[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


Wow a whole half stop to me is nothing to ignore.

I'm feeling like I'm in a groove when I'm out taking incident readings and
they're matching my results from a gray card.
However I find gray card use to be a mixed bag because I'ts worse than a
Weegee board you cant tilt it (pinball) and make it read anything you want
by tilting it imperceptibly.

But the main groove I get in when I think the Gods of photos are smiling
down upon me wherever they are is when I'm out with my Minolta spot meter
and I take a high and low reading and then that matches my incident reading
on my Gossen Digital F.
But that's not a grey card thing.

I guess it all came from my zone system codifications.
How far off would you be saying Zone V was a gray card.


You could say "zone V is a gray card, except it's rally not"
And be off the hook?
But some of the students might start shuffling their feet.
And start throwing their laptops around like Frisbees.

I just had oral surgery and am coning down or up from 5 kind pain med.
So if I don't sound like myself its because I'm Mark II, the beginning.

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