Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/01/10

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Underexposure in Tungsten Light
From: r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard S. Taylor)
Date: Tue Jan 10 18:29:13 2006
References: <p06230921bfe96e361e17@10.0.1.2> <9b678e0601101722x1501e8f0l4bfa9af3fddffdc7@mail.gmail.com>

Don -  It's interesting that I only noticed this effect in the last 
couple of years since I started shooting chromogenic films regularly. 
My older Tri-X negatives and transparencies (from about 1950 - 1980) 
never showed this effect.  It makes me wonder if the older films had 
better red sensitivity.  And what exposure meter was I using in those 
years, you ask?  Why a Gossen Luna Pro and Weston Master V, of 
course.  :-)

It's curious though that in all that time I also used a long list of 
Pentax and Nikon SLRs with built in meters and never had a problem 
with tungsten-light exposures with any of them as long as I kept 
metering area away from light sources.  I wonder if the CdS cells in 
those older cameras had lower red sensitivity than the silicon cells 
in current models.

May not matter.  I'll open up a 1- to 1-1/2 stops in the future and I 
suspect all will be well.

Thanks.


>Richard,
>Buried in all the responses are these two facts.  First, film is less
>responsive to light as it goes over 500nm.  Second, most exposure
>meters(silicone and CDS) are non linear in their response to different
>frequencies of light: they are more sensitive to light in the higher
>frequencies.  As and aside, the LunaPro sbc and the Pentax spotmeters
>calibrated for zone system work are almost linear in their response to
>red(er) light.
>
>So, when shooting by tungsten light open up at least one stop and possibly
>two if we are speaking of red gels in theatrical lighting.  This is an area
>where experience in the venue will be extremely important.
>
>Don
>don.dory@gmail.com
>
>
>On 1/10/06, Richard S. Taylor <r.s.taylor@comcast.net> wrote:
>>
>>  Following up on comments (on and off-list) by David Cochran, it looks
>>  like the gray appearance and graininess in some of my recent postings
>>  is due to simple underexposure.  Compared to negatives taken in
>>  daylight on the same film rated identically, they are very thin.
>>
>>  Osterloh (in "Leica M Advanced Photo School") says that the silicon
>>  diodes in exposure meters can be fooled by the predominantly red
>>  character of tungsten light leading to as much as 1/2 EV
>>  underexposure.  My negs look more than 1 EV under.
>>
>>  I'm wondering what the experience of LUG is in dealing with tungsten
>>  illumination.  Do you derate the film?  Do something else?
>>
>>  (I know strong light sources can fool the meter and have always tried
>>  to meter well away from them.)
>>
>>  Many thanks.
>>  --
>>  Regards,
>>
>>  Dick
>>  Boston MA
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
>>  Leica Users Group.
>>  See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


-- 
Regards,

Dick
Boston MA

Replies: Reply from richard-lists at imagecraft.com (Richard) ([Leica] Underexposure in Tungsten Light)
In reply to: Message from don.dory at gmail.com (Don Dory) ([Leica] Underexposure in Tungsten Light)