Tim Munro wrote:
G'day, I've contempleted for a while getting a lightmeter to use in difficult lighting situations/subjects. As the 1v and 3 do such a good job and the meters ain't cheap I have not had an opportunity until now. An ex-pro photographer I recently did some work with has just given me a Minolta Auto Meter IV F to try and maybe buy if I feel inclined. It has the spherical attachment for ambient measurement but not the 5 deg spot attachment for reflective. The little owners manual has 1991 stamped on the back so I guess it is around that vintage and seems in good condition. Can someone give me an idea on whether these are good reliable units. I've heard that Minolta do good meters but I don't know one model from the next. I did a few comparisons with the 1v in the yard this morning and readings varied from about one to two and a bit stops which surprised me a bit. I've been relying on the 1v meter for several years of professional work and it has been excellent in most situations. I checked with my equipment supplier who tells me they are discontinued but did cost a bit over $600 aust. They suggested $350 might be a fair price. They also have a 5 deg spot attachment in stock for $240 but I haven't yet decided if this is worth getting as I have the spot meter in the camera anyway. These prices sound similar to comparitive U.S prices? I'd appreciate hearing some pearls of wisdom from meter users, particularly those with experience using the IV F. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------- Tim, Have used them for many years. Had a Minolta IIIf and later a IVf, currently though I use the Sekonic. One is not necessarily better than the other. I have only used them with my Medium Format gear and some old 35mm Rangefinders I use on occasion. If you have the EOS3 you have spot metering and averaging already in your camera. You can set it to that check the darkest and lightest areas of the image you want and then average them out. You can add a mid point too or near mid point. If the range is greater than 4 stops slide film will not do well. Print film has a better range of about 5-6 stops overall. Knowing this you can then bracket to get the image in the exposure you want. I use the spot meter of my Sekonic much like this too for difficult situations. Once I know the high/low and film I am using I can adjust the exposure to get those parts of the image on film as best I can. Hope this helps. Peter K * **** ******* *********************************************************** * For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see: * http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm ***********************************************************
