Can a smartphone light meter app be used for 120 medium format film?
Asked 12/31/2020
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I’m using a smartphone light meter app to set exposure on an old TLR that shoots 120 film. The app gives shutter speed recommendations based on aperture and ISO, but it doesn’t mention film or sensor size. Do exposure readings need to be adjusted for medium format compared with 35mm or APS-C, or are light meter readings format-independent? I’ve compared the app with a Nikon F100 and got similar results, but compared with an APS-C camera I saw a difference. Were my 120 exposures likely set correctly?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
5y ago
2 Answers
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I do not know what are the values the app is giving you. But the exposure readings are meant to be independent of sensor or film size.
The F-number is the one dealing directly with the film size because the number is taking into account both the aperture (the amount of light) and the distance to the film plane, which has to cover the film plane, your frame.
Originally by user37321. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user37321
5y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. For exposure, light meter readings are essentially independent of film or sensor size. A meter measures scene brightness and tells you an exposure combination for the ISO you set; the same f-stop and shutter speed apply whether you’re shooting 35mm, 120 medium format, APS-C, or large format.
That’s why handheld meters historically never needed a film-format setting.
If you saw differences between your phone app and a camera meter, the cause is more likely one of these:
- reflected vs incident metering
- subject brightness fooling a reflected meter
- TTL camera metering seeing filters or lens transmission differences
- app/camera calibration differences
A camera’s built-in meter is usually reflected and measures the scene through the lens. A phone app is also generally reflected unless used in a specific incident-meter workflow. So the reading can vary depending on what part of the scene is being measured.
So: no special compensation is needed just because you’re shooting 120 film. If your app is reasonably calibrated and you’re using the correct ISO, your exposures were likely appropriate.
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