RE: [Leica] Consistent underexposure - what am I (a newbie) doing wrong?

["Lee, Ken" <ken.lee@hbc.com>]

Anthony,

This seems to be the same mindset as the one which says you don't have to
learn the multiplication tables because you have a calculator.  The sunny 16
rule does work.. as does the late afternoon/heavy shade 5.6 rule.  I often
use it to check my metering for accuracy. Same logic as having a rough idea
of the answer before using the calculator. If the answer/meter reading is
vastly different from the expected result I had better check it.

I usually preset my meter to my guestimate of the exposure. Most of the
time, when I put the M6 (or F4) to my eye, the exposure is pretty close.
Some time it is way off because I read the light wrong, sometimes the meter
is off due to the scene being photographed. Either way I am forced to stop
and think about why the results are different. Although it some times hurts
my head, thinking about what you are doing is often a good thing ;-)

Ken
> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Anthony Atkielski [SMTP:anthony@atkielski.com]
> Sent:	Saturday, September 18, 1999 5:59 AM
> To:	leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject:	Re: [Leica] Consistent underexposure - what am I (a newbie)
> doing wrong?
> 
> From: Marc James Small <msmall@roanoke.infi.net>
> Sent: Saturday, September 18, 1999 02:56
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Consistent underexposure - what am I (a newbie) doing
> wrong?
> 
> 
> > This bothers me a great deal.  Learn exposure YOURSELF.
> > Do NOT rely on a meter.
> 
> This is like saying, "Open and close the shutter yourself--do NOT rely on
> a
> mechanism to time it."
> 
> Meters are a fact of life.  I cannot look at something, with normal human
> vision, and accurately know how much light is being reflected by the scene
> for
> metering purposes.  I need to be able to measure the light levels.  I can
> calculate the exposure if I know the light level, but I have to start
> somewhere.
> 
> > Learn the "sunny sixteen" rule.
> 
> The sunny-sixteen rule works when it is sunny out.  In shadows, under an
> overcast, indoors, etc., it is not very useful.  Furthermore, every
> specific
> scene is different, and I like to _know_ what the correct exposure is, and
> not
> guess.
> 
>