Light Meters - Who can you trust?

[m._howard_edwards]

I was checking the appropriate exposure to use on my F3HP. I measured against a

blank wall, set the exposure to "A" and read 1/250, f5.6. On manual it read

1/250, f4.5. Hmmm... To shorten the story I cross-checked and found the following:

 

ISO 200:

 

Leica M6ttl: 1/250, f4.0

 

Nikon F2AS: 1/250, f4.5

 

Pentax Spotmeter: 1/250, f4.0

 

Nikon F3HP (Man.):1/250, f4.5

 

Nikon F3HP (Auto):1/250, f5.6

 

Exposure latitude of film is not adjustable. Is this much variation O.K.?

 

Who can you trust?

 

Are "modern" meters more accurate? What is "accurate" anyway?

[nikos peri]

Who can you trust? Experience.<p>

In mine, I'd put my money on the Pentax spot meter and the Leica. Nikon's metering has often been notorious for underexposing; apparently in a bid to help photographers from burning holes in their Ektachrome.

[erik_loza]

You have too many cameras and too much time on your hands... Just teasing, of course, but is this really a problem?

 

I bought my F90x, new, in 1997 and didn't discover that its flash metering system was off by probably two stops until I bought my F5 in 2003. Funny: The work that camera produced for me basically filled my Photo Trekker with constant-aperture AF-S zooms. "Hmmm... I just need to add a couple of stops to the speedlights and it's spot-on. OK." No worries!

[richard_cochran]

When in auto, the F3's display is limited to showing shutter speed to the nearest full stop, but its actual control over the shutter speed is stepless. So when it displayed 1/250 at f/5.6, it might have been using a shutter speed a half stop slower, or around 1/175, bringing the reading closer to the others.

<p>

Your other readings are all agreeing within a third of a stop. That's pretty darn consistent.

<p>

For kicks, shoot a frame at each setting, and then try and tell them apart a few weeks later.

[photo5]

Not only your meter, but your processing needs to be calibrated. I set my F3HP to ISO 125 with Kodak 100GX slide film and leave the camera set to A while choosing the aperture. Works like a charm every time and I get great results. But where does the SD card go in this camera so I can get images into my computer? ;-)

 

Dave

[lee hamiel]

A couple of thoughts here

 

I used to have 3 F3's - I compared the meters against a grey card with stable lighting (did you have natural light with shifting clouds possibly?) along with a Sekonic L-508 & the 2 oldest F3's metered the same & the newest F3 was 1 stop over - so I simply adjusted the exposure compensation dial & all was fine.

 

The Leica M6 I had was the same as the older F3's & the Sekonic & I also only manually metered with all.

 

Were all of your batteries new/fresh?

 

Also - the slight variation you have - is it impacting your final images with such a degree that you are disappointed?

 

It's possible that the newer F3 was dead on & all the rest were off - I simply was used to all of the other's meters & calibrated accordingly so I would know what I would be getting based on prior experience.

 

This much variation is okay in my opinion.

 

You can trust nobody.

 

Modern meters are generally more accurate but ... as you say - what is accurate? I would say they are more dependable.

 

You're in the zone & that's all that matters.

 

Regards