Re: [Leica] A meter is a convenience feature

[Eric Welch <ewelch@neteze.com>]

At 10:16 AM 11/14/99 +0000, Mike Johnston wrote:
>Furthermore, the common misconception that "meters read 18% gray" and
>therefore if you simply meter a gray card in the light you're shooting
>in, you'll get a proper exposure, is NOT true. At least not for negative
>films with controllable ES.

Mike,

Let's hope you don't start an argument between reflective and incident 
meters with this. It's always been my contention that your argument here is 
exactly the reason I don't use incident meters for anything but flash in 
the studio.

>The Leica is the absolute perfect camera with which to do this--even the
>M6 lends itself to this sort of "mindful" practice. I'm sure a lot of
>the photographers on this list, especially the older guys or the pro
>shooters, either do this, or CAN do this if they need to.

Yep, there have been times the meter goes down on my M6 due to the battery 
dying and I look in my camera bag. Oops, I forgot to replenish my supply 
the last time the meter died. And I always was able to come back with 
pictures. But that's after 21 years of shooting (11 professionally) and 
judging exposures.

(Wow! Has it been that long?) Now I'm a photo editor, but just this past 
week I was shooting chrome film in an RB67 in a studio with hot lights and 
tungsten film. Experience even helps when you're working with stuff you've 
never used before! Good thing, because I couldn't figure out how to get the 
dang film out of the #$%#$% Polaroid holder after exposure!

Eric Welch
Carlsbad, CA

http://www.neteze.com/ewelch

As the vacationing Scot in Canada was heard to say,"Weel, if yon's the size 
of yurr moose, Ah'd hate ta see the size of yurr cats"