Turn the shutter speed dial until the destired number is exactly opposite the index mark, not in-between. The numbers shown are fractions of a second.

The shutter speeds that can be used depend on the film you are using and the light on the subject, but as a general guide, try to use 1/125 or 1/300 for pictures of moving subjects. If you use 1/30, 1/15 or 1/8, use a tripod or brace the camera against a firm support.

'B' stands for 'bulb' and is used for time exposures. When set on 'B', the shutter will remain open for as long as the shutter release is held down. For best results, use a cable release and tripod for time exposures.

The aperture setting determines the amount of light that comes through the lens. The smaller the aperture number (known as 'f-stops') on the dial, the more light comes through the lens. The aperture dial can be set in-between the marked numbers if necessary.

50mm lenses were made with maximum apertures of 1.9 and 2.8. As you go up the scale above 1.9 or 2.8, each higher number lets in one-half as much light as the previous one.

The aperture setting also determines what range of distance will be in sharp focus in your picture -- known as 'depth of field'. At the smaller-numbered f-stops (1.9, 2.8, 4), the range of sharp focus will be shorter -- objects in front of and behind the subject you focus on won't be as sharply focused as the subject. With the larger-numbered f-stops (11,16, 22), objects in front of and behind the subject will be in sharper focus.