Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/01/19

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Subject: Re: [Leica] M6 Light Meter
From: "Bud Cook" <budcook@ibm.net>
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 16:53:59 -0600

Carl,
Does opening up one stop work for b/w, color negative AND color reversal?
Bud Cook
- -----Original Message-----
From: Carl Socolow <csocolow@microserve.net>
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Date: Monday, January 19, 1998 4:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] M6 Light Meter

>A bunch of people wrote:
>>
>> At 00:01 19-1-98 -0800, you wrote:
>>
>> >From: Cary Conover <leicary@tdi.net>
>>
>> >Tom Shea's post compelled me to finally post this to the group. This is
>> >something I've been wondering: How is the M6 meter supposed to detect
>> >the difference in frames? I've tried to get the meter to give off a
>> >different reading by switching the frames lever (as if trying to use it
>> >as a spot meter) but it doesn't seem to affect the reading at all.
>> >Furthermore, frames for 28/90, 35/135, and 50/75 show up at the same
>> >time...so how is the meter supposed to "know" which lens is in use?
>>
>> The meter doesn't know, it's not *that* sophisticated. The metered area
is
>> constant, the white dot on the shutter curtain has a fixed size.
>>
>> >I'm thinking it's just one meter all the time, regardless of what
>> >position the frames are in.
>>
>> You're thinking right.
>> =========
>
>OK, the meter measures the light hitting the white dot on the curtain.
>What you can control is the amount of image area hitting that dot.
>Suppose you want a spot reading of a scene: Put the 90 on and take a
>reading of a select area that you consider important and comparable to
>an 18% gray. Remember that reading and then put the lens of choice on
>that's appropriate for your depiction of scene. Transpose exposure to
>lens and make photo.
>
>For example, if I were basing an exposure on a caucasian skin tone in a
>wide-angle scene I could either get close with the wide-angle and take
>the reading (and then open up one stop) or use the 90 as mentioned
>above, meter the face (using the 90 framelines as a guide), switch back
>to the wide-angle and set the lens for the exposure indicated by the 90.
>Again of course remembering to open up one stop since the caucasian skin
>tone is approx. 1 stop brighter than 18% gray.
>
>Confusing? Probably. But it is a way that you can use the meter for
>selective spot metering.
>
>Carl S.
>