Re: Filter/Speed/Meter & DON'T meter using a Nikon Camera

["Rolland Elliott" <rolland_elliott@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Re: Filter/Speed/Meter & DON'T meter using a Nikon Camera
“try just shooting some HIE as described in the inserted literature
nice bright day w/ puffy clouds and sun behind you (some time other than 
high-noon) “

BORING! I totally agree that the above method will work. I also think too 
many IR photographers use it as a crutch and restrict their creative 
potential because they only know how to meter under one lighting condition.

By making a corrected IR light meter one can avoid the cliché by being 
confident with their exposures under different lighting conditions. That’s 
why I took off the IR block filter to my Nikon N90s a couple of months ago. 
It’s IR exposure accuracy is now something I rely on instead of half 
trusting.

Also, For the person who tested the Nikon F1 nad F2’s meters to try to prove 
they are sensitive to IR light you may very well be correct, however, I 
would like to point out the following:

1) The F1 uses CDS metering cells not SPD like you claim. The two different 
metering cells have very different light sensitivities and characteristics. 
The first two Prisims for the F2 also used CDS cells; it was not until the 
DP3 that Nikon switched to SPD cells. It should also be noted that all the 
Nikkormats used CDS cells.

2) The F1 is about 40 years old, and the F2 is about 30 years old. 
Technology has come a long way since then.  If you ever have the opportunity 
to look at a modern IR block filter under IR illumination, it is virtually 
black and very effcient at blocking IR light.

All the Nikon N series(N50-N90s), FM/FE series and F100, F3-F5 cameras use 
SPD cells which require IR block filters for correct visible light metering. 
Actually there are a couple of exceptions, the F5 uses a 1005 pixel CCD, but 
this metering system also requires a IR block filter.  The FM uses some sort 
of Gallium diode. Don’t know if the FM uses an IR block filter.

3) Your tests were rather unscientific. You didn’t take apart the prisims to 
see if they actually had an IR block filter and you didn’t even know what 
kind of metering system they used.  I think CDS’s are less sensitive to IR 
light so the F1 and F2 may very well not even have an IR block filter, I’m 
not sure since I've never used a camera with a CDS. Hardly anyone uses these 
cameras so it’s a rather mute point. The only one’s I’ve seen are on 
collector’s shelves.

Basically it boils down to this. You can try to meter IR light though a 
filter that blocks IR light, but it is not very logical to do so. I’ve been 
doing it for the past several years and it seems to work well for bright 
sunny conditions. However, for anything but bright sunny conditions removing 
the IR blocking filter from your Nikon will give you much more accurate 
exposures. However this basiclaly requires dedicating a camera to IR 
photography which most people probably don’t want to do.

Peace, Rolland



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