[Leica] BESSA R3A or M7 (now metering)

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Waldron" <MichaelW@CadoganManagement.com>
To: "Leica-Users (E-mail)" <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 11:40 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica] BESSA R3A or M7 (now metering)


> 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.
>
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