P3D Re: To Meter or Not to Meter

["Dr. George A. Themelis" <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Andra writes:
 
>Maybe Dr. T would be so kind as to post his "Sunny 16 and beyond" scale 
>once again, to show how easy it is to take great pics when you do not 
>have access to a light meter.

OK, here it is.  Note that this is NOT my scale.  I have borrowed it from
the "Harris Photoguide" which comes with a turning wheel (like a light
meter but made from paper) that allows you to set the film speed and
select any combinations of aperture & shutter speed.  But the information
is "common knowledge".  It does not belong to anyone in specific.

I have "personalized" the scale for 100 ASA film.  If you use a film
of different speed, then the "sunny day" setting (marked by zero - 0)
should be f16 @ 1/ASA.  For example, using Kodacrhome 25, the sunny
day setting becomes f16 @ 1/25, or BETTER, f8 @ 1/100 (this setting
will eliminate the possiblity of camera shake and also eliminate
vignetting in Realist 3.5 cameras!)  I have given priority to higher
shutter speeds.  There is plenty of depth of field at f8 with Realist's
35 mm lenses!

**

For most stereo cameras and 100 ASA film, follow the DrT rule :-):
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
+1 1/150 @ f16  sand or snow under bright sun
 0 1/100 @ f16  *sunny day rule* (front bright sunlight, distinct shdws)
-1 1/100 @ f11  hazy sun, soft shadows, side lighting
-2 1/100 @ f8   cloudy & no shadows, sunset w/sun, moon
-3 1/50  @ f8   heavy overcast, bright shade
-4 1/50  @ f5.6 dark shade, twilight at sunset
-5 1/25  @ f5.6 Skyline just after sunset, tree shade
   ** Limit of hand-holding, use tripod for the following **
-6 1/5  @ f8    N. window light, forest shade, shows w/carbon-arc sptlght
-7 1/2  @ f8    Brightly illuminated offices, store windows, sport events
-8 1    @ f8    Minimum office illum., city streets, stage shows avg.lig.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I borrowed the low light situations from "Harris Photoguide" for Existing
Light, copyright 1989.

-- George Themelis

PS. I think most errors are in overestimating the amount of light
    present.  For example, who might have thought that the proper
    exposure for "forest shade" is six stops below sunny day...


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