incident, spot meter?

[MadFor3D]

O.k. I was just reading a post by David Mullen over at that cinamatography.com. He was talking about using a spot meter only to read tv sets and sunsets. Otherwise use an incident meter.

I just want to make sure I know the difference. I have a cool old meter that looks like something from the Jetsons. It has a little wheel. On one side there is a little white ball... incident meter? On the other side there is a small hole with some sort of photo cell looking thing inside... spot meter?

Please let me know if I got it correct. You use the incident meter by putting that white ball up to your subject. Or, if it were a tv set or sunset or similar situation you would point the spot meter at your target area. Right?

Thanks,

Madrone

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[Jambu]

Hi, first time for me here...

yes, you're right: the ball is to mesure incident light and the hole maybe to measure reflected light (i say maybe cos' once i used a light meter that had a ball for incident light and a hole for reflected but also a viewfinder to check what part of the subject you're measuring...)
your light meter should have also a switch or something similar to decide what type of measure you want to have, reflected or incident.

Anyway, shooting using a spotmeter works great: when i shoot without light meter my camera give me only an average measure of the light of the scene but with lightmeter you can have a bright idea of the lightning of every part of the scene and deciding the exposure in consequence...

if you have other doubts you could take a look on this sites:
http://www.photographytips.com/page.cfm/192
search for LIGHT METER and choose the first page found,
http://www.normankoren.com/zonesystem.html
with a description of the ZONE SYSTEM by Ansel Adams (i think it works great),
http://www.sekonic.com/Cinematographer_booklet.pdf
a guide to exposure in cinematography.

Hope it could help. Ciao

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[MadFor3D]

Wow,

So much info. Thanks,

-M

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[xclark]

can the Zone System be implicated for use with Super 8mm? i'm kinda new and just started getting metering down.

also, aside from push/pull, there's not much stuff we can have done in processing right?

thanks for the links though. helps a lot.

clark

[Jambu]

I think it can be useful also with S8: i shoot two K40 using a spot meter and the ZS and the films look good... i've got to tell you the truth: i was very afraid to have underexp. or overexp. the films before they return to me from the lab 'cos the camera told me to use f8 but basing on the zone system i saw that i should have shoot the scene with f4 to have in the film the look i wanted and so i did, i shooted the scene with f4 and everything went good...
I made still shootings... i don't know if it's a good idea using ZS in panoramic shootings or camera movements.
I never try b/w S8 films but with b/w i think you can do something also with developing...


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[Jambu]

It's me again: i mistake the last word, not developing but PROCESSING (sorry, you see my english not yet very good).

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[ulrichsd]

Develop and Process are pretty much interchangeable (the same) in terms of film.

So you were right either way!
Your English is great, BTW.

Scott

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[Nigel]

I like my spot for everything--

1. It keeps me farther from the "talent" so if they are working you don't have to ask the AD to get them to move, etc.

2. You can isolate your exposures for more control.

3. You don't have to clutter the set with another body.

4. You don't have to leave your camera or rely on your AC for readings--No offense to my AC she is great.

Good Luck

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