Zeiss Ikon Metering Pattern

[kossi008]

Does anybody know what the metering pattern of the ZI actually looks like? I am asking because from time to time I still get crassly inadequate measurements.

It states somewhere that the pattern is "center weighted average", but that brighter middle shutter curtain got me thinking...

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by kossi008

Does anybody know what the metering pattern of the ZI actually looks like? I am asking because from time to time I still get crassly inadequate measurements.

It states somewhere that the pattern is "center weighted average", but that brighter middle shutter curtain got me thinking...

In the centre, innit?

Think of an oval, about 1/3 to 1/2 as wide as the gate and about 1/4 to 1/3 as high, with more importance given to the centre than the average. WEIGHTED is the clue. This is not spot metering.

Sorry to be brutal, but inadequate measurements are a result of inadequate metering technique, otherwise known as inadequate experience. Almost any meter and metering technique can be made to work, with practice.

Cheers,

R.

[Bob Michaels]

30 seconds with the camera inside a room illuminated by one light source will tell you a lot. Simply point the camera at the light source, look at the meter. Watch the meter as you slowly pan away. Repeat in some real world photo situations. You can quickly learn a lot.

[jonmanjiro]

The Zeiss Ikon metering pattern is pictured below (taken from this thread).

[kdemas]

I must say that's the strangest metering pattern I've ever seen! Does it strike anyone else as highly unusual??

Kent

ps- I read about the offset of the sensor affecting the pattern but that's still pretty odd.

[Keith]

There's a definite reason for this pattern apparently. It compensates for the fact that most scenes have the majority of their light at the top part of the image so the pattern (biased low) is compensating for this. By biasing it also to the left the same principal is being applied when shooting in portrait mode ... provided of course you are using the camera shutter button up!

I use my cameras shutter button down and I always noticed that when using AE I was getting regular under exposures in portrait mode but not so in landscape!

[Papercut]

I had that same experience when I first started using the Ikon: I wasn't consistent in which way I turned the camera for verticals. So, some shots (shutter button up) were metered fine, and some (shutter button down) were horribly under-exposed. As soon as I saw the metering pattern diagram it all made sense.

Originally Posted by Keith

There's a definite reason for this pattern apparently. It compensates for the fact that most scenes have the majority of their light at the top part of the image so the pattern (biased low) is compensating for this. By biasing it also to the left the same principal is being applied when shooting in portrait mode ... provided of course you are using the camera shutter button up!

I use my cameras shutter button down and I always noticed that when using AE I was getting regular under exposures in portrait mode but not so in landscape!

[kossi008]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

In the centre, innit?

Yes, that's what I meant.

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

Sorry to be brutal, but inadequate measurements are a result of inadequate metering technique, otherwise known as inadequate experience. Almost any meter and metering technique can be made to work, with practice.

No offense taken, as I don't claim to have a lot of experience with this particular camera. With my trusty AT-1, I can handle slide film in contre-jour without even thinking about it. With the ZI, I have managed to exceed the exposure latitude of b/w film in some cases.

Originally Posted by Keith

I use my cameras shutter button down and I always noticed that when using AE I was getting regular under exposures in portrait mode but not so in landscape!

Hah! Me too. Same problem. Sometimes even compensation +1 or +2 would not be enough...

Originally Posted by Papercut

As soon as I saw the metering pattern diagram it all made sense.

Again: me too. This is why I asked. Thanks, guys, you really are a helpful bunch.

Originally Posted by Bob Michaels

30 seconds with the camera inside a room illuminated by one light source will tell you a lot.

Oh, yeah, and I'll be doing more of this, too. Could have figured that one out myself...

[bdeyes]

I find the metering pattern of the ZM extremely sensitive to any point light sources that are in, or border on, the top 2 or 3 most sensitive "ranges" of the pattern. For interior shooting, if there are any light bulbs or any lit candles in the frame, that will throw off the reading entirely, even if the main subject (generally darker) is squarely in the patterns "hot spot" (1/3 from left edge of frame). It behaves as if the meter does not even see the main subject.

So for indoor shooting with any point light sources, I think my approach will be to go manual, and not rely on auto-exposure

[EdwardKaraa]

Originally Posted by bdeyes

I find the metering pattern of the ZM extremely sensitive to any point light sources that are in, or border on, the top 2 or 3 most sensitive "ranges" of the pattern. For interior shooting, if there are any light bulbs or any lit candles in the frame, that will throw off the reading entirely, even if the main subject (generally darker) is squarely in the patterns "hot spot" (1/3 from left edge of frame). It behaves as if the meter does not even see the main subject.

So for indoor shooting with any point light sources, I think my approach will be to go manual, and not rely on auto-exposure

I have noticed the same, not only with the ZI, but also the M6. In general, I have found the meter in both cameras to be leaning towards underexposure, around 2/3 to 1 stop to be precise. A bit too much for scanning. I try to use my handheld incident light meter as often as I can.