Light Metering

Hi,

 

Could someone "Please" explain to me in a very simple form, How to operate a Minolta Auto Meter iiiF. I am having

a very hard time understanding the manual. Photography and it's equipment is all new to me!!

 

I don't know what ASA means? Could someone please walk me though this? Your help would GREATLY be

APPRECIATED!!

 

"Thank you"

Holly

Hi Holly,

I think ASA is another term for ISO.

 

Nat

ASA is now called ISO (the speed rating of the film). You set the speed, and usually don't change it often. Push the button and take the reading. You find the EV number and adjust the dial to match it, then you see the corresponding F stops and shutter speeds and set it on your dial.

Try Reading Brian Peterson's book titled "Understanding Exposure".

I have the same meter. Very handy for incident and flash metering.

 

As others said, ASA has been replaced by the term ISO, but the scale is the same. It applies to both typical film and digital sensor "speeds" (meaning "light sensitivity"). For example, most common color print film is rated ISO 100, 200, 400 and 800. The higher number indicates greater light sensitivity. So the meter needs to be set to match the film (or digital, but let's keep it simple for now).

 

The term "speed" is used loosely, which can be confusing. It also relates to the shutter speed (how fast or slow the shutter opens and closes), the maximum aperture of a lens (how much light passes through at maximum aperture).

 

Start with the basics of exposure and experiment with the meter as you go. It will gradually make sense.

 

Photo.net offers several tutorial articles under the "Learning" tab. Here's one related to exposure:

 

http://www.photo.net/learn/making-photographs/exposure

Are you trying to measure flash or ambient light? The IIIf will do either, but you set it differently for both.

 

Michael said: "You find the EV number and adjust the dial to match it, then you see the corresponding F stops and shutter speeds and set it on your dial." Don't let that confuse you. The Minolta IIIf doesn't have a dial, and generally doesn't use EV numbers either. It has a digital display instead.

"Thank you" Everyone for your response!! My next Question is, When I meter my light setup, do I set my camera settings to what the meter is displaying? f stop and shutter speed? I'm lost here guys?!!

I have been reading and doing photography courses for a year now and exposer and white balance I'm really having trouble with!! I guess I just don't seem to understand it? But I'm trying!!!!

 

Your all Great!!!!

Holly

You might be best using the incident mode (I presume you do have the incident dome (white) or disk (also white) on your

meter).

 

Essentially, whether it be continuous lighting by daylight or by tungsten light, you simply need to hold the dome (or disk)

facing the light source, take a reading and apply the f stop and shutter speed to the manual lens diaphragm (f-stop) and

shutter dial settings on your camera.

 

Reflected light readings are more difficult to interpret at first, as you have to take into account the reflectivity of the

scene, the presence of highlight and shadow areas and the colour of objects. This isn't as bad as it sounds, but it takes

some practice and thought that can be put off during the initial stages of photographic apprenticeship.

 

For instance, if you shoot a bright sand or snow scene, a simple reflected light reading is going to direct you to overly

minimise the exposure (leading to too dark sand or snow), whereas an incident light reading will get you into the ballpark

of the correct exposure more readily.

 

This is all an oversimplificationof the problematics, but I believe that using the incident light mode can be more useful at

a beginning stage, when you simply want to succeed with expposure and concentrate on composition or subject.

 

Good luck, have fun.

When using an incident light meter, it is best to have the white dome facing the camera.