Indoor lightmeterless photography

Dear All,

Would like to say hello as this is my first time on here. I would be especially grateful if you could assist me with a problem. I am just starting out in medium format photography and have a Seagull 4A-107. If you are farmiliar with the Seagull, you know it has no light meter, so I am flying by the seat of my pants if you know what I mean. For ordinary, outdoor daylight photography, I use the "Sunny 16 Rule" (I still have not gotten my first roll developed yet though, so the jury is still out on the "Rule" ;) ). I have, however, been left in the dark (pardon the pun :D ) when it comes to indoor daylight photography. Kodak has a chart for indoor night time photography, but nothing on indoor daytime. I have not been able to find any chart anywhere that recomends exsposure or aperture for indoor subjects. Remember, I have no light meter and would like some general guidlines.

Yours respectfully,

Dzerzhinski

Too many variables to make a chart, I'd guess. Direct or indirect sunlight, overcast day, time of day - that can all have a huge effect on your exposure. If you're talking about window lit portraits, it's pretty much the same as outdoor exposures as long as your subject is near the window. Might try bracketing up from your daylight exposure at +1 and +2; negative film doesn't work well underexposed.

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Originally Posted by another view

Too many variables to make a chart, I'd guess. Direct or indirect sunlight, overcast day, time of day - that can all have a huge effect on your exposure. If you're talking about window lit portraits, it's pretty much the same as outdoor exposures as long as your subject is near the window. Might try bracketing up from your daylight exposure at +1 and +2; negative film doesn't work well underexposed.

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Dear another view,

Thanks for the reply :D . I guess that good old fashioned seat of the pants method (plus some basic exsposure rules) will go far enough and after enough mistakes I'll get it. Not a gleeful prospect :eek: , but it must be done.

Thanks so much,

Dzerzhinski

Of course, you could also buy a good handheld Light Meter for what a few rolls of 'mistakes' will cost. Or, if you have another camera that does have a meter, you could use it to take a reading and get some idea of settings.

I'm thinking about medium format myself - and am seeing that I'd probably still have to tote my 35mm as a metering reference. It's a darn shame, with all the interest there appears to be in medium format, that there doesn't appear to be a reasonably priced one available with modern metering, electronic shutter, etc. (If anyone does know of one, let me know about it!)

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Originally Posted by Clemmie

with all the interest there appears to be in medium format, that there doesn't appear to be a reasonably priced one available with modern metering, electronic shutter, etc. (If anyone does know of one, let me know about it!)

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If you're looking for a 6x6 SLR, check out the Bronica SQAi or for 645, the ETRSi. Both are going for next to nothing these days. Bronica's big market is wedding and portrait shooters but they're going to digital. Bronica is also discontinuing all of their medium format cameras according to a press release a couple of weeks ago. It's good stuff - I had an SQA which has a few less features than the SQAi (like TTL flash and a "B" shutter speed). Their systems have almost as many accessories as Hasselblad, including metered prism finders.

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Originally Posted by another view

If you're looking for a 6x6 SLR, check out the Bronica SQAi or for 645, the ETRSi. Both are going for next to nothing these days. Bronica's big market is wedding and portrait shooters but they're going to digital. Bronica is also discontinuing all of their medium format cameras according to a press release a couple of weeks ago. It's good stuff - I had an SQA which has a few less features than the SQAi (like TTL flash and a "B" shutter speed). Their systems have almost as many accessories as Hasselblad, including metered prism finders.

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I have also heard that Yashicamats can be had for quite a cheap price. In fact, before I bought the Seagull, I had been looking at the Yashica Mat 124. They do have a light meter and they also have a good reputation. It may be a little vintage for some people but it appeals to the manual camera freak in some people (me for instance :D ). I'm pretty sure it doesn't have some of the modern essential features some might need. But for a tenth fo the price of a Hasselblad (I am not kidding about this!!), you get a good quality, semi manual operating medium format camera.

Good luck with medium format,

Dzerzhinski

Just be sure to get the right battery for the Yashica. They, and a lot of other vintage cameras, were designed for mercury batteries which have been outlawed because mercury is so toxic. Other batteries will fit but might not have the same voltage and your meter reading will be off. Do a Google search and you'll find out about it, can't remember the details but something to be aware of.

Wein makes a Zinc-Air cell that serves as a direct replacement for those old Mercury batteries. Advantage is proper fit and voltage. Disadvantage is they're short-lived - six months or less is what I hear.

Of course, a lot of the vintage cameras (like the Yashicamats) tend to have bad meters anyway, due to age-related deterioration of the metering cells. So anyone contemplating the new batteries after functioning 'meterless' for a while, may want to start with just one set and be sure the meter still works right before stocking up.