Gauging Exposure With a DSLR

[sk360]

I was wondering if anyone here has tried using their DSLR in lieu of their light meter and if you have any tips.

[Ashesoftime]

Yes, I have and it works great. Actually, I still use a light meter and then double check my exposure with the DSLR. It's better if you do some tests first to see how your digital photos differ from the film stock's response to light, and its latitude, contrasts, etc. Then you can judge your exposure better by reviewing the DSLR stills. It is quite a common practice today for even pro DPs to double check their exposure or lighting with a DSLR as they used Polaroid in pre-DSLR days.

[super8man]

As always, the main difficulty is knowing the shutter speed of your movie camera...

[Nigel]

I do.

I used to use a Polaroid 110B but gave it up about a year ago when I got a digital camera.

It doesn't come out for exposure as much as it comes out for snapping a quick shot to color correct before I xfer. It has been a huge help on my last two shoots.

Good Luck

[sk360]

So you would just set the Shutter and ASA on your DSLR to the exact settings of the film camera? I heard once that you should give a full 1 stop difference if your shooting reversal and maybe a 1/3'rd if its negative do to digital's ultra sensitivity towards light.

[Nigel]

don't think of them as equals.

Think of the digital images as you would a Polaroid that you can adjust and change to fit your needs.

It is like the Kodak "Preview" system of the days of old. Now called "Look". Use it not as a meter but as a proof.

Good Luck

[mediumformatphoto]

Be careful with using DSLR as an exposure meter unless you've tested this well with your particular camera. The biggest problem is that what you see on your LCD screen may or may not be correctly exposed, depending on how accurate your DSLR's LCD is. At least view your test images with the histograms shown so you know whether or not you are getting a bell curve. Many amateur photogs that grew up on DSLRs don't really care about correct exposure becuase they are shooting RAW and can "fix it later."

Many cameras have an LCD that has to be adjusted darker/lighter by a couple notches for the image to be a better match of what you will see on your computer.

That begs the other question: is your computer screen adjusted correctly to show the correct "white balance" or light temperature? Anyway, you should test these things before you use your DSLR as an exposure meter.

R.J.