor a longtime A featureof theXG-9whichis notincludedontheXG-7
or theXG-1is a depth-of-fieldpreviewbutton.Thiscontrol ./ wouldfloodthelawn(overexposure)anda smallhoseleft
permitsdirectobservationof depthof field throughthe runningfor a shorttimewouldnotsufficientlywaterthe
viewfinder.Whenyou pushthe previewbutton,the lens lawn (underexposure).Somewherein betweenis the
diaphragmclosest0 theselectedaperture,andthe image combinationthat wouldproducethe correctamountof
onthefocusingscreendarkenssomewhat,andyoucansee waterfor the lawn(correctlyexpose).
howmuchof the imageis acceptablysharp. Exposingthe film emulsionis similarto wateringthe
lawn.Dependingon the sceneillumination,a wide-open
lenswith theshutteropenfor a relativelylongtime(slow CALCULATINGEXPOSURE speed)wouldoverexposethe film,while a smalllens
Readthisbriefreviewof exposureprinciplesandthen openingwith the shutteropenfor a relativelybrieftime
get 0n with the businessof takingpictures. (fastspeed)wouldverylikelyunderexposethefilm.
To be properlyexposed,everyfilm needsto havea Eachlens f-stopallowstwice the volumeof light
certainamountof lightfall on its emulsion.Slowerfilms throughthelensasthenextsmallerf-stopandone-halfthe
(thosewith lowerASA ratings)needmorelight; faster lightof the nextlargerf'stop.An f-stopoI f/5.6 allows
fiTms{thosewith higherASAratings)need/esslight. twiceasmuchlightas fl8 andone-halfasmuchlightas f/
You,as thephotographer,havetwo waysof controlling 4.
howmuchlightfallson thefilm:by adjustingtheaperture Eachshutter-speedstepallowslightto passthroughthe
or the shutterspeed.lt is importantt0 keepin mindthat lenstwiceas longas the nextshorter(faster)speedand
apertureandshutter-speedsettingsare interrelated. halfas longas thenextlonger(slower)speed.A speedof
The aperturecontrolsthe quantityof light that f lows 11125sec.allowsthe lightto passthroughtwiceas long
throughthe lens.Analogousof this wouldbe a garden as 1/250 sec.doesandhalfas longas 1/60 sec'does.
hose.Giventhe samewaterpressure,morewaterwould So,youcanseethatf-stopsarein stepsthatdoubleor
flow througha largehose (largelens aperture)than halvethe amountof light hittingthe film, and shutter
througha smallhose(smalllensaperture)in anygiven speedsarein stepsthatdoubleor halvethelengthof time
time. thatthelighthitsthefilm.Notethefollowinginterrelation-
Theothercontrol,theshutter determinesthelengthof ship.
tine a givenamountof lightcomingthroughthe lenswill o lf the correctexposurewere f/5.6 at 11125sec.,
fall on the emulsion.Again,the analogy'Theamountof thenf/4 (twicethelight)at1l250sec.(one-halfthetime)
4746View original page 24Page 25 · Read text
wouldproducethesamecumulativequantityof lightonthe mode.fn the autonaticmode,the caneradeterminesthe
flim,thereforeresultingin thesameexposure. correctexposurefor a givenaperture;inlhemanualmode,
. Otherpossiblecombinationswouldbetf/B (one-half thisfeatureis bypassedandyoucontroltheexposure.The
the light)at 1/60 sec.(rwicethe lengrhof rime); f/Z.g choiceis yours.Eachmodehasadvantages;howyouavail
(fourtimesthe light)at 1/500sec.(one-fourrhthe lengrh yourselfof themwill evolvefromyourpreferencesand
of time); andf/11 (one-fourththelight)at l/30 sec.(four experiencein variouspicturesituations.Thefollowingare
timesthe lengthof time). youroptions:
It is importantto be awareof thesebasicrelationsh!ps o Automaticmode.Youset the desiredapertureand
s0 thatyoucanmanipulatetheapertureandshutterspeed thecameraautomaticallysetsthecorrectshutterspeedfor
to producedesiredeffects.You mightwant t0 use a properexposure.
specific/-stopt0 achievea certaindepthof field.0r you o Manualmode.Yousetthedesiredshutterspeedand
mightwantt0 usea particularshutterspeedto suit the lhenyou, manually,adiustthe aperturefor the c0rrect
actionin a scene,for example,a slowshutterspeedto exposurebasedon meteringthe scenein the automatic
suggestmotionor a fast speedto arrestmotion.Having mode.
selectedoneof thesevariables,you mustknowhow to
determinethe correctsettingfor the othervariable. Automatic mode. lf overalleaseof operationor
While an understandingof theserelationshipsis a desireddepthof fieldis thedeterminingfactor,thisis the
especiallyusefulfor operatingthe camerain the manual modeto use.For extremedepthof field,use a small
mode,it alsohelpsyoumakeadjustmentsin theautomatic aperture(largef-number); forshallowdepthof field,usea
modeto accommodatescenebrightnessthat requiresa largeraperture(smallerf'number).
changein eitherapertureor shutterspeedas indicatedby Toputthecamerain theautomaticmode,simplysetthe
the over-or underexposureLEDbeinglit. modeswitcht0 /, turnthe apertureringto the desired
f-stop,set the shutter-speeddial to /, compose,focus,
TAKINGPICTURES and releasethe shutter.The electronicswill have
measuredthelightandautomaticallysetthepropershutter
Havinggonethroughall the precedingsteps-which speed.Theelectronicshuttercontrolhasa uniquefeature:
becomeroutineafteryou havedonethema few times- ff correctexposurecallsfor 11325sec.,thatwill be the
you mustnow determinethe modein whichyou will shutterspeed-notthe normal11250sec.0r1/500sec.
operatethe camera.Dependingon the kindof pictures Theelectronicshutterhasnosteps.lf thebrightnessof the
desired,you maychooseeitherthe automaticor manual sceneis overthe availablespeedrangesfor the aperture
48
www.orphancameras.comView original page 25Page 26 · Read text
Youputthecamerain themanualmodeby movingthe
shutter-speedfunctionselectorfromA to anyspeedon the
indexring.lt will clickintoposition.Youcanthenchoose
anylensstopor changecombinationsof f-stopandshutter
speed.Theproperexposurecanbe determinedby using
the camera'smeteringsystemin the / modeas follows'
Setthe shutter-speedcontrolto /, chooseany aperture,
and set the lens to that aperture;look throughthe
viewfinder,notingthe shutterspeedindicatedby the lit
LED.Thatis thecorrectspeedfor thechosenf-stop.lf you
seean over-or under-LEDindication,thenchooseanother
f-stopuntilyou find onethatgivesyou a LEDnextto a
speedyou want to use.That f-stopand shutter-speed
Touse the camerain the automatic-exposune combinationwill givethecorrectexposure.Switchingback
mode,simply set the shutter-speedlfunction to themanualmode,youcansettheshutterspeedto that dial to A and set the lensto the desircd
aperture.Thecamerawill measurethe light whichyousawin the / modeandyourexposurewill be
and select the shutter speed. correct.Reviewthe previoussection0n exposurefor
takingadvantageof variousshutter-speed/f-stopcom-
binations.
openingchosen,the shutterwill lock t0 prevent Exposure-adjustment control. Minoltahas
overexposure.Theover-rangeindicatorwill appearin the providedanotherfeaturethat enhancesc0ntrol0ver
viewfinderas a warningthat you mustchooseanother exposure.Youcandeliberatelyover-or underexposeby as
f-stop.The lver indicatiol,requiresan adjustmentof the muchas two f-stops(fourtimesoveror under)fromthe
f-stopupward(a highernumber,a smalleropening)while normalexposureby simplymovingthe / on the shutter-
an underindicationrequiresan adjustmentof the f-stop speeddial in the desireddirection0n the exposure'
downwardh lowernumber,a largeropening). adjustmentscale.The A maybe set in any intermediate
positionbetween0 andi2 or -2.You shouldremember,
Manual mode. lf youwantcompletecontrolover however,t0 returnit to thenormalpositionwhenyouwant
theexposure-forwhateverreasons-thisis themodeto to go backto normalexposure.This featurewill only
use. operatein the automaticmode.The XG's automatic
50 5 1View original page 26Page 27 · Read text
andcertainAutoRokkorlensescannotbeusedwiththeXG
camerain theautomodebecausetheyhaveneithermeter
previewbuttons. I couplingnor
The B (bulb)settingof the shutter-speedselector
0pensthe shutterwhen the shutter-releasebuttonis
pressedandkeepsit openuntilthe pressureis released. I Thispermitsexposuresof longerthanonesecond.The
camerashouldbe firmlysupportedand the viewfinder
eyepiececlosedwith the eyepiececap.lf you use a
With an XG camerayou can deliberately standardcablereleasefor bulbexposures,keepthemetal
overcxposeor underexposeby as much as two partof the releaseawayfromthecamerabodywhilethe
sfops. Todo so, move the exposure- shutteris open;if it weret0 touchthe body,the shutter adjustmentdial to any intermediateposition
betweenO and *2 or -2. wouldcloseprematurely. lr|
exposurewill notworkwhenthe / is positionedbeyond SELF-TIMEROPERATION
thecamera'srangeof exposureadjustment.
Using lenses other than MC or MD. Theelectronicself-timerin theMinoltaXG'sdelaysthe
Meteringandexposureareof thestop-downmethodwith openingof the shutter,by aboutten seconds,afteryou
pressthe releasebutton.This featureis usefulif you,thefollowinglenses:theAutoRokkorwithbuilt-inpreview
button,RFRokkor(reflex-mirrortype),andmanualpreset yourself,want t0 get intothe pictureor if you want to
Rokkor.Afterfocusingandcomposingthepicture,depress avoid the cameramovementthat can occur when Irr depressingthe shutter-releasebuttonwith a finger.In thethe stop-downbuttonon the lens.Withthe shutter-speed
selectorpositioned0n /, selectan apertureas explained lattersituation,the camerashouldbe 0n a firm support,
earlier.You can releasethe shutterwhenthe lens is suchas a tripod.
Withthecamerareadyfor exposureandwiththemainstoppeddownto the pr0perpicture-takingaperture0r l
whenthe camerais setfor manualoperation.Useof the switch0n self-tinenthe electronicsare energized,but
stop-downbuttonis notnecessarywith RF (mirrortype) nothingwill happenuntily0u pressthe shutter-release
andmanualpresetlensesbecausemeteringandexposure buttonasfar as it will go.(Youmaysettheshutter-speed/ T functionswitchto anyspeed.)Whenyou havedonethis,arealwaysmadeat the picture-takingaperture.Also,the
35 mm f/2.8 CAShiftRokkor-Xlens,theAutoBellowsl, thered LEDon thefrontof the camera(theoneusedfor
the batterychec$will beginto blink,indicatingthatthe
52 I 53
www.orphancameras.comView original page 27Page 28 · Read text
countdownhasstarted.Justa few seconds(twoor three) Themostcomfortableandpracticalwayof holdingthe
beforeit releasestheshutter,thefrequencyof theblinking camerais to cradlethe camerabodyin thepalmof your
will increaset0 indicatethatit is aboutto do so.Thecycle lefthandwithyourleftthumbandindexfingeron thelens
canstill be interruptedby movingthe mainswitchto the barrel.This allowsfor quick,easyfocusingand f-stop
off position. manipulationthat requiresonly a minimumof hand
Whenyou n0 longerwantto usethe self-timer,move movement.Next,with yourrighthand,firmly-but not
the mainswitchoff the self-timerposition. aggressively-gripthe camerabody,placingyourindex
In the automaticmode,the self-timerwill notrelease fingerontheshutter-releasebuttonandyourthumbon the
the shutterif the upperrangeof the meteringsystemis film-advancelever.Withyourhandsin thisposition,brace
exceeded.lt will releasethe shutterif you adjustthe yourleft armagainstyourbodyfor support.
aperture/speedcombinationor reducethe scenebright- Withthecamerain thisposition,youcanmakeall the
nessby movingthe subjectto anotherarea. necessaryadjustmentsin f-stops,shutterspeeds,and
Whenthe camerais in the automaticmode,and not focuswithouteverhavingto takeyoureyeawayfromthe
usedat eyelevel,lightwhichwouldotherwisebe blocked viewfinder.This givesyou a betterchanceto get the
by the photographer'sheadcan enterthe eyepieceand perfectphotograph.Inaddition,by holdingthe camerain
affectthe exposure.To preventerroneousexposurein this manneryou can switch f rom taking horizontal
thesesituations,covertheeyepiecewiththeeyepiececap. photographst0 taking vertical ph0t0graphswithout
changingyourgripon thecamera.
lf youareshootingin a standingposition,spreadyour
legsslightlyto giveyoumorestability.Whenshootingfrom HOLDINGTHECAMERA a lowerangle,kneelon yourleftkneeanddropyourright
Whenyou take a photograph,the lens projectsan elbowagainstyourrightknee,creatingsomethingof a
image0nt0thefilmthroughan openshutter.lf thereis the humantripod.
slightestcameramovement,evenat shutterspeedsup to Whenusinglenseswitha focallengthgreaterthan200
1/125sec.,theimagewill moveon thefilm,producingan mm,useof a tripodis recommendedfor support.Thisis
unsharpor blurredphotograph.Thismovement-camera necessarybecause,in additionto magnifyingthe image,
shake,as it is commonlyknown-is one of the malor longerlensesmagnifytheeffectof cameramovement.You
causesof unsharpphotographs.With that in mind,you shouldbe particularlycarefulto presstheshutter-release
shouldconcentrateon holdingthe cameraas steadilyas buttonslowlyandsmoothly.Useof a cablereleasewith
possibleduringeachandeveryexposure,n0 matterwhat extremelylong-focal-lengthlensesis recommended.
the focallengthof yourlens. Minoftamakesa smallmini-tripodthatrestscomfortab-
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