----- Original Message ----- From: "J. C. O'Connell" Subject: RE: Bodies: K2 vs. KX vs. LX
> > > Do you carry around the data sheets for all the different > films you use? I don't. It's much easier and safer to bracket long > exposures. > AE & time exposures dont mix IMHO . BTW, if your going to override > the AE with compensations, you might as well go manual > and be done with it. No, but I do carry a notebook with such pertinent information in my gadget bag for the half dozen films that I do use. I cannot guarantee that the light conditions won't change somewhat during a several minute exposure. A cloud may obscure my light source (the moon, as an example). Since I can't change fate, I have the ability with the LX to roll with it. The camera will respond to changes in light intensity during the exposure, and will adjust the exposure time to compensate. Here are two examples for the same scene type. Photographer #1 is using a manual camera on bulb, and has made an ambient light reading of the scene, taken reciprocity into account and decides an exposure of three minutes is appropriate. Unfortunately, at some point, a cloud obscures the major light source. Poor Mr. Manual is hooped, as he no longer knows how much time to give the exposure to complete it, so he closes the shutter and tries again. Photographer #2 is using an LX on automatic. He also takes reciprocity into account by dialing in exposure compensation on the meter dial. At the same time photographer #1 is getting screwed by mean old mother nature and her bitchy ways, photographer # 2 is making bets with himself about how much longer he will have to stand there. But, he knows he will get a correct exposure, because the camera makes the exposure adjustment on the fly. The LX is unique in it's ability to do this, and this feature was one of the main draws to the camera for me. Lets go to another situation where the light is constant. Photographer #1 makes a light reading, decides how much exposure compensation to give for reciprocity and commits to the exposure. Photographer #2 (remember, this guy has an LX) dials in the needed exposure compensation for reciprocity, trips the shutter and hangs out until he hears it close. OTOH, if you don't have an LX, you are pretty much stuck with extrapolating exposures from a meter which may be of questionable sensitivity and accuracy in low light conditions (there aren't many meters more sensitive than the built in meter of the LX). At that point, bracketing is the only choice you have, since you are, in effect, guessing at the exposure anyway. I'm pretty good at guessing, the below link will take you to an image that recieved somewhere in the range of a one hour exposure. The shadow detail doesn't show up on the computer generated image unfortunately. The silver print is absolutely 3 dimensional. http://www2.photosig.com/viewphoto.php?id=717188 At that sort of exposure times, bracketing is out of the question anyway, as to do a +1 and +2 exposure in addition to the normal would require a total of 7 hours of exposure. William Robb
