My little theory on exposure

[wdenies]

Boys,
what a discussion.(I like this)
I simply wanted to explain the shortcomings of external light meters to newcomers.
In 90% the multi point build-in light meters of modern camera's do a great job.
The "hand" method (for blank people) is a good replacement for the incidence metering. In many occasions I applied it with success.
My use of the zone system: control over the contrast

Newcomers,
perform the tests I propose, this will give you an insight in the problem.

Digitals, use the histogram!

Over and out

Wim

 

[siverta]

My Bessa R2 almost never "misses" an exposure, but there are sometimes that seem to confuse the cameras meter. For example, large shadow areas (clouds) and scattered highlights (sun breaking through the clouds). Often the highlights are blown way out.

As the lazy person I am, I forget to bracket and so on - lost in the photographic moment.
But if I meter the shadows and then the higlights and choose an average between these, my exposure will give good rendering of shadows and highlights as my theory was (according to what you've all written). Thanks to all you guys I am eager to try it out! The idea started as just an mindboggeling experiment.

Too bad that it's been a crap summer here in Norway, and the sun almost never comes through the rainy clouds and scares away the cold.

It has been inspiring to read what you all have written. I tried, some years back, to ask a similar question in a norwegian photoforum (the question was what happens if one photographs a negative film with a negative film), and got a grumpy response that I should do a search on the forum.

Thank you all very much! =)

Sivert

 

[wdenies]

The Belgian summer is as good as the Scandinavian.