Is the small grey spot on Leica lens cases an 18% grey spot for reference or not. I would like to get a small card or similar but am too tight to pay for an 8x10 sheet, what about the film cap of delta 100?

-- Richard (richard@designblue.co.uk), September 26, 2001

Answers

What about a typical London sky? ;o)

On a more serious approach - what would you need it for? Street & field photography? You would need something "at hand" - and you have it! An average paleface's hand is roughly 1 stop "brighter" than 18%. If you don't trust that or wish to sort out a card/surface that is closer to 18% you can easily test any surface on its reflectiveness by borrowing an incident light meter. Compare its reading with what the Leica built- in center-spot gives you. For example: If the incident meter gives you f 5.6 and the spot measurement on *just* the surface you are testing gives you 5.6, too, then the surface is pretty near 18%. (Disclaimer: This is true for surfaces and light of a balanced color spectrum i.e. "white" or "neutral grey", meaning without any dominant color).

But IMHO if you think that the built-in meter of the M6 is not sufficient for your kind of documentary photography buy an incident lightmeter and learn how to work with that (besides, there are several good threads here already in regard). And if you are up to reproduction or studio stuff invest in a grey card - after you have invested in an incident and/or dedicated spotmeter. ;o)

Cheers!

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), September 26, 2001.

In colder weather I often wear a grey felt fedora that's close to 18%. More conveniently, I have a pair of finderless Polartec gloves that are also close to 18% grey.

Mostly, I look around me and find a tone that's pretty much what I visualize to be Zone V and meter that. It works more now than it did when I first started using the technique, so the practice must be paying off.

-- Jeff Polaski (polaski@acm.org), September 26, 2001.

Curious minds gotta know: what is the standard finder on a Polartec glove, 50mm, or something else? Or do they fit a different one on each glove? And if you have more than two lenses, do you have to carry extra gloves, or can you just change finders? :-)

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), September 26, 2001.

It's quite straightforward when you have five finders on each hand like most of us.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), September 26, 2001.

Thanks for the advice, the reason I posted this is because a friend asked me at the last minute if I would mind taking some pictures of her model friend with colour slide film. With B/W I use exactly the technique you suggest Lutz, except I use the inside of my palm. Or I point at faded tarmac. I was just worried that this might be a bit hit and miss with slide film. I bought the card in the end for £4.99 and confirmed that my palm is 'spot on'.....I guess I should have trusted my usual technique

-- Richard (richard@designblue.co.uk), September 26, 2001.

Richard:

I don't know about the dot on the Leica lens cases, but it would be pretty small to meter off of. A real gray card is a good tool to have in your bag anyway... However, many other prominent objects are neutral gray to a meter, such as: a clear blue north sky, red brick, and green grass. Other items can also work - I have a gray micro- fiber lens cleaning cloth that comes very close to 18%... FWIW, if you have normal caucasian skin, then your palm should be zone VI or one stop over 18% gray. In other words, if your palm meters at 1/125th at f8, you need to open up one stop to f5.6 for a correct reading.

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), September 26, 2001.