Re: [Leica] Black Cat - Test Results

[henry <henry@henryambrose.com>]

>I just got a roll of black cat prints back from my finisher.  They were
>taken with the 75mm using the camera's meter.  The cat filled the field
>so the metering field of view was on the black cat.  I took 3 exposures
>of each "pose" . 1/60th sec at f4 (the metered exposure), f5.6, and f8.  
>
>In every case (36 exposure roll) the metered exposure was the best.  The
>cat was the blackest, the fur more defined and the highlights clearest.
>The stopped down pictures were "muddier" and the cat went from black to
>a grainy greyish color.
>
>My incident light meter is broken but I'll try to pick up another one
>soon and run the same test with it.
>
>Paul
>
OK
Now I'm jumping in.

From what you just described, you will find the incident reading to vary 
from your reflective one. Incident will give you a reading that would 
make your cat a black featureless blob. (unless you interpret the reading 
and adjust)

Why?
Because black cat fur is way down on what it will reflect back to your 
camera. So you needed more exposure than what you would have thought. 
When your camera read the scene it made it mid-gray. It thought your cat 
was going to be gray. But the low reflectivity of your cat saved you. 
You've PROVEN that it needed more exposure. (the camera's meter gave you 
that because it was fooled)

In your trial you gave the film an exposure that is probably equal to 2 
or 3 stops more exposure than what the incident meter will tell you.

And don't forget that modern color negative films have HUGE lattitude in 
terms of making an OK 4X6 print. So the whole thing is not too tricky, 
certainly not rocket science!

Usually when metering an average scene with a reflective in camera meter 
(like in an M6), I aim the meter at what I think is the middle range of 
the scene. If I aim it at the middle correctly and expose the film 
accordingly, the metered area is place on Zone V (if you're a zonie)and 
all the rest falls around that. If its a people picture (light skinned 
people)I look for and meter that part of the scene that is one step down 
from their skin and thats my number. (all the above assumes a 
previsualization of averageness which is not necessarily what you want) 
If I was using a reflective spot meter I'd meter the skin and open up one 
stop. 

Confused now?

Henry