[Leica] Multi-spot metering: clarification and thoughts

["Mark E Davison" <Mark_E_Davison@email.msn.com>]

Some points on multi-spot metering:

1. After corresponding with Eric Welch privately, I realize I made
multi-spot metering on the OM4Ti sound more complicated than it is. Here is
how I use it:

Put the camera on Manual.
Aim the camera at a highlight. Press SPOT.
Aim the camera at a shadow. Press SPOT.
Eyeball the recorded light levels displayed in the bar graph in the
viewfinder, and adjust the exposure with the aperture ring. You can tell at
a glance if the highlight and shadow are too far apart to capture with the
film.

In summary: Highlight, SPOT, Shadow, SPOT, Adjust. Shoot, shoot, shoot.... .

This only takes a second more than manually metering an area with the M6.  I
use two procedures with the M6:

If the scene brightness range does not look excessive then I
Aim the camera at a part of the scene that is either mid-tone gray, or an
average mix of light and dark (there's where the judgement and experience
come in).
Adjust the exposure so the LEDs light up.


If the scene brightness range is excessive, then I
walk over near a highlight and meter it manually.
walk over to a shadow region and meter manually, counting how many stops
away it is from the highlight.
Then I choose an exposure in between the two extremes which will show what I
want on the slide film.
This procedure is SLOW!

2. A multi-spot capability similar to the OM4 can be found on the Sekonic
408 and 508 meters. This is probably much more relevant to LUGgers, as you
can actually go into a camera store and play with a Sekonic meter.

3. I find that using a spot meter takes the mystery out of exposures, and
speeds up the learning curve. You quickly learn to recognize the situations
which are hard to meter with an averaging meter. It is especially valuable
for shooting landscapes where you cannot walk over to meter individual
elements of the scene.

4. However you meter, metering in advance and pre-setting the exposure is a
great way to go for street shooting. There's simply no time to meter every
shot individually, and absolutely no way to bracket.

So here's an alternative version of the Indiana Jones scene.

Indy walks into the bazaar and is threatened by the man with the sword who
flashes it back and forth in a display of byzantine but hopeless bravado.

Before an amused smirk can form on Indy's mouth, he is shot dead by a sniper
500 yards away.

The swordplay was merely a ruse to get Indy to stand still.

The sniper had taken up his position in advance, adjusted his elevation,
checked the windage, and was prepared to seize the decisive moment. Using
precise, modern technology he only needed one shot.


Mark Davison