I don't get it - Please help the newbie

[Digidurst]

Hi everyone! I have recently aquired a Horseman LE and I sure do love it. But as I have never used a LF before in my life, I'm having a hard time with getting my exposures right due to bellows extension. I downloaded this thing called a QuickDisk that's supposed to help and while the measuring part is easy, I don't understand what the numbers mean on the little "ruler" or how to apply them. Sometimes the simplist things boggle my brain! :o

I would be eternally grateful if someone could explain it to me (like I'm three). For example, lets say I've metered my scene and the results indicate that the correct exposure is f25 @ 1/60th of a second (using strobes). I measure the QuickDisk on my ground glass and get the numbers 0,5. So my correct f stop would be ?????

I have a feeling I'm making this overly complicated but I just don't get what the numbers mean on the QuickDisk 'ruler' or how to translate them to a working exposure.

Thanks for the help and thanks for not laughing at the newbie, or at least in front of the newbie!

[John Bartley]

Just out of curiosity, what sort of scenes are you having trouble with? And what size of lens do you have? I understood bellows extension exposure compensation was required when doing extreme closeups, or in any other situation where long bellows draw was being used.
cheers

[Nick Zentena]

F/25 + 1/2 a stop. I guess that's pretty close to F/32.

[Digidurst]

Just out of curiosity, what sort of scenes are you having trouble with? And what size of lens do you have? I understood bellows extension exposure compensation was required when doing extreme closeups, or in any other situation where long bellows draw was being used.
cheers

Oh shoot! I'm sorry I forgot to include that important information!

I'm using a 210mm lens in my (small) studio, shooting a floral scene. Does that help?

[Digidurst]

F/25 + 1/2 a stop. I guess that's pretty close to F/32.

???? Wouldn't f32 underexpose?

[mikeb_z5]

yes, you would need to open up a stop. not close down

[Nick Zentena]

Sorry-) I'll try and redeem myself. You're using lights. If you've decided you need F/25 for DOF then you'll need to increase the lights enough that the meter reads that extra 1/2 stop.

[lee]

I would think F22 closer by one stop

lee\c

[Digidurst]

Okay, so again what do the numbers mean on the QuickDisk 'ruler' and how do I translate them to a working exposure?

[Baxter Bradford]

There should be instructions with the download. The Quickdisk is a great tool which is used solely to calculate Bellows factor.

The numbers on the Quickdisk ruler give the extra exposure you have to add due to bellows factor. Measure the longest axis of the Disk on the GG (distortion can make the circle appear elliptical). Then use your light meter as normal to get your basic exposure for the shot; to which you then add whatever bellows factor was given from the ruler before making the actual exposure.

Simple, free and works really well.