Nikon SLR Cameras

What Shutter speed to use?

Annette Leigh Haynes
Annette Leigh Haynes

Using Calumet 4x5 View Camera with
Schneider Kreuznach 210mm f:5.6/370mm f:12 Symmar
Or using a 35mm Nikon F
135mm Nikkor Q f:3.5

How to figure out which shutter speed to use when using a
Gossen Ascor Mark 2 Flash meter Flash meter gives f-Stops only doing a Portrait Using the Nikon F, 35mm Camera with a
Nikkor Q 135mm f:3.5 Lens and the light meter calls for
f:16 or F:22 what shutter speed should I use need to go below 1/60th.
Now if I use the 4x5 View Camera with the
Schneider Kreuznach 370mm f:12 Symmar using the Green scale and light meter gives me f:16 or f:22 what shutter speed should I use?
Do you have a link with a chart to figure this out?

Added (1). Using Kodak Portra 400 ASA Print Film

Camera Guy
Camera Guy

The flash sync speed will be any shutter speed capable of capturing the entire duration of the flash. Which is usually very, very quick, like faster than 1/1000th of a second. Because of ease of timing, mechanical lag as well as shutter speed lag, flash sync speeds are often way less that and set on cameras from 1/60th to 1/250th on SLR's and all shutter speeds on view camera lenses.
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In 35mm SLR cameras with focal plane horizontal shutters, this has been traditionally 1/60th of a second, the fastest time allowed where both curtains are open and out of the way of the film, such as in the Nikon F body. The flash sync shutter speed is in red on the shutter speed dial. On newer cameras this has been upped to as high now as 1/250th of a second.
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However, Most if not all view camera lenses use what is called a Diaphragm shutter and this is like the Iris in the cameras lens in the fact it opens and closes like a Iris but it is either open full or closed full and it takes a fraction of a second to go between the two. There are no part open settings like a iris here.
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Because the iris like shutters open like they do they can flash sync at higher speeds, up to 1/500th of a second. However, in most cases this alone does not change exposure during the use of electronic flashes and exposure is controlled by f/stops.
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To make things simple for you why not use 1/60th of a second shutter speed for both, and then use your flash meter to get the needed f/stop for the ASA your using?
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In using a flash meter you place the meter in the image at or near where you want the best exposure then just test fire the flashes, no shutter speeds needed. Right? You then take the reading, usually as a f/stop setting and transfer that to your cameras lens then make your exposure…
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You have some fine equipment and don't know how to use it?

John P
John P

If you are using flash with a between-lens shutter(otherwise a 'front shutter') as generally found on 4x5 cameras you can use any speed up to the max, usually 1/500th.

For SLRs with focal plane shutter the max sync speed may be 1/60th or 1/125 or even higher depending on model - recent SLRs may go up to 1/250th. Nikon F max 1/60th.

With flash, your illumination is solely by the flash, thus you don't really need to think about the shutter speed, except that you must not exceed the max sync speed for a given camera or lens.
Use a reasonably fast speed to cut out any surrounding light that isn't from the flash, thus don't generally go below 1/30th.

You seem to have a lot of kit available, but little knowledge of it.