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Scheelings

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So I've sold my M8 and I have way too much film taking up two drawers in my fridge.

So I'm going to spend the next 6 months ~ 1 year shooting film.

The problem is that I have an M3 - with an external light meter. I've found that I spend way too much time checking that the lightmeter corresponds with my lens aperture and shutter speed - instead of taking photos.

I was wondering whether anyone has trained themselves to just 'know' the light. I figured I could take just the lightmeter with me to work and try to guess for a given ISO and f-stop what the shutter speed should be. I figure if I do this every day for a month in varying lighting conditions that after a while, perhaps I won't need a lightmeter.

Has anyone managed to achieve this before?
 
At times I can guess but nothing beats a good light meter.
When I guess I get 10 to 12 good shots from 36. With a meter 36 from 36.

I use The Voigtlander VC Meter II... Accurate and easy.
 
I could never guess accurately enough for slide film,
but was completely at peace running around with NPH or TriX and no light meter - where to err on the side of overexposure is not such a great deal.
1/ISO @ f/16 is of course the universally known starting point for exposure estimation - but I preferred the easier to calculate Minox version : 10x ISO @ f/3.5.
 
It's a matter of practice and experience. Outdoors is usually quite easy. Indoors and dusk/evenings outdoors are trickier.

I've tried several iOS metering apps and have found iZoner to be the best. Two apps called Light Meter are also good but iZoner is the best because it 1) has a spot meter, 2) can give highest and lowest EV of a scene, and 3) can measure colour with a real-time histogram. Sounds complicated but it isn't.

Indoors, I tend to meter off the back of my hand in what I perceive to be average lighting and then adjust aperture or shutter speed to compensate depending on the subject. Works well enough for me.

For those occasions I feel like going completely commando, I have memorised a simplified version of Sunny 16 with the assistance of yet another very useful iOS app, Expositor.

Cheers
Philip
 
I have a method I call my 'one step jive'. I load a roll of ISO400 film, dial in 1/250s and f/8 as my base exposure values. Shooting out in daylight if the weather is sunny(ish) I click the shutter speed one step up to 1/500s and when I'm in shadows one step down to 1/125s. One step up, one step down. It works well enough for me.
 
just take your time

just take your time

and measure. The best time I had when I used a 4 x 5" field camera and a pentax spot meter.

I saved so much in the lab, just dropped the negative in and always have the correct exposure.

It takes time but the pictures get better.

Of course it depends on what You shoot
 
I would suggest that you go for M7 with built-in light meter especially now, when the prices for M7 went down a bit. When I had it (before M9) I was happy enough to shoot with slide film and always received good predictable results from it. if I would ever consider the move back to film, I will certainly go for this option (M7). For the time being M9 produces pictures with a quality of a slide film. IMHO to me, the major advantage of M9, that slide will never produce such good results in in-door shooting as M9 especially with manual white balance settings.
 
yes it just takes time. for a few months my exposures were all over the place but now they're fairly accurate. use sunny 16 for outdoors and when the light gets dim, the light meter app for iphone is sufficient. just meter off your skin as someone above suggested.
 
Try setting the camera to what you think is correct before taking a reading. By using a proscribed system, you don't start to learn for yourself as systems don't require you to think.
It's much easier if you learn on one iso, I always use 400 film and I'm generally within half a stop of my M6 ttl's meter. I do this as I like to see what my combination is before bringing the camera to my eye, but I've not had a problem with exposure when my batteries have gone in the past with B&W neg film.
 
i use the Leica clip on selenium meter.Prefer it to the CDS one..
i sometimes use a point and shoot digital as a meter..
The best though is training your eye and brain.
Start by guessing what you think the light is. Set it. Compare.
Strangely when i shoot NO meter of any kind, i really "look" at the light.
The results way ahead of auto metering, meters, P/S digital.
My films way better exposed. In fact better photography all round.
 
There are a bunch of guys here who like to pound their chests while declaring that only pussies use meters. In most cases it shows in their work. I do not understand what is so hard about it. If the light is not changing, you do not need to keep checking the meter. I use a handheld spot meter, which is a slow meter to use, and I still get the picture.
 
The more automatic the camera for ME, the worse the pictures!
Better to work out exposure. Ain't no pounding on chest..it hurts.
Make a system, use it. Do it consistently.
Film exposure and development ain't rocket science.
Now it's time the OP got out and shot some.
 
Scheelings said:
So I've sold my M8 and I have way too much film taking up two drawers in my fridge.

So I'm going to spend the next 6 months ~ 1 year shooting film.

The problem is that I have an M3 - with an external light meter. I've found that I spend way too much time checking that the lightmeter corresponds with my lens aperture and shutter speed - instead of taking photos.

I was wondering whether anyone has trained themselves to just 'know' the light. I figured I could take just the lightmeter with me to work and try to guess for a given ISO and f-stop what the shutter speed should be. I figure if I do this every day for a month in varying lighting conditions that after a while, perhaps I won't need a lightmeter.

Has anyone managed to achieve this before?
Click to expand...

I own a meter, and sometimes use it, but for most shots, I don't meter. When I stopped metering, I found my exposures tended to get better, as I tended to err on the side of overexposure, which negative film handles quite well. Once you scan, you can darken them up a bit if you want.

Nothing wrong with metering, nothing wrong with not metering. If you want to try shooting without a meter, just go ahead and do it. When in doubt, over expose, I think you'll be surprised at how well they turn out.
 
I've found this discussion helpful-
http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm
Especially the section on the values in different lighting situations. A little chart with common exposures for common situations, also- just one setting for a few lightings, then I do the math for other shutter speeds or apertures or film speeds.

I also found that writing notes in the field made my learning go much faster. Making a note on what exposure I used, I can then compare the negative to the note. Somewhat tedious and annoying at first, but I only needed to do this for a few weeks before it taught me what I needed.
 
Hmmm, if we are talking of elderly hand-held meters then the reading is a starting point and you think a bit before setting the camera. Ditto spot readings although you think a bit longer. After a while you can guess and be nearly there (or there for prints).

Some modern (90's onwards) TTL metering gets it right most of the time but not always.

Regards, David
 
Mablo said:
I have a method I call my 'one step jive'. I load a roll of ISO400 film, dial in 1/250s and f/8 as my base exposure values. Shooting out in daylight if the weather is sunny(ish) I click the shutter speed one step up to 1/500s and when I'm in shadows one step down to 1/125s. One step up, one step down. It works well enough for me.
Click to expand...

Wow! Where do you live? That would never work where I am, north of the 40th parallel, a sunny day requires 1/1000 at f8 and -3 stops for shadows.
 
Yes, it is quite possible to simply "know" the light. All you need is some time to practice.

If you are shooting negative film it's relatively easy to guess the exposure correctly. There really are not that many different exposure situations that need close monitoring. Take a few seconds before you shoot each frame to evaluate the lighting, and then take a reading. You'll soon find yourself getting more accurate readings by eye.

If you are indoors and the light does not change, take a look around and take a few readings and remember them. If you are outdoors, I'll bet there will be no more than 3 different readings as you move about. Make small adjustments if necessary.
 
I don't completely trust my skills, but I always try to "pre-expose". I set on camera, and them I make sure on the camera. I get it right many times.

I use the rule in EV values. 15 sunny(sunny 16 rule, but i tend to use 14); 14 not direct light; 13 light shadow; 12 shadow; 11 deep outdoor shadow , 10,9 interior lit by sunlight; 8, 7 strong night street lights; 6, 5 interior light; 4, 3 light in bars.

For every step below the 15(sunny) you get to double the exposure, by changing ISO, shutter speed, or aperture. I tends to be right.

After a while you don't need the scale, you just get used to it. You just get used to it. Also it helps to overcome the inabilities of the centerweighted meters.

I think at the time of Cartier-Bresson, they did not carry meters, so if he can, you can.
 
Been there and am done with it. I got tired of using a meter for a shot of my kids and when I got everything dialed in the moment was gone. M7 cured all of that. I still have my VC II meter which I'll use with my Hasselblad, but I'm shooting that much slower than my M7.
 
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