Robot IIa User manual

Toz.oz/.
  RoBgf Comeros ore in the truest sense precision instruments
  ond ore to be included in thot selectgroup of the world's leod-
  ing comeros. The ROEor is further the only fully outomqtic
  comero ond os such occupieso ploce of its own. lts outomotic
  feotures moke  ii possible to obtoin oction shots in sequence
  which ore lost when working with ony other comero. Furfher,
  the ROBgf opens up new fields to the reseorchworker ond in-
  d ustriol technolog ist.
  Whilst RoBor ogents in oll countriesore quolified to give ROEor
  owners oll possibleossistonce,the firm's speciolAdvice Deport-
  ment in Duesseldorfis olwoys reody to give lotest informotion



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ond odvice ond is well ploced to do so since it coordinotesthe
       experienceond work of RgBor owners oll overthe world. RoEoT
       owners ore therefore cordiolly invited of ony time to write to
        the ROBOT.Berning& Co. Advice Deportment2ll23Aochener
        Stro3e, Duesseldorf,Germony, which is olso porticulorly inte-
        rested to receive shots of outstonding interesttoken with the
      ROBOr comero.

II

-^-^-   2ROB9T (/uazantec.
   All new RgBor comeros purchosedthrough retoilers,who hove
   in turn beensuppliedby the ROBOT. Berning& Co. occredited
  importer in eoch country, ore occomponied by o cord which
  beors the number of the comero ond the number of the lens.
  Buyers of nogor comeros should of once send the cord to
  ROBOT. Berning& Co., Duesseldorf,to hove it chonged ogoinst
  the correspondingguorontee cord. ROBor comerosore guoron-
  teed for one yeor but cloims con only be recognisedif the guo-
  rontee cord, duly endorsed by ROBOT. Berning & Co., is en-
  closedwith the comploint.
   In coseof lossROBOT. Berning& Co. should be odvised,together
  with the retoiler from whom the comero wos bought.



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RoBof ra Aamozo 9ottzuetiont.
  The owner of o new comero invoriobly wonts to try it os quickly
   os possibleond only loter does he wont to study it in detoil.
  These instructions,therefore, ore drown up on the bosis of o
   short drill on two poges,followed by fuller explonotionswhich
   need not be studieduntil the owner is fomilior with the cclmero.
  S h o rt D r i I l. On the first occosionit is desiroblelo work under
   good lighting conditionsond, therefore,o sunnydoy should be
   .hor"n.-The photogrophic deoler from whom the comero hos
   been bought con be osked to lood the first film so thot the new
   owner con go out ond shoot the first obiectshe sees.The simple
    drill is then os follows: -

I . Set the shutterspeed knob (14-fig.1),so thot the figure >50<
   (1/rosec.)is exoctly below the index mork (.|5-fig.l).
2.Turn the stop ring (i6-fig.1) until the green figure >8<*)
   is oppositethe {  mork (.l7-fig.'l)ond the line which leods
  to this mork.
3. Turn the distoncering (.|8-fig.'l) until the mork (.l9-fig.l)
  points to the green figure >5<. The two green dots now
  show thot everything will be shorp from infinity (o)down
  to obout 8-9 feet. (ln the cose of Ihe 37,5 mm. Xenor Il2,B
  the green figure is >12<,wheneverythingwill be shorp from
   infinity to 6 ft.)
*) This setting opplies tothe40 mm. Xenon f/I,9. other lensesore reod ofi in the
some woy.



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4.Wind the spring motor knob (7-fig.1) osfor os it will go,
  releose the sofety cotch (6- fig. 1).Moke sure thot the subiect
  to be token is between infinity ond 8-9 feet. Sight the sub-
  iect through the finder (8) ond press the shutter releose
  button (5).
  To moke the next 24 exposuressimply pressthe button every
  time.
After the 24th picture,or sooner,re-wind the spring motor, ond
when the film counter (3) reochesNo.50 or thereobouis,get o
p[otogrophic deoler to unlood ond develop the film'

T"ll  9nfizaetiont.
  So for  instructions hove been given for  o  simple  drill  only.   lt  is now,
   however, necessory te qcguire q fuller understonding of the RgBoT cqmero.

  Gholce  of  Film.
  Any 35 mm. perforoted film con be used, bul   it  is better'to  get used to
   one brqnd, pe,rhops2 or 3 different emulsions for different purposes, ond
   le moster thoroughly the behoviour of these selected emulsions rqther thon
   lo chonge from moke to moke.
   For generol purposes q  fine  groin Pon film  with  o speed of obout 280
  S c h e rin e (r . l 5 / 1 0D l N , 2 5 A . S .A. o n d 8 .S.,2 0 We sto n ) is th e mo st suitoble.
   However, o super sensitive Pon film of 320 Scheiner (18/10DIN or 50 A.S.A.
   o n d 8. S . , 4 0 W e s t o n ) w i l l p e fo u n d u se fu l fo r sh o ts in p o o r  lig h i ing con-
   ditions or by ortificiol light.
   ROEof Cosselles   or Standqrd   Gqssctter.
  The  RgBor  comero wos originolly  designed to use o speciol cossette be-
   couse fhe stqndord cormmeiciql cossette gives rise to q certqin omount of
                                       8

friction when ihe film  is outomoticolly.wound forword by the spring motor
    of the  Roeof  cqmero. The spring motor of the  nOeor  llq  hos been con-
    siderobly increosed in strength ond with  this comero either the stondord
    film  monufocturer's cossette or the  n0Bof   speciol cossette con be used.
       lf the film monufocturer's cossete is used  it  is necessory to mount  it  in o
    speciol  ROEot  cqssette crodle before inseriing  it in the comero. This device
   enobles  nOBgr  owners to use stondord cossettes bought onywhere ot ony
    time, thougth exocting users moy prefer to use ther ROBot  cossette which
    they will lood speciolly wilh films selected ot iheir choice before going out
    to  shoot  pictures. When  using  o  ROBOf cossette, 24 exposures con be
    relied upon with one winding, whereqs in lhe cose of the stondord cossette
       it moy be necessoryto wind the spring rother oftener.

ifou,f l     to;  toadI           t . ltnc       l . l                ,um
   Uslng Stcndord Gossettes.
   To open the comero,push the lotch (12-fig.1) down ond open the bock.
    lnsertth'estondordcommerciolcossettein the empiy spoceond moke sure
                                  t0

thot the emulsionr(dull) side of the film foces the lens. Now toke the toke-up
cosselte (23-fig.2) (N-Cossette*)out by pulling the spool knob  (l -fig.2) out.
i) N-cossette is the normol  cossette which belongs to  every  Roaor    ll o
   o n d is  i n c l u d e d i n  l h e p r i ce .

To fix the beginning of the film  in lhe toke-up cosselte, open the lotter os
follows.t o llo w s . -- Turnl u r n thet h e inneri n n e r shells h e ll (33),(3 3 ), grippingg rip p in g  itit byb y theth e fingerfin g e r susu ppor t, in
fherhe directionclrrectron ofot lhefhe orroworrow ondond thenthen withdrowwtthdrow  itlt fromtrom thethe outerouter shellshell (32).(31).           l
(The pressure of  the springs whiah push the lwo shells together to close       {
the cossette mouih (31-fi9.3) ond moke  it light-tight is releosed by closing          ,
the comero bock when the cossette is in the comero.)                                                            i
Inside the spool itself (34) is locoted.                                                                                                        l
The ROBOr toke-up cossette will  only toke  this  Roaot   spool. No  other          ]
rpool wi l l  f i t ,                                                   .4
Fix the film end proiecting from the full cossette to  this spool. Hold the
spool between the left thumb ond first finger so thot the key slot (35) foces
the operotor. Then push the beginning of the film, emulsion side focing
fhe spool, underneoth the spring (36) unril the hook (32) engoges in o per-
                           12





 i-j.

forotion hole of the film ond onchors it. There is no need to trim the be'
         ginning of the film  in ony speciol woy, but  if olreody trimmed  it will do
         equolly well. Now push the spool into the inner shell of the toke-up cos-
          sette so thot the slot (35-fig.4) fits into the operture (38-fig.a).
        To close the cossette push the inner shell (33-fig.3) under  light pressure,
          into the outer (32-fig.3) so thot the velvet lined lips of the inner ond fhe
         ouler shells lie on one onother. The light pressure is necessory in order to
         preventrthe velvet from being domoged qnd consequent light leokoge.
         Proctice looding ond closing lhe cossette with o piece of old film. Never
         use force.
        To  insert the toke'up cossette into the comero, first  pull  out lhe spool
        knob (1-fig.1). Ploce the cossette in the chomber so thot  it fits into the key-
        wqy, then push the knob bock ond turn in the direction of the orrow until  it
        engoges in the  slot (35-fig. 4) of the spool ond  pulls the film  tout. The         sprocket wheel (24-fig.2) of the film tronsport shoft must engoge in lhe per'   ,
          forotion holes of the f ilm. The pressure plo:e (21-f ig.2) ensures outomoticolly
          thot the film lies flot in the comero when  it is closed.
       Now close the cqmero bock ond lock  it.
                                                                                                                l 4





gi$:rn{,*-,-'l;r"il:*

Uslng  lhe  Speclol  noeor-Cossefles.
For dorkroom  refills or uncut lengths of  film ond  for doylight  refills  it is
best to use o  RFr     T-cossetie*) lo be inserted by meons of o cossetle
holder or crodle (26-fig.2) insteod of the stondord commerciol cossette.
t) T-cossette meons Doylight Looding Cossette.
T - c q s s e t t e s m u s i n e v e r  b e u s e d w i t h o u t    t h e  c o s s e t t e - h o l d e r .
Reploce ihe cossette-holderin the comero so thot the end with the movoble               a:
orm (30) lies ot the boftom of t,he comero body, ond the end with ihe key-
woy (28) ot the top next to the viewfi nder eyepiece (25). Lood lhe T-cossetle
with uncut lengths of film  in the dorkroom or use ony commerciol doylighl                                 l
refi I l.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Il
Breok the seol of the doylight  refill, ond  corefully unwind the protective
poper leoder until the beginning of the film  is reoched. The film should       "1,
not be ollowed to unroll itself. Now insert the spool, with the milled knob
first,  into  the  inner  shell  of  the T-cossetteso thot the poper leoder ond
tlre beginning of the film proiect from ihe mouih of the cossette.Then push
the ouier shell over the inner, os with the N-cossetfe,ond turn  it until the
                                    1 6

I
  filrn moulh is heord lo close with on oudibie click. Gently pull out the film
  with the poper leoder until ihe lotter comer owoy. Toke core lhot the velvel                i
  lips ore nof domoged
  Finolly insert ihe T-cossetleinto the comero. Move the orm (3)-fig.6) of the
  cossette holder  (26-fig.6) oside, ond push in lhe cqssette so thot the two
  pins (27-fig.2) slide into the key-woy (28-fig.6). After inserting the cossette,
  push the orm (30-fig.5) bock.
 Now fosten the beginning of the film  to the toke-up cosselte (N-cossette)                                                                   B
- os described before.
  Alwoys lood lhe cossette ond insert  it  in the com,ero in  o shody ploce -
  even ones own shodow, ond toke core nol to press on the spring looded
  film mouth of the looded T-cossetleos thot would open  if.
                                                                                4
  Wlndlng   thc  Sprlng   llotor.
  Nexi wind the spring motor by turning the knob (7-fig. l) os for qs  it will
  go  in the direction of the orrow. The tension of the spring motor remoins
  constont. lt will  not vory even  if the comero is fully wound for some time
                                                                                              l 8

without being  ured. One winding of the motor is sufficient  loi 24 expdsrJtet
with the speciol   frOof   cossettes, ond olso with most stondord cossettis.
With  some  cossettes ot  o  shutter speed  of  l/5C0 second more frequent
winding  is necessory.
Now press the rdleos€ button (5-fig. I ) lwice to tFoilspdrt the fogged be!innin!
6f the film  into the toke-up cossette, Then Sel the Film Counler. Press in lhe
pin  (2-fig. 1) ond ot the sqme time turn the setting wheel until the figure
"O"  ori the counting disc is opposite the index lin€, The com€ro is now
reody for use.
To ovoid rele,osingthe shuttetrocciderltolly lock the r'eledie by pushin$ the
tofety  cotch  (6-fig. l)  owoy  from  the winding  knob  [-fig.   l). When  the
cotch is pushed bsck lowords the winding knob the releose is free,



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T"/rto7 Fi"tutot.                         .'
   FocUslng.  The ROEOr hos o very effective system of colour zone focusing.
   This serves two  purposes:-   lt  simplifies snopshots ond  mokes close-ups
   eosier.

   Genuine  Sncpshots.
   These depend on speed ond  instont reodiness for  oction ond  require o
   fixed ronge or distoncewhich gives the greotest possible depth of field from
    intinity to close up.   The colour zone system provides on ecrsy snops,hot setting for such shots.  1
   Simply set the figures morked in green; yellow, or red on both the lens
   op"rture ring (16) qnd on therdistqnce ring (18) to the corresponding index      ;
  m o rk s (1 7 ,l 9 ) "
    At  the ,,green" setting (stop  I  ond 16-17 feet  -  5 metres) the two green
   dots (41,42)  then show the depth of field:  this extends from  infinity (co)
   down  to obout 8-9 feet  -   2,5 metres (see fig.7). When  set to "yellow"
                             20

(stop 4 ond 33 fcet   :   l0  mefres) fhe depth of  field  extends from  infinity
down  lo obout 16 feet  -  5 metres, ond  ot  'red'  (stop 1,9 ond 66 fee! *
20 metres) from infinity down to obout 33 feet:   l0 metres.
The choice of these shopshotseifingswill depend on the lighting conditions
ovoiloble.  In  bright  sunlight the "green" ronge which gives the greotert
depth of field con be used. lf there is no sun, use fhe "yellow" ronge, ond
in dull weother the "red" ronge.
All  these figures opply  to fhe 40 mm. Xenon f/l .9. OthEr lenses con be
reod off  in the some woy.
ihe  block figures on the stop- ond distonce rings co,n olso be used. The
depth of field cq.n lhen be seen between the dots of lhe some colour.
 lf there  is time to set lhe distonce more occuroiely os will  in ony cosd bd
necestory with neorer obiects, lhe colour zone system is srill helpful.
To toke o rub[ect obout 8 ft. owoy, ot f/4 (yellow), set the focussing ring to
8  ft. ond reod off the depth of field opposite the yellow  dots.  ln  this cose
 it extends from oboul 61lz to 10112ft. With  the some distonce setting ot f/8
fhe green dotr indicole ihot the depth of field goes from obout  Szltla16rlzft,
                                   22

The odvontoge  of  these depth  of  field  zones os shown by the coloured
dots is thof they provide o sofeiy foctor. The pe.rmissible morgin  of  error
con be seen ot o glonce ond focusing wiihin this, the subieci is still reoson-
obly shorp on the film.   lt  is, of course, o generol low of optics thot the
moximum shorpness olwoys lies in the ocfuol plone focused upon  (i. e.l8ft.
in this cose) ond groduolly folls off in front of ond behind this distonce.
The depth of field  is greoter still with lenses of shorter focol lengihs, such
os the 37.5 mm. Xenor f/2.8, ihe 37.5 mm. Rodionor 113.5ond the 33 mm.
Xenogon f/3.5.*) On the other hond,  it  is less the greoter ihe focol length
is (e.9. with the 75 mm. Tele-Xenorf/3.8 ond 150 mm. Tele-Xenor t11.5.)*)
*) For wide-ongle picfures the 30 mm Xenogon f/3.5, con be recommended.
   For remote subiects o telephoto lens is required. Two ore ovoiloble, one
   75 mm. ond the oiher 150 mm. The 75 mm. Tele-Xenor f/3.8 is speciolly
   suitoble for portroiture.
The closer the subiect, the more occurqte must be the focusing.
At distonces of less thon 3fi. focusing becomes o motter of inches. For on
occurote check the  top  of  the comero corries on engroved focusing mork
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(a-fig. l) which shows the plone of the film  in the comero cnd serves og
o bose line for exoct meosurements.

The Functlon  of the Stop  or Lens Aperiure.
As hos olreody been seen, the different stops control the depth of field,
thot  is, the region in front of ond behind the sublect which  is still repro-
duced shorply.

                    rememberedTo stort with,  it must                   be                                         thot the "lorge" stops ore morked by                                     . | . 9                                            , 2 .                         8 ,
lo w n u mb e r s l i k e         e t c., o n d th e "smo ll" sto p s with 8 , 1 1 , 1 6, ond
s o o n .

   The more o lens is >stopped down<<(thot ls the higher lhe stop, or  f/
   number) the greoter will be the depth of field.

    Bur the more o lens is stopped down, the less light gets through.

 lf, for exomple, o lens is stopped down  in dull weother/ when the light  it
                                 24

olreody poor, the film would  receive very  little  light ond the negotive
would be underexposed.
   The stop therefore  olso  controls  the omount  of  light which reqches
    the film.
The stop numbers on lhe comero ore not orbitrory. They ore chosen in such
o woy thot ot eoch stop the lens lets through holf or twice os much light
os ot the next lorger or next smoller stop respectively' Thus stop 11 posses
twice os much light os stop 16, ond holf os much os stop 8. Similorly stop
5.6 posseslwice os much os stop 8, ond holf os much qs stop 4, ond so on'

Exposure  Tlme.
The exposure time works hond  in hond with  the slop  in  controlling the
 light which reoches the film.
   The smoller the stop, the longer must be fhe exposure time.
It hos iust been seen thot eoch successivestop holves or doubles respecti'
vely the omount of  light possed, ond  it follows thqt whenever the light is
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(a
holved by using lhe next smoller siop lhe exposure lime must be doubled to
obtoin o correctly exposed negotive.
In figures this meons thot on exposure time of l/50 second ot siop 5.6 cor-
responds to 1125second ot stop 8, or 1/10 second ot stop 11, ond so on.
To re,peol, exposure times ond stops ore interdependent. The subiect will
determine whother qn exposure time to suit the stop must be chosen or the
other woy round.  -   In proctice therefore: -
lf o fost moving sports shot needs l/510 second becouse it would come oui
blurred of ony longer exposure time, o correspondingly lorge stop must be
chosen, lll .9, for exomple.  lf on the other hond the subiect is stotic, such
os o londscope, where both foreground ond for distonce should be os shorp
os possible, stort from t'he sto'p which gives the most fovouroble depth of
field, for instonce stop 8, with o corresponding exposure, soy 1/5Csecond.

fo  Ser the  Exposure  Time.
T u rn  t he m i l l e d k n o b  ( 1 4 - f i g .l)to  th e le ft o r rig h t u n til th e d e sire d num ber
is befow the index mork (15-fig. l). The figures from 2 to 5J0 ore froctions
o [  o  s ec o n d  t h u s  ( 2 :   1 1 2 , 5  -  1 1 5 , l0   :  1 /1 0 , 2 5 :1 1 2 5 ,   5 0  :  l/5C,
103 :   l/100, 250 :  11250,ond 510 :  l/50C second).
                                  26

For time exposures set the knob  to "B"  (bulb)- At lhe B-setting. the shutter
,.roin,  open for os long os required, in foct, os long or.fhe releole bulton
is pressed'down. For exlosures-ofvery-long durotion ("T") press the releose
buiron ond the some time push the sofety iotch  button  (6-fig' l) owoy from
if.," *inaing  knob. The shutter then remoins open until ,the sofety cotch is
releosed, vihen  it closes ogoin.  For time expo3uret with  o coblc  releole,
use o coble releose fiited with o locking screw'
The threoded bush (40-fig.6) underneoth the comero serves for mounting
the n#r    on o triPod.
When the shutter is set lo 112, 115, or'l /10 second, do not let go of the
releose button until the shutter hos run down  (listen to the sound of  it)'
Otherwise the shutter would not remoin open for  its full indicoted time.

thc  lullf-ln   Opflcol  Findcr  of ihe n€o|r  serves eilher or o direcl, or  rlght'
i"gl",-.r    woisi  level finder. Normolly   it will be ured os o direct finder
                                                                 being                                                            without                                                     pictures                                              toke                                                   to                                finder.ond                     right-ongle              os o      gi. To             ur"tflgi.                                                                           eye'                                                                      the                                                        through                                                         sight                                          ond                              (10-fig.               the                    buti-on        push                                                                  I ) sidewoys,|oii."a,
                          27


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