Light Meters/Zone V

[P3D <GCCampos@xxxxxxx>]

[This message may have contained graphics created by a Magic Cap device on
America Online.]

I use to think that If I took the time to point my inherited General Electric
light meter at something and then set my camera to whatever it said, my
pictures would turn out.  Not so (save for the wonderful latitude of print
film).  
First of all, as with many older light meters, the ASA setting on the meter
is not the same as the ASA that film is rated at today.   For old GE meters,
 ASA 100 film corresponds to ASA 125  on the meter,  and 400 film is 500 on
the meter.  Secondly,  If I point the meter at an object and set my camera to
watever it tells me to, that object will end up having a little darker shade
of grey than a plastic film case cap (Whether the original object was very
dark or very light).  
In other words, all the light meter can tell me is, "set your camera to this
setting if you want the object you're pointing me at to look medium grey, the
same as an %18 grey card, zone five."  
So now I know, that if I point my light meter at a bright snow wall and want
it to look bright white, about zone 8.5,  in my picture, I have to adjust my
camera by 3.5 stops (from f/16 to f/5, or from 1/500 of a second to 1/50)
from what the meter says.  Likewise, if I point my meter closely at a dark
brown tree trunk, and want it to look the same, I'd have to adjust my camera
about two stops the other way.

Please forgive me if this is wasted space, but I would have saved lots of
film had I understood this years ago.

Please correct me if I've made errors. 

Grant Campos

PS. For an excellent interactive online ZONE system lessons check out 
http://www.cicada.com/pub/photo/zs/



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