Re[2]: [Leica] basic questions

[Peterson_Art@hq.navsea.navy.mil]

     Bruce,
     
     Your message below suggests an enviable state of grace with light, but 
     one point leaves me confused.  I had thought the rule of thumb for an 
     exposure in full sunlight was shutter speed equals 1/ISO at f/16.  But 
     you wrote that "using ISO 400...[and]...shutter speed...[of]...1/250" 
     makes the aperture setting for "Outdoors, bright sun...f/16."  Is this 
     a case of particular ISO 400 films requiring more exposure than their 
     rated speed allows.  Or should the exposure rule for daylight be 1/ISO 
     at f/11?
     
     Art Peterson
     
     
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: [Leica] basic questions
Author:  leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us at internet
Date:    12/11/97 10:51 AM

Well, I can handle the first question.  Develop a light meter in your head 
and you won't need one in your camera UNLESS you're shooting primarily 
transparancies or landscapes, perhaps.  Really, since working with my M-4P 
I've been able to get by with eyeballing a situation 95% of the time.
     
Here's how:  At first, using ISO 400 b/w or color neg. film, limit 
yourself to two shutter speeds -- one for indoors (1/60) and one for 
outdoors (1/250).  Learn that indoors, comfortable reading light is f/4 -- 
that is your indoor benchmark; make adjustments from there.  Outdoors, 
bright sun is f/16 and deep shadow can take you down to f/4 or more.  Now 
as you walk around with these benchmarks in mind, carry a small incident 
light meter, like a Sekonic 308B, make guesses at various times, check to 
see how far off you were, figure out why, and remember. 
     
In no time you'll train yourself to be within 1 stop no matter where you 
are.  You'll be in the scene looking THROUGH the viewfinder, not into it 
for a light reading.  And once you learn to pre-focus and set the ring and 
shutter without looking you'll really be in fat city.  And the next time 
you see someone in harness to one of those big automatic pieces of 
Tupperware out there, well, you'll just smile. 
     
Regards,
     
Bruce Feldman
     
     
On Wed, 10 Dec 1997, Howard Kelly wrote:
     
> have a few basic questions about Leica's. 
> 
> One huge benefit of the cameras seems to be their simplicity and compact 
> size. Would a light meter be required on for example an M2 for daytime
> shooting? If so, would this not detract from the portability? 
> 
> I am unfamiliar with range finders and a novice photographer, so please 
> pardon any stupid questions. Is the main difference between a range
> finder and an slr the viewing/focusing mechanism? With a range finder
> you focus based on supposed distance as opposed to clarity of image? Is 
> a fair price for a used M2 body with some dings in it $650?
> 
> thanks for you patience.
> 
> Howard Kelly
> hkelly@dti.net 
> 
> 
>