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11/01/2006 10:56:21 PM · #1 |
| Alright, I have been submitting a fair number of images to various stock agencies where digital noise is a no no. As I shoot mainly outdoors, I am faced with every changing light yada yada yada. It has been my understanding that Light Meters are primarily used under controlled (studio) conditions rather than a tool for landscape / nature photgraphers. Am I too reliant upon onboard camera meter? Is the use of a meter considered "Old School" and regraded as an extra step we really do not care to do especially with noise reduction software? I guess I am frustrated as I have had several landscape shoots where the exposure was a pain in the butt and I am sure the camera's metering was inaccurate enough to render many of the images useless. Any thoughts?? |
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11/01/2006 10:59:39 PM · #2 |
If you set your D200 on spot metering, select P mode, and point/half press... viola! You have a spot meter. point it at the sky and the ground and blah blah, until you have luminance values all around.
as for "pain in the butt" what are you speaking of?
Message edited by author 2006-11-01 23:00:00.
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11/01/2006 11:03:35 PM · #3 |
Look at the screen and histogram. Don't like it, reshoot it. Landscapes rarely move.
If all else fails bracket and do HDR.
Nick
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11/01/2006 11:04:04 PM · #4 |
I've found the D200's light meter works quite well
but if you want to be really picky use spot metering mode & measure highlights & shadows & midtones & calculate from there ...
(or buy a spot meter & do it external .. :)
which metering modes do you use ? are you using el-lock or or manual ?
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11/01/2006 11:06:05 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by wavelength:
If you set your D200 on spot metering, select P mode, and point/half press... viola! You have a spot meter. point it at the sky and the ground and blah blah, until you have luminance values all around.
as for "pain in the butt" what are you speaking of? |
you can skip this step & use the d200's function button to switch to spot metering for measures (no need to defile you self with Pmode .. ;) |
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11/01/2006 11:10:58 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by ralph:
Originally posted by wavelength:
If you set your D200 on spot metering, select P mode, and point/half press... viola! You have a spot meter. point it at the sky and the ground and blah blah, until you have luminance values all around.
as for "pain in the butt" what are you speaking of? |
you can skip this step & use the d200's function button to switch to spot metering for measures (no need to defile you self with Pmode .. ;) |
aaah-sooo, please forgive lowly grasshoppa mastah!
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11/01/2006 11:18:13 PM · #7 |
| Well, I'm an Aperature Priority guy and let the camera do the rest under the assumption it would be some what more intuitive. Am I to understand I have the full funtionality of an extrenal light meter within the camera? Geez I feel dumb! |
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11/01/2006 11:40:21 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by Ivo:
Well, I'm an Aperature Priority guy and let the camera do the rest under the assumption it would be some what more intuitive. Am I to understand I have the full funtionality of an extrenal light meter within the camera? Geez I feel dumb! |
I think you need to look into some graduated ND filters if you're having trouble exposing sky vs. land. Cokin P series.
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11/02/2006 12:16:29 AM · #9 |
Originally posted by wavelength:
Originally posted by Ivo:
Well, I'm an Aperature Priority guy and let the camera do the rest under the assumption it would be some what more intuitive. Am I to understand I have the full funtionality of an extrenal light meter within the camera? Geez I feel dumb! |
I think you need to look into some graduated ND filters if you're having trouble exposing sky vs. land. Cokin P series. |
That or look into techniques combining multiple exposures of the same scene. |
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11/02/2006 12:36:24 AM · #10 |
I've heard the D200 has a terrible meter - the D70's is MUCH better.
I feel for a fellow DPC'er in need, and will sacrifice and trade cameras with you so you can have the better meter.
Let me know what address you'd like me to send it to.
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11/02/2006 12:39:43 AM · #11 |
Originally posted by digitalknight:
I've heard the D200 has a terrible meter - the D70's is MUCH better.
I feel for a fellow DPC'er in need, and will sacrifice and trade cameras with you so you can have the better meter.
Let me know what address you'd like me to send it to. |
Thanks,I have the D70 light meter as well. If you have the D2X version, I'll send you my D200. ;-) |
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11/02/2006 01:05:41 AM · #12 |
Surprising that no one yet has suggested checking your histogram.
One of the great things about the Sony F717 is that it allows you to view the histogram BEFORE you take the picture. That works better for setting exposure properly than any meter. However, with your dSLR you probably have the ability to see a histogram after taking the picture. Should be easy to gauge proper exposure from that.
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11/02/2006 04:34:05 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by stdavidson:
Surprising that no one yet has suggested checking your histogram.
One of the great things about the Sony F717 is that it allows you to view the histogram BEFORE you take the picture. That works better for setting exposure properly than any meter. However, with your dSLR you probably have the ability to see a histogram after taking the picture. Should be easy to gauge proper exposure from that. |
umm....
Originally posted by Nikolai1024:
Look at the screen and histogram. Don't like it, reshoot it. Landscapes rarely move.
If all else fails bracket and do HDR.
Nick |
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11/02/2006 04:49:58 PM · #14 |
There are two ways to meter - incident and reflected.
Your camera meter is measureing reflected light, and assumes averything is 18% gray. So a black subject will compute so that you'll over expose it, and a white subject will compute to an underexposure. You use teh exposure compenastion in your camera and your brain to compensate for this.
A light meter reads incident, but you have to be able to hold it near the subject facing back toward the camera. It is dead on accurete IMO, but there is still user involvment and possibly user error.
Some folks (the meter sellers for one) claim digital is picky and you need to be within 1/10 stop on your exposure. Sounds great, but my camera can't make 1/10 adjustments, can yours? No. 1/3 stop is the best we're gonna get.
One thing i read says shoot RAW and overexpose by 1/3 stop and bring it back down when you convert. also, lower ISO may help keep the shadow detail and will of course reduce noise.
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11/02/2006 05:08:39 PM · #15 |
| I agree with Prof Fate. Shoot RAW. And bracket your shoots, then make adjustments on the best exposure in what ever converter program you use. |
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