meter lock problem

[mikpeter]

I posted this previously, but I don't think I got the right answer. This is really annoying me and I would like to know if there is something wrong with my m8.

If I was to shoot in low light conditions where the shutter speed was at its lowest, say anywhere from 1 second to 4 seconds and manually adjusting the aperture I can't get an exposure lock, the dot between the 2 arrows. So say I was to set my shutter at 4 seconds, I would adjust the aperture to get correct exposure. starting from wide open I would stop down until I get that red dot exposure lock, but instead I get the opposite arrow, so then I would go back the other way on the aperture and then get the opposite arrow again bur never the red dot. Is this normal? I don't know how I could get proper exposures with slow shutter speeds.

[giordano]

Originally Posted by mikpeter

If I was to shoot in low light conditions where the shutter speed was at its lowest, say anywhere from 1 second to 4 seconds and manually adjusting the aperture I can't get an exposure lock, the dot between the 2 arrows. So say I was to set my shutter at 4 seconds, I would adjust the aperture to get correct exposure. starting from wide open I would stop down until I get that red dot exposure lock, but instead I get the opposite arrow, so then I would go back the other way on the aperture and then get the opposite arrow again bur never the red dot. Is this normal? I don't know how I could get proper exposures with slow shutter speeds.

It sounds as if you are getting outside the working range of the M8 meter, which is determined by the amount of light getting through the lens at whatever aperture you have set. According the instruction book (p 108) the lowest light the meter is rated to measure is equivalent to a 1.2 second exposure at f/1.0 at ISO 160.

If your 4-second exposure is in really low light with a wide aperture and/or high film speed, the M8 meter will be of limited assistance; trial and error, or a sensitive hand-held meter, will be more use.

If the long exposure results from needing a small aperture for depth of field, open the lens up a few stops (e.g. to f/2) and use the meter to set the shutter speed (e.g. 1/15). Then stop the lens down to the aperture you want (e.g f/16) and slow the shutter by the same number of stops (to 4 sec).

[Shootist]

I think you are misinterpreting the dot in the center of the 2 arrows. When using manual mode the dot in the center is telling you the camera has the proper exposure based on the shutter speed you have selected and the lens aperture you have set. It is not a LOCK.
Exposure lock is only available in A mode (aperture priority mode) and it is activated by pushing the shutter release button down to the second stop and a small red dot appears between the first and second character of the shutter speed when you have a shutter speed of 125 or more or to the left of the 2 characters if 90 or below.

In manual mode the exposure is always locked at what you set it at. If you set it at 1/8000 and a aperture of f/16 then you better have a ton of light or really high ISO other wise the image will be under exposed.

What is happening is @ 4s shutter speed and whatever click f/stop you turn the lens to the scene is either under or over exposed. Try setting it to somewhere in the middle of the click stops of the aperture ring.

I just tried it on one of my M8's and I get the same thing. So I think you are out of the range of the built in meter. For shots like this I'd use a hand held meter.

[ho_co]

Or instead of using a hand-held meter, just bracket.

In light that low, the general rule is to double the exposure time repeatedly, since doubling the time is equivalent to admitting one more stop of light.

But generally when one is in light low enough to go through that procedure, more than one of the bracketed exposures will be fine, just giving different emphases to the subject.

The M8 can only handle down to a certain amount of light anyway, so you may be below that threshold.

And a big help of digital cameras is that instant playback of what you got is available.