how can take picture without exposure meter? [Archive]

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heronop2003

07-12-2005, 22:58

how do u take a photo if the camara is haven't got Exposure meter? cos i just got the zorki 4 with j 8 so how i can take a good photo without Exposure meter

reagan

07-12-2005, 23:19

hero -

Click here for an excellent page (http://www.pinkheadedbug.com/techniques/exposure.html) to help take good shots without a meter in many different lighting conditions. Lots of good informaiton on other pages of this site as well. Good luck!

parks5920

07-13-2005, 00:25

Hey, that's a cool page full of info! A good break down of the 'Sunny 16' Rule! A rule to live by!

heronop2003

07-13-2005, 00:36

thank u too that cool!! i think so

berci

07-13-2005, 01:13

Or cut out the little exposure manual from the box of a roll of film and use that. I always keep one in my wallet. #:-]

Roger Hicks

07-13-2005, 01:14

Or buy a separate meter; consult that; and quite quickly learn to judge exposures accurately. I often set my Leica first and then check with the meter afterwards...

Cheers,

Roger (www.rogerandfrances.com)

Igor.Burshteyn

07-13-2005, 03:38

Before photosession I usually meter for highlights and shadows - this estiblish baseline, and then I bias from there (guess work). In scenes with high contrast for me is much simplier to estimate highlights from known shadows. Plus I remember small "database" of exposures for known scenes - like 1/50@f2 for standard lit room.

Igor.Burshteyn

07-13-2005, 03:39

...@320ASA film

nomade

07-13-2005, 04:00

Cool site, well i dont' use exposure meters, i'm still a beginner, but u can figure it out after few experiments..

oftheherd

07-13-2005, 04:57

Or cut out the little exposure manual from the box of a roll of film and use that. I always keep one in my wallet. #:-]

Excellent advice. I used that method for three years in Vietnam with my Welta Welti (I hadn't thought to take a light meter with me) before I got my Yashica TL Super. I thought that was the neatest thing. Imagine, a light meter in the camera! :eek:

Between the data sheet and experience I even got good photos with slides.

dexdog

07-13-2005, 05:23

The following site probably contains more info than anyone can use, but an excellent guide all the same.

http://www.fredparker.com/ultexp1.htm

stet

07-13-2005, 05:46

I have the Pinkheadedbug exposure chart printed and taped into my Moleskine notebook, which is always in my camera bag when I'm shooting. On the next page I jotted down the chart of lighting conditions and shadow details from this Sunny 16 chart: http://www.camerareview.com/templates/sunny16.cfm

But I find this helpful to learn because I have a built-in meter to check against; without a meter at all, you might want to keep a shooting diary. I find it a PITA at the time, but you can learn a lot.

Rick

oljim

07-13-2005, 06:01

Here's a very handy, slide-rule type tool for quick exposure calculations. Download the .pdf file (http://expomat.tripod.com/pdf/ExposureMat.pdf) , print and assemble as per instructions. Takes up no time and no space at all.

exaktamoment

07-13-2005, 07:18

how do u take a photo if the camara is haven't got Exposure meter? cos i just got the zorki 4 with j 8 so how i can take a good photo without Exposure meter

I have a zorki 4 with a Jupiter 8 , as well. I shoot mine all the time without a light meter. I use the 'sunny-f16' rule as the starting point for my exposures. (I'll explain 'sunny-f16' in a minute) After doing this for several rolls of film, I began to develop a 'feel' for lighting and proper exposure for non-sunnyf16 situations.

'Sunny-f16' rules says - set your aperture at f16 and your shutter speed to the ASA of the film for subjects in direct sunlight. So PLUS-X would be shot at 125th of a second. ASA 200 film would mean setting the shutter at 1/250 and opening the aperture just a hair. You'll soon get the feel. The J8 is good to use for this because the aperture settings are not 'click' stops.

The next thing you might want to do is pre-focus the camera at the 'hyperfocal'. With the lens set at f16, adjust the focus so the infinity mark is at f16 on the right side of the focusing scale. Everything from about 2 meters to infinity will be in focus. Adjust your shutter speed to accomodate your 'feel' for the light - and shoot!

Lou

rbiemer

07-13-2005, 09:32

oljim

07-13-2005, 09:54

I might as well pass this link on too.

http://www.robert-barrett.com/photo/exposure_calculator.html

Roger Hicks

07-13-2005, 11:33

exaktamoment

07-13-2005, 11:40

Sunny 16 is good for slides and OK for colour neg but may lead to underexposure of dark shadows with mono neg: see 'Subject Brightness Range' (free) in www.rogerandfrances.com

As for hyperfocal distance, too much depends on the manufacturers' estimate of the circle of confusion. With Leica I go 1 stop lower (1/5,6 for f/8 etc) and with *old* Zeiss lenses I go at least 2 stops (f/4 for f/8 etc.)

All of which I agree with - notice I suggested that 'sunny-f16' rule as a starting point. And the hyperfocal works for that particular lens/camera combination (zorki4/J8)- I shoot exactly the same stuff. I suppose I should have qualified my suggestions with a "your results may vary". ;>)

Roger Hicks

07-13-2005, 11:43

Sorry Exaktamoment -- I wasn't trying for an instant to put you down, just to warn the unwary. We are in complete agreement.

Cheers,

Roger

exaktamoment

07-13-2005, 12:03

Sorry Exaktamoment -- I wasn't trying for an instant to put you down, just to warn the unwary. We are in complete agreement.

Cheers,

Roger

No need for any type of apology at all, Roger. I'm glad you said something to the 'larger audience' - given that my remarks were a bit 'targeted'. I should remember that there is a larger audience - it's easy to forget that, sometimes.

Thanks.

Lou

reagan

07-13-2005, 13:19

Several good links there. Good work guys. Hey, that slide rule thing could be "adjusted" to fit whatever "slightly different quirks" each individual camera my need addressed. Make a different one for each unit. Arggghhh! Another project!!
:(

VinceC

07-13-2005, 14:04

I've never found in-camera meters to be nearly as accurate as a hand-held incident light meter. Once you get used to "sunny 16" and its variables, that can also be more accurate than an in-camera meter. I used to use an old incident meter that I kept crammed in my pocket. It died about five years ago (too much pocket lint?) and I keep thinking I'll get a replacement. In the meantime, using "sunny 16" and its variables, I don't think I've blown a single important exposure (mostly on color print and B+W film, both of which have a lot of exposure lattitude).
VinceC.

wierdcollector

07-13-2005, 14:23

I usually use sunny 16 as a starting point then open up or overexpose two stops since most older camera shutters don't fire 100% accurately any more. Plus I prefer the look myself.

GermanB

07-13-2005, 14:24

Quite informative thread and links, thanks to all posters... from us the 'large audience'

Barret

reagan

07-13-2005, 16:10

...from us the 'large audience'
Really. They sure don't mind taken a shot at us fat boys in this forum. ;)

Brian Sweeney

07-13-2005, 16:22

Most of my interchangeable lens RF's do not have built in exposure meters. With those I pack and use a Weston Master II (model 735) or Weston Master 715. These 50 and 60 year old meters give as accurate results as they ever did. I use those for starting points, and often meter off of my hand oriented at the same angle to the sun as my subjects to get exposure values. Usually I'll open up a stop over what the meter advises. I use the Canon 7, with its built in Selenium meter, the same way. I usually end up with 1 stop more exposure than the Sunny-16 rule would call for. Color Negative film, as mentioned before, has a lot of latitude. I seem to get better overall results when over-exposed by 1/2 to 1 stop.