Exposure on an M3?

[wattsy]

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There's no such thing as a 'perfect' exposure anyway. It all depends on the photographers creative intention, and vision.

 

That is true (and often forgotten in discussions or advice about exposure) but the absence of an objectively perfect exposure doesn't obviate the benefits of using a light meter to obtain a "correct" (or at least consistent) exposure reading that a photographer can interpret for their own artistic or creative objectives.

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[rpavich]

That is true (and often forgotten in discussions or advice about exposure) but the absence of an objectively perfect exposure doesn't obviate the benefits of using a light meter to obtain a "correct" (or at least consistent) exposure reading that a photographer can interpret for their own artistic or creative objectives.

Yes. A repeatable, objective exposure (as opposed to "that's good enough") and just guessing.

 

Of course, film is so forgiving, guessing isn't that big of a deal but a light-meter (a hand held incident meter) really teaches you to read light faster than guessing does (in my experience)

[hendriphile]

If you don't care for meters, smartphone apps, or sunny 16, there are still other options.  Boxes of film used to come with simple but effective exposure guidelines printed right inside the box; I'm sure a google search would reproduce those guidelines.  Then there are the exposure calculators that don't need batteries, for example the "Black Cat" which gives exposures for almost every conceivable lighting situation.  Stick to one film type and note your exposures so as get feedback, and learn what works & what doesn't..  At some point it will all come together.

[M9reno]

A light meter doesn't provide a "perfect exposure" but it does provide an exposure value to work from that is usually more dependable than guesswork or estimation.

 

I don't think light meters and autofocus are particularly analogous technologies unless you are simply saying that they are both fallible if the limitations are not properly understood.

 

I am simply saying that considerable human input is required, which technological shortcuts (though sometimes helpful, I don't deny) cannot supplant.  Anyway, I think I agree with your posts.

 

 

There's no such thing as a 'perfect' exposure anyway. It all depends on the photographers creative intention, and vision.

 

Of course, as hinted by the inverted commas: the problem is that it is a phrase so often repeated, sometimes with variations as 'correct exposure' or 'objective exposure'.  Selecting an area - large or small - for averaged reflectance or incident metering is already a subjective action, an act of interpretation with no 'correct' answer, thus requiring intelligence (or creative intention, or vision) to succeed.

 

Dumbly shooting away while using even the best of meters is just guessing at its worst:  i.e. "I guess the picture will come out fine thanks to this super meter".  Most times this might be true, but ultimately just a matter of luck, and thus really no better in principle than a beginner's Sunny 16. 

[wattsy]

I am simply saying that considerable human input is required, which technological shortcuts (though sometimes helpful, I don't deny) cannot supplant. Anyway, I think I agree with your posts.

I'm not sure a light meter is a "technological shortcut" any more than a tape measure or weighing scales is. I think that is where we are in disagreement.

[M9reno]

I'm not sure I'm married to those words. I'm perfectly happy with the more neutral "tool" but don't see that changing my argument.

[chrism]

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A further thought on the use of an external meter - pick one with a battery you can buy anywhere! I have three meters, and while the Gossen Digisix is the most easily pocketed, it can't be turned off and the battery (CR2032) isn't likely to be available in a convenience store. That's why I generally take my Polaris incident/reflective/flash meter (a cheaper version of many Sekonic meters) which uses one AA battery. It gets through them quickly, but they are easily replaced and I keep a spare in my coat pocket. My spotmeter (the Adorama rebadge of the Soligor) also uses a common 9v/PP3 battery, although that matters less as I use it with LF and that's mostly indoors for me.

 

I commented somewhere above that in Nova Scotia at this time of year 'Sunny 8' is more appropriate and matches better with my meter. I assume Sunny 16 originated in a temperate country in the summertime? You can match the cloud cover exactly in your mind's eye with the rules, but if the sun behind those clouds is low in the sky it won't be accurate in the resulting exposure. Then again, NS isn't so far north - we're on the same line of latitude as Madrid! We just don't get the benefits of the gulf stream to keep things as warm as in Europe. Given that, the sun shouldn't be any lower here in December than it is in Spain, and I feel rather cheated out of a couple of stops!

[ThePioneer]

Sunny 16 (11) (8) is actually quite useful in the right circumstances. I used to carry a little Twinmate 208 in my pocket and try to estimate the normal exposure value, then check my guess with the Twinmate. After quite awhile I have become relatively competent during daylight. If my estimate was f/8 in the sun, dropping the exposure 3 stops in the shade was a good, quick rule of thumb. I drop a stop in the early morning and later evening and that generally works for me during the day. I found that evaluating the quality of the shadows was the key for me.

 

Nightime and indoors is not quite as easy but even that can be guessed at if need be. I have found Fred Parker's Ultimate Exposure Computer (found online) to be quite handy but it still takes lots of practice. The key is, if I don't have an exposure meter I can usually still get some pretty decent photos.

 

But...and here is the big but...if I have an external meter with me I use it. And I usually carry one; it really isn't that hard. Pick up your M3 and shove a meter in your pocket.

[Fotoklaus]

I don  think that many photpgraphers can use a camera properly without a light meter, and very few can handle such a creative intention.

Mostly its not like "I take a f8 instead a f5,6 to intensify this area" but rather "I hope this is going well".

Usually, it leads to bad negatives, which have to be corrected with gradation 0 or 5 in te darkrooom (with great creativity).

Be honest, guys. Outside at good weather it's easy but anywhere else it's tricky.