[Leica] IMG: More Experiments with ETTR

[imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser)]

On Sep 8, 2011, at 1:01 PM, Jim Nichols <jhnichols at lighttube.net> wrote:

> There is a lot more for me to learn!

I highly recommend applying some minimal zone system thinking in this 
pursuit.

Simply take a reading of white fabric, with texture, and make an exposure.
It should render as zone V (or IV or VI) depending on your + or - setting.
Then make incremental one stop over exposures until you arrive at the 
unrecoverable highlight exposure (no detail in the fabric). An 8x10 card 
with textured fabric mounted to it can be a very useful exposure and white 
balance tool - which also serves as a reflector.

This gives far more accurate and useable data re: the useable dynamic range 
of your sensor than guessing about where your highlights actually fall on 
histograms (which certainly provide only a general indication of the overall 
scene rendering).

George