Ascertaining Exposure

[karl_tuley]

Hi,

 

This is the first totally manual camera I have owned and I wonder how

you obtain what exposure you need for landscape work?

 

My options as I see them are:

 

1 Use my D70 as a light meter

2 Use my Sekonic L358 as a reflected light meter in ambient mode

3 Buy a spot meter/spot meter attachment for my L358 to accurately

measure

 

Ideally for me, option 1 and 2 have no cost but option 1 meands

hauling around my D70 and I am not too sure of the accuracy using

option 2.

 

What do you guys do?

 

many thanks

[gabre_kemp]

What kind of camera are we talking about? Would a metered prism be an option? That's what I use on a Bronica and I find it to be quite accurate.

[William Kahn]

I use incident light metering almost exclusively, which gives accurate results most of the time. Some adjusting is necessary for high contrast scenes and, of course, for filter factors, but even then an incident light reading makes a good starting point. Whichever you use, bracket your shots.

 

You can use your D70, yes, but if you do, meter on an 18% gray card, not the scene itself. That will give you a reading which is close to an incident light reading.

[karl_tuley]

I am using a Mamiya RB67 and can't see the benefit of a metered prism. Secondhand, that will almost be the cost of a 1 degree attachmnet to my L358.

 

How can you take incident readings with the L358 for Landscape work, surely you are just getting a scene reflected reading? Or am I missing a trick? I am new to this so any help is most gratefully received.

 

I guess what I am saying is that I think I need a spot meter to get acurate exposure for landscapes that are far away but if possible would rather use my L358 if it is possible.

[neil_grant]

if you're using neg - and going to bracket as per the earlier post - you might as well use

the weather symbols inside the film box.

[Ed_Ingold]

Metering is an art which requires knowledge of your subject, film, desired results and the limitations of your tools. You need to do some homework, starting perhaps with "The Negative" by Ansel Adams.

 

You can use the D70 as a light meter, although it hardly does any better than judicious use of the L358, since both are reflected light meters. Matrix metering tends to be over-influenced by bright portions of the scene, such as bright cloudy sky (making the foreground dark). Furthermore, the D70 will tend to meter for highlights (appropriate for digital and reversal film), whereas negative film should be metered for the shadows. The L358 acts more like a center-weighted option in the D70, which is not as accurate as matrix metering, but more predictable.

 

The most accurate metering method for landscapes is with a spot meter. It is also the most difficult to understand and use. Use a spot meter to estimate the brightest and darkest places in the scene in which you need detail. You can also meter "average" objects from a distance, like green grass (+0) or tree foliage (-1). You need some idea of the reflectance of an object relative to neutral (18%) grey, which comes with experience. I believe the D70 has a spot-metering feature. If this interests you, you should start saving for an L558 or equivalent which has spot meter, incident and flash capabilities.

[marker]

Yo ca use sunny16.

 

In brigh sunshine use e.g 1/100 @ f16 if your film is ISO100.

1/250 @ F11; 1/500 @ F 8 etc...

 

If you use iso400 film use 1/400 (or 1/500) @ f16 etc. etc.

 

Can you see the system?

[neil_grant]

Karl,

 

you still haven't told anybody which type of film you're using! Additionally, if you're doing

studio flash work why not get a minolta flash meter - actually, combined continuous

and flash. Mine also has a 10 degree v/f attachment for reflected work.

[ben conover]

1. Use your light meter

 

2. Buy a spot meter.

 

3. Sunny 16.

 

Choice is yours. Like others said, if you know your film well then chances are you can use sunny 16 and check with light meter.

 

Averaging multiple spot meter readings is the best way.

 

If using unknown or funky films then bracket too.

[bueh]

The Sekonic L-358 is an excellent meter. I would use it exclusively in incident metering mode and learn in which lighting situations and with what subjects to compensate for better exposure. Incident metering is the best way to get the proper exposure, only for some difficult lighting (backlight, sunsets) you sometimes need to find a way to use your meter differently (i.e. as a makeshift reflective light meter with retracted Lumisphere). And don't forget to compensate for long lenses and bellows extension with your RB67!

[brian_walton]

Aways load with the same film (Agfacolor 160 portrait). Set EX value to 14 and set F value at 8/11 and use tripod. In winter set for 12 out of snow.

 

Works for me

 

Brian

[simonpg]

In the street and for less critical work like fine landscapes I use the Sunny 16 rule.

 

For serious work I always use my Sekonic L558 - either for incident light measurement or for spot/multi-spot metering. Here I consider closely variations in the scene and how my shaddows and highlights will appear against an average.

 

I never bother using my SLR for such metering as I can judge most exposures as well or better than averaged reflected light measurement.

 

If you're not experienced in the Sunny 16 rule - go out one day and try it - a lot of fun and a thrill to see well exposed shots even with trannie film! It's like having a calculator - I always read a bill even in a supermarket and by scanning it I can tell if there is an error rather than rely on a clculator!

[mikep]

I have a spot meter, and I always find the Nikon N8008 around my neck for metering purposes. This is when I shoot my 4x5 Toyo, or Bronica SQA. I have found it convienent and easy, leaving me to do additional math in my head. As mentioned my Sekonic spot meter sees hardly any use!

 

Good luck

[mikep]

here is a tricky exposure example:

 

http://www.photo.net/photo/1624121

[m_elek]

I'm in the group that recommends a quality light meter (and the L358 fits in that category) over the SLR. While you can use the SLR, I see no reason to carry two cameras if you only plan to use one.

 

I think purchasing the optional spot finder for the L358 is a good idea. I think you'll find that to be very useful.

[john_blake2]

Neil, what kind of landscape work are you doing in a studio?