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New page about light metering with the Leica M9 by Overgaard

tele_player

New member
I found it interesting and informative. I'll be paying closer attention to where the meter operates, as soon as my M9 gets back from its vacation at Leica New Jersey.

-robert
 

StephenPatterson

New member
"The lightmeter measures an area of 1/3 of the sensor.
It is not 1/3 of the full viewfinder...but 1/3 of the focal length used;"

Thanks Thorsten, I believe your statement above is by far the most important and also most misunderstood aspect of the M9's meter. The difference between the wide area the meter measures with a 21mm lens mounted as opposed to the spot measured with a 90mm lens attached is dramatic and must be visualized in order to obtain proper meter readings.
 

overgaarcom

Member
Do you know if a 18% Gray Card exists ?

thanks for the link
The large middlegrey card you see in the pictures is still widely available. Partly because the larger stores used to have them, partly because some of them think it is the white balance card :facesmack:

I've seen them in Tokyo, SF, B&H in New York and many other places. Especially where they tend to stock studio equipment (light, reflectors, backgrounds) there is a good chance getting one.

Speaking of it, B&H has several ones, this is the Kodak set http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/27715-REG/Kodak_1903061_Gray_Cards.html
 
I have already a large gray card Kodak + a Lastolite + a colorchecker passport, but I am looking for a small one like the whibal to keep always in the pocket
 
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CharlesK

New member
Excellent article and great example of shots! Lighting is everything, and your B&W shots in particular demonstrate, just how important it is. I feel many of us, are looking for the "holy grail" with the M-M, but it is there already with M9:)

Thank You
Charles
 

simonclivehughes

Active member
Lighting is everything, and your B&W shots in particular demonstrate, just how important it is. I feel many of us, are looking for the "holy grail" with the M-M, but it is there already with M9:)
I think this can be true of any reasonable digital camera if you are careful with exposure and PP.

Cheers,
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Interesting article. I've set it aside to read thoroughly.

Do you know if a 18% Gray Card exists ?
thanks for the link
I prefer the X-Rite ColorChecker Gray Scale Card or Photovision 14" Pocket One Shot Digital Target (links are to the B&H Photo site) over a gray card as it provides much more information:

- fill the frame with the card
- make exposure
- check histogram with review :: you can see the card's black, gray and white points in the exposure curve clearly and bias the exposure one way or another.


capture of Photovision target
Leica M9 - manual exposure (EV compensation setting not relevant)
review magnified until target fills screen

The M9 has the nice feature that when you review an image and magnify it to check sharpness, the histogram display with the Info button renders the histogram for the section of the image you are looking at specifically. This allows for fine tuning your exposure settings very nicely and works great with a gray or tri-tone card like this.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
Thanks Godfrey but that was not my question, I have every thing I need in big size, I am looking for a small grey card
Ah, ok. Well, if it's portability you're after, the Photovision card shrinks down to about a 6" circle for carrying and storage when you collapse it. Of course, if you just want a small card, those Opcards look to be the ticket.

I think there was another tri-tone and gray card gizmo out there, something like a cube, but I cannot recall the name precisely.
 
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