Vivitar 250/SL 220/SL User manual

welcome to the exciting world of vivitar. Your new camerais one
of a  f amily ol proless ional quality cameras designed with the
serious photographer in mind. And the name Vivitar is your
assurance of superbly cratted oplics and outstanding mechanical
performance and rel iabi   I itv.

Table of Gontents
 2-4 Description of Parts         18-20 Setting the Exposure
 5-B Short Course of Instructions     20 Taking the Picture
  8  Inserting the Battery          21 .Rewinding the Film
  9  Checking the Battery         22-24 Taking Flash Pictures
 9-11 Loading the Film            24-25 Using the Self-Timer
          Film-in-Chamber      I ndicator   25-26 Changing Lenses
11-12 Setting the Film Speed        26-28 Depth of Field  13 Setting the Shutter Speed                Depth of Field Preview
14-16 Handling the Camera              28  Auto/Manual Switch
           Horizontal Format            28-29   Caring for your Camera           Vertical Format                                                     O\J-J       I   Specif ications, Camera         Long Shutter Speeds and
           Time Exposures                  JZ   Specifications, Standard Lenses
          Carrying the Camera
16-17 Focusing the Lens
           lnfrared Photography
          Film Plane Reference Mark

Meter ON-OFF Switch
        "M" Flash Terminal
          "X" Flash Terminal
           Film Cassette Chamber
           Battery Check Button (250/SL only)
           Film Guide Rails
           Viewfinder Eyepiece
           Shutter Curtain
           Film Advance Sprockets
           Film Take-up Spool
          Rear Cover
           Film Pressure Plate





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Short Course of Instructions

1
Insert the 1 .35-volt battery in compartment. (See Page B)




2
Load the film and advance to first frame. (See Page g)
                   .Lm*-"glft
                  d
3
Set the ASA film speed. (See Page  '1 1)





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;        Set the exposure by turning the aperture ring or shutter speed
          dial until the viewf inder needle centers in the index brackets,
        (See Page 1B)
/


      8
        Press down on the shutter release button with a srow, steady
        pressure to take the picture.


      I
I      Advance the film to the next frame.
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After all frames are exposed, rewind the film and unload
your camera. (See page 21)
Inserting the Battery
The through-the-lens metering system of your Vivitar camera
operates on power supplied by a single 1 .35-volt mercury
battery (Mallory PX-675, Eveready E-675 or equivalent).
lnsert the battery in the battery compartment as follows:

   1
  Remove the Battery Compartment Cover @ by turning  it
   counter-clockwise with a coin.
  2
  To ensure positive contact, clean the battery contacts with
   a clean, dry cloth making sure they are free of dust and oil.
  3
   Place the battery in the compartment with the positive (*)             r'+"   side up. A        is engraved on top of the Cover as a
   reminder of correct battery positioning.
  4
   Replace the Cover by turning  it clockwise until it is tight.

B

r     Checking the Battery (250/SL only)          After inserting the battery, check the^battery power level by
         pressing the Battery Check Button @). The Battery Check
          Light @ will glow indicating there is suff icient power to
         operate the camera's through-the-lens metering system.
                    lf the Battery Check Light fails to glow, open the Battery
        Compartment Cover and make sure the battery has been
         positioned correctly in the compartment.  lf the light still does
          not appear, replace the battery.
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      Loading the Film
        Your camera is designed to accept black & white or color  f ilm
            in standard 20- or 36-exposure cassettes. To load the camera:

              1
            Fold outthe Rewind Crank @ and pull up on  it sharply
   (              until the Rear Cover @ snaps open. The Exposure
                                                                  (Start).           Counter @ will automatically reset to "S"
         2
            Place the cassette in the Film Chamber                       @ with its
            protruding end facing the camera base.
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3
Push down on the Rewind Knob and turn it in either
direction until  it drops into its normal position,
4
Draw the  f ilm leader across the camera back and insert
it into one of the slots in the Take-up Spool    NOIE: To                            @.
bring the slot into a more convenient position, rotate it in
the direction of the arrow with your  f inger.
5
Advance the  f ilm making sure both sides are fully engaged
on the Sprockets @.
6
Close the Rear Cover and press  f irmly until it snaps shut.
Rotate the Rewind Crank carefully in the direction of the
arrow to take up any slack in the  f ilm. Alternate advancing
the film and firing the Shutter Release Button @ untilthe
number "1" is opposite the index mark in the Exposure
                                                                                                              f ilm, the RewindCounter window @. As you advance the
Knob should rotate counter-clockwise indicating that the
film is moving smoothly through the transport.  lf the Knob
does not rotate, open the Rear Cover and re-load the
camera. NOTE:  lf the Shutter Release Button on the                                      {r$                                                                                                                                                                                                              I
                                                                                           a
                                                                                      A

250/SL does not operate, make sure the Lock Lever                          @ i.              set at "A" (Advance).

        Film-in-Chamber lndicator
        To assure that you do not inadvertently open the camera
       when it is loaded, your camera has a Film-in-Chamber
          Indicator @ which turns red when a cassette is placed in the
          Film chamber.  lt's a good idea to check this indicator each
         time you use your camera.                                   Q,,-       Po.                                                                                                                     I       Setting the Film Speed                       ,'/z
        Each type of film    color or black & white    has its own                                                                                                                                             {/if  I          /           sensitivity to light.- This sensitivity is assigned-  a numerical
         value described as an ASA rating (U.S.A, Standard) or a DIN
          rating (Europe and most other countries). In most cases, both
       ASA and DIN ratings are imprinted on the film package, as
          well as the data sheet packed with the  f ilrn and the  f ilm
         cassette itself.
        The higher the  f ilm speed rating, the more sensitive the film
             is to light; that is, less light is required for a proper exposure.
        The film speed, therefore, is an important element in ensuring
           that the through-the-lens metering system of your camera
                  1'lrLf

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determines the correct shutter speed/f-stop combinations for
a given lighting situation.
Each time a film with a new film speed rating is loaded in the
camera, the film speed MUST be set in the ASA Film Speed
Window @ to assure accurately exposed photographs.
To set the  f ilm speed:

    1
    Lift up on the outer collar of the Shutter Speed Dial @
   and rotate it until the ASA number (or representative index
   mark) is opposite the green index line.
  2
   Release the collar to lock the film speed setting in the
   camera.

The scale below represents the ASA speeds and indicator
marks on the Film Speed Index Dial. The corresponding DIN
film speed conversions are shown in parentheses for your
convenience.
ASA 25 32 40 50 64 80 r00 r25 160 200 250 320 400 500 650 800 i000 1250 1600
     lool..l..l..l.l...l
                                                                                                                                (33)(DlN)(15) 06) 0D [8) (ie) (20) (21) (22) (23) (24) (25) (26\ (27) (28) (2e) (30) (31) (32)

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Setting the Shutter Speed
 The shutter controls the length of time right is allowed to
 strike the film. The speed at which the shutter opens and
 closes is measured in fractions of a second that correspond to
the numbers on the shutter Speed Diar. For example, 1000 is
 1/1000 second ,125 is 1/ 12s seco nd,2 is i /2 second, and so
 on. The number "1" on the Dial represents one fuil second
 of exposure. when set to "B" (Bulb) the shutter remains open
as long as the shutter Release Button is depressed. This              I
setting is for use in pictures of night scenes and where
available light exposures are beyond the exposure
 reading capabilities of your camera.
To set the shutter speed, rotate the dial untir the number
representing the speed you desire is opposite the index
mark. Generally speaking, when outdoors in bright or hazy
sunlight, 1 /125 second is suitable for most photographs.
when indoors in a well-lit room ,1 /60 second should be
sufficient to record your subject, depending upon the film you
are using. Final determination of a shutter speed setting
should be made based on the action-stopping needs for your
picture, i.e. the more action, the faster the shutter speed
required.


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Handling the Camera
Proper camera handling is extremely important to taking
crisp, sharp photographs. The following information should
enable you to hold the camera correctly and develop good
handling techniques.
  A Horizontal Format
   Place your right hand so your right index finger rests
   comfortably over the Shutter Release Button. Your right
  thumb should rest slightly behind and under the Film
  Advance Lever. The remaining fingers should wrap around
   the camera body snugly yet not tight enough to cause
   muscle strain. The left hand should support the camera/
   lens combination with the base of the camera resting in the
    left palm. The lens barrel should be between the left  f ingers
  and thumb to provide ready access to focusing and
   aperture controls.
  B Vertical Format
   Place your right hand on the camera in exactly the same
  manner as that for the Horizontal Format. Rotate the
  camera 90o so the shutter button is at the top and the left
   side of the camera is resting in the left palm. Again, the
   lens barrel should lay comfortably between the left thumb
  and  f ingers. Brace the upper part of the camera against

the forehead.
C Long Shutter Speeds and Time Exposures
When exposures take 1 /30 second or longer the
 possibility of camera movement is increased significantly,
particularly with longer than normal focar rength renses.
Since camera movement is the primary cause of poor
pictures taken at slow shutter speeds, always try to use a
tripod or other stable support along with an accessory
cable release to keep camera "jiggle" to an absolute
minimum. For your convenience, your camera has both a
built-in Cable Release Socket            @ and a Tripod Socket @
to accommodate these accessories.
D Carrying the Camera
Always try to carry your camera using the adjustable
Neckstrap provided . For added protection, use an
eveready carrying case to keep your camera and lens free
of dust, dirt and scratches. When you are not taking
pictures, ALWAYS KEEP THE LENS CAp ON THe [f ruS.
other accessories available for increased protection and
convenience are 1 ) a Rubber Eyecup for added comfort
when viewing and focusing ,2) a Skylight 1A or UV-Haze
filter to improve picture quality and protect the lens  f rom
dust and scratches, and 3) a Lens Hood to prevent
extraneous light from striking the lens and causing

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   unwanted flare.
  A special featuie of the Vivitar 250/SL is a Shutter
   Release Lock Lever @ to prevent accidental exposures
  when carrying the camera. When the camera is not being
   used to take pictures, move the Lever until the index mark
    is opposite l'L" to lock the Shutter Release Button. To take
   a picture, move the lever to"A" (Advance). NOfE; When
   taking long time exposures on "B," it's a good idea to
  move the lever to "L" after pressing the shutter release
   button to keep camera movement to an absolute minimum.

Focusing the Lens
To assure the sharpest possible photographs, your camera
has a microprism focusing spot in the viewf inder which
exaggerates in-focus and out-of-focus images. As you look                                                                                        ln focus
through the viewf inder, turn the Lens Focusing Ring @ until
the pattern created by the microprism spot seems to
disappear. When this occurs, the image has been brought
into focus.
When focusing with the lens stopped down to shooting
aperture, or when using telephoto lenses longer than 200mm,
it sometimes becomes difficult to focus using the microprism
                                                                   Out of Focus
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focusing spot. Should this occur, focus on the Ground Glass
         Focusing Area surrounding the spot or use the entire Fresnel
        Screen as a guide to achieving critical sharpness.
          Infrared Photography
           lnfrared light rays focus on a plane slightly behind that of
            light rays in the visible spectrum. To compensate for this when
         using inf rared  f ilm, focus normally on your subject and note
          .the subject distance on the lens Distance Scale @ opposite
         the Distance Reference Mark @. frrn the Focuslng Ring until
           this distance setting is opposite the Inf rared Index Mark @.       Normal focus
       tMPORTANf: Infrared radiation varies with the degree of
          infrared rays in the atmosphefe, Us€ the infrared focus setting
         only as an approximation. For best results, use the smallest
          f-stop lighting will allow to provide sufficient depth of field to
          include all important elements of the picture in the zone of
         acceptable sharpness.                                                                                          Infrared focus
         Film Plane Reference Mark
            ln close-up photography  it sometimes becomes necessary
          to measure exact subject-to-f ilm distances. A Film PlaneI       Reference Mark (-g) has been engraved atop the camera @
 I        to indicate the exact position of the film plane. All measure-        ments of subject-to-film distances should be taken from
           this mark.

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Setting the Exposure
Your Vivitar camera has a built-in center-weighted averaging
exposure meter which measures the light coming through the
lens and enables you to set the proper exposure for a given
lighting condition. Two sensitive Cadmium Sulfide (CdS)
oells behind the camera pentaprism read the light in the
overall pictu re area, yet place emphasis on the central portion
of the scene. This is particularly important in obtaining
accurate exposure readings in scenes where there is an
over-abundance of sky in the backg"ound or where
backlighting or sidelighting is presertt.
To take an exposure reading:

    1
   Turn the meter on by pressing down on the Meter On-Off
   Switch @ until  it locks in the RED position. The lenswill
   stop down to the f-stop pre-set on the Aperture Ring.
  2
   Rotate the Aperture Ring on the lens until the needle in
   the viewf inder centers within the Exposure Index Brackets.
  When centered, the correct shutter speed/f-stop
   combination has been obtained for the lighting conditions            @
    in the picture.
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lf the needle will not center regardless of the f-stop setting,
  change the shutter speed (see chart on page 20).  fi the needle
    is on the "*"  side, the picture will be overexposed; use a
   faster shutter speed to align the needle in the bracket.  lf on the
   "-"  side, the picture will be under-exposed; use a slower
   shutter speed setting.
   NOTE:You may reverse the procedure  if you wish to
   use a specif ic f-stop for depth of field control (See Page
   26), ln this case, set the f-stop you desire on the lens
   Aperture Ring and rotate the Shutter Speed Dial until the
   needle centers in the Exposure Index. Remember,
   however, shutterspeed settings must be made in
   accordance with the engraved speeds only. Do not set the
   Dial between marked speeds,
   The meter automatically turns OFF when the Shutter
   Release Button is fired. You can turn the meter off manually
   by pushing up on the Meter ON-OFF Switch @ until you
   hear an audible click.
Readings taken with Accessories
In general photography the meter requires no special
calculations or compensation to obtain correct exposures
even  if  f ilters or close-up accessories such as extension tubes
or bellows are used. Meter readings taken with the normal
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 lens alone and then with accessories attached may differ due
to the properties of the accessories, but the exposure will be
correct. One exception is in close-up photography; the meter
 reading must be taken after final focus since exposure in this
 instance is affected by the distance between lens and film.
   This chart shows the
   exposure value range
    (shutter speed/f-stop
   combinations) of your
   camera's metering system
    for selected  f ilm speeds.





                                                                                                                                                                                 (Sec.)                                   1  [rposure Values                 Shutter Speed

Taking the Picture
Once you have set the exposure, check the composition of
your picture and press down allthe way on the Shutter
Release Button @ using a slow, steady pressure to take the
photograph. Advance the film for your next shot.

Rewinding the Film
        When you have  f inished taking all your pictures (eithe r 20 or
         36 exposures), rewind the film back into its cassette as
                                f o  I lows:

                 1                               m             Press the Rewind Release Button fyton the camera base.
                p


          2
                  Lift up the Film Rewind Crank @ and turn it in the
              direction of the arrow until you feel the film tension lessen.
             This indicates the  f ilm has been completely rewound into
             the cassette.
         3
          Open the camera back and remove the exposed cassette.
           NOTE: AVOID DIRECT SUNL/G HT WHEN LOADING OR
         UNLOADING YOUR CAMERA.                                               www.butkus.us

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Taking Flash Pictures
A Ftash EquiPment with PC Cords                                  3'M"@                                          and "X"The camera provides flash terminals for both
   synchronization. The choice of terminal dependlupon the@tlpe'of equipment used and shutter speed desired. The chart
6dto* shods the combinations of terminal and shutter speeds               ,....I
for various flash situations. Use only these combinations to
ensure proper flash synchronization.


                    SHUTTER SPEEDS
   FLASH
 TERMINAL




 Shaded areas indicate the shutter speeds at which each type
 of flash unit will synchronize along with the proper terminal
 to be used.
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B Cordless E/ecfronic Flash
 lf you will be using an electronic flash unit with built-in hot
shoe contact, the  f lash can be attached directly to the Hot
Shoe @atop the camera pentaprism. The camera and flash
will then be fully synchronized through the contacts in the
shoe with any shutter speed up to and including 1 /125
second . NOT E: The Shutter Speed Dial index for 1 / 125th
second is marked in red as a reminder for electronic  f lash
synchronization and is color-coded to the "X" marking of the
Hot Shoe itself   .Exposure for Flash Photography        trn
ln flash photography, exposure is determined by the guide
number of the  f lashbulb or electronic flash unit. The guide
number represents a relationship between the light output of
the  f lash and the speed of the  f ilm. Flashbulb guide numbers
can be found on the package in which they were purchased.
Guide numbers for electronic  f lash units are found in the
man ufactu rers' specif    i cati ons.
Using the guide number, you can determine the proper f-stop
for a given  f lash situation using the following formula:
   Guide Number + Lens-to-Subject Distance :  f-Stop
lf , for example, your flash unit has a guide number of 40 for
the type of film you are using, and your subject is 5 feet from

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