How to estimate exposure with Minox A without exposure meter

I shoot with a IIIs. I use this camera because of its size and

convenience, which is made possible by not having a light meter or

other photographic aids attached to it.

I am able to set the camera for any film and any lighting conditions

to within one stop in my head using the sunny 16 rule and EV system

as per attached. Once you know the Sunny 16 setting, all settings

fall in place. Sunny 16 is EV 15. The difference between EV 15 and

the EV # that the subject falls on is the # of stops of adjustment to

set the camera correctely.

It takes only a few minutes to memorize the method and you can use it

with any camera made. To use a light meter with a Minox defeats the

purpose in my opinion.

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EV Number Type of Lighting Situation

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0 Subject under a full moon

1 Lightning with time exposure

2 Total eclipse of the moon

3 Candle lit close-ups. Fireworks(with time exposures)

4 Night home interiors(average light).

5 Night home interiors (brightly lit). School auditoriums.

6 Fairs, amusement parks. Brightly lit nightime streets.

7 Indoor sports. Stage shows. Store windows.

8 Football, baseball, ice shows at night.

9 Neon lights, spot lighted subjects.

10 Sunsets. Rainy days.

11 Overcast Days. Subjects in the shade.

12 Cloudy-Dull Days(no shadows).

13 Cloudy-Bright Days(soft shadows).

14 Bright Hazy Days(definite shadows).

15 Bright Sunny Days(Sunny 16 rule).

16 Bright daylight on sand or snow

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Further to the post. Here is some further explanation.The Sunny 16

Rule states that on a bright sunny day the setting on any

camera is F16 at 1/the film speed of the film that you are going to

use.

Eg: if you are using 400 speed film then the proper exposure on a

bright

sunny day is F16 and 1/400 second. If you use 100 speed film then it

would

be F16 at 1/100 second.

Each EV#(exposure value #) represents one stop. That is if you take

a photo

on an overcast day (EV 11) the setting on the camera will be 4 stops

different from a bright sunny day (EV15). If you are using 100 speed

film.

The setting would be F4 at 1/00, or F5.6 at 1/50, or F8 at 1/25, or

F11 at

1/12.5, or F16 at 1/6.25. All of these are 4 stops of difference.

These

are exact but in practical terms 1/12.5 would become 1/10 and 1/6.25

would

be 1/5.

However as you are using a Minox which has a fixed F3.5 lens then the

choice

of Fsetting is set at F3.5. I use F4 for practicality.

F4 is 4 stops from F16, so the speed using 100 speed film will remain

at

1/00. But say it was a cloudy bright day (EV13). Then the difference

is 2

stops from EV15. Your Minox lens at F4 is 4 stops from F16 and it

is fixed

so you can't change it, but you would change the shutter speed by 2

stops

from 1/100 to 1/400 so that you have a 2 stop difference.

The choices when using a Minox are limited to speed adjustments only

compared to a 35mm that has adjustable Fstops, but once you get the

hang of

it it is much simpler. You just have to remember to compensate for

the 4

stop difference by using the Minox fixed lens.

If you have a light meter check the settings that you get using this

method

against it using different film speeds and you will be surprised how

close

you come to their readings. I hope that I haven't confused you. It

is just

like learning the scales on a piano, a pain in the butt but once you

have

mastered them you can play any tune. I had to learn this as when I

started

photography in 1953 there were no light meters on cameras then.

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Regards

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Charlie