Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/05/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Simon, No terminology problem. You are correct as am I. If you point your CAMERA at a very black object (cat fur) the camera's meter will be fooled and you must compensate by STOPPING DOWN otherwise you'll have overexposed negatives. My example was using a hand held meter that only saw either the light falling on the cat, not reflected from it (incident mode), or the light reflected from a grey card held wherever the cat was going to be in the photograph. Both of my methods of measuring the correct exposure do not care what color the cat is. Only experience will tell you to OPEN UP to render the black cat's fur higher on the film's characteristic curve, thus giving the shadows more density; for easier printing and more realistic looking fur. Our eyes see better than film does and the key here is to try and render the cat's fur closer to what we see when the cat is sitting in our lap (if you like cats that is). Cheers, Rob McElroy Buffalo, NY Simon Lamb wrote: > Rob > > If I am pointing my M6 at a black anything, I would CLOSE DOWN two stops > (smaller aperture, faster shutter speed, faster film speed, whatever) as the > camera will try and overexpose the black anything to make it grey, and I > want it black and will therefore compensate with underexposing. > > Is this a terminology thing. When you say "open up" do you mean by that you > would use f/11 instead of f/5.6 or vice versa? > > Simon > > Rob McElroy wrote: > > Snip > > >Mark- if you think opening up to shoot a black cat is "inexcusable", > "weird", "unlucky", or "mind >boggelingly pathetic", then you haven't > carefully > >read or understood anything I have said. My advice is absolutely correct > and I would gladly debate >anyone who wishes to examine the finer points of > >film exposure.