Re: in-camera metering

[Donal Philby <donalphilby@earthlink.net>]

seungmin@luxmail.luxcom.com wrote:
> 
>      Hi Donal,
> 
>       I have been looking for a right meter for a while.  I have had Gossen
>      Luna Pro Digital in mind.  It doesn't have the flash meter function.
>      Have you compare your Seconic to Gossen?

David,

I like both.  My Gossen SBC has an analog dial and you can quickly see
the contrast range as you move the meter.  It is many years old, but I
still use it religiously (ya' know, "I pray the exposure is correct")
for available light stuff.  It is big, and the flash attachment is
awkward, so it becomes my backup for strobe sessions.

The Seconic is nice, especially since so small.  

And all the meters are adjustable, so you can calibrate them anyway you
want.  I've got mine set so camera meter on grey card and all incident
meter reading at same position match.  Now if I could only get the labs
to be consistent in processing.  

Since I have found the both major labs in town can process a snip (or
clip) test normal and run a balance that doesn't match, I think meters
are what we use to get close to a workable exposure.  Certainly from day
to day the labs run hot and cold by half a stop.  So I do a lot of snip
tests--especially since I seldom shoot less than a roll of anything--and
process balance on same day if possible.

The bottom line is that unless you are doing one shot E-6 (say in a
Jobo), the ASA is more related to the lab than the film.  

Recently on a shoot I took readings with two meters (incident), verified
with incamera meter and shot a polaroid I liked.  At the lab I had to
push the Astia one stop to get it to match the polaroid.   I moaned to
lab owner (a super guy and ex-Kodak tech rep) who immediately said,
"Polaroid's not accurate test of exposure."  So I said how about three
meters and a polaroid which all agree?  "Well, I don't know. "  

I don't either.

Donal Philby
San Diego