Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/09/04

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Subject: [Leica] VC meter (was, I am not Doug Herr)
From: Peter Klein <pklein@2alpha.net>
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 13:55:55 -0700 (PDT)

Mark Pope wrote:

> nice try.  Given the size of the Heron in the shot, I think even a 400
> telybazooka wouldn't be enough firepower to really do the subject
> justice. Probably something like a 600mm telehowitzer would be more
> appropriate, possibly with a 1.4 or 2x converter.

Yes, I knew it wouldn't be great, but I had to at least try. The shoreline
made a nice curve, anyway.  Another oops: I was so busy adjusting tonal
values to make a decent web image that I didn't notice I'd tilted the neg
in the holder. Especially when my wife started asking me when I was going
to turn off the "devil machine," as she likes to call the computer. :-)

> BTW, did you use the VC meter for this shot?
(for those who are unfamiliar with it, the VC meter is a clip-on
match-diode meter by Voigtlander/Cosina that is a perfect fit on a
meterless Leica)

Yes I did.  During that weekend, I was comparing the VC meter with the
Gossen Luna Pro Digital.  The Gossen has always served me well.

The VC seems to have different color sensitivity.  In tungsten light it
reads 1/2 stop more generous exposure than the Gossen.  With dark green or
red stuff, the VC can actually recommend a full stop more exposure than
the Gossen.  This is a bit of a pain. Actually, the worst part of using
the VC meter is that I "remember" having adjusted the actual shutter speed
when in reality I'd adjusted the *meter's* shutter speed. 

So it's a mixed review.  The VC meter is certainly useful, but I'm finding
myself not trusting it because of the color sensitivity issue.  I thought
we'd left that problem behind when we went from CdS cells to silicon photo
diodes.

The VC meter is cute, it loooks like it belongs on top of my M4-P. For
"one camera, one lens," it is less to carry than a separate meter.  OTOH,
I'm finding that using the hand meter to take a couple of readings is
often less hassle than fiddling with the match diodes.  And my old
standby, measure the palm of my hand and open up one stop, is a royal pain
with the VC. The real solution is an M7 (or M6, to some degree).  I'm
saving my pennies.

- --Peter

- ---
From: "Peter Klein" <pklein@2alpha.net>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 5:08 AM
Subject: [Leica] PWIFLI: I am not Doug Herr


> A couple of weekends ago, I came upon this fellow wading in the
> shallows in Blaine, Washington.  Now, I'm not Doug Herr, and I don't
> have a 400mm Telybazooka.  But I had to do something.  So I mounted my
> 90 on the M4-P and tiptoed as close as I could get.

> So, one Great Blue Heron in black and white, Delta 100, 90mm Elmarit,
> probably 1/500 @ f/8.  This is only about half the frame, blown up as
> big as I dare.

> http://www.2alpha.com/~pklein/temp/heron.jpg

> I really wish I'd had an SLR and a longer lens for this one.  We're
> really at the limit of a 2700 dpi scanner.
~

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