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2nd half of my question concerning 203FE

H

hassygirl

New Member
A few more questions if you would...
What do the numbers closest to the camera body on the CFE lens do? It has a lightning bolt on it around the 90 mark. From reading, I understand that that setting is for flash. But, what do I do with it if I am using strobes? Where do I set it, or does the camera do it?
I have a winder for it, but cannot get it to actually wind. It works, but does it work in manual mode? I heard I can only be in manual mode to fire strobes with a pocket wizard. Is that true?
Sorry for such basic questions, but, I have read and read, and can't figure these out. I sat down tonight with a polaroid back and took the same photos with different settings, but, I still am not sure what I am doing.
 
Those numbers are the camera's focal plane shutter shutter speeds. The ring they are on is used to set shutterspeeds manually.

You're in fact using a CFE lens, a lens with a built-in leaf shutter, on a camera body with built-in focal plane shuter.
Two shutters! So the shutterspeeds on the lens are only applicable when you're using the leaf shutter in the lens (in which case the camera's shutter speed ring must be set to "C").
The shutterspeeds on the ring closest to the body are applicable only when using the 203 in "M" mode (in which case the lens shutter must be set to "F").
In any of the automatic modes, the camera selects shutterspeeds (focal plane shuter, so the lens shutter must be set to "F") itself, regardless of what speed is set on the ring closest to the camera.


When using the leaf shutter in the lens (camera's shutter speed ring set to "C"), you need to keep the camera's release button depressed forthe duration of the shutter speed. Taking the pressure off the release button will close the camera's focal plane shutter, terminatting exposure. So should you take your finger off the release button before the leaf shutter has completed the exposure underexposure will result.

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"Strobe" = "electronic flash" = the only thing available nowadays. ;-)

The camera's focal plane shutter "synchronizes" with flash at all speeds up to 1/90 (indicated by the lightning bolt symbol).

You have a choice of what shutter to use: the focal plane shutter in the body, or the leaf shutter in the lens.

When using the focal plane shutter, you must make sure the camera's shutter speed ring is set to 1/90 or slower. If set to a faster speed, the flash will not be triggered, which (not firing) acts as an alarm.
Using the camera's focal plane shutter, you must connect the flash to the camera's PC-synch terminal.

When using the leaf shutter in the lens, you can use all shutterspeeds, upto and including the top speed of 1/500 (but remember the camera's shutterspeed ring must be set to "C").
The flash must be hooked up to the PC-terminal on the lens.


You can use flash connected to the body in any mode you want, but remember that in any opf the automatic modes, the camera will select a shutter speed appropriate for the existing light automatically.
The automatically selected speed may well be shorter than 1/90, and the flash then will not fire! So you will always have to keep an eye on what speed the camera selects, making sure it is 1/90 or slower, if necessary by stopping down the lens.

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The winder will work the same, regardless of what mode the camera is in.
But tell more, what is the problem: does it work or doesn't it?

The pocket wizard, being simply a device linking flash to camera, can be used in any mode.
 
With the leaf lenses and the need to plug your flash into the PC Terminal; do you lose TTL flash metering?
 
Colin,

There are two connectors on a Hasselblad TTL-cord: the simple PC-connector, and the six pin TTL-control plug.

The TTL-cord must always be plugged into the TTL-terminal on the camera.

The PC-connector is plugged into the lens' leaf shutter PC-terminal to let that shutter trigger the flash.

When using the camera's focal plane shutter, only the 6 pin connector needs to be plugged into the camera.

But when using the leaf shutter in C(...) lenses, you plug the PC-synch cord into the lens' PC-terminal, and the 6 pin TTL cord into the TTL-terminal on the camera, and you'll have TTL-control.
 
Thanks.. That's what I thought would be the answer!
I no longer use Blads (couldn't stand the hassle!!)Sorry. and when I did I used the 500 cm's.
Switched to Contax 645 in 1998 and have been drooling over it ever since.
Colin
 
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