Reading Light Meters

[thuggins]

I figured this was the best place to post a light meter question, since they are used with my MF folders. I have several old meters of the type where you turn the dial until an arrow lines up with the meter needle (e.g. Leica/Metraphot). These have a pattern of irregular light and dark "stripes" between the arrow and the needle.

I'm guessing these are not there for decoration. Is the correct way to read these meters by lining up the the arrow to the meter needle, following the angle of the stripe? (i.e. the arrow should not be directly across from the arrow) It only seems to make a 1/3 to 1/2 stop difference. but that can be a lot with trannies.

Also, on the shutter speed dial, between 1/4 and 1/125, there is a dot offset from the shutter speed mark (it's a dot, while the shutter speed mark is a hashmark.) What is this dot for?

Thanks!

 

[Allan Swindles]

You've got it. Just follow the black or white path. I can't think what the dot is, if it's near the 1/30 it could be for the old cine camera speed.

 

[thuggins]

Just an update in case any runs across this. The dots are for the frames per second settings of movie cameras.

 

[JBrunner]

Yup, the dot is "1/48" the exposure of a 180 degree shutter at 24fps. It's rounded to 1/50 in practice.