[Leica] Gray card not 18% Erwin

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

On 6/10/05 9:56 AM, "Timothy Atherton" <tim@kairosphoto.com> typed:

> Or there is this.
> 
> As I recall, the standard used for light meters works out at something like
> 12.5 or 13% grey - or something like that....
> 
> "the 18% thing is a photographic urban legend, nothing more. No light meter
> was ever factory calibrated to 18% reflectance. Meter makers use the ANSI
> Standard which works out to about 12.5%, or 1/2 stop less reflectance than
> 18%.
> The Kodak Gray Card, 1999 revision, contains correct instructions for its
> use. I know because I wrote those instructions after being hired by Kodak,
> and did considerable research on the subject.
> You can read more in the book I co-authored, The Hand Exposure Meter Book."
> Bob Shell, former editor of Shutterbug Magazine
> 
> (go down to meters and colour balance:)
> http://www.kinesisgear.com/opinion.html
> 
Wow Tim were you a consultant to "The Ten Commandments"?

Here's a thing which I've been hoping was really written somewhere in stone
as it has worked out that way for me and I think I read about it somewhere
as well. Probably in Cosmo in a doctors office. When both things happen you
start to take it for granite:

And that is that your typical meter in your camera is going to read f8 while
your hand held is going to read f11. That's how my meters work out.
In other words the meters in cameras are set a stop high or zone VI instead
of V.
The rationale if there is one being color negs need to not be underexposed
and I'd heard to get readings of faces on the light side not being
underexposed. That they think the faces of their clientele leaning toward
the Zone VI side. Which certainly seems questionable but that's  what I've
"heard" for decades.

I'm writing a syllabus or two for teaching some photography stuff. If I'm
laying down a dogma I'm wanting it to be checked for flees and rabies first.

Mark Rabiner
Photography
Portland Oregon
http://rabinergroup.com/