Do I need to adjust handheld light meter readings for Micro Four Thirds?
Asked 10/4/2014
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I'm planning to use a handheld light meter for portrait photography with an Olympus OM-D E-M5, off-camera flash, and a manual Canon 135mm f/2 lens. Since Micro Four Thirds has a 2x crop factor, do I need to convert the meter reading to an "equivalent" aperture before setting the camera?
For example, if the light meter reads 1/250 sec at f/4, should I keep 1/250 sec but set the lens to f/2 because of the Micro Four Thirds format, or should I use the reading exactly as shown?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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No. As far as exposure value goes, an f-stop is an f-stop. It's only where depth of field is concerned (and noise calculations derived from "total light captured", if you're the type who has to go there) that you need to think about equivalent f-stops.
So if you are reading 1/250 at f/4, set your camera to 1/250 at f/4. That will give you a correctly-exposed picture that is the equivalent in terms of field of view and depth of field as having used a 270mm lens at f/8 on a full-frame (35mm format) camera (to a first approximation).
Originally by user32334. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user32334
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Use the meter reading exactly as shown. For exposure, an f-stop is an f-stop regardless of sensor size.
So if the meter says 1/250 sec at f/4, set your camera and lens to 1/250 sec at f/4.
The Micro Four Thirds crop factor only matters when comparing formats for field of view, depth of field, and sometimes noise discussions. It does not mean you divide the metered f-number by 2 for exposure.
In other words, equivalence is for comparing the look of an image across formats, not for changing a correct light meter reading.
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