BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Traditional Film Photography

Photography Question 

Claudia M. Barrios
 

Light Meter


What three settings can be entered/adjusted in a light meter?


To love this question, log in above
January 04, 2008

 
- Gregory LaGrange

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Gregory LaGrange
Gregory LaGrange's Gallery
  This a homework question?


To love this comment, log in above
January 04, 2008

 

Claudia M. Barrios
  well in a way it is, you see i'm only 16 and I am begining to take some courses on photography, and my teacher,Daniel Zealand would like for us to know so he won't tell us.


To love this comment, log in above
January 04, 2008

 
- Gregory LaGrange

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Gregory LaGrange
Gregory LaGrange's Gallery
  Well, there's got to be a text book that you're also supposed to read. So I'll give you a hint instead of doing it for you.
It's things that can also be adjusted on a camera.
If you don't get it, then I'll make fun of you.


To love this comment, log in above
January 04, 2008

 

Claudia M. Barrios
  oh! allright! I think I got them! thanks


To love this comment, log in above
January 04, 2008

 

Alan N. Marcus
  Hi Claudia,

First one enters the sensitivity of the film you will be using or if the camera is digital, the sensitivity setting of the digital imaging chip. Your camera’s chip is likely called a CCD which stands for Charged Coupled Device. The value you are setting is called the ISO (abbreviation for International Standards Organization). Generally this value will be 100. Faster, more light sensitive films and chips are given higher values like 200 ISO or 400 ISO or 800 ISO etc.

Next we use the light meter and measure the brightness of the subject we wish to photograph. The meter reading you receive is a numeric value that that represents this brightness as an exposure value..

You use this data (exposure value) to determine what exposure combination you will use. The exposure combination is made up of pairs of data. Each pair consists of a shutter speed and a lens aperture setting. The shutter speed is the time the shutter remains open thus it sets a limit on the time the light passing through the lens will be allowed to play on the film/chip. The aperture setting controls the camera lens. The lens has an adjustable diameter. Larger diameters allow more light to enter; smaller diameters reduce the light allowed to enter. The meter will present several of these pairs of data. All will be equal as to exposure but each pair will be a different shutter speed and lens aperture combination.

Your input is required to select which pair is best for this situation. You would choose a small aperture (large f/number) to gain depth-of-field). You would choose a fast shutter speed to stop action at a sporting event.

Thus: You input the ISO setting
You choose a pair of settings that comprise aperture and shutter speed.

Hope this helps,

Alan Marcus
ammarcus@earthlink.net


To love this comment, log in above
January 04, 2008

 

Christopher A. Walrath
  Nice snag there, Greg. If this was a new post, I was right on with ya.

Thank you.
Chris


To love this comment, log in above
January 07, 2008

 
This old forum is now archived. Use improved Forum here

Report this Thread