Old Leicas and guessing exposure...

[pico]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

19 minutes ago, Jon Glass said:

I switched to film because I liked how it slowed me down

Why rush the process? With luck you will eventually be old enough where slow is all you can do.

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[Jon Glass]

1 hour ago, pico said:

Why rush the process? With luck you will eventually be old enough where slow is all you can do.

Exactly the point of 90% of my post.  I like the deliberate nature of manual aperture, shutter speed, and focus...I appreciate the constraints of film speed and prime lens focal length...but I wouldn't dispense with the meter.

[Christopher Leung]

Shooting negatives, sure.  But for slide it’d be impossible to shoot without meter, without bracketing like crazy.  Can’t shoot street photos with bracketing so easy.

[spydrxx]

9 hours ago, Christopher Leung said:

Shooting negatives, sure.  But for slide it’d be impossible to shoot without meter, without bracketing like crazy.  Can’t shoot street photos with bracketing so easy.

That's just not true. I did it for many years and have well exposed transparencies, as did my father. It requires some thought, knowledge of the film in use, and an understanding of proper exposure.

[lykaman]

Hi, Even if you use a light meter, things change, we ida shoot many years ago, set everything up using the Weston (good old film days) lady sat at the table with white dress and dark oak table.. We went for lunch came back and started shooting, just before we started shooting the lady decided to change into a dark blue dress and the table was replaced by a white garden table.. Luckily one of the assistants noticed it and we had to recalibrate.. The lesson I learnt, nothing is forever ever.. I had for many years a good old Russian Light Meter (Leningrad) not perfect but better than guessing.. L

 

[evikne]

As long as the incidient light wasn't changing, the camera settings should be identical regardless of the subject's (or table's) colors. That's the fine thing about shooting manually. 

Edited June 19, 2019 by evikne

[Ko.Fe.]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

22 hours ago, Christopher Leung said:

Shooting negatives, sure.  But for slide it’d be impossible to shoot without meter, without bracketing like crazy.  Can’t shoot street photos with bracketing so easy.

For you? Maybe you need to memorize the readings more. Or grow some balls. :).

I used ORWO slide and S16 instructions which were in each film canister for years. I knew nothing about exposure back then. But slides were fine. All I did is read the instruction and understand what was the light conditions.

As for street, same thing.

I took Bessa L to Chicago this June. I have no difference in exposures with M4-2. It just takes more time to set exposure to something I already know after years on the street.

And how are you going to bracket this on the street?

M4-2, no metering, just "S16". Philadelphia. Week before I took L to Chicago.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Ko.Fe.

[abrewer]

Frankly, if you can't accurately guesstimate exposure (and especially so with film with its incredible latitude) you haven't taken enough pictures yet. 

[Matlock]

1 hour ago, abrewer said:

Frankly, if you can't accurately guesstimate exposure (and especially so with film with its incredible latitude) you haven't taken enough pictures yet. 

I tend to agree. I recently had a picture published in a book, the picture was taken on Ektachrome, in 1960 with my father's Voigtlander Brilliant and no exposure meter. I think I am just about getting the hang of it now. 😊

[ktmrider2]

Well, I prefer to use a meter, especially incident.  However, I recently sold a house and all my stuff is in boxes in a storeroom including two light meters.  Also, I traded my M5 for an M2 and today I ordered an M4 from Tamarkin.  I really don't want to spend a couple hundred or more for a meter I won't need once I unpack my household effects.  And I know light outdoors having been in this game since 1966.  

Well, the free light meter apps at the Apple Store solve the problem just fine.  Since I carry my phone almost everywhere, I will alway have a meter with me for the more difficult situations especially indoors with available light or shooting in the rapidly changing "golden hour" just before or after sunset.   My stuff may stay in storage for a year as I travel around the world thinking FujiX100f and a film M.