chris_tribble Posted October 4, 2007 Share #1 Posted October 4, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Just finishing a theatre shoot for Teatr Polski in Warsaw. REALLY problematic working manually as a) there's no stop that tells you when you've got to Auto + there are now so many stops that the old process of counting clicks doesn't work for me anyway. Last night I was working with long lenses on the Canons + a 28/2 Asph on the M8 to get full scene shots. Problem 1: As the stage was mainly dark, with small pools of light, without a spotmeter on camera, what to do? Problem 2: even if you know what the best shutter speed should be (assuming you're shooting fully open (which I was, and which the 28 can handle well), how on earth do you see the speed dial - especially if you're over fifty and can't read without glasses - and hate shooting WITH glasses - hence the 3.5 diopter... Answer - take a shot at a manual settings and use the 2 second DISPLAY to get what the speed was from the top bar. After about 4 shots I found that a 30th was about right (Auto was saying silly things like 4 seconds) and simply stuck with that and shot for that sequence. Some examples are posted below. I was using ISO 1250 and was VERY pleased - as is the client. OK - I REALLY wish that we had a readout of shutter speed in the view finder - but in the absence of this, this solution works. Anyone else had any handy tips? 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/34968-working-in-the-dark-how-to-use-manual-settings/?do=findComment&comment=369071'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 Hi chris_tribble, Take a look here working in the dark - how to use manual settings. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted October 4, 2007 Share #2 Posted October 4, 2007 It may sound silly, but one can find Auto in the viewfinder, so I count clicks... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted October 4, 2007 Share #3 Posted October 4, 2007 It may sound silly, but one can find Auto in the viewfinder, so I count clicks... What I think he is talking about is that Auto mode gave a shutter speed of 4's for X aperture. But that is a meter reading for nearly the whole scene. He needed a reading for just the highlighted, spot lighted, area of the stage. The only way to do that with the internal meter of the M8 is to mount a 75 or 90 mm lens on the camera and get more of a spot meter reading. Then use the lens of choice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted October 4, 2007 Share #4 Posted October 4, 2007 Yes, and then try and find the correct shutter speed in the dark....(Problem 2) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpattinson Posted October 4, 2007 Share #5 Posted October 4, 2007 Hmmm... I used to use a very small goose-neck torch for this back when I shot medium format or large format in the dark. You just tape a bit of red cellophane over the torch to make it less annoying for anyone around. Nowdays you can get rather nice LED headlamps which would probably be much more convenient. For the metering - well that's why the longest serving piece of equipment I possess is a Minolta Spotmeter F, which still sells for the same price I bought it at second hand many years ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted October 4, 2007 Share #6 Posted October 4, 2007 I have not gotten around to C1 them yet, but I was shooting theatre a week ago and settled down on underexposing two stops which seemed to work all right with AE on the Summilux 75. I was a few rows up, so that were half-stage shots. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted October 4, 2007 Share #7 Posted October 4, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Chris, I have a reasonable supply of small lights that have red led outputs. When shooting, I keep them around my neck using a string necklace. I used these in the darkroom all the time and find them handy with camera and videocams as well. It's dark in the theater and the red light isn't visible by many other people. Handy. Whenever I'm in a store that sells gadgets, I look for more of them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thai.charlie Posted October 4, 2007 Share #8 Posted October 4, 2007 I've seen people use small bits of glow in the dark tape on their shutter speed dial for a reference marking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted October 4, 2007 Share #9 Posted October 4, 2007 I use the review and look at the top bar. I use this ALL the time when working with the portable flash too since i can't see the dial from being obstructed physically by the flash. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosuna Posted October 4, 2007 Share #10 Posted October 4, 2007 The solution would be a supersmall spot meter like this: Metered Light Pocket Spot Spotmeter But the company is gone and this small meter is difficult to find out there... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted October 4, 2007 Share #11 Posted October 4, 2007 How about getting a small sticky dot/hemisphere and sticking it on over the A? Alternatively, and from memory, the stop next to the A has no intermediate stop, so you should be able to recognise it by feel. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guy_mancuso Posted October 4, 2007 Share #12 Posted October 4, 2007 the A could be painted with luminous paint Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted October 4, 2007 Share #13 Posted October 4, 2007 What I think he is talking about is that Auto mode gave a shutter speed of 4's for X aperture. But that is a meter reading for nearly the whole scene. He needed a reading for just the highlighted, spot lighted, area of the stage. The only way to do that with the internal meter of the M8 is to mount a 75 or 90 mm lens on the camera and get more of a spot meter reading. Then use the lens of choice. I may be wrong but I don't see how mounting a 90mm lens will give a 'spot' reading. The lens doesn't affect the meter - it would be the same as having a wideangle lens mounted and using the frame preview lever. A spotmeter is the way to go. As for seeing in the dark - ever thought about a small torch? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted October 4, 2007 Share #14 Posted October 4, 2007 I may be wrong but I don't see how mounting a 90mm lens will give a 'spot' reading. The lens doesn't affect the meter - it would be the same as having a wideangle lens mounted and using the frame preview lever. A spotmeter is the way to go. As for seeing in the dark - ever thought about a small torch? Yes the lens mm does affect the meter. With a longer focal lenght lens mounted the meter sees less/smaller area for the meter in the M8 to take it's reading from then if you have a wide angle lens mounted. If you want proof mount your camera on a tripod with a wide angle lens mounted. Point it at a scene that has both a dark area, mostly dark, and a bright area, like a spot light in the center of a stage, with the bright area in the center of the scene. Take a meter reading and note it. Now put a 75, 90 or 135 mm lens on the camera with it pointed at just the bright area of the scene. Take another reading. You will note that with the longer lens mounted it only sees the brighter area and adjust the shutter speed accordingly, giving you a faster shutter speed then if you had a wide angle lens mounted that is also seeing the dark areas of the scene. The same thing will happen if you have a scene the is reversed. Mounting a longer less with the center of the scene being darker then the surrounding area you will get a lower/slower shutter speed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradreiman Posted October 4, 2007 Share #15 Posted October 4, 2007 in these situations i find the right exposure for the "hot areas" usually around 1/30-1/60 and just go from there, sometimes bracketing either way either with aperture ring or speed. i also have the tiny new petzl headlamp which has a red led. still dont want anything else in the viewfinder...b Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
erl Posted October 5, 2007 Share #16 Posted October 5, 2007 Before my M8 days, I used an M6 & M7 extensively for stage work. I found that the white dot on the shutter curtain was good enough as a 'spot meter' if I centred the image in the VF on the spotlit subject, half pressure on shutter to lock Exp, re-compose and shoot. 'Never' needed to bracket, (mostly no opportunity). I have shot a fair amount of stage work with the M8, but so far not with such extreme lighting. I am wondering if the single painted shutter blade is as accurate as the old white dot in such situations. Bears some testing now the question has arisen. I suspect it may not be. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted October 5, 2007 Author Share #17 Posted October 5, 2007 in these situations i find the right exposure for the "hot areas" usually around 1/30-1/60 and just go from there, sometimes bracketing either way either with aperture ring or speed. i also have the tiny new petzl headlamp which has a red led. still dont want anything else in the viewfinder...b Brad - I also reckon this is the way to go at 1250 - also worked out that there are 16 clicks between A and 15th ... sort of helps. I've done all the LED head torches and stuff like that... and I sort of regret selling my Minolta Spotmeter ... It's just that you need to work so FAST with performance stuff ... One thing I did notice though is that the metering on the 5D with the 16-35 on was also WAY off.... so it's all down to intense light areas in overall dark scenes. In GENERALLY low light the M is fine - see the attached shot taken this evening in at a friend's flat in Riga - low light shot at 640 / F2 @ 1/11th second exposure hand held... metering not a problem... NO adjustments... Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions. 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! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/34968-working-in-the-dark-how-to-use-manual-settings/?do=findComment&comment=370532'>More sharing options...
luigi bertolotti Posted October 5, 2007 Share #18 Posted October 5, 2007 The solution would be a supersmall spot meter like this: Metered Light Pocket Spot Spotmeter But the company is gone and this small meter is difficult to find out there... ...pity..an intelligent device I never saw... but I suspect that working in dark a problem would arise with this tool: you surely read the LED EV, but reading / adjusting such a small scale in the calculator can be very difficult... they would have to design a led back illuminated scale... maybe not too difficult. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.