When using a M7 (or any AE camera for that matter) I would like to know what would be the most often used technique for shooting a difficult light scene: - Exposure compensation, - AE lock on some kind of «in-between» metering in the frame, or - Manual exposure plus or minus some f-stop depending on the differences in metering ?

I usually don't like exposure compensation because I always find it long and cumbersome. But is it THE best technique? Thank you.

-- Olivier (olreiche@videotron.ca), May 12, 2002

Answers

The "best" technique is the one you're most comfortable with, that will provide results you can predict consistently and correctly. Myself, I'd take a couple of different localized readings, and average them in a way that made sense to me, based on a pseudo-zone system analysis in my head.

-- Michael Darnton (mdarnton@hotmail.com), May 12, 2002.

Hi Olivier,

You write:

>> When using a M7 (or any AE camera for that matter) I would like to know what would be the most often used technique for shooting a difficult light scene: - Exposure compensation, - AE lock on some kind of «in-between» metering in the frame, or - Manual exposure plus or minus some f-stop depending on the differences in metering? I usually don't like exposure compensation because I always find it long and cumbersome. But is it THE best technique? Thank you. <<

In fact it depends on the level of difficulty your are encountering.

In most case with a selective measure like on the M7 or the Hexar RF the AE lock method works well and is not in fact that much different to what you do with a manual camera.

Select a zone on the subject which will fit the following requirements:

Representative of an 18% reflectance to give a direct reading (or correct your reading accordingly which is in fact a tad more difficult in AE as you have to rely on the exposure compensation ring)

If you work with negatives this zone will be taken in the shadows where you want some details to be preserved, if you work with slides the reading should be done on the highlights were you want some details to be preserved.

Then lock the measure and re-compose…

Most of the time you’ll get it right.

If the subject is really difficult, better to go manual and use a hand held meter in incident reading… Or bracket somewhat your subject (by third or half of f-stops with slides, by entire stops with negatives) in that case it is usually faster to go manual than to resort in exposure correction ring.

In any case, if you want a special effect in exposure, the manual way is preferable IMHO.

I hope it helps

François P. WEILL

-- François P. WEILL (frpawe@wanadoo.fr), May 12, 2002.

Thank you, both. Very helpful.

-- Olivier (olreiche@videotron.ca), May 12, 2002.