Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/04/02

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Subject: RE: [Leica] spot AE (was M7 Metering)
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2002 08:41:16 -0500

Thanks, Ted -
I have a lot of confidence in the M6 metering system - at least to the point
where I know, given the lens I'm using, what, if any, adjustments I need to
make based on what it's telling me....

And what you say about the Matrix metering on the R8 is exactly what I hear
from everyone who uses the Matrix system on the Nikon F100 and F5...But I
just have a hard time turning everything over to a computer chip...I know
that's basically foolish, but....;-)

What I obviously need to do is get a couple rolls of 'chrome and go shoot
all sorts of tricky and straightforward scenes and see what I get...and if
it's reasonably good with chrome, it's foolproof with tri-x...:-)



- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Ted Grant
Sent: Monday, April 01, 2002 1:46 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] spot AE (was M7 Metering)


B. D. Wrote:
>>> My biggest problem with Matrix metering is me - I have a really really
hard
> time trusting it - even though I intuitively 'know' that it works
> beautifully.<<<

G'day B.D.
I guess to make you feel real comfortable with it you'll just have to buy an
R8 for it's metering system, as it's so on the mark, it makes you a lazy
photographer at taking meter readings. :-)

I found that if I don't keep the "bracketing" factors in mind while shooting
say sunrise or set, the camera is so perfect you blow off half dozen rolls
and never bracket because the camera does a right on the mark and you just
let it rattle away.

Consequently you end up with 6 rolls of sunset with 6 X 36 frames perfectly
exposed film, all keepers and users. When in fact very nearly any sunset or
rise can use copious amounts of bracketing for the unknown effects you only
see on the light table later.

And yep there's auto bracketing on the motor which I use when I remember or
when I do, then Sandy is carping at me about burning too much film. :-)

I have the utmost faith in both the M6 and R8 metering and expect better
from the M7, whatever the camera says, I do! Unless it's obviously way off
the mark. Which I can honestly say I've rarely had happen, I suppose due to
tempering whatever is read with experience and gut factor as to whether it's
right or not.

I shot a dozen rolls B&W on Friday and Saturday evening's before, during our
family Easter dinner.  Later with the M6 in not the brightest of light,
family watching old videos of the kids when very young. The light was a
couple of normal floor lamps not on brightest setting and light from a large
TV screen, not a shoot out at high noon! ............  every exposure right
on the mark.

Note the exposure was on the mark....... I didn't say the picture results
were! ;-)

Go with the flow and don't worry, worrying creates screw ups because one
thinks too much about what's happening instead of accepting the red lights
are on............shoot! Certainly when yer using a Leica! ;-) Yeah right.
;-)
ted

Ted Grant Photography Limited
www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant


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