200 f/2.8 lens not only works flawlessly on the FA camera, it also has the lug to put the FA into the high-speed program mode for telephoto lenses.

Next Page>

Look here for more info on night exposures

See factory matrix documentation here

A2/4 How to Use the Nikon Spot Meter

see also The Zone System (page 69) and Metering (page 77).

CAVEATS

Unless you really want to spend a lot of time learning the Zone System (page 69). FORGET the spot meter and just use Matrix as I do. I only use an external spot meter with my 4x5 camera because I have to. I never use the spot meter in my Nikons. The Matrix is the main reason I shoot Nikon. I use Matrix almost all the time. You have to be quite a virtuoso in the Zone System to get better results using the spot as opposed to the Matrix meter, and then it still takes more time.

If you just want to measure a small area, you are better off using the center-weighted meter. The spot meter is too narrow to give reliable results useless you are fluent in the Zone System.

This is mode only for slide film. If you are shooting print film then use Matrix and forget about spot metering. Unless you print your own negatives or shoot slides you won't see the difference.

Most people will get poorer results using spot metering because one needs either

ideal subjects (for which the spot isn't needed anyway) or fluency in the Zone System (page 69).

I never use the spot meter in my Nikon. I use Matrix and know how to use exposure compensation.

One cannot simply point the spot meter at the subject and get a decent result, because the spot is so small it will most likely point at something darker or lighter than the proverbial middle gray (zone V) and give you an poor exposure. In these cases you will get a very biased and incorrect exposure.

In fact, many subjects have no middle gray, making simple use of the spot meter impossible without knowing the Zone System.

The Zone System is a fancy-sounding system that simply means how much deliberate over- and under- exposure you need to give to dark and light areas of your image to make them look right.

© 2007 KenRockwell.com

68

converted by Sándor Nagy