Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/04/05
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>I am not so much interested in theoretical or filosofic arguments, only >if one or the other way of implementing the multizone exposure system >results in better results in the field or not. Does the F5 system lead to >"better" results (or a higher number of usable shots) than the R8, as one >could imagine, or is this just hype? > You put the word "better" between quotes and that is where diaagreement could strat. Better is a word with a thousand interpretations and will not bring any meaningful results while talking about optics or films or whatever. I made a test for a magazine comparing the R8 and the F5 metering in normal practise (shooting pictures of people, buildings, landscapes,objects, indoor and in the open, with strong backlighting and in a multitude of other situations with adverse light conditions. The result: in most situations the F5 and the R8 made exposures a half stop or a full stop higher or lower. Most were within the range of exposure latitude, so the exposure metering of both systems worked correct, that is sensitometrically. The differences were not systematic, but random, in some situations the R underexposed where the F overexposed or was correct.Or the other way around. But no clear predictable pattern differentiating the two systems emerged. French magazines made also very careful tests and noted that the F5 matrix metering shifted the exposure at most a half stop either way, compared to a hand held incident metering method. This half stop is detectable but if you like the way the meter exposes is a different story. Upshot? Both metering systems are correct as far as the exposure is sensitometriclly correct. The shifts in exposure are also clearly visible, still within range, but now that elusive word 'taste' has to taken into consideration. Better here is not the word. Different interpretaions OK. BTW: all matrix systems, even the F5 one will give wrong results in very special exposure situations. Human judgement is still needed and so human intervention. If you know the exposure habit of the R or the F, you know quite soon how to correct and when. My postion is simple: any modern camera can give excellent exposure results with a little help of the human holding the device.Maybe we should start knowing our equipment as well as possible. That enhances the success score enormously. Erwin