Shepherd FM1000 Electronic Flash Meter Instructions (update 3/29/16)

Do you have a  Shepherd FM1000 Electronic Flash Meter, but do NOT have the instructions?

I'll email you a copy of the instructions that I wrote for this meter.  [As of March 29, 2016, I still get requests for these instructions about twice per week, so I'm still sending them to folks.  My email is below, feel free to ask and I'll send it along to you.]

I bought a Shepherd FM1000 Flash Meter  from eBay a while back.(it also meters ambient light)

My reasoning was that I could use it for both my occasional flash/studio setup type photography and also use it as an ambient meter with my old Kodak and Zorki cameras which have no built-in meter.  This older meter didn't cost me much; very much in line with how frequently I use it.

No one that I can find has placed the instructions for this 1980s era meter on the internet.

I can find a copy machine copy of the Shepherd FM1000 Flash Meter instruction manual, but I refuse to pay $13 for a photocopy of it, I paid a couple of dollars more than that for the friggin' meter!

Using the FM1000 meter for both flash and ambient light work is not rocket surgery, so I just wrote my own instructions.  I used the instruction manual for the somewhat different Shepherd XE-88 Flash Meter as a basis for terminology of the parts and to get my instructions to have a similar feel to a Shepherd manual.

I'm just writing this post in case someone in the future searches for a copy of the Shepherd FM1000 Electronic Flash Meter Instruction Manual.  Hopefully search engines will list this post as a link and they'll see this.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
The Butkus.org site now has a .pdf copy of the ACTUAL Shepherd FM1000 meter manual linked on their site!  They are asking for a super-reasonable $3.00US if you decide to download it.  This official Shepherd FM1000 manual is in English, French, German, and Spanish.
Yay!
Here's a link to the Butkus site's page for the Shepherd FM1000 meter.  This page has a donation link for you to give to them for their kindness in finding and scanning the manual, as well as a link, near the bottom of the page, for the .pdf of the manual.

If you still want a copy of my incredibly verbose version, just email me as in the next paragraphs and I'll send my manual along to you as soon as I see your email.

Note about the actual manual;  I FREAKIN' KNEW THERE WAS A BATTERY CHECK FEATURE.  I'll have to update my version to include this for completeness, and to assuage my OCD in these matters.

I have the Shepherd FM1000 Flash Meter instructions in both Microsoft Word (.doc) and .pdf versions and if you need them, email me at mastersja at att.net and I'll email back to you whichever version you prefer. (That email address is current as of 3/6/2019)  (Version 4 of the instructions is available as of Monday, May 5, 2014. Email me for an updated copy if you have an older version of the instructions, see the version number in the file name.)

If you receive a set of instructions from me, please read them carefully and let me know if you find mistakes that I need to correct. (I DID go to Louisiana public schools, so there are probably some mistakes and I'd appreciate your help finding them so that I could correct the document.)

Butterfly

Nikon P7100, lens @ 202mm (35mm equiv.), f/6.3, 1/100sec, ISO 1600

This butterfly was nice enough to pose for a while on one of Lovely Wife's flowers out by our swimming pool.

Out To Sea

Nikon D90, Nikon 18-200mm @ 200mm, f/5.6, 1/30sec, ISO 800

We were at Sebastian Inlet, about twenty miles south of our home, and it was almost too dark for photos.

This one fishing boat was heading out to the Atlantic, and I did an old school panning at a slow shutter speed and took about eight frames.

This was the best of the bunch and I really like the way it turned out.

Black and White #39

Nikon D90, Nikon 18-200mm @ 200mm, f/16, 1/400sec, ISO 200

Stopped on the side of A1A while we were heading north.

The late afternoon sun was reflecting on the water, a simple thing that never fails to lift my spirits.

In addition to the sun on the water was this one sailboat moored out in the Indian River Lagoon (Inter-coastal Waterway).

I though the major contrast would look good as a B&W.

Sea Turtle Egg Nests

Nikon D90, Nikon 10-24mm @ 10mm, f/16, 1/80sec, ISO 800

Yeah, it's a pretty unimpressive beach shot, but see the stakes in the sand with orange tape around them?

Those are turtle egg nests.

Lots and lots of sea turtles lay their eggs on the coast here.

If you were a mean person and wanted desperately to get into trouble, digging up a turtle nest here will get you into all the trouble you could possibly handle.

I have always wanted to see the baby turtles hatch and try to get into the Atlantic.

I'm not even sure when that happens.

Anyway, it's still a really neat happening down here, sea turtles laying their eggs.

Surf's Up!

Nikon D90, Nikon 18-200mm @ 60mm (=90mm), 1/40sec, f/11, ISO 1600

Nikon D90, Nikon 18-200mm @ 18mm (=27mm), 1/30sec, f/16, ISO 1600

Ron Jon's Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach, Florida is a must-visit when family comes to town.  It's such a fun, cool place to explore, even if no one in your group surfs.

Shirts, jackets, hoodies, pants, skate boards, surf boards, and most every type of souvenir that you can think of plus many you would never have thought of can be found here.

Rykman Park Sunset, Orton Treatment

Nikon D90, Nikkor 10-24mm lens @ 10mm (15mm in 35mm equiv.), f/22, 1/30sec, ISO 800

Looking west across the Indian River Lagoon (Inter-coastal Waterway).

This was a sunset after it had rained most of the day.  Did a digital version of the Orton process to this one.

My Big Sis was visiting from Louisiana, and her first day here it rained most of the day.

We went out in the afternoon after the rain stopped, though it was still overcast.  We could see that the sky was clearing a little over the Atlantic, so we went over there to see if it would clear up more.

We took her to our favorite sunset watching spot, Rykman Park in Melbourne Beach.  The western sky cleared as the day ended and we witnessed one of the most colorful sunsets I've ever seen in sixteen years living in Florida.

Fishing Boat, Sebastian, Florida

Nikon P7100, f/8, 1/2000s, ISO 400, lens @ 37mm (173mm in 35mm equivalent)

We live in Florida.

Most of my family lives in Louisiana, a sixteen hour drive away.  We don't see each other much.

My Big Sis became a huge Keith Urban fan a number of years ago, and bought a Sony super-zoom point and shoot camera to take concert pics with.

Her desire to learn the nuts and bolts of photography to help her take better photos of Keith Urban led her to take numerous camera courses and join a camera club.

She upgraded to a Sony A55 slr and she has become a really good photographer.  Lots of natural talent, and a great sense of composition.

Big Sis visited our family in early July, our first time together since she has "gotten into" photography.

We had a really great time during her visit.  The east central coast of Florida has lots of good photo opportunities that cannot be found in northeast Louisiana.

One evening we all went out to eat at a great seafood restaurant in Sebastian, Florida, called "Squid Lips."

While waiting for our food Big Sis and I went out on the pier behind the restaurant.

I was struck by the late afternoon sun on this particular boat.  Of the photos I took of it, this was my favorite.  Not really sure why, but this one strikes a strong emotional chord within me.

I think it might be that late-day sunlight that always imparts such a peaceful feeling to me.