Orange, red filters and TTL auto exposure

ymc226

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I'm going to use yellow, orange and red filters on B&W (film and eventual Leica M Monochrom) and was wondering if when using auto exposure on the MP, M7 or MM, TTL metering would be adequate or if exposure compensation would have to be used for the darker orange and red filters.
 
I'm going to use yellow, orange and red filters on B&W (film and eventual Leica M Monochrom) and was wondering if when using auto exposure on the MP, M7 or MM, TTL metering would be adequate or if exposure compensation would have to be used for the darker orange and red filters.

For a digital camera with live metering, no compensation will be needed. With film cameras, it will depend on the film used and sometimes on the colours in the scenery and illumination.
 
Be careful, Chris101 said that CdS meters are over sensitive to red and probably orange too (and I agree, maybe 2 stops). So, I would either use a hand meter with the ISO lowered by the stops of the filter factor. Or set the camera to a lower ISO, but do your tests to figure how much. The last method will likely give you a much different decrease in ISO. One last method (if darker sky is what you are after) would be to forget the red and orange filters and get a movable polarizing filter. This would require some on/off filter practice on the rangefinder, but you could use the TTL meter.
 
In general you should be 'close enough" with your in-camera metering and filters. If you are more precision oriented then testing is a good idea. As said above, there are technical differences in meters filters, and film... all of which cause some deviation. But for many, if not most, situation you might find that deviation to be negligible.
 
Be careful, Chris101 said that CdS meters are over sensitive to red and probably orange too (and I agree, maybe 2 stops). So, I would either use a hand meter with the ISO lowered by the stops of the filter factor.

Don't know about orange filters, but the above is very true for red filters (R25) and my M6 (classic). I meter hand-held when using this combo. With yellow filters (K8) I meter TTL but still need to compensate ISO by 1 stop.
 
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