Proper use of the grey card?

[Eric Rose]

There are times that I find using a grey card useful. However in the back of my feeble little brain I have been wondering if I have been using it properly. In the instructions it states to hold it vertically and then angle it half way between the sun and the subject. Now just how do you do this if your holding it vertically??

I wish they would include a diagram or something.

Eric

 

[Dave Mueller]

Pretend it's suspended from a string.


Assuming a normal orientation for the camera - ie pointed horizontally, put the grey card vertical and parallel to the front of the lens (like a filter would be). Now rotate it vertically so it's halfway between the sun and the camera.

I think it's only a real problem with intense sources like the sun. If it's overcast or indoors with indirect light, it won't matter because there's no strong reflection from the surface of the card.

 

[Eric Rose]

So what your saying is rotate the card so it is at 45 degrees?

subject \ <- camera and/or meter

Like this?

 

[SteveGangi]

Sounds right. The idea is to get a reading with no reflected glare. So, I guess you just tilt and swing the card

until there is none.

 

[Dazzer123]

Another question about this:

If you're using an old-ish camera where the metering spot isn't very tight, then i guess you need to place your grey card somewhere in your scene (where will very much depend on what you're photographing), then walk towards the card until you're quite sure it's covering you're whole spot.

And as stated about, angle it so that there isn't any hard glare coming off it.

Then take a meter reading and walk back to your shooting position.

Is that a good plan?

 

[Chan Tran]

If you subject is flat then put the card parallel to the lens that is facing straight forward this is similar to using a flat diffuser on an incident meter. If your subject is 3 dimensional then tilt the card toward the light source this simulate the dome diffuser.