More adventures with the R8 (long)

[n5xrd@juno.com (Richard W. Hemingway)]

LUL's (?):

After seeing unintended results from using the R8 matrix exposure system
I pulled out my hand meters and the R4 and started playing around with
them.  First if I meter a plane uniform surface, with all set at the same
ASA - 64 in this case, they all meter with the same result - the Minolta
averave meter, Minolta spot meter, the R4 on average and spot and the R8
on average, spot and matrix.  Hooray!!

Next was to compare various types of situations.  Outside the R4 and R8
and hand on average metering were about the same. The lower the light
situation the more difference were seen between the R4 and R8 in average
metering mode.  At the 1/4 s level the R8 was reading 1/2 and the R4 1/4.
 On the slides from the trip from the R4 this is not apparant, if in fact
there is a difference.  I will need to take some actual shots to see if
the cameras are really different.  The reading from the R8 and hand
meters seemed about the same.

First tenative conclusion is that on average metering the R8 and R4 are
about the same and with the hand meters, at least down to low light
levels. (they also pretty much agreed in the spot metering)

Putting the the R4 aside and comparing the R8 average and matrix metering
seems a different matter.  They are the same on a plane uniform surface,
but when light and dark areas are present they may differ quite lot.  The
matrix metering seems to give from 1/4 to a full stop more exposure - and
from the short time I have used it - I do not find it predictable. I need
to do a lot more work to find out about what this mode is doing and when
I should use it.

Second tenative conclusion is that I find  that matrix metering  gives
more exposure, from 1/4 to one stop, on a non-predictable basis.  It is
more pronounced when taking interiors with some light or bright areas. It
seems biased toward the shadows and over exposes the lighter areas.  On
the whole it over exposes my slides (as Ted pointed out previously) and
may work just fine for print film.

On the trip I mostly just locked into matrix metering and let her rip.
Somewhat of a bad move for slide film.  I am switching back to the
average metering for the most part but will check what the matrix is
doing and also with the spot.

Third tenative conclusion is that matrix metering is going to cause
problems with slide shooters.  This was one of the major reasons I bought
the the R8.  I think the camera is very well built and I love the
shutter.  But I am somewhat of an unhappy camper about the matrix
metering.

Since I have not shot a great deal of film in this camera, the problem
may be from operator error - but I wish I could tell better  what it was
going to do.  

Other R8 owners - experiences with the matrix metering???


Richard Hemingway
Norman, OK