Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/12/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Art, Like the proverbial "Baker's Dozen" or "One for the pot" I've always been told to read the meter and then open up half a stop. Perhaps I should have mentioned this to Howard. When I do so on bright sunny days in my neck of the woods (Bangkok) my meter usually shows 16.5 at 1/250 -- in the city in most types of environments. If I were at the beach or in the midst of a lot of bright, reflective surfaces, sure I'd stop down a bit. Likewise, if I were shooting into a lot of vegetation I'd open up a bit more (I read an interview of Bruce Davidson somewhere, talking about his Central Park book saying that vegetation really soaks up the light; I think he's right). Of course all of the above is subject to the acuracy of my meter. Howard should probably establish his benchmarks with a meter he's comfortable with before programming his internal meter. Thanks for your helpful comments. Regards, Bruce Feldman On Thu, 11 Dec 1997 Peterson_Art@hq.navsea.navy.mil wrote: > > Bruce, > > Your message below suggests an enviable state of grace with light, but > one point leaves me confused. I had thought the rule of thumb for an > exposure in full sunlight was shutter speed equals 1/ISO at f/16. But > you wrote that "using ISO 400...[and]...shutter speed...[of]...1/250" > makes the aperture setting for "Outdoors, bright sun...f/16." Is this > a case of particular ISO 400 films requiring more exposure than their > rated speed allows. Or should the exposure rule for daylight be 1/ISO > at f/11? > > Art Peterson > > > ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ > Subject: Re: [Leica] basic questions > Author: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us at internet > Date: 12/11/97 10:51 AM > > > Well, I can handle the first question. Develop a light meter in your head > and you won't need one in your camera UNLESS you're shooting primarily > transparancies or landscapes, perhaps. Really, since working with my M-4P > I've been able to get by with eyeballing a situation 95% of the time. > > Here's how: At first, using ISO 400 b/w or color neg. film, limit > yourself to two shutter speeds -- one for indoors (1/60) and one for > outdoors (1/250). Learn that indoors, comfortable reading light is f/4 -- > that is your indoor benchmark; make adjustments from there. Outdoors, > bright sun is f/16 and deep shadow can take you down to f/4 or more. Now > as you walk around with these benchmarks in mind, carry a small incident > light meter, like a Sekonic 308B, make guesses at various times, check to > see how far off you were, figure out why, and remember. > > In no time you'll train yourself to be within 1 stop no matter where you > are. You'll be in the scene looking THROUGH the viewfinder, not into it > for a light reading. And once you learn to pre-focus and set the ring and > shutter without looking you'll really be in fat city. And the next time > you see someone in harness to one of those big automatic pieces of > Tupperware out there, well, you'll just smile. > > Regards, > > Bruce Feldman > > > On Wed, 10 Dec 1997, Howard Kelly wrote: > > > have a few basic questions about Leica's. > > > > One huge benefit of the cameras seems to be their simplicity and compact > > size. Would a light meter be required on for example an M2 for daytime > > shooting? If so, would this not detract from the portability? > > > > I am unfamiliar with range finders and a novice photographer, so please > > pardon any stupid questions. Is the main difference between a range > > finder and an slr the viewing/focusing mechanism? With a range finder > > you focus based on supposed distance as opposed to clarity of image? Is > > a fair price for a used M2 body with some dings in it $650? > > > > thanks for you patience. > > > > Howard Kelly > > hkelly@dti.net > > > > > > > >