> > Ummmm, whatever. > With view cameras, an exposure shorter than a second is a rarity, several > minutes is more the norm. So, practically, almost everything I shoot is > longer than 1 second exposure.
Huh? Are you a vampire? We obviously have different shooting styles. I use 35mm almost exclusively hand held which precludes 1 second. Don't you take any pictures in DAYLIGHT???? :) > Sensitometry is the science of exposure and development. It's a > science all > photographers should familiarize themselves with. Science, not taking a > scattershot exposure approach will always work better. > > A four stop bracket is a scattershot approach. Bracketing is dirt cheap insurance. It's one of the advantages of a 35mm camera. To assume your calculators/tables/meter/film freshness/ film batch is always going to behave the same and only expose 1 frame isnt exactly the thing I'm willing to chance. I would much rather bracket around an ESTIMATE, than count on it. > > If you get better at exposure, you can then use those four sheets of film > (or frames if you are using a small camera) as insurance against physical > damage to the negative. > > The degree of reciprocity failure is pretty easy to predict by observing > meter deflection at open aperture and predicting an approximate exposure > time at the shooting aperture. It's stil going to vary from film type to film type. I dont shoot enuff night stuff to bother investigating the particular curves. I know its going to need more time and I bracket the time. Simple enuff and its worked fine for me. ( but I'm talking seconds and minutes, not hours). > > Just one question: > Have you actually used an LX for making long exposures? > I have. > > William Robb > I dont like in-camera meters & AE and would never use it for time exposures, even an LX wouldnt change my mind. Bracketing around rough estimate is way simpler than your research every film/calculate/override the AE method in my opinion. I am well aware that the reciprocal failure is non-linear (thats why the LX cant do it alone). I would not attempt a 7 hour exposure for big money without more research, but even then I'd still bracket by using multiple cameras if I had to. Time exposure bracketing is prudent in any case whenever possible and it usually is. There are too many variables involved to be so confident you will nail the exposure to only expose one frame. It's not worth the risk to me. But if you would rather save a few frames of film and possibly get burned thats your choice. Different styles for different folks. JCO
