Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>>Some of you may recall that I asked a while ago about why I was consistently >>underexposing my photographs taken with my M6...I think I'll eventually >>get used to it. RE your gray identification problem, I strongly recommend getting a basic book on the zone system, which will make it much easier for you to get your exposures right. EG if you can't find an 18% grey, knowing that caucasian skin (Zone VI) is generally one zone lighter than 18% grey (Zone V) means that you can confidently meter off your hand, open up one stop, and be in the ballpark. Similarly, you can meter off something white that you want to retain full texture (Zone VII) and know that you should close down two stops from there. And buy a grey card!! If you are technically minded, and you seem to be, you should find the Zone system easy to learn. I think the two easiest places to learn it are Ansel Adams (THE NEGATIVE) and Chris Johnson's THE PRACTICAL ZONE SYSTEM. Knowing the Zone system is like understanding scales in music. - -- Johnny Deadman "You can straighten a worm, but the crook is in him and only waiting" - Mark Twain