digital camera as exposure meter

looking for a digital camera to use as an exposure meter and histogram
display for my film camera.
preferred features:
- small size
- low price
- accurate histogram
- iso range 100-1600
- zoom range 24-200 (35mm equiv)
- manual aperture & shutter speed
- ease of use to look at histograms

resolution/noise are not important.

viewerofrecphoto wrote:
looking for a digital camera to use as an exposure meter and histogram
display for my film camera.
preferred features:
- small size
- low price
- accurate histogram
- iso range 100-1600
- zoom range 24-200 (35mm equiv)
- manual aperture & shutter speed
- ease of use to look at histograms

resolution/noise are not important.

Non that I know of have a 24mm w/a end. The discontinue Sony R1 did, but
it's a big camera, and was expensive.

Film doesn't match a digital histogram, so buy an exposure meter.

Buy a dSLR, film is dead, get over it

Spam THis wrote:
viewerofrecphoto wrote:
looking for a digital camera to use as an exposure meter and
histogram display for my film camera.
preferred features:
- small size
- low price
- accurate histogram
- iso range 100-1600
- zoom range 24-200 (35mm equiv)
- manual aperture & shutter speed
- ease of use to look at histograms

resolution/noise are not important.

Non that I know of have a 24mm w/a end. The discontinue Sony R1 did,
but it's a big camera, and was expensive.

Film doesn't match a digital histogram, so buy an exposure meter.

Buy a dSLR, film is dead, get over it


I believe there are far too many differences to be useful. I suggest
you start with a good book or two on the zone system and work from there.
Move slowly and get a good knowledge of B&W before even think about color.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

viewerofrecphoto wrote:
looking for a digital camera to use as an exposure meter and histogram
display for my film camera.
preferred features:
- small size
- low price
- accurate histogram
- iso range 100-1600
- zoom range 24-200 (35mm equiv)
- manual aperture & shutter speed
- ease of use to look at histograms

resolution/noise are not important.


What type of film, if you are shooting print film the digital will
tend to expose less then you would want to expose negative film. If you
are shooting slides you will find that the digital camera will loose the
shadows long after slide film does, for the same exposure.

In shot a digital camera will not make all that great of an exposure
meter, better to get a good spot meter.

Or better yet get a good digital and just shoot digital.

Scott

viewerofrecphoto wrote:
looking for a digital camera to use as an exposure meter and histogram
display for my film camera.
preferred features:
- small size
- low price
- accurate histogram
- iso range 100-1600
- zoom range 24-200 (35mm equiv)
- manual aperture & shutter speed
- ease of use to look at histograms

resolution/noise are not important.

I assume you are asking this because you medium format camera
has no meter?

In contrast to what others have posted, I've been using
digital cameras for exposure metering for over 5 years.
I have shot large format for about 2 decades and originally
used a 35mm film camera as my meter. I use a zoom lens
so I could do spot metering.

Then in 2002 I switched to DSLRs, carrying 4x5, 35mm film
and DSLRs initially so I could cross calibrate them.
You will need to understand the differences in the response
of the digital camera, its characteristic curve, and its light
meter. Digital characteristic curves are like
a generic print film.

Here are some example large format images:
http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries...y.large_format
all were metered with SLRs or DSLRs.

My experience with light meters and digital cameras is
that the cheaper the camera, the more inaccurate the meter.
Higher end DSLRs work well.

But, for the last couple of years I have done digital mosaics
and find I can get more detail in less time (in the field)
than with 4x5 film. e.g., see:

Large Digital Mosaics as a Substitute for Large Format Film
http://www.clarkvision.com/photoinfo/large_mosaics

In developing my technique, I now do moving subjects
as mosaics:
http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries...4-91d-800.html

http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries...1-6c-1200.html

Roger

viewerofrecphoto wrote:
looking for a digital camera to use as an exposure meter and histogram
display for my film camera.

I think you'd be much better off getting an exposure meter that
was made for film. Take a look on eBay for used Gossen or Sekonic
meters, such as the Gossen Luna Pro. My Gossen Luna Pro F can perform
reflected, ambient and flash metering, and can handle light levels
down to full moonlight. It's in almost perfect cosmetic condition,
and it set me back less than $100.

viewerofrecphoto wrote:
looking for a digital camera to use as an exposure meter and histogram
display for my film camera.
preferred features:
- small size

yeah, that would be digital.

- low price

nope, not digital...
I mean, if all the other conditions are to be met as well.

- accurate histogram

now, this baffles me. the histogram is really not mandatory
for exposure metering. it is useful mostly for dynamic range
and colour balance checking, particularly the rgb histogram
variety. Are you absolutely sure you are not after a colour
temperature meter?

- iso range 100-1600

that's easy. fun starts when you push tri-X to 3200!
;-)

- zoom range 24-200 (35mm equiv)

that will be hard

- manual aperture & shutter speed
- ease of use to look at histograms

resolution/noise are not important.

can't help feeling what you need is a
colour temp meter. Try google and ebay for
"color meter" and "light meter" and check out
the stuff. I think if you shoot film you'll be a lot
better off with a dedicated light meter and a colour
meter.

I use both with my 6x7 gear and the information
is quite different from what my digital camera
displays. Mostly because the response curves
and colour response characteristics of digital
sensors are much different from film.

Having said that, most good quality "bridge"
cameras will do a reasonable job of this,
with any errors being more visible on
marginal lighting situations. Forget the
compacts.

On Aug 6, 9:24 pm, Scott W wrote:
What type of film, if you are shooting print film the digital will
tend to expose less then you would want to expose negative film. If you
are shooting slides you will find that the digital camera will loose the
shadows long after slide film does, for the same exposure.

I use both slide and print film, mostly 100ASA from Fuji.

On Aug 6, 9:32 pm, "Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)"
wrote:

I assume you are asking this because you medium format camera
has no meter?

Actually, it does have a meter - a full averaging type. I also have
a Minolta spot meter, but don't
use it much.


In contrast to what others have posted, I've been using
digital cameras for exposure metering for over 5 years.
I have shot large format for about 2 decades and originally
used a 35mm film camera as my meter. I use a zoom lens
so I could do spot metering.

Then in 2002 I switched to DSLRs, carrying 4x5, 35mm film
and DSLRs initially so I could cross calibrate them.
You will need to understand the differences in the response
of the digital camera, its characteristic curve, and its light
meter. Digital characteristic curves are like
a generic print film.

Here are some example large format images:http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries...y.large_format
all were metered with SLRs or DSLRs.

My experience with light meters and digital cameras is
that the cheaper the camera, the more inaccurate the meter.
Higher end DSLRs work well.

But, for the last couple of years I have done digital mosaics
and find I can get more detail in less time (in the field)
than with 4x5 film. e.g., see:

Large Digital Mosaics as a Substitute for Large Format Filmhttp://www.clarkvision.com/photoinfo/large_mosaics

In developing my technique, I now do moving subjects
as mosaics:http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries.../zebras.c01.23...

http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries.../zebra.sunrise...

Roger

On Aug 7, 1:22 am, Noons wrote:

now, this baffles me. the histogram is really not mandatory
for exposure metering. it is useful mostly for dynamic range
and colour balance checking, particularly the rgb histogram
variety. Are you absolutely sure you are not after a colour
temperature meter?

I'm most interested in a dynamic range check. For exposure,
I usually use a gray card or my hand, with the built-in full frame
meter. I'd like to see how far out the sky is, without pulling out
my spot meter and taking several readings.