I started with blue flash-bulbs in 1967. They had a long burn time (1/40 to 1/60 second) with a rapid climb to full output, then an even peak output followed by rapid drop-off at the end of the burn. The 'M' setting on the camera I was using at the time (a Voigtlander Vito CD) was what you used for these bulbs, although the camera also had an 'X' setting for them new-fangled electronic flashes. The settings ensured that the shutter opened first, then the flash fired. The shutter speed had to be set at 1/30 or slower, so that the flash output occurred while the shutter was fully open, otherwise you'd get a black bar at one side or the other, where the film was unexposed. Aperture was calculated from the guide number of the flash and the speed of the film, and I found I could seldom close down beyond f8, even at 400 ASA. The bulbs were coated with a blue substance to match the colour temperature of noon daylight, so fill-in flash was possible. There was a third shutter setting option, FP ('flash-peak'), which would allow the use of bulbs designed for focal-plane shutters, and these you could use at speeds from 1/30th upwards to 1/1000th, although I never had a camera with that facility until I got a Rolleicord, where you could use the 'V' setting to fire the flash at any speed - basically because the shutter was a between-lens type. Open to correction on some of the technicalities, it's been a long time since I had to think about such matters!
John Coyle Brisbane, Australia -----Original Message----- From: pdml-boun...@pdml.net [mailto:pdml-boun...@pdml.net] On Behalf Of Steven Desjardins Sent: Wednesday, 14 March 2012 3:32 AM To: Pentax-Discuss Mail List Subject: Re: 4x% Kodachromes from WWII That's interesting, John. By the time I started doing serious photography, electronic flashes had taken over. I really don't know the characteristics of flashbulbs. On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 1:06 PM, John Sessoms <jsessoms...@nc.rr.com> wrote: > Flashbulbs > > From: Bob Sullivan > >> Cool photos! >> 4x5 Kodachromes from the WWII era. >> I wonder about the lighting set-up. >> They are all well lit. >> Wasn't it Kodachrome 14 or slower in those days? >> The lighting is striking. >> Regards, Bob S. >> >> On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 8:22 AM, Bong Manayon <bongmana...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >>> >>> Wow. ?I showed them to my students who thought they were cos-players. >>> >>> Bong >>> >>> >>> On Tue, Mar 13, 2012 at 10:04 AM, Steven Desjardins >>> <drd1...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>>> >>>> A site I got form another forum: >>>> >>>> http://pavel-kosenko.livejournal.com/303194.html?thread=22669914 >>>> >>>> Give them a minute to load. ?Well worth the look. > > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and > follow the directions. -- Steve Desjardins -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.