Vintage film cameras

[johnnyrod]

I'd meter for the lows, hopefully there are no more than 2 stops difference between low and high - if it's more like 3 or 4 then I'd meter for lowlights and close down by a stop as a compromise. If it's a good pic then it's worth taking two or three on different settings, but meter for anything too bright and the darker bits will most likely suffer the most, compared to over-exposure when you meter for the darker areas.

[Kenzie]

See, most of that has gone straight over my head. How do you meter for different aspects of a scene?

[johnnyrod]

Lowlights = dark bits, highlights = brightest bits. Negative film doesn't like under-exposure but will tolerate quite a lot of over-exposure (opposite for slide film, and also digital). So, meter for the dark parts and let the bright bits pound the film a bit. You need to be able to get an exposure meter reading on an area not a whole scene - a spot meter, phone app, or just get really close with the camera (SLRs are centre-weighted but really take in the whole scene). See what reading you get off the dark bits - shadows etc., or even just point it down towards the ground to avoid bright sky light. If you try again with the brightest areas, a couple of stops difference from the darkest areas should be fine, more than that and you're going to have to choose which you're going to get right. If it's more like 3-4 then I'd meter for the dark areas/shadows but go a stop darker (quicker/smaller aperture) to try to compromise between poor lowlights and really blown-out bright areas. If you use settings for brighter areas you'll lose all the dark bits, maybe completely. The film should tolerate a stop or two underexposure, it's not an exact science, and at least a couple of over-exposure, B&W more so, up to 6 stops over-exposure and still keeping detail in the highlights.

I'm not sure if that helps or is just more words. Ansell Adams made up the zone system, which is overly-complicated but basically says the same things. If contrast is too high e.g. shadows on a face in summer sun, then you need more light, either some flash (fill flash) or a reflector, to reduce the contrast range a bit. Anything will do as a reflector - a nearby wall will bounce some light back, or a newspaper.

[Kenzie]

I think if I put it in to practice it might more sense to me. I could always play with my digital camera to save burning through film.

[yokohama]

Thanks for all that Johnny, it makes perfect sense to me now. I didn't realise film and digital were opposite though. Using the evf, I can see the difference stopping up or down makes and metering for darks certainly washes out all the lights. I assumed film would be similar so maybe have a few duff shots. Will meter for the darks from now on.
I seem to recall one of my uni teachers saying that when shooting with sky, always point the camera down a few degrees from horizontal to take the meter reading.

[johnnyrod]

I learned that the hard way too. If it's a bright scene without many dark areas then you can lose them (sometimes) by under-exposure so yes I often meter off the ground, which looks bright too but the sky light is even brighter, by maybe a stop or two. Modern digital is better than it used to be but still can't overexpose so much. With film even if it looks washed out at first you can sometimes get it back in PP as the detail is still there, but if the dark bits are underexposed it just looks black and grainy. I undersexposed this one a bit
Halt! by John Rodriguez, on Flickr
but with this one (can't remember the settings) I think it was s top over so the dark clothing aren't just solid blocks with no detail
Buddies by John Rodriguez, on Flickr
The sky was grey and featureless that day! Anyway I'm a bit paranoid about underexposure now so am trying to experiment a bit more

[johnnyrod]

Kenzie - check out the lens, near Portsmouth
http://www.gumtree.com/p/non-digital...ns-/1278527483
I can't quite figure it out but it's more that £40 worth I think!

[johnnyrod]

Ah, will be for this
http://www.gumtree.com/p/non-digital...era/1278526910

[Kenzie]

Seems odd to split them up. If I were nearer I would jump on it. My bro would be too busy to go and grab it. The ad has gone now anyway with the lenses.

[Kenzie]

Hey Admin, quite a few ME Supers on at the moment 182948998534