Re: Light meters - end of story?

[P3D Don Chaps <dchaps@xxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 31 May 1996, P3D Dr. George A. Themelis wrote:

>  The 3.5 maximum
> aperture of many stereo cameras is between 2.8 and 4.
>  
> 
On many older cameras, f3.5 is just f4 with a press agent. ;)

At the risk of having my photographic manhood impugned (sp?) I'm going to 
join Greg in recommending a light meter. If the light is changing 
rapidly, I'll take a shot based on experience then meter and reshoot. 
I'll even go a couple steps farther and tell newbies (who want to learn)-

1. Get a 1 degree spotmeter. Get Ansel's books or other books on the zone 
system. Play with the meter until you not only can meter a scene quickly, 
but also know where the bright and dark areas will fall on your film's 
exposure range.
2. take a general reading or use the sunny16 rule and always carry your 
camera ready to shoot. If the light changes reset the camera. You'll not 
only get many shots you would've otherwise missed, but it'll help you 
develop that elusive feel for light and exposure.
3. Get a 'shutter chart' for your camera (a chart showing what your 
shutter speeds really are). If you are using a leaf shuttered camera, 
make sure the chart shows more than 1 aperture for each shutter speed. 
You're going to be surprised when you see the difference between the 
measured apparent shutter speed at f4 and at f16.
4. Any flames - send them to Greg, he takes it so well and I break out 
crying.


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