How was exposure estimated before built-in light meters?
Asked 6/10/2015
2 views
2 answers
0
I’m used to DSLR and mirrorless cameras with built-in metering, so I’m curious how photographers exposed correctly on older cameras like mechanical Leicas that had no light meter. Before built-in or handheld meters were common, how did photographers estimate exposure settings in practice?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
3
What you're looking for is the Sunny 16 rule.
The wikipedia page is good enough; however, all of the SE sites don't like you to dump a link and leave. So, I'll just rip the rule straight from the page.
Since you know the exposure triangle, it boils down to: at ISO 100 you use f/16 and 1/100s on a sunny day to get a properly exposed picture.
With that as a basis, you can adjust yourself through stops to get the same exposure at ISO or at f/32.
Although there was a time prior to hand held light meters, they are pretty darn old...mine is from the 1940's and still works just fine. In face it is better than the built in one on my AE-1.
Originally by user38156. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user38156
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Photographers often estimated exposure using experience and simple rules of thumb, especially the Sunny 16 rule.
The basic idea is: on a bright sunny day, set the aperture to f/16 and use a shutter speed close to the reciprocal of the film speed. For example, with ISO 100 film, use about 1/100 s (or the nearest available speed, such as 1/125 s). From there, you can trade equivalent settings by opening the aperture and using a faster shutter, or vice versa, while keeping the same exposure.
So yes, before built-in meters, many photographers judged light by eye and used exposure rules like this. Also, handheld light meters have existed for a very long time, so in later pre-built-in-meter eras photographers could still meter externally.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI11y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How do handheld light meters deal with lens light transmission loss?
Why did Ansel Adams emphasize reflected light instead of incident light metering?
What are the advantages of a handheld light meter over my camera’s built-in meter?
Which Nikon film cameras can be used without a built-in exposure meter?
How accurate are smartphone light meter apps compared to dedicated meters?