M9CH Posted February 2, 2011 Share #21 Posted February 2, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, Quite interesting all this. I just started shooting with my new M9: only some 50 pictures, did not have much time. Wiht my M6 I used to read incident light by extending my hand at arm length in front of the camera: well it does work and had very few bad readings. With the M9 I did the same at first : too much used to the M6 ! After some pictures that looked normal on the screen I set on Automatic. Well at the end of the day the shots with my old system were far better. I took pictures of landscape with some snow in the Alps and some pictures inside without any artificial light. I am now thinking of buying a lightmeter. Of course I shall have to learn more than this, but I have been upset with flare that did not occur in such a way with my M6 and the same lens - 35mm/f 2.0 asph.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 2, 2011 Posted February 2, 2011 Hi M9CH, Take a look here Hand held Incident Light meter. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Hank Taylor Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share #22 Posted February 3, 2011 Hi Neuier, thanks for your comment, being from the old school and a former Marine photographer, I gotten use to relying on the incident meter , or rule 16. Having used both still and motion picture equipment there is no comparison when accurate exposure are important. Shooting Kodachrome 10 and 25 makes you a real believer. Best Regards Hank Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xmas Posted February 3, 2011 Share #23 Posted February 3, 2011 Hi Hank 10 or 25 bring instant nostaliiiiiia attacks... Hi M9CH The M6 uses a spot on the shutter blind, thought the M9 used a strip, an incident will be more difficult woth a strip? Some DLeica people compensate by 2/3 of a stop to hang on to more of the high lights, easy to try to see if you like? Noel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesk8752 Posted February 3, 2011 Share #24 Posted February 3, 2011 A new Gossen DigiSix would be nice (compact size) but they are expensive when new and hard to find used. My old Gossen LunaSix with reflective and incident metering still works just great. I use zinc-air hearing aid batteries these days to replace the now-banned mercury cells, and while they only last for 9-12 months, they are cheap and easy to replace. I see that the LunaSix can still be found on the Big Auction Site for $25-$40. A bargain, IMO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleica Posted February 3, 2011 Share #25 Posted February 3, 2011 I have a DigiSix, and while it's a nice little meter to use, the thing that annoys me most is that you can't switch it off. Several times I've gone to use it and found that the battery has unexpectedly expired. But apart from that, it's great. I also still use my LunaSix F a lot, as despite its age it works as well as when it was new. Fortunately this one uses a PP3 battery, so I have no problems finding replacements. Regarding mercury cells, some of my older cameras need those, and rather than use the short life zinc-air batteries, I've purchased adaptors so that I can use lithium cells. These are great for long term use, and although a bit expensive they are a one-time cost. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
elgenper Posted February 4, 2011 Share #26 Posted February 4, 2011 I have a DigiSix, and while it's a nice little meter to use, the thing that annoys me most is that you can't switch it off. Several times I've gone to use it and found that the battery has unexpectedly expired..... Now, that´s a nuisance indeed. Actually, I was on the verge of buying one next time I visit my dealer, but this made me rethink. My old Variosix F had no off switch either, but it switched itself off after 30 sec or so. Are you sure the Digisix doesn´t do the same? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleica Posted February 4, 2011 Share #27 Posted February 4, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi Per, Yes, I'm quite sure. It stays alive until the battery dies. The DigiSix has a clock and thermometer which run constantly. The battery does last about a year though, but in my experience that's just long enough to forget when you last replaced it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted February 4, 2011 Share #28 Posted February 4, 2011 Hank, an interesting thread which revives the use of a timeless tool. I fear the main reason is the sheer convenience of in-camera metering which, most of the time, works flawlessly on my digital Ms. In tricky situations I meter different areas selectively, while in manual mode. A quick preview check and the expose can be refined till perfect. Occasionally I do use my Weston Master meter which has the merit of not needing batteries. Amazing life! More often I use my Variosix F, particularly for indoor static shots. That has been an excellent aid over time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted February 4, 2011 Share #29 Posted February 4, 2011 The M6 uses a spot on the shutter blind, thought the M9 used a strip, an incident will be more difficult woth a strip? the M9 does have a strip rather than a dot - as does the M8, but I don't think the metering cell reads the whole width of the strip. I'm sure I've seen a comparison on the M6/M8-9 metering patterns somewhere, but I can't remember where. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Taylor Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share #30 Posted February 4, 2011 Appreciate all the good comments regarding an excellent tool too often neglected due to inconvenience and laziness on our part. Maybe more of us will start carrying a meter, that is if we want to get the best exposures in difficult situations. Hank:) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted February 5, 2011 Share #31 Posted February 5, 2011 Hello Nicole, If your batteries last about a year why don't you consider replacing all the batteries that last about that long including smoke/CO2 alarm & such on your Birthday? A hard day to forget. Best Regards, Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted February 5, 2011 Share #32 Posted February 5, 2011 Picture the scene on Nicole's next birthday in her living surrounded by friends who have come to celebrate her birthday with her and have each bought her a small gift. Nicole picks up one of the gifts, playfully holds it to her ear with a half-smile watched breathlessly by her assembled audience and, chuckling, shakes it but there's no rattle. She carefully unwraps it and - it's a battery for her M6! "Thank you so much, It's just what I've always wanted." purrs Nicole, and places the battery on the pile of other new batteries that all her friends have thoughtfully given her for her Gossen Digisix, her fire alarm, her burglar alarm, her TV remote, her DVD remote, her hifi, her garage door remote, her car key ... Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleica Posted February 6, 2011 Share #33 Posted February 6, 2011 Thanks for the suggestion Michael, but at my age one tends to try and forget birthdays. These days I'm no longer allowed to simply write down my year of birth when asked. Instead a sample has to be sent for carbon dating. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
agfa100 Posted February 6, 2011 Share #34 Posted February 6, 2011 I still pull out my old Sekonic L28C2 Incident meter every now and then, I keep thinking the cell should not still be working after 43 years. I picked it up in the PX in Viet-Nam in 69 never had bad highlights after I started using that meter! wbill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted February 6, 2011 Share #35 Posted February 6, 2011 At the risk of upsetting many, can I actually ask why anyone bothers with any sort of hand held meter when they are using a camera which provides a histogram which tells them far more than any hand held meter can ever hope to do so? I can see the point in a hand held meter in a studio set up when it can be useful for balancing lighting, but for most photography taking a shot and then checking the histogram is a far better (and probably quicker) way of assessing where to pitch an exposure in order to retain highlight detail where it is required. Digital camera do have some real advantages over traditional methods and this is one of them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted February 6, 2011 Share #36 Posted February 6, 2011 At the risk of upsetting many, can I actually ask why anyone bothers with any sort of hand held meter when they are using a camera which provides a histogram which tells them far more than any hand held meter can ever hope to do so? A histogram tells you what's happened after the event, a meter shows you before. It's not always possible to adjust the exposure and take the second shot a second time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith (M) Posted February 6, 2011 Share #37 Posted February 6, 2011 For the last couple of days I have been using the world's most expensive lightmeter, so that I could run a couple of test films through my newly-acquired M2. The lightmeter? My M9. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyoung Posted February 6, 2011 Share #38 Posted February 6, 2011 For the last couple of days I have been using the world's most expensive lightmeter, so that I could run a couple of test films through my newly-acquired M2. The lightmeter? My M9. Now I know what to get when my Weston Master IV gives up ..and I will need an adaptor ring to put the Invercone onto a 39mm screw in, any suggestions for a code ? Gerry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Geschlecht Posted February 7, 2011 Share #39 Posted February 7, 2011 Hello Everybody, Please keep in mind: An incident meter measures the light falling on the subject. It is the light falling on the subject that the film or sensor is sensitive to. Not the subject itself. The subject simply absorbs &/or reflects this light in varying manners creating the image of the scene being photographed. Incident meters are accurate & mostly foolproof while @ the same time being quick & easy to use. Best Regards, Michael Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Taylor Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share #40 Posted February 7, 2011 Michael well said! Thanks Hank Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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