(snip)
> It may seem like I'm saying don't buy a hand-held meter, but I'm not,
really. I
> think what I'm doing is sounding a cautionary note that you may be
expecting too
> much from a hand-held meter; to not get too caught up in the tools to the
> detriment of the process; that the only way you'll learn to use the
numbers most
> effectively is--IMO--to shoot a lot of film and make a lot of mistakes,
and then
> figure out why your results weren't what you had expected. It is a truism
that a
> good photographer--i.e., one who is in control of her materials rather
than the
> other way round--never has to say, "I hope they come out," so in that
sense we all
> previsualize to some extent, when we frame our shot and press the shutter
(since
> we know we got what we were after); but that doesn't mean getting caught
up in one
> dogma or another. Control comes from experience and experimentation, not
from
> following someone else's rules.
>
> I think I've used up my allotment of "pompous" for this evening--happy
shooting!
>
> Craig
It seems to me the important thing is to determine the exposure on the
part of a scene that's important. Then you have to figure out how you want
it to look. Do you want it normally exposed? Then you take a spot reading
there and then have to figure it's value + or - from a grey card value. If
you want it darker, you adjust less exposure. And so on...
The other thing you have to do is check the other elements of your
scene, determine how they will look at that exposure, and perhaps compensate
or compromise for that.
Those not owning a spot meter can really use a hand held spot meter for
these purposes. All this is really only important though when you're
shooting slides. For negative film, I usually go overexposed if I'm in
doubt. And of course now with scanning and photoshop, the highlights and
shadows can be compensated later.
I've had really good luck with my EOS 10's metering. Generally, unless I
feel the subject is not lit like the rest of the scene, I just point and
shoot. My partial metering does give me pretty well a spot metering effect
with it's small circle of reading. I use that about half the time for those
more difficult shots. However, I've got years of experience with metering
and different cameras, manual cameras, meters, etc. Those rather newer to
the sport of metering can learn a lot from a hand held meter. I really feel
though, when one goes outside of the EOS metering, a spot meter is the only
way to go. That, plus some reading and experimenting will bring one to where
the meter is no longer needed very often.
When I got my EOS, I ran a test roll of slides where I just used the
built in averaging metering in all different situations. I was very
impressed with it's ability. However, one situation that definitely needs
manual compensating is where there's some really bright spots in the scene,
but most of the scene is in shade. Camera metering will be fooled every
time.
What happens to me is I get caught up in the excitement of shooting
something that looks really good. I forget to think about metering. Usually
it's not a big deal, sometimes I get caught with a few underexposed frames
showing too much grain in the shadows. Partial metering is something I don't
tend to forget about when I'm in the action, but that's why I generally
shoot negative film and overexpose a bit when I don't want to stop and think
about anything but framing, waiting for the right composition, and getting
the shots I want - NOW!
Back when I was using a hand meter, I'd meter the scene, and keep that
exposure in mind. Then I'd compensate on the fly when for instance the sun
went under a cloud, or my subject moved into the shade. I don't think that
way anymore thanks to my EOS, but I still do compensate for backlits and
dark subjects manually. And, I use my partial metering button a lot!
Let me put it to EOS owners this way - if you're real happy with your
exposure, then no need to get a hand held meter. But if you're stumped by
some shots that turned out too dark or light, start reading about exposures,
and get a spot meter.
Oh, and LOOK at your negatives. Many underexposed negs will print very
close to normal. You might notice more grain - your negative will look thin
and you'll know you underexposed. I used to make contact prints of all my
rolls, and it was a very good way to see differences in exposures. If you're
doing it right, they should all contact print properly.
(end of my pomposity for today)
*
****
*******
***********************************************************
* For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see:
* http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm
***********************************************************
