i have the pz1p broucher in front of me and it says the spot meter reads 2.5% of the scene. Received: from smtpin-102-7.bryant.webtv.net (209.240.198.44) by storefull-163.iap.bryant.webtv.net with WTV-SMTP; Sat, 1 Dec 2001 09:34:08 -0800 (PST) Received: by smtpin-102-7.bryant.webtv.net (WebTV_Postfix+sws) id 188C912B; Sat, 1 Dec 2001 09:34:10 -0800 (PST) Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Received: from noc002.aitg.com (noc002.aitg.com [216.32.91.72]) by smtpin-102-7.bryant.webtv.net (WebTV_Postfix+sws) with ESMTP id 3F537190 for <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Sat, 1 Dec 2001 09:34:09 -0800 (PST) Received: (from majordomo@localhost) by noc002.aitg.com (8.9.2/8.9.2) id MAA09887 for pentax-discuss-pdml-list; Sat, 1 Dec 2001 12:15:26 -0500 (EST) Received: from mx8.airmail.net (mx8.airmail.net [209.196.77.105]) by noc002.aitg.com (8.9.2/8.9.2) with ESMTP id MAA09881 for <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Sat, 1 Dec 2001 12:15:23 -0500 (EST) Received: from covert.black-ring.iadfw.net ([209.196.123.142]) by mx8.airmail.net with smtp (Exim 3.16 #10) id 16ADjY-000FAK-00 for [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Sat, 01 Dec 2001 11:15:24 -0600 Received: from ppp02-246.algx.iadfw.net from [207.136.21.246] by covert.black-ring.iadfw.net (/\##/\ Smail3.1.30.16 #30.55) with smtp for <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> sender: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> id <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Sat, 1 Dec 2001 11:16:44 -0600 (CST) From: John Mustarde <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: shooting holiday lights Date: Sat, 01 Dec 2001 11:12:19 -0600 Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> References: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> In-Reply-To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> X-Mailer: Forte Agent 1.8/32.553 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by noc002.aitg.com id MAA09883 Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Precedence: list Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Fri, 30 Nov 2001 20:21:44 -0800, you wrote: >Does your camera have a 1-degree spot meter, John? No. It's the PZ1p, which spot meters a larger percentage. The manual doesn't specify, but I seem to recall the PZ1p spot meter is at least 4 degree and possibly 6. With the 50mm lens I had on the camera, the spot meter circle covered a fairly large area. > >It's really simple to meter lights. You point the meter at the light >source, the reading will put the source at mid grey. Then open up one, >two or three stops, depending on the effect you want. Thanks for the nice, simple explanation. I've not heard anyone state it better. My spot metering has been limited to one pretty specific type of photography. I use it with lenses 300mm and longer while trying to photograph birds and other small wildlife at a distance of maybe thirty feet or less. I use spot-metering to help avoid exposure errors that Matrix or Center Weight or the different reflectivity values of different colors would allow to occur in any sort of Auto mode. I choose an area where the light is the same as the light falling on my potential subject, spot meter a green or blue or some other section known to be close to 18% gray, lock in my Tv/Av, then keep that setting as long as the light at that area does not change significantly. This prevents underexposure of the subject, would happen if I were in Auto mode and the subject flew out of the bush and across the sky, or across an area with a significantly lighter background or some sort of backlighting. My method assumes, of course, that I prefer a proper exposure on the subject and don't mind blowing out the background highlights, and that the general diffuse light falling on the subject remains the same as it moves around my selected area. Thanks for the nice list of reflectivity percentages. I'll remember it. I'll stick a long lens on and spot meter some solid colors just to see how my PZ1p meters various colors, then compare my results to the list. Spot metering is, as you said, not hard, but it is different - and the brain work involved is not always second nature to me. -- John Mustarde - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
