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David_nebenzahl
Tinkerer
Username: David_nebenzahl
Post Number: 261
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, April 06, 2010 - 07:48 pm: | 
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Warning: You are entering a non-opinion-free zone.
After completely rebuilding my Aires 35-IIIL, I'm now running a roll of film through it. And while I'm looking forward to seeing the results (I've heard that this camera has an exceptionally good lens), it's probably the last time I'll use it. This camera is destined to become a shelf queen.
Why? Because it's such a pain in the ass to use. At least for me, using my usual technique.
The Aires III was built around the idea of using EV (or LV, not sure which) numbers for setting exposure. The theory was that the user would either take a light-meter reading, or guess the exposure, then use the resulting EV number to set the camera. After so setting, the user could then choose any shutter speed/aperture combinations for this EV setting by simply rotating the front lens ring.
Sounds good in theory. Problem is, I don't have a light meter that reads EV numbers, and I don't think that way anyhow. Which makes it really annoying to use this camera.
The EV number is set by pulling the frontmost ring away from the camera, turning it to the desired EV number against a line on the shutter-speed ring, then releasing it.
If one wishes to set the camera in the "conventional" way, by setting shutter speed and aperture separately, then one must turn the ring to set the shutter speed, then pull the frontmost ring forward as described, set the aperture, then release it.
Two problems here. One, depending on where the camera is currently set, you may have to move the rings in more than one iteration, say if you're going from a high EV to a low EV setting or vice versa. And I've found that setting the aperture (by pulling the front ring) sometimes upsets the shutter-speed setting, so you have to go back and re-set the shutter speed, then re-set the aperture ...
So it's a very pretty camera, very well-built, and still working well after all these years. It's just a shame it isn't as functional as I had hoped. |
Milosdevino
Tinkerer
Username: Milosdevino
Post Number: 5
Registered: 03-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 07, 2010 - 03:52 am: |
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I'm sure with a little constructive (?) bodging that you'd be able to disconnect the linkage between the shutter and aperture rings. |
David_nebenzahl
Tinkerer
Username: David_nebenzahl
Post Number: 262
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 07, 2010 - 09:49 am: |
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I suppose one could grind off the teeth on the outer ring that engage the pin for the shutter-speed selector, or maybe just remove the pin, but then it wouldn't really be an Aires III anymore. That's a little extreme even for me. |
Dcluley
Tinkerer
Username: Dcluley
Post Number: 5
Registered: 04-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 08, 2010 - 11:14 pm: |
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Sounds like the same system used on the Argus V-100. It at least has a built in light meter, but my reaction is pretty much the same. |
Paul_c
Tinkerer
Username: Paul_c
Post Number: 15
Registered: 02-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 02:41 pm: |
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David, the proof of the pudding is eating ? what about the results?
Paul |
M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 225
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 15, 2010 - 08:36 am: |
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There's a similar coupling on my Contaflex super, and it makes for clumsy operation. But oddly enough, when done right, this kind of linkage can be rather convenient.
A lot of old meters used to give EV readings, and if you had one of these, it meant you could very quickly set the camera by EV without regard to shutter or aperture preference, and then choose aperture or shutter depending on taste quickly, without upsetting the exposure.
Back long ago, I had a Sawyer's Mark IV TLR, and this also had an EV coupled system, but in this case, the shutter and aperture levers were on opposite sides of the lens, coupled by a stiff clutch. The speeds and F stops were well labeled, and the EV setting appeared in a separate little window at the top. Once set to an EV, moving one lever would move the other in sync, but a firm hold on both allowed easy changing of the relationship. The ergonomics were good, and the result was handy and quick, especially together with a meter that gave EV numbers. |
David_nebenzahl
Tinkerer
Username: David_nebenzahl
Post Number: 275
Registered: 12-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 22, 2010 - 12:40 pm: |
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I suppose I'd be singing a different tune if I had a meter that read in EV (or LV) units. I can definitely see the advantages of this system, especially to the average non-technical user.
@Paul_C: I have a roll of film in the camera now. It takes me forever to finish a roll. I'll report back when I get it done; I'm expecting really good results from the Aires' lens. |
M_currie
Tinkerer
Username: M_currie
Post Number: 226
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 23, 2010 - 08:38 am: |
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My old Sekonic Auto-Leader read in EV, and so do at least some of the Weston Masters, although I don't recall ever bothering to use the EV readout of the Sekonic when I had the Sawyer. I tended to think in those days in shutter-priority mode, and since the Sawyer was easy to set I did it that way. |
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