Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/01/03
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Regarding incident/reflective metering, I use both a spot meter and an incident one. Both take work to learn how to use and using both at once is an illuminating experience. The spot gives you the subject range and if it is bigger than the film can handle, makes you think about what to lose -- shadow or highlight. The incident woks well because you can see full sun if you point it at the sun, or shadow if you stand between the sun and meter and cast your own shadow on it. That typically works very well for me. The best text on metering I have read is in the book "Beyond the Zone system" which discusses in depth how to meter. It notes that reflective surfaces basically can have 5 stops of difference from white to black (not counting specular highlights, mirrors, etc.). Open shade is two stops less. Thus, if you have seven stops of latitude on the film, you can capture it all (the world is often not that simple). Thus, I find that if I meter with the incident dome fully in the sun and pointing at it, then I need to open up a stop to properly get the shadow. Alternatively, if I turn the dome so half is in the sun and half in the shade, then I get the "right" exposure to capture all seven stops. However, the book notes that different meters are calibrated differently and that some are set to meter a stop less so that an open sun reading will provide the right setting for the sun and shade. This is a complex topic, but I learned a lot from the book and recommend it, even if you have no interest in zone system type work.