how to use a gray card with the e510

can anyone tell me how to get proper exposure using a gray card with the e510?

The idea of a grey card is simply shooting it just before or after your photo session, or whenever lightining conditions change. Thus you can adjust your raw converter according to it, there is usually a button you press in the software screen and then point to the grey card image.

If you want to use a grey card to get consistent exposure:

 

Take a shot of the grey card only in the same light that's falling on your subject, check the histogram and it should just look like a narrow spike. For correct exposure the narrow spike should fall in the centre of the histogram. Adjust ISO/shutter/aperture to get the spike in the centre of the histogram and that's it, remove the grey card and shoot your subject with the exposure you have determined.

 

...Wayne

Wayne, the idea of the spike at the histogram is excellent. There is an alternative way: Fill the

viewfinder with the gray card and simply lock the exposure with the AE-L swicth, then

recompose and take the picture.

Spot metering the gray card in the same light as your subject is probably easier than filling the frame and/or checking the histogram...

 

You should also set your custom white-balance on the gray card while you're at it.

<p>If you are going to take a whole series of pictures at the same exposure, you could set from the menu the AE-L buttom to work as a toggle switch. After this you can lock the light measurement by pressing the AE-L button once, and it will remain locked until you press the same button again. You can then take as many pictures as you like without having to keep the AE-L button pressed. As what is memorized is the E value, if you have the camera for example in aperture priory mode, you can use it normally adjusting the diaphragm and shutter speed will change automatically according to the memorized E value. It is even possible to assign the metering mode used for AE-L, so it is possible to have the AE-L set to spot metering independently of the overall metering mode setting of the camera.</p>

 

<p>By the way, measuring reflected light from a grey card is equivalent to measuring incident light.</p>

 

<p>For the details of how to set these options and many others read <a href="http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/43/e510-sett.html">Customizing Your E-510 or E-410</a> in Andrej Wrotniak's wonderfull web site.</p>

 

<p>My response comes quite late. I hope it is still of some use.</p>