More on Light Meters within Camera

[kchukalas]

Hello Again,

I guess I am confused with this light meter in my camera. I am pretty new at all this stuff, so please bare with me! :-)

Ok, I know the meter has to stay within a certain range to expose correctly... but... is the meter changing the exposure of the film as well? I just don't get how it works.

I see the levels constantly changing as different light changes... but... what if you put the thing in manual mode.. and set it at a certain number... will it change the look ?

For instance, what if I am outside and just set it on a 6 or something... ?

Kirk

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[Alex]

A non-technical explanation to follow.

The auto-exposure meter in the camera works in a similar manner to the way your eye-lids work, when bright, you squint, when dark, your eyelids open up...(as does the iris in your eye)

The film simply receives a "lightening bolt" of light via the lens. This bolt of light ZAPS each film frame as it travels through the film chamber at a certain rate of speed, the silver halides in each film frame react to this light...the key to exposing the film, then....

This momentous union of the proper light contacting the silver halides in each film frame results in the birth of an actual developed frame of film, when properly processed.

So underexposure simply means that not enough light hit the film, and overexposure simply means too much light hit the film.

Manual exposure is a good idea most of the time, if the manual exosure setting hits the overall average of a scene, then even though parts of the scene may be over or under the perfect exposure, you hopefully will be close enough to like the result.

Negative film is popular because the range of acceptable exposure is greater than reversal, however Kodachrome reversal is liked because it can look grainless with really nice colors.

F 1.0 means the Lens Iris is wide-open to let as much light in as possible...

F 22 means the Lens Iris is basically closed...like an eyelid.

The F-stop sweet spot in my opinion is normally 2.8 to F 5.6-8.0 split, but everyone has a different opinion on what they consider the "sweet spot".

And the f-spot Sweet-Spot cannot just be set by turning the manual exposure setting where you want...the lighting situation must match....hence your auto-exposure meter can guide you to an approximate setting, then you can lock down the exposure by setting it to manual exposure.

-Alex




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