M3 proficiency?

[wide.angle]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I am considering using an M3, but have never been without a light meter (and don't wish to carry separate equipment). I typically use the camera meter to get a reference point, then adjust from there to my liking.

 

Anyone else been in this boat, so to speak? Is the transistion less scary than it seems?

[albertwang]

Actually I went from the M3 to the M6 classic.

 

I learned that the spot meter is very helpful. Using the VC meter wasn't too bad but I still got off exposures.

[wparsonsgisnet]

Scott,

 

I understand your concern.

 

I have been using an M4 and an M6, together. I find it difficult having no meter in the M4, so I make sure when doing stage photography that I have film in both bodies that is of the same speed.

 

I can then meter with the M6 and use the same settings on the M4.

 

I also carry a hand meter, in my case the Zone VI-modified Pentax 1-degree digital spotmeter. I use this to take readings of faces and adjust accordings. For example, if I were shooting b/w I'd shift a stop to place the face in zone vi. If I were shooting color, I'd leave the setting as prescribed by the meter (zone v).

 

And, just for the record, I was traveling and carrying the M6 one day when the battery quit. As my spare was at the hotel (naturally, so it would be really safe ... ) I had to resort to the rule of 16. It's safer with b/w than with color, of course, but I was shooting color and had to depend on my vast storehouse of experience (ho ho). I bracketed when necessary and all the shots came out, so the vastness of experience was actually sufficient.

 

In short, it hurts to take shots without a meter in the camera. On the other hand, it's always a treat to use an M3. You can, of course, get your hands on a Leica MR meter. It's not as accurate or flexible as more modern meters, but it would be attached to the camera, which is what you're looking for.

 

Regards,

[Sandokan]

Have you thought about the Sekonic 208? It slots into the flash shoe, is very small and also has incident light setting. I use it with an M7 & R9 so as to be able to set the exposure before raising the camera to the eye.

[nyrich]

Things can get a bit dicey with transparency film, but negative film (B&W or color) shouldn't be much of a problem. As long as you err a bit on the side of overexposure, negative film is very forgiving.

 

I added an M2 to my kit and made the adjustment from using only an M6 rather quickly. Used a hand held (Sekonic L308BII) at the beginning but it didn't take very long to get the hang of "reading the light", so to speak.

 

With transparency film in the M2 I still rely on a hand held, but usually don't bother with negative.

[christoph_d]

Hi Scott,

 

I'm mainly using a M4-P, with a Gossen Lunasix, almost exclusively for B&W. Readings

are incident light, usually, if the light is stable, once. Experience normally tells me when

to adjust. I obtain very stable and reliable results.

 

Regards, C.

[Michael-IIIf]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I am considering using an M3, but have never been without a light meter I typically use the camera meter to get a reference point, then adjust from there to my liking.

 

Scott, try it to see: take your usual camera and estimate the settings yourself. You'll be surprised at how successful you can be. Especially if you are shooting B&W the latitude is large.

 

As an experiment I shot my last roll of FP4 through my IIIf without referring to a meter once. The roll was a mixed bag of indoor, outdoor, family, friends, and street shots. I'm chuffed to say that each frame was printable. It's easier than you think. Remember the Sunny 16 rule and adjust accordingly.

 

I actually find working this way allows me to grab shots I would otherwise miss because I tend to change the settings as I move from light to shade. If a shot presents itself your pre-set guestimation will be quicker than metering.

 

I've always fancied an M3 myself - go for it

 

Michael

[square_one]

wide.angle -

 

Back thru M3s and 4s I've mainly just used sunny 16, extended by experience all the way down to indoor lamps and average street lighting. Occasional checks with an analog spot usually show me close-enough for negative film. Winging-it has also worked well for transparencies (with a higher e.i.) but I've always done it just for fun, can take an occasional failure. Shooting for paying clients, professional reputation at stake, metering is almost always a given.

 

It's hard to divorce yourself from a meter, but the more you work at it, the better your head readings get, the faster you execute, the more successful snap-shots are. My field exposure backup is simply a business card taped with reference numbers, and I often refer to it ahead of the shot. There is good information here >> http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm#Introduction

 

Bruce

[kodaktrix]

Scott,

I did photograph for more than 10 years with a Canon P before buying a M6 TTL. Early this year I bought a M2 as "backup". Today the M2 is my main camera and the M6TTL the backup.

I always have a lightmeter with me. Even with the M6 I used a handheld lightmeter for general metering of a scene, fitting the exposure from experiance, as I was faster that way. My problem with an internal lightmeter was that I tend to check and fit the exposure before pushing the button, just because the LEDs were there, visible and maybe slightly off. I did loose good shots by that.

If I am just on the road today I use a Sixtomat with Selenium cell from the 50ties, as it is very small and lightweight. If the lighting is expected to be more complex (e.g. bars, nightclubs), I use a Gossen Multisix with the tele tool (7.5° or 15°). I always do a general light check and then just photograph. But I do B&W only, no transparencies!

 

Best regards

 

Oliver

[Rolo]

Scott,

 

Depends on your shooting style. An M without a built-in meter is no problem if you take your time. Using a hand-held incident or spot meter is very rewarding and your imaages can be fine tuned to perfection.

 

Under pressure, it's much more demanding and a meter and ultimately an M7 can be MUCH easier to shoot with. You almost want a point and shoot and auto-focus is useful in some situations.

 

Most Saturdays, I shoot weddings with an MP/35mm Summicron & M3/50mm Summilux combination. I generally rely on the MP meter for the MP and occasional incident light readings for the M3. I suspect it would be easier to abandon the MP meter altogether and just use the hand held to simplify my technique.

 

I shoot about 200 frames with the M3 and rarely lose any through camera settings. (More through focus, subject movement, or camera shake at 1/8th ! ). Small variations are taken up with film latitude and I'm going to stop hand holding at 1/8th and become film latitude dependant in dim light.

 

It's really easy to accurately assess light, but we get confused with f stop shutter speed combinations. I used a Rolleiflaex and an Hasselblad with EV locking systems. With these you judge if it's a 7/8/9 or 10 and lock it in and spin the dials together. After a short time you don't need a meter at all ! Built-in light meters have reduced our ability to read light levels without them almost completely.

[tobey bilek]

Exposures all over the map will give you fits in the dark when you go to print them. Maybe the problem is farmed out to someone else though.

 

Best quality comes from proper exposure, not a neg that has to be manipulated to get the printing right, Under exposure caused loss of shadow detail. Over makes the image grainy and the highlights compress. This is a total myth and I don`t know how it got started.

 

With color, over causes a lack of sharpness. It doesn`t show in small prints much.

[ubansl]

Hi,

I understand your hesitation but you get the hang of it with a little practice. I shoot colour films without a light meter with my M2 and in tricky situations use a Gossen Polysix electronic with 10* spot and all my pictures come off beautifully.

[wide.angle]

Thanks for all the thoughts and suggestions. That is a lot to consider. Perhaps I will shoot a few rolls in my minilux without using the meter so see how close I come before abandoning it altogether. This will give me more time to find good deals on used equipment.

[octo]

You may want to look at this:

Voigtlander VC II

I have both the first and this version as I use IIIg, M2 and M3. I found them light and easy enough to use, though they don't couple to the shutter speed dial like the Leica meters.