How do you determine exposure without a meter?

Kirk Keyes said:

Well, I think they used more than slide rules. Remember all those consoles with flashing lights in Mission Control?

Anyway, I always thought that one needs ten fingers so they can count all the zones when determining exposures?

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Much of the design work was done with slide rules. Computer time in the mid 60s was way too precious to be allocated to every calculation in the design process. And for most purposes slide rules were faster and more convenient.

flash19901 said:

But I ask. How much waste, unneed trial and error, might have been avoided if one had used, as Ansel Adams strongly suggested, a light meter?

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How did Ansel recommend the use of a light meter before they were invented?
Of course if Ansel said it it must be correct. I guarantee he was not using one during his earliest works.

Sorry to fan the flame, some folks will never see or understand!

Charlie...............................

BTW it was well into the 1940's before most photographers were able to aquire a light meter that actually worked. The majority of professionals just laughed at them as a passing fad, kind of like "Digital" camera use.

Just thought of something else funny to me, I have signed my prints CW and date for the past fifty plus years, what must I do now? he he!

First mass-market meter, Watkins Bee, 1890s

First extinction meters, probably 19-teens (sorry, from memory, too lazy to check).

First photoelectric meters 1920s...

Cheers,

Roger

Hmmmmmmmm. More for what it is worth :
All of my information points to the electronic exposure meter for photography being invented/patented on February 21, 1932 by W. Goodwin. That is the earliest patent date recorded I could find.

Regardless of when it was invented few photographers had or used them until the mid forties. I know of no individual photographer in Denver, Colorado Springs or Pueblo that had or knew how to use one. By the early fifties they began to show up, for use with even snap shot boxes. The first meter I ever saw was a Norwood incident meter that had been designed for a movie cameraman by Norwood. No Studio photographer had or needed one, they knew how to see the light from their Skylights or Mazda's or what ever they were using. I purchased a General Electric Professional model PR2 exposure meter at that time, still have it. Besides Norwood and GE, Seconic, I believe Weston and a few others were making their appearance. Now at that time I was a member of PPofA and attended their educational programs when or where ever offered in the US, and none were scheduled as far as I know until the mid fifties to demonstrate the use of an exposure meter.

I know what we did and how we did it, I rode the wave from 4x5 to 21/4 then the shift to 35 mm. I never gave up on the 4x5 or 8x10 for my best quality work. Still lean that a way!

Charlie.............................


PS
Some of you seem think we were all stupid 50/60 years ago, but I guarantee
we weren't all !! Any body seen a Watkins Bee on ebay recently? I really would like to have one.

There are three on right now.

Charles Webb said:

Charlie.............................


PS
Some of you seem think we were all stupid 50/60 years ago, but I guarantee
we weren't all !! Any body seen a Watkins Bee on ebay recently? I really would like to have one.

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hi charlie --

just the opposite in my book!

you know more stuff than we can imagine.
i had a mentor who was a lady trained in the 30s.
i've seen first hand what you folks can do, and it is pretty amazing!

as always, thanks for posting!

john

Good morning all, my G690 arrived yesterday, what a brute! I've loaded it with HP5+ and after work, armed with 2 slide rules, 3 charts, 1 grid and 4 meters am ready to go make some photographs. Just kidding. I've been looking at all the info you've shared with me between Fred Parkers ultimate exposure guide, Black Cats universal light code & exposure tetrad, the exposure mat, and some of your rules of thumb based on the sunny 16, and see many similarities. I feel confident now to go without a meter for a while, keeping copious notes, for comparison later when I break down and buy a meter. I will be sure to share my experience with you once I see the prints. Thanks again.. 9fingers.

Have fun shooting J!!

The important thing to me is to enjoy your journey! The note idea is wonderful, but somehow I always seem to lose them along the way.

May the "force controling great exposure always be with you."


Charlie...................................

All the guidelines should converge on the same answers. BTW, I have one of the little inserts of exposure instructions big yellow used to put in Tri-X boxes. It's really easy to follow - has pictures. If you would like me to scan it and send you a copy, PM me.

PM sent, thanks....9fingers

Sorry, can't totally let this one go. Patented in 1932, most photographers had one in the mid 40's. Didn't Adams co-create the Zone System in 1940? Is it not conceiveable he had one? After all, he was pounding out polaroids when it was only a rumor to the public. Just additional thoughts.