shayallen
Established
I tried to search for this with no luck... I want to learn to use my M7 without my light meter and without using Auto. Are there any web sites or books that would help me to learn how to really use my camera? Thanks
How do I learn to use my M7 without lightmeter?
- Thread starter shayallen
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 48
- Views 4K
JRG
Well-known
Did you search for "Sunny 16" ?
shayallen
Established
It gives me this???
"The search term you specified (16) is under the minimum word length (3) and therefore will not be found. Please make this term longer.
If this term contains a wildcard, please make this term more specific."
"The search term you specified (16) is under the minimum word length (3) and therefore will not be found. Please make this term longer.
If this term contains a wildcard, please make this term more specific."
efkbl
Established
You can have a look at this thread:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34642
An use the sunny 16 rule during the day when you''re out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunny_16
B&W film is quite forgiving, using a meter is not necessary most of the time.
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34642
An use the sunny 16 rule during the day when you''re out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunny_16
B&W film is quite forgiving, using a meter is not necessary most of the time.
Hultstrom
Member
Shayalen,
Sunny 16 (f/16 in direct sun light at 1/ISO seconds), is a good rule but what will show in the end is how well you learn to handle changes in light beyond the sunny, and the different levels of contrast you will encounter. To some degree this is film dependent and not camera dependent. So what you need to do is to choose a film, and then shoot lots and lots of film. Only then can you learn what exposure you need for different kinds of light, and how you should develop the resulting negatives.
/M
Sunny 16 (f/16 in direct sun light at 1/ISO seconds), is a good rule but what will show in the end is how well you learn to handle changes in light beyond the sunny, and the different levels of contrast you will encounter. To some degree this is film dependent and not camera dependent. So what you need to do is to choose a film, and then shoot lots and lots of film. Only then can you learn what exposure you need for different kinds of light, and how you should develop the resulting negatives.
/M
shayallen
Established
Thanks for the info... I have decided to use Tri-X 400 and I also have an Olympus OM-1 on the way because of that darn thread! Would it be the same for different cameras? I read Chris weeks pdf on street photography and he was describing a way to praticice by reading the light on my hand and then use the cameras meter. I did not completely understand???
Roger Hicks
Veteran
Guess the exposure.
Set it.
Check the exposure against the meter.
You'll be amazed at how fast you learn to guess accurately.
Tashi delek,
R.
Set it.
Check the exposure against the meter.
You'll be amazed at how fast you learn to guess accurately.
Tashi delek,
R.
George S.
How many is enough?
It will be the same for all modern cameras built in the past 50 or so years that have the standard shutter speed and f-stop values. What will affect your exposures will be the film speed since 1/125 at f4 with ISO 400 film is different than 1/125 at f4 with ISO 100 film. So if you pick 1 film speed to stay with in the beginning- your chosen speed of 400 is good to start with- you should learn fast.
Do a Google or Yahoo or whatever search engine you have search for "Sunny 16 exposure method" and you'll get what you need.
Do a Google or Yahoo or whatever search engine you have search for "Sunny 16 exposure method" and you'll get what you need.
Beemermark
Veteran
Take the battery out and use the two manual speeds - 125 & 60 I think. Why you would want to do this is beyond me. Either that or you could trade me the M7 for my M4.
NathanJD
Well-known
There's a website that explains how to estimate exposure without a meter the link is as follows:
http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm
i want to point out that exposing without a meter will always be guess work - the fact that Leica cameras and similar older cameras only deal in whole stops makes the process that much easier as you don't have to be as accurate as you would with having to worry about 1/2 and 1/3 stops.
you will find that most people here when shooting important things will 'bracket' the shot by shooting another shot of the same thing one stop higher and one stop lower than what they estimate the correct exposure is just to make sure they get the shot they want.
Learning how to expose properly is a fully certified learning process and you should expect to have to get to know your film and work on your technique - you're unlikely to get it straight away so practise practise practise!
It was this very same PDF that lead me onto the path of rangefinders and street photography and it sounds like your thought process works very similarly to mine.
My best advice is to print out those tables from that link on a pocket size piece of paper and carry them around referring to them as you need to and eventually you will find yourself trusting your guesses a lot more and achieving good exposure more often until you finally crack that nut 🙂 it’s no fool proof process but with sunny 16 in your head too you should find yourself becoming as one with your camera sooner than you may think.
Best of luck!!
http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm
i want to point out that exposing without a meter will always be guess work - the fact that Leica cameras and similar older cameras only deal in whole stops makes the process that much easier as you don't have to be as accurate as you would with having to worry about 1/2 and 1/3 stops.
you will find that most people here when shooting important things will 'bracket' the shot by shooting another shot of the same thing one stop higher and one stop lower than what they estimate the correct exposure is just to make sure they get the shot they want.
Learning how to expose properly is a fully certified learning process and you should expect to have to get to know your film and work on your technique - you're unlikely to get it straight away so practise practise practise!
It was this very same PDF that lead me onto the path of rangefinders and street photography and it sounds like your thought process works very similarly to mine.
My best advice is to print out those tables from that link on a pocket size piece of paper and carry them around referring to them as you need to and eventually you will find yourself trusting your guesses a lot more and achieving good exposure more often until you finally crack that nut 🙂 it’s no fool proof process but with sunny 16 in your head too you should find yourself becoming as one with your camera sooner than you may think.
Best of luck!!
Last edited:
Jamie123
Veteran
It's probably a good idea to learn how to use your camera without lightmeter and auto but that does not mean that you should go on doing it (at least not permanently). The in-camera lightmeter and auto-exposure are useful tools and they are about 50% of your camera's worth. Learn to understand how they work and then use them to your advantage.
PS: The first thing you have to understand is that you don't have to change your camera settings for every shot you take even if the meter tells you to. If the light stays the same your exposure setting can remain the same.
PS: The first thing you have to understand is that you don't have to change your camera settings for every shot you take even if the meter tells you to. If the light stays the same your exposure setting can remain the same.
shayallen
Established
Thanks for the info guys I have a lot to think about...
mojobebop
Well-known
untitled
untitled
go out w/out film/or with film-or indoors.
start w/the sunny rule.
learn how light changes.
usually in the sun it's pretty consistent.
shade also.
tho there are degrees.
you just test yourself.
it becomes second nature after awhile.
tho on occasion i'd make really big errors.
usually going into a room from outside.
untitled
go out w/out film/or with film-or indoors.
start w/the sunny rule.
learn how light changes.
usually in the sun it's pretty consistent.
shade also.
tho there are degrees.
you just test yourself.
it becomes second nature after awhile.
tho on occasion i'd make really big errors.
usually going into a room from outside.
Chris101
summicronia
How can this possibly have helped? Almost every answer contradicted all the others.
sepiareverb
genius and moron
Isn't that the point of asking a question here?
hlockwood
Well-known
Well, you've gotten a lot of advice, some of it contradictory. Here's my two cents: The meter on the M7 is very accurate, so why not use it? If there is difficult lighting, take a reading from a "gray" area and dial that in manually. Otherwise, I think you're wasting one of the principal advantages of the M7, AP-AE.
Harry
Chris101
summicronia
I guess it is. And after 3 or 4 pages, a consensus will start to form. But until one learns who to listen to, and who to consider comedic relief, then figuring out the real answer to a question like this is difficult.
The last time I asked a serious question here, it was about a broken CV lens. I was pointed to a website with step by step instructions. This question isn't like that though, because shooting without a meter is much more of a holistic, zen kinda thing.
Ya look at the light, you set the dials, then feel the film. If it feels like it's getting too much light, or too little, reset the dials. Repeat until it feels right, then push the button.
That's what I do anyway.
sepiareverb
genius and moron
I tell students to guess the exposure based on what they see, then meter and check themselves. Next time, guess based on what you see and you learned the last time. You get better at it the more you do it. I still do this nearly all the time, and I'm pretty good at guessing within a half a stop in my regular locations.
The M7 will give you very accurate exposures, but isn't my first choice for battery-free working.
The M7 will give you very accurate exposures, but isn't my first choice for battery-free working.
shayallen
Established
I like what Roger said a lot and also what other people have offered... So my plan is to read all the information and pages people have suggested try a few of the ideas and see what makes the most sense to me as I go along. I would like to use the M7 for a while then upgrade to am MP and try to pick up another Leica body without a light meter along the way like an M4 or something. I really love this Forum and have been reading everything for some time now! Thanks
maddoc
... likes film again.
The only thing I would add to Roger's very good advice is to do what Chris Weeks suggested, take a note of every (!!) exposure, shutter-speed, aperture, lens used. Do this for some time, let's say 50 films or so (2 month). This way you can more easily track down exposure errors and you will learn a lot.
