How do you meter with the CL considering that it is (or seems to be) a spot meter? What section(s)of the scene do you aim at?

Background: I know the meter is fairly accurate by doing blank wall & sky comparisons with hand held and in camera meters, and conversation with Sherry Krauter. I have a Minolta meter with spot attachment and have used it succesfully for some time, but always very slowly and deliberately. Color negative or B/W chromogenic film is always in the camera.

Thanks.

-- John Sonewald (jsonewald@aol.com), September 10, 2001

Answers

John

With a 90mm lens the r/f spot is the metering area. With the 40mm the metering area is about twice the area of the r/f spot. That's all there is to know really

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), September 10, 2001.

Y

ou meter with it much as you would with any ca m e r a o r m e t e r having a selective area metering: Targe t th e se ns it iv e ar ea o f th e meter onto what you sel ect as th e a ver age mi ddl e-g ray ar ea of your ph otog raph , se t th e ex posu re, then foc us o n yo ur s ubje c t, f rame and r eleas e the shut ter. It's exact ly t h e sa m e as usin g the mete r in a n M6 ( or man y othe r came r as wi t h a l i mited

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-- Godfrey (ramarren@bayrea.net), September 10, 2001.

Meter the brightest area of importance in the scene. Then the darkest area of importance. Split the difference. If a slide, bias the decision toward the higher reading. If B&W (or, I guess, color print film) then bias toward the darker area. If there's a middle tone of greatest importance, let it weigh heavily in the final decision. If you meter a caucasian face, open up one stop from the reading. If an African-American, close down at least one stop (more tone possibilities; takes more judgment).

Green grass gives a good quick and dirty mid-point reading. So does the sky, low down, 90 degrees from the sun. So does a 50 cent gray card. Weathered asphalt pavement.

Regards,

-- Bob Fleischman (RFXMAIL@prodigy.net), September 10, 2001.