Date: Tue, 23 Mar 1999 11:09:25 -0500
From: "Curfman, Donald (GEIS)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: RE: F5 RGB meter [v04.n317/18] [v04.n319/11]
Message: 11
> What I don't get, won't the color meter
> go crazy when you mount a medium yellow,
> or an amber, or a red, or a warming filter?
>Yes it will. The F5's manual says that the
>colored filters used for black and white can
>cause the RGB meter to give incorrect results.
I>t recommends using center-weighted or spot
>metering with colored filters and black and
>white film.
>Using a colored filter with color film isn't
>any different than photographing a scene of
>a different color. You probably want to fool
t>he meter in that case.
Then what's the value of the color metering ability? If the meter determines exposure
to some extent based upon color, then how could a colored filter not have the
potential for affecting exposure? If exposure can be affected for black and white,
why not color- the camera doesn't know the type of film in it.
> I say this as an F5 user who has yet to see
> a difference based on color metering. Does
> anyone have a suggestion for a test that might
> show the value of color metering (or even to
> demonstrate that it actually exists?)
>All of this discussion about whether a meter can
>provide correct exposure assumes that for a given
>scene, there EXISTS one correct exposure.
>It just ain't so.
The one 'correct' exposure I'm concerned with here is one the much-vaunted F5 meter
will choose. Sure I can bracket and use spot metering, but I can also do that with an
N70, or a 1970's vintage Leicaflex.
The issue is, if the meter does indeed very subtly changes exposure based upon color,
it is possible that sometimes it will guess 'wrong' based on color. Therefore, the
automatic color-mindedness adds a potential for messing up a subtle effect you are
trying to accomplish. Which gets back to my other point- the light meter's job is to
measure reflectance, not mess around with color.
So until I thoroughly understand exactly what the meter will do under different color
conditions-- and I will accept the word of some correspondents that the color meter's
effect can indeed be detected-- I'm probably better off handling the metering nuances
myself. Which again is not a problem. But I'm not the one who claimed great things
for color metering-- that was Nikon itself.
Interesting discussion, guys.
