Metering with Noctilux

I'm interested to know how people handle metering when using the Noctilux, particularly when shooting in the famous available darkness. Assuming the M6 meter even gives a reading, what kind of compensation does one typically make so as not to get a Zone 5 image when you want the darkness of the scene to be evident? And when the meter gives no reading? I suppose one just has a lot of fun just guessing and shooting a lot of film?

I use a hand held light meter in ambient mode. Also for available

light you might just want to use exposure tables. For instance, more

often than not, indoors tungsten lighting is f2 1/60th. If I have to

shoot quickly I just use the table.

1. For me, tables usually work quite well, better than metering.

2. Sometimes, I meter the dimmest part of the scene where I want any

detail, and stop down 2, as a fall back. This usually gives a dark

look overall, with the highlit area (similar to spotlighting in

theatre photography) coming out OK. Using this method in negatives

seems to yield printable negatives, but I'm mostly a slide shooter,

where it works fine.

Far be it from me to admit to ignorance about anything, but where can

I get these tables? That tungsten tip is pretty useful. Maybe someone

would like to post a set of typical exposures (beyond the sunny 16

rule)?

 

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Thanks,

The Kodak website has many exposure guides. Here is one:

 

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<a

href="http://www.kodak.com/cluster/global/en/consumer/product

s/techInfo/ac61/index.shtml#50714">

http://www.kodak.com/cluster/global/en/consumer/products/techI

nfo/ac61/index.shtml#50714</a>

 

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Cheers,

Jim:

 

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In available darkness when shooting with the Noctilux, I have

generally relied on the meter in my M6TTL with good results, unless

experience dictates an alternative exposure. To meter, I move the

camera around and pick what I feel is kind of a weighted-average

exposure setting for the scene. Of course the best method is a hand-

held spot meter, metering the part of the scene you want squarely in

zone V -- but this process seems a bit non-complimentary with the M

style of shooting to me.

 

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Also, you might want to check out the "Black Cat Exposure Guide". It

is a very useful little tool that works very well, and lists basic

exposures for just about everything you can imagine. It is a

laminated, tri-fold exposure wheel type of thing, takes up no room in

your bag, has a gray card on it, and only costs about $15! I think

Calumet sells them.

Black Cat follow up:

 

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I could not find the guide on Calumet's website, but here is the url

for Black Cat: http://www.teleport.com/~bcat/

 

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Cheers,

Thanks, John - as usual you come up with the goods.

 

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Rob.