[Leica] Meters and nonsense

[Peter Su <psu@jprc.com>]

I have noticed that many electronic forums on photographic subjects
periodically become obsessed about meters. This week its the leica
meter, next week its the EOS-3 meter and so on. I think a big point
that people are missing is that calibrating a meter really isn't
all that exact a science, and even if every M camera or EOS or Nikon
came off the factory floor calibrated in exactly the same way, it
still wouldn't mean that when you got it home, it would give you the
exposures you want.

Why?

Because exposure is a matter of the meter, the shutter, your
technique, the film and your subjective goals for the overall look of
the slide and negative. No single calibration can take all those
things into account.

Nothing is easy in life.

So, to all the meter whiners, I say:

1. If you want to know how your meter (*and* shutters) works, you have
to test it, with the film you use, and the development you do (in your 
pro lab, or in your house). Even rich pros like John Shaw have to test 
their meters. Shaw has written that he has Nikon cameras that up to 3
stops apart.

2. If you want to be sure the expsoure is on, and the light is tricky, 
bracket. Film is cheap. Even Ansel himself shot two frames of
important pictures if he could, to "bracket" development.

Pete