CMur12
Veteran
I use a spotmeter for slides.
My spotmeter has a "highlight" and a "shadow" button. I normally meter a highlight and hit the highlight button. I usually take some other readings for comparison, as well. I do this mainly with medium format cameras that don't have a good built-in meter.
I use an incident meter for portraiture, sometimes even resorting to a flat disc diffuser.
I think it depends on what you're used to, because any kind of metering will work if you use it correctly. I've been shooting slides since 1972, and I learned to expose accurately with the then-state-of-the-art TTL averaging metering in my first SLR. When I used compact RFs for travel, I used the same metering techniques I had used with the SLRs, resulting in perfectly exposed slides. When I shoot 35mm today, I still use the averaging meters built into my older cameras.
- Murray
My spotmeter has a "highlight" and a "shadow" button. I normally meter a highlight and hit the highlight button. I usually take some other readings for comparison, as well. I do this mainly with medium format cameras that don't have a good built-in meter.
I use an incident meter for portraiture, sometimes even resorting to a flat disc diffuser.
I think it depends on what you're used to, because any kind of metering will work if you use it correctly. I've been shooting slides since 1972, and I learned to expose accurately with the then-state-of-the-art TTL averaging metering in my first SLR. When I used compact RFs for travel, I used the same metering techniques I had used with the SLRs, resulting in perfectly exposed slides. When I shoot 35mm today, I still use the averaging meters built into my older cameras.
- Murray
randy stewart
Established
Meter choice
Meter choice
If you want a broad area reflective meter, there are hundreds to choose from, new and old. In selecting, choose one which takes a AAA or AA battery - cheap and easy to find wherever you go. If you want a spotmeter, get a used Minolta Spot F or Spot M, again making sure that if a Spot M, it takes a AA/AAA battery. The early versions of it take a 6 volt silver oxide matter - not cheap; not drugstore inventory. Incident? Probably the cheap, basic Sekonic others mentioned. Do Not get a Gossen Digisix - it is expensive and a total dog.
Meter choice
If you want a broad area reflective meter, there are hundreds to choose from, new and old. In selecting, choose one which takes a AAA or AA battery - cheap and easy to find wherever you go. If you want a spotmeter, get a used Minolta Spot F or Spot M, again making sure that if a Spot M, it takes a AA/AAA battery. The early versions of it take a 6 volt silver oxide matter - not cheap; not drugstore inventory. Incident? Probably the cheap, basic Sekonic others mentioned. Do Not get a Gossen Digisix - it is expensive and a total dog.
Steve M.
Veteran
Hopefully after a year and a half the op has found a meter to use.
Not sure why they wanted to use the zone system anyway, as that is primarily for sheet film. I hear people that say they use it for roll film, which prompts me to ask the question....why? Sure, each shot can certainly be metered differently depending on the subject and light, but on the developing end, you are either going to push every frame or pull every frame. So much for a zone system.
Besides, given the wide exposure latitude of B&W film, you don't always need to be perfect in metering (other than you really don't want to underexpose if you can help it). Developing and printing can resolve a lot of issues. Even if you are shooting slides, your choice of meter is not as important as understanding the light you have that day. Any decent meter will work fine if you know how to use it. The zone system was developed for LF shooters who took a long time to set up their shots and could calculate how they wanted the exposure to go. That isn't really how you would shoot a hand held roll film camera.
Not sure why they wanted to use the zone system anyway, as that is primarily for sheet film. I hear people that say they use it for roll film, which prompts me to ask the question....why? Sure, each shot can certainly be metered differently depending on the subject and light, but on the developing end, you are either going to push every frame or pull every frame. So much for a zone system.
Besides, given the wide exposure latitude of B&W film, you don't always need to be perfect in metering (other than you really don't want to underexpose if you can help it). Developing and printing can resolve a lot of issues. Even if you are shooting slides, your choice of meter is not as important as understanding the light you have that day. Any decent meter will work fine if you know how to use it. The zone system was developed for LF shooters who took a long time to set up their shots and could calculate how they wanted the exposure to go. That isn't really how you would shoot a hand held roll film camera.
narsuitus
Well-known
There are some zone system shooters who use multiple roll film backs to handle situations where there is a great difference in scene contrast. For example, one back could be devoted to shooting low-contrast scenes, a second back could be devoted to shooting normal contrast scenes, and a third back could be devoted to shooting high-contrast scenes. This allows the shooter to develop the roll film in each back differently. This is similar to the way a large format zone system shooter develops each sheet differently.
chipgreenberg
Well-known
Cine Meter ll
Cine Meter ll
I just started using the Cine Meter ll. Unlike my free iPhone apps is lets me zoom in making the spot reading a pretty good narrow spot. Not sure just what degree it comes in at. So far so good.
Cine Meter ll
I just started using the Cine Meter ll. Unlike my free iPhone apps is lets me zoom in making the spot reading a pretty good narrow spot. Not sure just what degree it comes in at. So far so good.