Slide/Transperancy film on Leica M2

[abhishek@1985]

Hi Friends,

After I receive my newlyCLA-ed leica from Youxin , I am planning to buy a 50mm summicron and try out slide/transperancy films.

I have 3 packs of Fuji provia 100 available which i would like to use.
However, concerned about the light meter. I use a Sekonic twinmate till date and its quite good for B&W but not sure for slide/transperancy.I always take reflected light reading and use the same.

What do you suggest and how should I use the light meter? If you have any other suggestions please provide...

 

[Gareth Rees]

Use incident light readings from subject position or identical lighting.
Have fun
regards
Gareth

 

[abhishek@1985]

Hi Gareth, thanks for the info. Just want to know how do I use incident light meter reading from the subject's position.

Is it that I slide the meter to cover on the meter lens to give me incident light reading and then just point it to the camera? Really can't imagine how else can I do it?

What about the reflected light reading? Can't i use it but ofcourse reading will be too approximate I think for a color slide film..

 

[anjoca76]

I have an M2 and shoot slides with it all the time--as recently as this morning, in fact. I usually have a Leicameter on it (MR-4), which is quite accurate, but to be honest, I just as often use the lightmeter app on my iPhone, which works like a charm.

 

[hausen]

I use Velvia on my M6 + Rolleiflex all the time. I prefer to use a spotmeter. Pick the darkest and pick the lightest spot and then see if you can fit exposure in the limited DR of slide film. Works well for me.

 

[Sylvester]

Incident light reading doesn't need exposure compensation depending on the colour of the subject. Incident light measurement is measuring the amount of light that falls on the subject, so whatever the subject is, your exposure will be more precise than reflected light reading.
Incident light reading is calculating the ambiant light, so you have one exposure for a moment and you'll be settled for a part of the day, whatever the subject.
If you meter reflected light from a white t-shirt, you're likely going to underexpose. You'd overexpose from a black t-shirt. The meter averages for the medium gray.
Incident light meters aren't affected by that. It is rather useful when you shoot slides, since you have about no exposure latitude.

 

[Gareth Rees]

Hi abhishek@1985
You asked..."Just want to know how do I use incident light meter reading from the subject's position.

Is it that I slide the meter to cover on the meter lens to give me incident light reading and then just point it to the camera? Really can't imagine how else can I do it?"

Yes, slide the white cover over and point from the subject position towards the camera.
With strong side lighting you can take two readings, one straight towards the camera and the other at the light source and average the readings. Or take reading on a line bisecting the subject/camera axis and the subject/light axis.

With slide film you want the exposure keyed to the highlights, which is what incident (artificial highlight) light readings do.
Sylvester explains the problems with reflected readings.

regards
Gareth

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I have taken thousands of slides/photo's using P&S cameras. No problems provided you use a bit of common sense when the light is strong from the side, or there's white shirts or bridal gowns, as has been said. And use spot metering or over expose by 1 or 2 stops when pointing into the sun.

With the M2 and its meter on the top plate you need to point the meter down for landscapes, otherwise the sky will fool the meter. I think readings taken from grass are usually spot on. And incident light readings are not really possible for landscapes but easy for portraits.

And don't forget the lens hood.

The last slide film I used was in an Olympus mju-II and I had no problems with it. And I've taken hundreds of slides with the Olympus XA and XA2, both of which have average metering and I adjust the film speed setting on the XA2 for contre-jour (and usually remember to un-adjust it afterwards).

Regards, David

 

[thegman]

I used to use a Sekonic Twinmate with my Hasselblad to shoot slide film, never had a problem just pointing it at my subject and using it's readings.

Obviously if you have a very contrasty scene, the range might be too much for slide film. However, slide film isn't *that* bad for fussiness with exposure. I used to just point and shoot my Zeiss Ikon in AE mode with Velvia, always seemed fine.

If you've got time to do incident reading in highlight/shadow areas, fine, but I've always winged it a bit and been happy with my results.