meter reading off

I have a Minolta autometer IIIf, and I just baught a used Minolta

Flash meter II. I was using them both to test exposure for my

Olympus e10 the Flash meter II gave my a flash reading of f2.8 at 60

shutter with asa 80 setting, I then took a reading with my Minolta

autometer IIIf, it gave me f5.6 at 60 shutter and asa 80 setting. I

thought that was pretty for off. So I started at f2.0 and shot all

the way to f8, shutter speed at 60 and film speed of asa 80. The

best exposure was f2.2, so the older meter was more correct. Is

digital different than film, do I need to use the new meter's reading

and open up like 2.5 stops? My new meter does not allow me to

calibrate it enough to equal what the old meter reads, nor does the

old meter allow me to calibrate it enough to make it equal the new.

Woul the flash meter be more accurate because that is what is is

designed for?

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks

First of all I don't know how accurate what you are trying to do is ever going to be. A built-in flash has several issues which may never give you accurate meter readings. First, it probably has a built in red-eye reduction mode that preflashes the subject with a low-light burst. Secondly the thyristor that cuts off the flash may vary the flash power with successive flashes. I am not sure if it is through the lens for that particular camera or not. The hand-held meters are very accurate but they definitely may need adjustment. Take one to a repair shop and get it calibrated, then calibrate the other to match. But don't expect to get meaningful readings from the in-camera flash. Typically you meter a flash in a manual mode because if it is in an auto mode, you can't make any adjustments to it anyway.

Scott,

 

Do the meters agree in other situations? Such as sunlight or indoors with a continious light?

 

Ken

Do a sunlight reading.