On Mon, 19 May 2003 01:10:29 -0700, scotti <nomail@c.c> wrote:

>I have very little experience with video. So this post is sort of a

>question on some level based on my understanding of still camera film

>photography.

>

>I do not understand why you cannot use a meter very precisely and

>corelate the video camera with the meter. Specifically, why cannot

>you meter off a 18% grey card with the meter and corelate the

>combonation of aperature settings and shutter speeds of the video

>camera to that meter. In other words meter the video camera to that

>grey card in a controlled environment before an actual shoot.

[...]

A "partial shoot" at this...:

Video cameras (at least the "handycam" type) have three

variables (not just two): aperture, shutter speed, and

"gain" (similar to having a variable film-speed in the mix).

Unless you can lock gain down, determining the other two

variables by metering is useless. Also, most "handycam"

cameras permit only crude 1/2-stop increments for

adjustments in manual mode (insufficient for fine control

of the exposure with low-latitude video). BTW, spotmetering

is the quick way to poor exposure, unless you really

understand what it can do for you, and take the time to

properly take the multiple readings required. Also, a grey

card will "get you in the ball park", just as the similar

incident meter reading and the averaging reflective meter

reading can, but without understanding the effects of light

levels, subject reflectance, and meter color-error, none

of the above will get you as good an exposure as using the

methods pointed out by the others in this thread (using

a good monitor, using zebra stripes, and/or using a good,

calibrated well-shielded viewfinder with experience in

"reading" it) - after all, it is the "picture" that counts,

and the "picture" itself gives you the most accurate guide

for its own exposure; metering is a step removed from

this...;-)