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[OM] Lightmeter cumbersome?

Subject: [OM] Lightmeter cumbersome?
From: "Brian Swale" <bj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 22:01:29 +1200
Hi Albert,

Is a light meter cumbersome? Depends on what your values are.

I have several cameras that take great photos (and some that are not so 
great) and have no built-in light meter. (Koni-Omega, Mamiya Press, Linhof, 
Contaflex, Exakta) and I have a Weston Master V (that's Roman numerals 
for 5). These all require me to evaluate the light myself, and I use the Weston.

It is just a matter of doing what you have to do to get the photo you want. 
Meter, set the camera, and shoot. Otherwise, guess (and that is not all that 
difficult), set the camera, and shoot.

If you want to judge prior to purchase, try this. Put a flat sardine can on a 
loop of cord, and put it in your pocket. That's your pretend Weston. Take 
your OM or whatever, and go to photograph. But instead of using the camera 
meter, take the sardine can out of your pocket. Pretend to take a reading, 
set the camera, and shoot. Eat sardines. Put can back in pocket. OOPS, 
where did that come from !!.

Try that maybe 20 times and you will get a feel for what it is like to 
routinely 
use a meter. Not a problem at all for a static subject, and with practice, not 
for moving objects either.

And the bonus is, you get to understand quite a bit more of what counts in 
exposure. Buy a copy of Ansel Adams book "The Negative" or "The making 
of 40 Photographs", and get a feel for it all.

And if you don't like the extra work, then don't use a manual exposure 
system, buy an auto camera, and eat the sardines <g>

Brian

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