| Author | Message | ||
     M. Currie Rating: N/A |
If you get the meter working with an alkaline cell, and everything is all right except for accuracy, you can often compensate by changing the ASA setting on the camera. You'll need to experiment a little to find out just what offset works. If you can find or borrow another camera with a known good meter (or a hand-held meter) it helps. It's best if the lenses are similar as well, but not absolutely required. Find an evenly lit surface, such as a wall, and aim both cameras at it, with the good one set for the same film speed as you're using in yours. Try also for a brightness level that is close to normal daylight and a neutral color like light gray or beige. Now adjust the ASA setting on yours until the meter indicates the same exposure as the "good" camera calls for. Generally the same offset will work with different film speeds, so now just make a note and keep it with the camera, saying something like "set film speed 3 steps slower." Even if the meter is not terribly accurate, and even if it is not entirely linear with the new batteries, you'll have a "pretty fair" reading for normal use, and as you gain experience with the camera you'll get a good sense of when to obey it and when not to. If you can't find another meter against which to check it, you can get at least in the ballpark with the "sunny 16" rule: in bright open sun, your exposure should be approximately f:16 and the reciprocal of the film speed. If you adjust the ASA dial on the camera to approximate this, you'll have at least an approximation for other light conditions. |