OK, all you OM-4t fondlers. How often do you actually use the hi.light
and shadow buttons? And do you have any techniques you care to share to
use them effectively?
Here is a brief summery of HI.LIGHT and SHADOW button operation. They
are available only in spot metering mode.
For a single spot reading, the SHADOW button under-exposes by 2-2/3
stop and HI.LIGHT over-exposes by 2 stops by adjusting the shutter
speed up or down from the current spot reading. The assumption is you
spot meter on a dark object for SHADOW and a light object for HI.LIGHT.
The SHADOW mode darkens the dark colored object while HI.LIGHT
brightens a light colored object.
In multi-spot mode, the SHADOW button sets the exposure at 2-2/3 stops
up from the darkest spot (2-2/3 stops faster speed) while HI.LIGHT sets
the exposure at 2 stops below the brightest spot (2 stops slower
speed). Here is an example, you take several spot readings covering
your scene and the fastest (for a given aperture) is 1/250 while the
slowest is 1/8. Pressing the SHADOW button (and you can watch it
compute) the bar first goes to the lowest spot reading, 1/8, then moves
up to 1/3 stop below 1/60, a 2-2/3 stop shift. Pressing the HI.LIGHT
button the bar goes first to 1/250, then drops down to 1/60, a 2 stop
shift.
Spot metering is ideal for use with the Zone System, which I am
somewhat familiar with (but always willing to learn). Is this
HI.LIGHT/SHADOW feature at all useful for multi-spot readings? or use
with the zone system? Use with slide film versus negative film?
I mostly use multi-spot reading to slightly adjust the shutter speed up
or down. That is, I spot on the area I want exposed correctly, then
spot a slightly brighter area if I want to darken the exposure, or a
darker area if I want to brighten the exposure. For example, I spot on
a tree trunk and get 1/60. If I want the tree trunk darker, I move off
to the side a bit (where is brighter) and spot again, moving the
average up to 1/60+. I find that easier than using the compensation
dial, which I always forget to reset. However, I rarely use these extra
buttons.
Wayne
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