Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/06/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi Ted, I took a mental note regarding metering from one of your earlier posts on this subject and I am using your method so far. The viewfinder line-up method you suggest is also a good check. I do have a light meter to which I can compare your metering method against. I'll make sure I have a cold beverage available to turn to if my first few rolls produce the expected/unusual angle results. Regards, Greg Ted Grant wrote: >Greg J. Lorenzo wrote/asked: > >>>I wonder if someone could provide me with some newbie pointers on >>> >>shooting with a super wide angle lens? >> >>I just acquired a Voigtlander 12 mm for my M6 from Dr. Yao and having >>never used any lens wider than 28 mm I'm finding the perspective >>provided through the supplied finder rather daunting. >> > >Hi Greg, >If you use the M6 meter and there's lots of sky area, trust me there's going >to be, which I'm sure you've already learned with the 12mm! ;-) The chances >are you'll under expose unless you point the camera down eliminating about >half, if not more of the bright area. Line up the red light and or >arrowheads and that's your starting exposure. > >If you have a hand meter, incident preferably or whatever you're accustomed >to, and use it at least at the beginning until you get the feel of onboard >M6 readings with that wide angle lens. In this fashion with the hand meter >you'll have a better success ratio of OK exposures. > >No question on this one..... make sure the camera is as close as you can get >it..... horizontally and vertically straight!!!!!!! Otherwise you'll have >leanies and bendies the likes you've never seen. ;-) That is, unless you >want them. As this lens can provide the wildest distortions you can imagine, >very effective under some circumstances for wild looking scenes. > >Although I work my 15's, both M and R lenses hand held, it takes some >practice lining the camera up straight. Because the slightest tilt any >direction can wipe out your pictures. And with the 12mm if I were using it, >the chances are 99% would be on a tripod with a level. > >One little trick while hand holding that works rather effectively for me. I >set the shot up through the wide viewfinder, pick the centre spot. Then I >change my eye to the camera viewfinder making sure I'm still on the >identical centre point, then use the edges of the viewfinder to ensure the >camera is held straight using any vertical or horizontal lines in the scene. >Then shoot! 99% of the time it works and the lines are straight! > >Apart from this, the rest you'll learn on your own about not having your >feet and fingers in the frame! ;-) > >Good luck with it as you're about to embark on some very wide and wooly >picture taking. :-) Actually you'll love it and start looking for every >possible situation to make completely different looking pictures than any >other guy on the block, unless they have a 12mm super wide. Have some fun, >shoot lots. >ted > >Ted Grant Photography Limited >www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant > > > >-- >To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html