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 Post subject: Metering on the M240
Unread postPosted: Mon Dec 28, 2015 4:30 pm 
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In the short time that I have been using my new-to-me M240 I have discovered that I really don’t understand exactly how the light meter is working. For example, I will take a couple of photos of the same subject matter without any changes to my camera (shooting raw in aperture priority using the sunny 16 rule most often), & the resulting photos will end up with significantly different exposures, more often under rather than over exposed. This occurs even though I attempt focus on the same spot & am using the classic mode for metering. Perhaps there is some source of online info about the metering system for the Leica M240. If so, I would certainly be interested in reading it. Or any other suggestions are also welcome.


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 Post subject: Re: Metering on the M240
Unread postPosted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 2:39 pm 
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Jed:
Since you purchased the M240 used, you may not have received the instruction manual with the camera. You can download the entire manual from Leica's US website at us.leica-camera.com. In the website's menu bar at the top, click on "Service and Support" and in the drop-down menu click on "Support." An additional drop-down menu will take you to "Downloads." There are many documents in the list; the instruction manual for the M240 is about two-thirds of the way down the list. The full manual, in German and English, is in pdf format, 11.94 MB. The English manual starts at page 129.
Take a look at the discussion of the exposure lock feature of the shutter button at page 183. If you partially depress the shutter button in aperture priority mode you lock the exposure setting. If you change the f-stop while partially depressing the shutter button, you will get incorrect exposures. Might that be the problem you are experiencing?


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 Post subject: Re: Metering on the M240
Unread postPosted: Thu Dec 31, 2015 6:44 am 
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James Lehrer wrote:
Jed:
....
Take a look at the discussion of the exposure lock feature of the shutter button at page 183. If you partially depress the shutter button in aperture priority mode you lock the exposure setting. If you change the f-stop while partially depressing the shutter button, you will get incorrect exposures. Might that be the problem you are experiencing?


I don't think I have been doing this, as I do almost always check exposure by a half press to see the shutter speed to be used in A mode, then usually compose with the shutter still half pressed. Sometimes I likely release the pressure first & then reapply the half press to make certain things are still the same when ready to take the picture.


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 Post subject: Re: Metering on the M240
Unread postPosted: Fri Jan 01, 2016 6:04 pm 
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Perhaps another way of asking almost the same question about metering or exposure setting for the M 240 would be to find out how many of its users approach setting up exposure in general. For example, with the DNG files produced by the new M 240 sensor, do many users follow the "expose to the right" way of doing things; or do many do just the opposite & use a -1 stop of exposure compensation; or do many just attempt to obtain correct exposure by doing so without any adjustments to what the camera will obtain with normalized ISO, shutter speed & aperture settings. And I apologize if this "ETTR" versus everything other way of doing things has already been hashed over many times on this forum, but it is still a very new issue to me


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 Post subject: Re: Metering on the M240
Unread postPosted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 12:45 pm 
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When I manage the time, I intend to get out my tripod, greycard & light meter to attempt a detailed calibration check of my M 240's meter, both indoors & outdoors at all f-stops with all 4 of my lenses. I think however my overexposure problems have more to do with my lack of familiarity with using the Leica "classic" metering mode, which weights 60% to the center & 40% to the outer portion of the frame. Also read a suggestion on another site that maybe by including too much sky in some of my photos it is skewing the metering result. That makes quite a bit of sense & should have occurred to me. Live & learn!


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 Post subject: Re: Metering on the M240
Unread postPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 3:02 pm 
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I had the same problem at first, too. If feasible (depending on the subject and composition) I try to meter on the object or person I want to be the center of attention, then lock the exposure with the shutter button and move back and compose. If the subject is a person and I'm shooting candid or otherwise can't approach them, I meter the back of my hand (if I can get it into similar light as the subject), and lock that exposure. Skylight or strong backlighting can throw you a curve until you get used to the camera's metering "behavior." :o


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 Post subject: Re: Metering on the M240
Unread postPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 3:54 pm 
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Appreciate this helpful advice, & I do think it is the strong skylight, backlighting & even some side lighting that is throwing me the curve. But I have not been metering off of my hand yet but have only been doing what you initially described. So I will try using my hand for exposure lock, but still probably do my meter testing when I find time.

A question however - in situations of strong backlighting does it work in classic metering mode to be able to meter the sky either side of the sun or light source, or does the 60/40 sampling still throw that off? What about a subject surrounded with lots of green foliage - meter on the foliage instead of the subject?

Does spot metering work in the above situations?


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 Post subject: Re: Metering on the M240
Unread postPosted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 5:50 pm 
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Yes


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 Post subject: Re: Metering on the M240
Unread postPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 9:58 pm 
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Could you elaborate? Yes only to using spot metering in the situations mentioned; yes also to classic metering mode but meter as described; or classic metering mode in back lit conditions in a no?


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 Post subject: Re: Metering on the M240
Unread postPosted: Fri Jan 08, 2016 11:34 pm 
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Yes spot metering works in the situations you mentioned.
I would not use classic metering in a backlit situation but would meter off something that I wanted correctly lit, hold the shutter button in half press, then return to framing what I want and capture it.


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