[LargeFormat] RE: Victoria

[Wilkes, Don MSER:EX]

> blue sky overhead, without clouds.  For a perfect exposure, 
> the blue sky 
> is the same as a grey card (18% if I'm not mistaken?).  

Really?  I'd never come across this before; that could certainly come in
handy.  My old rules of thumb on exposure were that lawn grass is about Zone
V and the palm of your hand is Zone VI.  Interestingly, according to Adams,
human palms are remarkably similar, no matter what your skin colour.


> of B&W in the F, meter the wall with both, then shoot the 
> same exposure 
> with as many combinations of shutter and aperture as you can. 

We seem to be thinking along the same wavelength, Brock.  I'm also thinking
of shooting most of a roll at *one* combination (say, f/8 @60th), to see if
the shutter is consistent.


> Does the F use the same battery as the old Pentax spotmeters? 

Yep, I think it's something like PX645.  I used to have one of the old
Spotmeters with the same battery, but sold that one about 20 years ago.  The
one I have now (a model III?) takes a completely different pair of little
button batteries -- thoroughly "modern" <g>.

> can't get anymore?  If the meter was left on with a 
> close-to-flat battery, 
> maybe the meter doesn't rise as far as it should and your exposure 

It is all too easy to leave the meter on with an F -- the pushbutton on the
side turns it on, and the one on top turns it off.  However, I do tend to
check it before I start a day's shooting.  This is why I'm thinking that
perhaps there's a bit of grot on the contacts, or (please, no) a flaky
wiring connection somewhere.


> works.  What about the ears on the aperture ring that contact 
> the metering  system in the pentaprism?

You're GOOD, Brock!  That was another thing I've been thinking about.  It's
why I want to check out all the slides in sequence tonight; perhaps I can
spot where I changed lenses.  It'll be tough, as I don't think the subject
matter will offer easy clues as to what focal length I used -- I only have a
50 and a 105.


Many thanks for all the thoughts.  It's given me lots to chew on.

Cheers,
\dw