Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/12/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I'm not going to argue that reflected or incident metering is inherently better. I just think that people who knock incident metering miss the point. You are measuring the light. An incident reading, taken at face value, will allow the relationships between tones in a photograph to approximate the relationships that exist in the original scene. After the reading the placement of tones for creative expression is the same mental exercise regardless of metering technique. Most motion picture photography, something I have a lot of experience with, is done with incident meters. The reason is purely practical, it helps to ensure consistency between shots that have to cut together. There are many different techniques for incident metering. I took a seminar with a Hollywood cinematographer who used a flat disk on his meter and only measured the key (primary) light. He then lit the rest of the scene by eye. Takes a lot of experience but it certainly worked for him. Mike D - -----Original Message----- From: Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> Date: Tuesday, December 21, 1999 5:15 PM Subject: Re: [Leica] incidently >Bernard wrote: >> >> Frank Dernie wrote: >> >> > I am not as experienced as many on the list but I also have been using >> > the spot setting for years. No reflected meter can ever be as accurate >> > at an incident meter (unless measuring agrey card!) >> >> As a matter of fact, reflected light metering can and will be *much* >> more relevant than incident light values. Just think about high key, low >> key and anything else in which you have to make a real choice or >> otherwise force events. Who cares how much light hits your object. You >> need to know the range of light your object(s) are returning to you, so >> you can determine what parts you want on the linear part of the >> film-curve, and what parts you choose to live without. This goes for any >> premeditated shot of anything at all. It's reflected metering that give >> you real spot-on information. Incident metering is only nice for very >> average subject and for when you're in an unimaginative mood. >> >> Bernard > >I agree 100% Benard this topic has not come up for a while. Some people think >they are in the inside loup with incident reading. I think it's mindless. There >is a very short learning curve to learning how to interpret readings. Photoraphy >in automatic and instant enough allready. You open up for bright things and >close down for dark things whey you take a reading. Otherwise you are placeing >or what have you everything in middlegreyzoneVville. >Mark Rabiner >