Sorry I made a mistake - for 80% read 20%. _______________ Dr E D F Williams http://personal.inet.fi/cool/don.williams Author's Web Site and Photo Gallery Updated: March 30, 2002
----- Original Message ----- From: "Dr E D F Williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2003 7:31 PM Subject: Re: Hand Meters > It is possible to evaluate the contrast range of a scene by viewing it > through a neutral density filter. I use two, one transmits about 50% the > other 80%. Its quite easy to see where the highlights and the shadows are if > you reduce the overall brightness of the scene. You can also use a couple of > polarizer's one screwed into the other. Rotate one until the brightness is > reduced enough for you to see the range. For the slowest slide films the > highlights should not be more than about 3 times as bright as the shadows - > I think - a ratio of about 3:1. For the faster negative films the ratio can > be > as much as 7:1 i.e. the highlights can be 7 times as bright as the shadows. > Of course a spot meter will do the job, but the filters allow an 'artistic' > evaluation of the scene - something a meter can't do for you. Movie > directors and cameramen have viewfinders with built in ND filters for this > job. > > Don > > _______________ > Dr E D F Williams > http://personal.inet.fi/cool/don.williams > Author's Web Site and Photo Gallery > Updated: March 30, 2002 > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Hagner, Andrew" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2003 7:01 PM > Subject: RE: Hand Meters > > > > Hi Bill: > > > > No confusion on my part but maybe my poor writing. You are correct by > > saying "reflective meter measures light reflected from a subject, and an > > incident meter measures the light falling on a subject". I maintain > > however, that the reflective meter gives you more useful information than > > incident meter. Many of my photographs could not have been measured using > > an incident meter due to distance and wide range of contrast, often > > excessive even for a B&W film. In which case I had to make decisions as > to > > what I should let go, shadows of highlights. > > > > Cheers, - Andrew. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Bill Owens [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: March 24, 2003 6:36 PM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: Re: Hand Meters > > > > > > Andrew, > > > > See my earlier post on the subject. I think you are confused somewhat > about > > incident metering. Both a reflected meter and an incident meter measure > > ambient light, the difference being that a reflective meter measures light > > reflected from a subject, and an incident meter measures the light falling > > on a subject. Overall, usually, most of the time..... an incident meter > > will be more accurate, assuming that the light falling on the dome of the > > meter is in the same light as the subject. IOW, you point a reflective > > meter at the subject, and an incident meter is placed near the subject and > > pointed towards the camera. > > > > Hope this helps, > > > > Bill > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Hagner, Andrew" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 5:54 PM > > Subject: RE: Hand Meters > > > > > > > Steve: > > > > > > The light that is recorded on film is the reflected light from your > > subject. > > > The ambient meters measure only ambient light and ignores the > > > reflected light, so logically the reflected light meters give you > > > information that > > you > > > actually need. Ambient meters, however work in many situations. When > > > the contrast range is not exceeding the film contrast and when the > > > same type > > of > > > light hits your subject as it hits your meter then the ambient meters > > > are fine. When you are photographing a distant scene in an > > > interesting light, it is likely that the light hitting your meter is > > > very different from the one that is falling on the scene. In this > > > case the ambient meter gives > > you > > > no useful information. If the scene exceeds the film contrast then > > > again, ambient meter gives you information relevant to the middle > > > tones but the highlight and shadows will be outside the films range. > > > In this case the ambient meter gives you no information on the > > > contrast range. > > > > > > So, my recommendation is to use a reflected spot meter which overcomes > > these > > > shortcomings. With little practice it is hard to make an error in > > exposure > > > provided the meter is linear and is properly calibrated. My favourite > > > one is the Zone VI modified Pentax digital meter. Very simple, > > > reliable and accurate. > > > > > > Cheers, - Andrew. > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Steve Desjardins [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Sent: March 24, 2003 1:40 PM > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Subject: Hand Meters > > > > > > > > > What would folks recommend in a handmeter, spot or ambient? > > > > > > > > > Steven Desjardins > > > Department of Chemistry > > > Washington and Lee University > > > Lexington, VA 24450 > > > (540) 458-8873 > > > FAX: (540) 458-8878 > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > >
