Marcel,
Try this.
Set the film speed to 200 ASA. You do this by lifting the outer edge of the
shutter speed dial and twisting until 200 appears in the little window on top
of the dial.
Sit near a lamp. Set you shutter speed to 1000 (1/1000 of a second). Point
the camera at the lamp and change the aperture setting from f 22 to f 1.8.
You should see the needle move from minus to plus.
I took a close look at my KM. It does some strange things, probably related
to being beyond the metering range of the camera. When I set ASA at 20 and
speed at 1000, it gives me + at all apertures. Same thing at a speed of 500.
When I change to 250, the meter comes alive and drops to - at f 22 ... all
pointed at the same lamp tonight.
You need to fiddle with setting that ASA film speed. Your P&S has probably
been using ASA 100, 200, or 400 and f 4.0 to f 5.6 unless the flash goes off.
If you set-up the camera this way, you should be ready for outdoor pictures.
As others have said, the dial on the upper left is not connected to anything.
It is simply there to remind you what kind of film you have loaded in the
camera.
The two other controls on the camera are on the front, near the fingers of
your right hand.
There is a self timer near the bottom. Cock the shutter, twist the self
timer lever down, and twist the plastic tab that is revealed (just a little).
The clock mechanism will begin to move and a delayed shutter release will be
given.
Above the self timer is a Depth of Field Preview button. Turn the aperture
to f 8, press the button in. The viewfinder will grow darker. It will show
you a dim view of what will finally be in focus. It takes some getting used
to. Focus on something. The camera shows you things behind and in front of
the point of focus as increasingly fuzzy. If you adjust the speed and take
the picture at f 1.8, this is exactly what you will get. If you set the
aperture at f 8 and adjust the shutter speed, more will be in focus in front
and behind the spot you are focused on. With practice and concentration, you
will be able to see the Depth of Field (DOF) by pressing the button.
There is also a frame counter on the winding lever.
To rewind the film, press the button on the base of the camera, right side.
Then open the silver arm on above the left knob above the dial you inquired
about, and rewind the film back into the cassette (direction of the arrow).
Pull the knob up 1/4 inch and the back opens, but you probably knew this.
This should give you a start on the features of the camera.
Regards, Bob S.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
<< After a lot of years of P&S I have just entered the wonderful world of SLR,
fstops and this elaborate mailing list ;o) by receiving an old KM body+55mm
SMC lens as a gift from a friend. They have spent the past 10 years in a
cellar together, but all the mechanics are still functioning very well. The
only thing malfunctioning is the light meter I guess. After cleaning the
battery contacts and changing the old battery (which had leaked) by a 1.5V
alkaline type new one, the meter needle is way up in the +direction.
Changing film speed, shutter time or aperture has no effect, the needle
stays up. Is this a common way of the light sensing cell to tell that it has
perished or am I doing something wrong?
Further I was wondering what happens when I turn the edge of the most left
dial (seen from behind). I guess its for setting film type en length but
what happens exactly?
Are there any user manuals and/or repair manuals available for the KM
(perhaps somewhere in pdf file format)? >>
-
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