Ken had some questions:
>Do many of you use an external lightmeter...?
Speaking only for myself, I only use my built-in EOS meter when my subject is
inaccessible, or under rapidly-changing light. Otherwise, I always use my external
incident-meter (it also doubles as my flashmeter when I'm in the studio).
>Are there situations in which I'd do well to have an external meter?
If you shoot slide film, an external meter can help you stay within the exposure
limits of the film.
When shooting any film, an external meter takes away the brain work associated with
spot metering. To get a base exposure, you put the meter dome in the same light as
that hitting the subject and just push the button. That's it.
I'm assuming you understand how a spot meter works and why, after getting an initial
metering off your subject with one, you must then adjust that reading according to the
lightness or darkness of your subject. If you don't, either I or someone else here
will be happy to explain it in a separate email.
>Is the EOS partial metering mode close enough to a spot meter to do
>macro work?
Yes, but you must use your brain to compensate for the shortcomings. For example, if
there's some dark shadow within the 10% meter area, your meter is reading the subject
darker than it should; dial in -0.5 to -1 stops compensation to get a decent exposure.
With macro work, you've already committed yourself to a slower pace, and you have lots
of time to think about and to make these kind of exposure adjustments.
--Roger
____________________________________________________________________________
Roger Wong, Writer & CodeWarrior Metrowerks / Motorola
Nintendo Gamecube/PlayStation2/68K/PalmOS http://www.metrowerks.com
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