andephotographic
Suspended / Banned
- Messages
- 400
- Name
- Andrew
- Edit My Images
- No
So I got the bargain Mamiya and shot a roll of film through it and it seems that my metering hasn't been as great as it could have been as some of the exposures are a bit off, mostly the negs are a bit thin so I have under exposed.
The fact that the lens was jammed at f2.8 probably wont have helped as I was using shutter speed alone to alter my exposures (I have another lens coming) but I think my use of my two Weston meters need brushing up on. I'm used to using the built in meter in my DSLRs which given that I have a D200 and D3 are so goo they have spoiled me really. I usually use these in either spot or matrix mode.
The meters I have are a Weston Master II and a Weston master V.
I have an invercone which fits the V but I tend to use the II as it's a bit more retro and nicer to use and I don't really use the invercone anyway, I usually take a reflected reading so don't need it.
It seems to me that taking reflected readings would be the easiest/best way for me to work as I am often photographing subjects whom I cannot approach and hold a meter up to.
I think my main problem with using the Weston meters is that they 'see' quite wide so if you have some highlight or a light source at the edge or even outside of the camera's field of view then this is included in the metering.
One of my tutors today showed me a technique with a Sekonic meter where you take a reflected reading from very close to a mid grey and use these values and I wonder if I could carry a mid grey card with me so that I can position this relative to my Weston meter so that it is all it is 'seeing' and use this value?
I could buy myself a Sekonic or similar but if I can use the nice old Weston's I have I'd prefer to do so. I don't do much studio work so the flash metering capabilities of the Sekonic don't attract me.
Are there any techniques you use that you think would be helpful to me?
Yes I could carry one of my DSLRs and a lens equiv to what will be on the Mamiya to take test images to judge exposure by but I'd rather avoid this, the 645 is bulky enough without having to carry a second camera too!
The fact that the lens was jammed at f2.8 probably wont have helped as I was using shutter speed alone to alter my exposures (I have another lens coming) but I think my use of my two Weston meters need brushing up on. I'm used to using the built in meter in my DSLRs which given that I have a D200 and D3 are so goo they have spoiled me really. I usually use these in either spot or matrix mode.
The meters I have are a Weston Master II and a Weston master V.
I have an invercone which fits the V but I tend to use the II as it's a bit more retro and nicer to use and I don't really use the invercone anyway, I usually take a reflected reading so don't need it.
It seems to me that taking reflected readings would be the easiest/best way for me to work as I am often photographing subjects whom I cannot approach and hold a meter up to.
I think my main problem with using the Weston meters is that they 'see' quite wide so if you have some highlight or a light source at the edge or even outside of the camera's field of view then this is included in the metering.
One of my tutors today showed me a technique with a Sekonic meter where you take a reflected reading from very close to a mid grey and use these values and I wonder if I could carry a mid grey card with me so that I can position this relative to my Weston meter so that it is all it is 'seeing' and use this value?
I could buy myself a Sekonic or similar but if I can use the nice old Weston's I have I'd prefer to do so. I don't do much studio work so the flash metering capabilities of the Sekonic don't attract me.
Are there any techniques you use that you think would be helpful to me?
Yes I could carry one of my DSLRs and a lens equiv to what will be on the Mamiya to take test images to judge exposure by but I'd rather avoid this, the 645 is bulky enough without having to carry a second camera too!