Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/05/06

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Subject: Re: [Leica] M6 metering question
From: Peter Jon White <PeterJonWhite@PeterWhiteCycles.com>
Date: Sat, 06 May 2000 15:52:11 -0400

I've never used an F5, and most likely never will. Unless I'm mistaken, the 
F5 and other new plastic fantastics have on board computers that analyze 
the readings from many points on the film plane and come up with a meter 
reading based on some algorithm. It could be that when the meter sees the 
same exposure value across the entire film plane it assumes you are 
shooting the sky, hence the greater exposure.

On the other hand, one meter could just be off. The find out if the M6 
meter is reading correctly, get a grey card and place it in direct 
sunlight. Then read the grey card with the M6 meter. The M6 should give you 
125th sec, f:16 at asa 125. In other words, sunny sixteen.

We don't need no steengking algorithms!

PJW

At 04:46 PM 5/6/00 +0100, Simon Lamb wrote:
>Hi
>
>I have been using my M6 for a few days now and I have a question.  I
>pointed the camera at a whitewashed textured wall, with ISO 400 Tri-X
>loaded, a 50mm f/2 attached and with the film speed dial set to 400, and
>the red dot appeared when the camera was set to a shutter speed of
>1000/sec at f/13 or f/14 (whatever the half stop between f/11 and f/16
>is on the lens).  I pointed my Nikon F5 at the same spot on the same
>wall using an ISO400 speed and an 85mm f/1.8 lens and, using spot
>metering (therefore switching off any colour metering capability), it
>registered settings of 400/sec at f/10.
>
>There is a significant difference here and I wondered if anyone could
>explain to me the reasons for the difference in metering and subsequent
>camera set-up.  I have always trsuted the F5 meter and it has never been
>anything other than spot on.  I am sure the M6 meter is equally
>accurate.  However, given that I would probably want to dial in some
>overexposure on the white wall to get the whiteness and texture on the
>film, I do not have any f/stops or shutter speed left to enable me to
>overexpose by 1 or 1.5 stops.
>
>Any explanations would be gratefully received.
>
>Regards.
>
>Simon

Peter Jon White
Peter White Cycles
666 Mass Ave.
Acton, MA 01720
978 635 0969 Voice
978 929 9654 Fax
www.PeterWhiteCycles.com

Replies: Reply from "Dan Post" <dpost@triad.rr.com> (Re: [Leica] M6 metering question)
Reply from "Fernando Martins" <fer@caleida.pt> (Re: [Leica] M6 metering question)
Reply from Peter Jon White <PeterJonWhite@PeterWhiteCycles.com> (Re: [Leica] M6 metering question)