Light Meter

[PhotoTime]

Hi,

I recently got a Yashica Mat LM. Still trying to get used to the camera. I am wondering how shall I use the Light meter on the camera. For a scene of bright background, do I need to overexpose the shot, so that it will be as what we see? How about dark background? What should I do with high contrast scene?

Please advise. Thanks.

Regards.

 

[raytoei]

Unfortunately, while a bright background needs an over-exposure of 1.5 to 2 stops, you didn't say how bright the background was.

I would suggest that you bracket your shots +/- 1 stop as well.

If you shoot B&W and you scan your results, then it is relatively easy to fix the error in Photoshop.

cheers!

raytoei

 

[PhotoTime]

Thanks for the reply.

Let me rephrase my questions. I am using FM2n at the moment, therefore, it is doing the metering based on the light enters the camera, and it is center weighted metering. With the Yashica Mat Light meter, it is taking the ambience light available. So what is the changes that I need to adapt in order to take well exposed photos?

If I am taking portrait under the shade, shall I need to do some compensation? I presume that I am taking photos under bright sunlight, with reflective surrounding, I still need to overexpose by 1.5 to 2 stops?

I know that with B&W or colour negative, I am still able to do some compensation during the second stage of printing or post processing. I prefer slides, as it gives a better color.

Regards.

 

[Nick-T]

The issue is that the meter is reading the light falling on the camera not the subject.. If you are standing in the same light as the subject (ie on a cloudy day in the open) then the meter will give a useful reading. If however you are standing in the sun and your model is in the shade you will get a dark image as the meter is giving you an exposure based on where the camera is. The most accurate (but tiresome) way to work would be to stand right next to the model, take a reading then use that exposure to shoot with.,
Hope that helps
Nick-T

 

[nelson-tan]

Nick is right. The light meter for the Yashica is just like the one in your FM2n - both calculate reflected light readings, so both can be misled by exceptionally bright or dark backgrounds and you should compensate accordingly (the exact degree depends on your experience with your equipment).

The only difference is that the FM2n's reflected light meter works through the lens, so it compensates for any use of filters or light loss through a variable-aperture zoom. But since your Yashica has a standard prime lens, you only need to compensate for use of filters that incur light loss.

If you're using an incident light meter, then there is no need for any compensation because it reads the light that falls onto the subject, so it disregards the reflectivity of the subject and/or the background. I have a Rolleiflex with light meter, but I still use an incident meter whenever possible for better accuracy. A small Sekonic light meter will cost you a couple of hundred dollars, but you can use for any light metering, including flash metering in the studio.

If you'd like to know a bit more about incident meters, feel free to check out http://www.nelsontan.com/tutorialspage/lightNexposure.html