gaetano catelli Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 (a controversy about this issue arose elsewhere. i thought the following email exchange with Canon USA would be of interest to readers of this forum.}<p> i emailed the following query to Canon USA's eSupport: <p> <i>is the reflectance measured by the light meter in the Canon 20D measure 12%, 13%, 18%, or what?</i> <p> i received the following reply (which is consistent with my own tests): <p> <i>Dear Guy Catelli, <p> Thank you for contacting Canon product support.... <p> The light meter is set for 18 percent. <p> If you have any further questions feel free to respond to this email.... <p> Sincerely, <p> Jason<br> Technical Support Representative</i> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemilton Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 OK - I'll bite How could this possibly be controversial? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaetano catelli Posted July 1, 2005 Author Share Posted July 1, 2005 <i>.... How could this possibly be controversial?</i> <p> {chuckling} see for yourself -- even the above email exchange with Canon USA hasn't resolved the controversy! -- <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Cj7z">http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00Cj7z</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awindsor Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 I believe that Kodak now ships their grey cards with instructions to compensate. <P> There was a photo.net discussion <A HREF="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=000eWN">here</A>. <P> My money would be on 13% though there is some variation in meters.<P> I would trust a Canon "Technical Support Representative" about as far as I could throw them. Tech support is typically provided by minimally trained people with "expert" systems. Eventually, with persistence, you can get a hold of someone who knows what they are talking about. I know people who have had good luck talking with the guys at the repair facilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitmstr Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 there's no controversy...and the technical details of 18% vs film/sensor/luminance/meter calibration is NOT limited to one specific camera (or meter) manufacturer. Best thing YOU can do to end "the controversy" is...go out and take some pictures ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitmstr Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 To put it another way: my Canon 10D gives me the same readings as my Sekonic hand-held meter. Furtermore, readings taken with the Sekonic translate perfectly on the 10D sensor, just as they did on film. Does that make Sekonic "controversial"? Hardly. The % "debate" has been going on for millions of years, ever since cave men first discovered fire as a source of light for indoor shots. Even then, there was much talk about how to compensate for dark fur vs. white fur... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 love it! so in one corner we have the ansi standard of 13% and in the other we have the arcane kodak standard of 18%. which one gets used to calibrate meters around the world? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PuppyDigs Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Hey, I prefer 15%! What about it?! All meters I have used or heard of are calibrated at 18%. Sometimes the light’s all shining on me. Other times I can barely see. - Robert Hunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fernando lopez Posted July 2, 2005 Share Posted July 2, 2005 All meters in all cameras in all places all over the world are always calibrated or manufactured to read an average scene of everything the light meter "sees": 18% gray or zone 5 in a simplified zone system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kraig_cuddeford Posted July 2, 2005 Share Posted July 2, 2005 uh, you look at the meter? the histogram is far supirior to any meter calibration... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kraig_cuddeford Posted July 2, 2005 Share Posted July 2, 2005 well, actually, you have to consider all aspects at once.. All steps to get to the top of the stairs... the composition, the subject, the lens, the background etc... then the initial meter reading, the color correctness or WHITE BALANCE, then the histogram. then theres creativity... I never cared what the meter was calibrated to, can someone point out a reason or three that I should care? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricM Posted July 2, 2005 Share Posted July 2, 2005 "All meters in all cameras in all places all over the world are always calibrated or manufactured to read an average scene of everything the light meter "sees": 18% gray or zone 5 in a simplified zone system." <br><br><a href="http://www.bythom.com/graycards.htm">No</a> and <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000Til">no </a>and <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=006kMK">no </a>and <a href="http://www.richardhess.com/photo/18no.htm">no.</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ky2 Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 I always prefer 0%. Fat-Free, or 40%. Alcohol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awindsor Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 I buy 2% milk and try not to think about what the other 98% is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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