Meterless RFs

[calebk]

Hi guys, I'm sure a lot of you out there are using RFs with no built in meter. I currently use a R-3A but have never used AE when shooting so I can definitely live without AE. However, I've found that I'm still not quite accurate with guessing exposure, and often have to fall back on checking the meter on my Bessa.

How do you guys shoot with older RFs such as the M4 that don't have a built in meter?

 

[anadivine]

Hi guys, I'm sure a lot of you out there are using RFs with no built in meter. I currently use a R-3A but have never used AE when shooting so I can definitely live without AE. However, I've found that I'm still not quite accurate with guessing exposure, and often have to fall back on checking the meter on my Bessa.

How do you guys shoot with older RFs such as the M4 that don't have a built in meter?

check this site out. pretty much sums up http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm

 

[adamadam]

Use external incident meter

 

[hacknet]

practice practice practice, its really not that hard..

 

[NazgulKing]

practice practice practice, its really not that hard..

:thumbsup:

It took me a while to get a hang of metering on a film camera, and SIR dankwan passed me this link which I found was useful: http://www.normankoren.com/zonesystem.html


I would say I'm more comfortable with metering now, than before. ;p

 

[Royale With Cheese]

Hi guys, I'm sure a lot of you out there are using RFs with no built in meter. I currently use a R-3A but have never used AE when shooting so I can definitely live without AE. However, I've found that I'm still not quite accurate with guessing exposure, and often have to fall back on checking the meter on my Bessa.

How do you guys shoot with older RFs such as the M4 that don't have a built in meter?

Its loads & loads of practice really, experience as well.

My meter-less M2, when I first started out, was quite a chore. I was seriously dependent on my Hexar RF, meters, AE, self winding etc.

when I shoot on the M2 initially, you would prob see me pressing the exposure meter every 5 mins. These days, I just meter once, hang the meter around my neck & go around & keep shooting, plus or minus one stop depending on shadow area.
or if there is a really good shot, I would meter it just to be sure.

Its easier to judge light in the day as its pretty constant except when you go under the building, its prob 1 or 2 stops really.

But for night shoots, I still dependent on my hand held spot meter quite a lot or just change over to my Hexar which does the metering job for me then I can fully concentrate on shooting.

 

[Scandiacus]

I prefer to shoot with a handheld meter even though my Canonet has shutter priority (which I don't use anyway).

Like what Gary said, I will meter every now and then when I started out with a RF and my friend lent me his lightmeter, when I step into shade, get out of shade, etc.

 

[raytoei]

here are some ways I improve on self-metering:

* I make notes of all my development and the roll in general

* I use B&W so that I can always correct during development or in photoshop

* I use Sunny 16. And using a useful tip read here in CS, I automatically open up 3 stops in the shade (from outside exposure)

* Indoor, normal lighting under ISO 400 is around 2.8 and 1/30 plus or minus a stop.

That's it. Other than that, is to shoot more, make notes, adjust as you go along.

Here's a tricky shot, if i shoot this as 16f then the shade would be too dark, if I shoot for the shade, the outside would blow. In the end, I opted to expose for the outside at 16f and open up 3 stops to 5.6f. The background was still "blown" so I use Photoshop to "burn" the highlights a bit. The film is Agfa APX100, souped in Rodinal for 40 mins.

raytoei

 

[dacteo]

here are some ways I improve on self-metering:

* I make notes of all my development and the roll in general

* I use B&W so that I can always correct during development or in photoshop

* I use Sunny 16. And using a useful tip read here in CS, I automatically open up 3 stops in the shade (from outside exposure)

* Indoor, normal lighting under ISO 400 is around 2.8 and 1/30 plus or minus a stop.

That's it. Other than that, is to shoot more, make notes, adjust as you go along.

Here's a tricky shot, if i shoot this as 16f then the shade would be too dark, if I shoot for the shade, the outside would blow. In the end, I opted to expose for the outside at 16f and open up 3 stops to 5.6f. The background was still "blown" so I use Photoshop to "burn" the highlights a bit. The film is Agfa APX100, souped in Rodinal for 40 mins.

raytoei

i think making notes is real important. need to start a habit on keeping track as I shoot and then forget abt what settings i had shoot on. Or I just leave it on AE mode and then either i get something too dark or blown out :embrass:

nice picture u did there to save the picture.

 

[jonmanjiro]

i think making notes is real important.

agreed. it certainly speeds up the learning curve. i try to do it all the time, but am too lazy :sweat:

 

[mamypoko]

Practice makes perfect, although I still do carry my meter around just in case.

 

[Royale With Cheese]

agreed. it certainly speeds up the learning curve. i try to do it all the time, but am too lazy :sweat:

too many things to shoot in Tokyo, not like Singapore :cry:

If I was shooting in Tokyo, I'll be busy taking the numbers from the ladies rather than taking down notes on the film! heehehe

 

[jonmanjiro]

too many things to shoot in Tokyo, not like Singapore :cry:

If I was shooting in Tokyo, I'll be busy taking the numbers from the ladies rather than taking down notes on the film! heehehe

well, the ladies can certainly be a distraction, but the biggest distraction in tokyo is all those used camera shops

 

[Cactus jACK]

How do you guys shoot with older RFs such as the M4 that don't have a built in meter?

... I'll be busy taking the numbers from the ladies rather than taking down notes on the film! heehehe

... but the biggest distraction in tokyo is all those used camera shops

just note that AE mode can be very misleading as well, if you don't understanding what it is metering. you may actually want +/- 1 to 2 EV from ther camera reading for your subject to be correctly exposed.

similar to that, shooting without a built-in light meter is also about taking a reference point (e.g. light meter / sunny16), understanding it, and adjusting from there.

as for problems RWC and jon brought up... no cure / immunisation for those... :sweat:

 

[calebk]

just note that AE mode can be very misleading as well, if you don't understanding what it is metering. you may actually want +/- 1 to 2 EV from ther camera reading for your subject to be correctly exposed.

similar to that, shooting without a built-in light meter is also about taking a reference point (e.g. light meter / sunny16), understanding it, and adjusting from there.

I can get more or less good results with my Bessa's built in meter as I mostly try and meter off something close to 18% grey that's receiving similar light as the subject. Of course, that's not completely foolproof but it works in a pinch.

When I try and estimate my exposure, I usually have a 50% hit rate. When I miss, I usually err by a stop either way, which isn't too bad, except I'm pushing film regularly (I shoot TX at EI 1000-1250 and develop for 1600), and that means less room for error. I'm thinking with a bit of practice I might get good enough to only rely on the meter as an initial reference point. I think estimating exposure is a good skill to learn because it doesn't just apply to shooting film.