Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I am with those people who meter with their eyes, then check on the machinery. In fact, between 1/30 @ f1.4 and 1/500 @ f22 at your chosen speed of film, say 400, you have covered the entire useful brightness range you are ever likely to encounter as a photographer. You know how many brightness values that is? Fourteen. Most of them are values you will encounter again and again and again. How hard can it be to learn what they look like? Now, the interesting thing is, you can knock them off one by one. Here goes...with my version...others might like to fill in or amend. "Sunny f16" says f16 at 1/ASA in bright sun Hazy f11 says f11 at 1/ASA in hazy sun with clear shadows Bright cloud f8 Dark cloud/open shade f5.6 Thunderstorm/onset of dusk f4 Deep wooded shade 1/30 @ 2.8 @ 400 ASA Overhead 60w tungsten, light interior shadow in daylight 1/30 @ f2 @ 400 ASA Dim overhead tungsten, darker interior daylight shadow 1/30 @ 1.4 @ 400 ASA These are all obviously very rough, but it's a lot like learning perfect pitch as a musician. Exercise: every time you meter, however you do it, take a guess first. You'll be amazed how good you get, how quickly. If you photograph with someone else, it becomes a somewhat compulsive game. "f16 @ 1/250". "Never! f11" And so on. - -- Johnny Deadman "When a dog runs at you, whistle for him" - Thoreau