What's going on in my brain...

[bill]

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...when I use Sunny-16?

 

The reason I ask is because I have shot Sunny-16 for years with my II and M2. Exposures are pretty good, in as much as I have never lost a shot to under- or overexposure in that time. I exclusively use Kodak 400CN so yes, I know that a) exposure latitude and familiarity comes into the equation but that is not what's exercising my thoughts.

 

I have recently acquired an MP and tend to set the shutter speed and exposure as I go along using Sunny-16, then raising the camera to my eye for a shot, then adjusting exposure according to the inboard meter if I have time for a second shot. In about 10 rolls so far, I haven't found myself more than a stop out between eyeball and meter; usually I am even closer than that.

 

But here is the funny thing. I wear spectacles - photochromic spectacles. I never take them off to meter, or to take a shot. So they are constantly variably filtering the amount of light reaching my eyes.

 

So. What's going on...

 

Thoughts?

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[Nicoleica]

Hi Bill,

 

It could be that your external metering cells are advising your cpu to compensate for the variable ND filters in front of your primary sensor array.

 

But it's more likely to be experience telling you how bright the light really is. Influenced by your peripheral vision.

[richam]

It could be that your external metering cells are advising your cpu to compensate for the variable ND filters in front of your primary sensor array.

 

Bill, Are you pulling our chains with this one? Photochromic spectacles or any other type of spectacles have nothing to do with sunny-16, at least as I understand it. I remember the dark ages of the 1950s when none of the cameras had built in meters, and I could not afford an external meter such as the note pad sized Weston. Just following the guide in the little yellow Kodak box, learned to evaluate verbally described situations like sunny, shade, cloudy bright, cloudy dark, etc. etc. After a dozen rolls or so, I started getting the exposure right 95+% of the time. This had nothing to do with whether I was wearing sunglasses or not. It was a learned mental observation of the conditions. That's how I understand sunny-16. I suspect you have experienced a similar phenomenon. Also, as your photochromic lenses change, your eye iris f-stop changes to compensate, so it ends up nearly a wash as to how much light reaches your retinas.

 

Of course, since you don't need the built-in MP meter, you might as well stick to your II and M2. I might be willing to take the useless MP off your hands if the price is right.

[graeme_clarke]

anno domini Bill !!!

 

Its happenning to us all...

 

Graeme

[250swb]

You have reached another level Bill, you are now a master and can write the book we have all been waiting for, 'Zen and the Art of Sunny 16'.

 

Steve

[pop]

This goes to prove that you're not using your eyes as photon counters. It's either as richam says or it's the sun accommodating to the settings you chose for a particular shot.

[SJP]

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The range of photochromic spectacles is not that big anyway I think - maybe 1 stop? No make that 2 stops just to be safe.

 

Anyway when using my M2 I have no idea of absolute intensity I just use the EV table which I have tried to memorise. EV 15 = as bright as it gets (except for some exceptions), EV 5 = dimmishly lit room (idem.)

 

Summary: Your brain is OK it is just ignoring your eyes (nothing new here).

[Rick]

Bill, at this point in your life you should be able to take pictures with your eyes closed. Nih nih nih nih... Kind of like Chevy Chase in Caddyshack. YouTube - Caddyshack - Chevy Chase shares his wisdom

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello bill.

 

It's because your brain is working the way it's supposed to. Brains are more sophisticated than most light meters. That's why you see what you are looking @ now instead of it & everything around it within your field of view.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[!Nomad64]

Bill,

 

I do sunny 16 myself and, however never wearing shades nor spectacles, I'm aware that I tend to evaluate lights in terms of "situations", i.e. somewhere deep in my brain there are some exposure templates so to say which I automatically recall and compare with the actual situation to adjust exposure accordingly. So far I've constantly been more or less in the same error range you are, no matter if in natural or artificial light - apparently it works well either outside and in closed environments - theater shows, concerts, etc. The more experience one gains, the better it goes, obviously. I guess therefore that this has more to do with our own perception than innate metering capabilities. My point is that as you wear your photochromic spectacles, in your mind you automatically bypass them and expose properly. It's similar to what occurs when there are strong color nuances, which the film record but we don't see them ourselves as our brain compensate for them.

 

Regards

Bruno