So what is the "secret" of Electros light metering ?

R

ruben

Guest
A few days ago, in a thread about the limitations of our light meters ("understanding our light meters"
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36024),
the conclusion as I understood it was whatever below digital metering ....hmmm.

But in a previous Electro thread everyone was praising the Electro high capability to confront the most difficult lighting situations.

Can any one explain me the Electro secret I am missing ?

Cheers,
Ruben
 
Its magic, I swear....no canon, bessa, nikon, contax or any anything I have ever used has been as foolproof as that thing....I wish I could tear it out and install it into a leica....I dont know where it meters in the scene but I have never ever had a wrong exposure, even when im dicking about....its like the camera is psychic and knows what I want....
 
We joke ... but those cameras are incredibly accurate when metering and it does make you wonder kind of alien technology that they developed for this thing
 
I sort of remember my GTN being like this, but I also remember some clinkers from it as well. In terms of past cameras that "got it right" in terms of straight-on metering, in my own experience, Canon's F-1 and Nikon's F3 come to mind...rarely had to bracket with those when shooting slides. In terms of current shootin' iron, my Ricoh GR1 is almost eerie in its metering, slide or neg. And for the few times I've shot slide film with them, My Hexars have been bang-on as well.

Many a manufacturer has taken a crack at "foolproof" metering. The earliest example I can remember is Minolta's "CLC" metering system (which did have a rather funky metering pattern), introduced with their SRT series cameras, and I recall a number of people raving about how "near-fool-proof" that metering system seemed to be. Canon introduced hard-edged, semi-spot metering in their F-1 and FTb. Nikon went for straight-but-tight center-weighted metering. Of course, the Industry discovered microprocessors around the mid/late 1980s and metering design went off the charts (both my Minolta 9xi bodies had the 14-segment multi-pattern, AF-coupled thing going on, but the only time I used it was shooting snow scenes, where, I have to admit, the damn thing worked).

I still say it comes back to the photographer's comfort level with the camera and its metering system, above any other consideration besides the camera's reliability/consistency. Know your camera and metering system (be it inside or outside the camera), and your're already 90% there.


- Barrett
 
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I've used one for very difficult shoots involving 3-5 minute exposures, and its almost always bang on. More so then my canon too. Not bad for a $40 camera. I thank jan for introducing me to it last year.
 
My canon 20D was and still is something of a modern marvel of a camera, its meter on the other hand is one of the worst if not THE worst ive ever used. Its so everywhere and crappy that I cant rely on it at all, I dont know if microprocessors is a good thing or not in meters....
 
Sharpie Trick...

Sharpie Trick...

Well, that's an easy question to answer. If you look closely at the Electro light meter opening it's star shaped. Measuring the horizontal plane moreover the vertical plane. So, in essence, it's measuring the light across the horizon (horizontal) as apposed to the vertical. Also, the way the metering element is shaped with the aperture wide open, the metering is still on a horizontal plane. Just a sharpie trick the Yashica dudes implemented to make sure your snaps would come out right so you would buy more of their cameras.
 
Inside my CC lives a tiny pixie...with an even tinier Pentax spot meter.



Its very good but, due to it's age, I am now saving up for a 10 mega pixie camera.
 
Good answer, George... It really does have excellent metering capabilities, really only fooled by the most extreme backlighting conditions. I thought - maybe - it was due to the stepless shutter "perhaps" nailing exposure accurately and those fractions of a second "inbetween" 1/30 - 1/60 - 1/125 matter, considering each one is a stop?

I like your answer better.
 
Interesting. This doesn't account for the long exposure accuracy, though; the circuit must be pretty well designed to deal with reciprocity. My guess is that results from long exposure would differ between chrome and negative films. Anyone have experience in that regard?
 
Another Sharpie Trick...

Another Sharpie Trick...

I think it's a combination of both the shape of the light meter aperture and the infinitely variable shutter speeds that contribute to the exposure accuracy in the Electro 35's. Another sharpie trick that the Yashica dudes might have (maybe) included in the shutter circuit is a charge coupled capacitor. The lower the subject light the more or less (depending on the circuit used) the capacitor charges up. In turn, on a curve (slope), the capacitor keeps the shutter open longer under less and less light. That way the shutter contributes to a reciprocity compensating effect due to the charge of the capacitor under low light conditions. I'm not sure about this but considering the discreet technology available during the time these cameras were produced that's what I think is going on. My Electro 35 was just rebuilt by Essex Camera and so far it's working perfectly. And I do most of my shooting under low and very low light conditions. I'll know better after a few more rolls and a final test with chrome film as chrome is far less forgiving. Maybe next week I'll go to Essex and see if they will share the schamatic diagram of the Electro 35 as I could not find anything on line. Now, I'm very curious about what's actually going on inside this camera.

Best,
George
 
George
Your answer, while beyond my limited understanding, is the best I've heard to date. My gsn has never failed to provide spot on metering and it's exceptionally good in low light situations...and ultra quiet.
There have been a few occassions that I believe the exposure time has exceeded 20 secs. I love the gsn.
 
George Bonanno said:
Well, that's an easy question to answer. If you look closely at the Electro light meter opening it's star shaped. Measuring the horizontal plane moreover the vertical plane. So, in essence, it's measuring the light across the horizon (horizontal) as apposed to the vertical. Also, the way the metering element is shaped with the aperture wide open, the metering is still on a horizontal plane. Just a sharpie trick the Yashica dudes implemented to make sure your snaps would come out right so you would buy more of their cameras.
Click to expand...

Then wouldn't the meter be more easily "fooled"when
you turn the camera 90 degrees to shoot verticals?

Chris
 
Electro Metering

Electro Metering

I have been suprised as well at the Yashica Electro metering. I had one ages ago, and just got another recently. I have Costco develop all my film, and make a CD of the images at the time of processing. What I notice most is that the images from my digital camera (Canon S50, which was $599 when new!) seem to always need at least an auto-level tweak. The Yashica Electro images just seem to glow. I did a night exposure test which you can see here on my flickr page here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/darrylasher/400264945/

I have some other Electro pictures there as well. I have really enjoyed using the Electro. It seems to take better photos than any other camera I own.
 
Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks! I think the color is what most surprised me. That building is my bank, so i am very familiar with how it looks in real life. The color fidelity of the Yashica lens is legendary, and these kinds of images confirm it.
 
Yashica users must have faith that their camera will expose properly.
After all, they only have two little lights to go by.

Maybe the scant exposure information provided is a good thing.
It keeps the photographer from intervening, thereby messing up the pics. ;)

Chris
 
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