How I meter for street photography | Voigtlander VC Meter ii
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- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- There are a lot of meters out there from the ones in your camera to the ones in your pocket, but when it comes to street I primarily use the Voigtlander VC Meter ii and in a somewhat unconventional way!
Watch the video to learn more.
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00:00 into
00:30 types of light meters
00:50 advantages of a shoe mounted light meter
01:24 how and why I use the voigtlander VC ii for street photography
02:14 light metering tutorial for street photography
04:12 some clarification
04:52 benefits of using the voigtlander VC meter ii for street photography
07:47 size matters
08:20 the voigtlander VC ii's best feature
09:30 other useful information
10:30 conclusion 
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Easiest way to meter for out door street shooting is to establish a base level. You don't need to meter the sky and meter the dark shadows and do mental arithmetic. Just take a reading off the sidewalk. It is usually a little darker than an 18% grey card. If you are on lighter colored pavement you will get a higher reading and smaller aperture, but that reflected light will illuminate the scene, so your exposure will still be ok. This technique was fundamental beginner stuff when I started in photography in the early 70s and subsequently taught for several years. I have watched tons of RUclips videos from photographers but none of the young folk seem to talk about
this little tip.
Hello and thank you for the comment! The 18% grey (or roughly the equivalent) is of course a great way to meter and something I should have briefly mentioned in the video. For my photography I like to have a bit more information though as it allows me to quickly change the settings and achieve different types of photos in different lighting situations without having to re-meter often or at all. There is no one solution when it comes to these things but if I ever do another video like this one I'll try to mention the 18% grey method.
Did a test roll using this and a cheap handheld sekonic. Mind blown.
Any old school wisdom for indoors?
@@pricedehay9896 When I was teaching photography back in the 19@@ I taught all my students this trick... The more you do it and examine your results the more accurate you can get at making adjustments on the fly.. You don't need any more information... Experience is what you need.
Thank you for a very informative video. I have owned one of these Voigtlander meters for some time now and see the possibilities expanding for my use of it.
Hi David, great video. I love using this little light meter off camera as well. I just want to say there are a few better ways carrying it. There is a vendor in China who makes leather cases specifically for VC ii (using Horween shell cordovan, very tasteful). Hang around the neck or strap on wrist like a watch. Very handy. Pretty sure you can find someone in Japan who can make those.
Hello and thank you so much for the comment! Glad to hear others are using their meter in a similar way and that case sounds like such an amazing idea! So simple but effective for this kind of thing. I will look into it and possibly make a follow up video!
Great video!
Super useful video - thanks !
Thank you for the kind words! Glad I could help!
Really like your style. Well done.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the kind words and support!
Very interesting video, made me think about using these differently and it's a much nicer experience compared to switching to a phone app.
Thank you very much! I just went on a trip where I left my VC meter and opted for an app. I quickly regretted that decision as a small meter in a pocket is much faster than an app with less hassle. Next time I'll be sure to bring a dedicated meter again!
Interesting method. However if you hold the meter in your hand you could also use a incident light meter and might get even more precise measurements.
Thank you for the comment! That is very true and there are some small incident light meters out there that could be great options. For me I like having one of the smallest options out there so it easily fits in a pocket but its worth comparing in a video some day!
How would u use this for an electro 35 gt, where there is no control of shutter speed?
I appreciate your low-key style. I've had enough of the weird hairstyles, $20,000 wall of cameras in the background, distracting sound tracks, etc. Straight forward and to the point, no unsupportable/extravagant claims... easy to focus on your message.
Your points are well taken. A VCII sits astride my Voigtlander Vito III or on the Mamiya Six Automat. My environment is quite unlike yours, often a deep forest, where judging the light is very tricky, even after 50 years of shooting film. The LEDs are a strong asset for this situation - after looking into a sunlit area, my eyes waste too much time adjusting to my position in a deep shadow to read a digital display.
And, hey, they look so much nicer on most cameras than the 3-D printed ones.
Hello and thank you so much for the comment!! It really means a lot as I often feel my videos are not the typical ones you see online, and I'm glad people appreciate them! I still have a way to go but it is very encouraging to get this kind of feedback!
I did not touch on it too much, but as you say, the VC meter definitely looks and feels at home on vintage manual cameras! The nature example is also a great point! I did not consider it for the video, but now that you mention it, I prefer the VC and metering constantly when it comes to nature photographs! Often with integrated light meters I lazily read for the light only in one part of a scene.... with nature having so many complex tones I often get a dissapointing exposure. Something like the VC meter can help read light from different locations without moving your camera when its say on a tripod in just the right framing! If I do some kind of follow up I will be sure to mention this!
...nice video, thanks! Does meter turn off on its own?
Thank you for the compliment! Yeah the meter locks in exposure for about 15 seconds. In that time you can change the settings and see what it reads. Because of this the battery life is very long even if you are a daily user.
Is this meter better than the meter in camera for Leica M6 TTL and Leica MP?
Hello and thank you for the question. In this case I think it is difficult to define better. A shoe mounted meter or a hand held meter can be better in some situations than the built in one but worse in other ways. The built in meters are definitely more convenient and if you need to meter while looking through the finder it is the only option. As far as accuracy I have found the readings from my mp and the VC meter to be within a similar range and for the way I photograph they haven't given me bad readings when used correctly. I hope that helps if you have any other questions please feel free to ask!
Use loctite on the screws. Solves the loose shoe/battery door.
Thank you very much for the suggestion! Unfortunately the battery door seems to be made entirely of plastic with no screws. The locking mechanism is also plastic and more of a latch, I think over time the plastic is worn down and just doesn’t catch as well as it used to. I’ve had similar issues on plastic compact film cameras and tape is usually the best solution with that too I’m afraid…
@@TheWholePicture oh that's unfortunate. I quickly used loctite on my ttartisan and works well. It used to jiggle and wiggle so much the screws went loose. I hope to one day get something nicer but until then this little thing must do.
The best way to measure light are measuring the incident light.
Thank you for the comment! If you have a subject in a controlled environment then the incident light is going to be a great option! But for street photography that can be a tough ask, and even if you can meter a subject, you might miss out on the interesting photo changing your settings. It’s not impossible, but reading light before photographing can help in the more complex situations street photographers find themselves in often.
The longest plug ever.
Hello and thank you for the comment. I decide to wrap one video concept in the form of a product review because it is very difficult to get the videos watch if I was completely straight forward and honest. I try my best to still make it enjoyable and informative but I'm hoping more straight forward videos can be viable in the future. Until then I'll do what I feel is best for the channel and audience.
A plug for what? Light meters? You need a plug to use a light meter? Yes he’s representing the light meter industry. Yeah let’s just try to be a little less negative.
m8 doesnt have matric lightmeter ?
The M8 and 9 do have light meters in camera but I find metering with the camera to be a bit distracting as I explain in the video.
If you learn to read light you don’t need a meter
Hello and thank you for the comment! I did touch on this in the video, and the more I metered like this the more I became comfortable choosing exposure settings without a meter. That being said, the size and ease of use makes it easy enough to carry around for a quick reference when light changes dramatically.
Street photography is "an art form."...?
While street photography may be closer to documentary as a genre, photography as a whole is an art form which is rich in ways to express powerful messages through visual language, editing and other elements of the craft.
Is this an advertisement for an overpriced light meter? There are cheaper brands that I find to work very well at less than have the price.
Hello and thank you for the comment. I understand where you are coming form, the VC meter is a more premium solution in a market that now has many different options. Also I'm sorry you interpreted the video as any kind of advertisement, that was not and never is my intention, so let me try to clarify. As a small channel, it can be very diffiuclt to stand out among the crowd and reach the intended audience without using popular search terms or keywords. At the same time I'd like to provide something new to the community rather than rehashing specs and numbers.
So I often choose to wrap one video concept(tutorial on street photography light metering) in the shell of another (a review of a popular light meter among street photographers). I understand this compromises my original intention as well as the viewers expereince, but my hope is the wider reach will help get the video infront of the right people, growing the community and enabling me to do less compromised videos.
That being said, the thoughts that I present on the VC meter ii are my opinions. They come from many years using it for film and street photography and in that specific space it has been a great tool for me. If you feel otherwise for your photography, I would encourage you to talk about it in a constructive way as we all have different workflows and practices that will resonate with different people.
Not necessarily, I have a sub 100 dollar meter that I could have used the same tips for. There are 50 dollar TTartisan ones which you could use the same tips for.
Thank you for the input. The tips are universal to many light meters and it would have been less of a compromise for me to make a general tutorial. I often worry a broader video topic will not perform well or wont reach the people who could benefit from it. That being said, there is a lot compromised in this video and similar ones that I have made. I have experimented with the formatting a bit but I'm not quite satisfied with the outcomes and compromises so I intend to try to do more reviews as reviews and tutorials or essays as their own thing. I appreciate the constructive feedback!
Neither one of you actually listened to the whole video. He mentioned that there were other options of lesser price and similar features. Spend a little bit more time with your mouth shut and your mind open.
No one forced you to watch.