grey cards and exposure

[electricalperson]

can anybody help me explain how to measure exposure using a grey card? i am having a hard time understanding. and does anybody know a good light meter that doesnt cost 200+ dollars?:thumbup:

 

[Josh66]

You just point your camera at it and zero the meter out.

Pick a shutter speed or aperture, then adjust the other one till the meter is zeroed...

 

[bhphotography]

There are some older model light meters that are less sophisticated. Check ebay for some or your local used classifieds.

 

[IgsEMT]

some people don't even use meters anymore since changed to digital.
if you're on a tight tight budget, gray card does AMAZING job. Personally, it the best $5 I ever spend on photography.

 

[dhilberg]

If you're really cheap, you don't even need a gray card for metering. The palm of your hand is about one stop brighter than neutral gray (regardless of race). Flip your camera into spot metering mode, meter off the palm of your hand and overexpose by one stop.

I would still get a gray card though for absolute precision. Plus, you can use them for setting a proper white balance.

 

[Felix0890]

A gray car is used when you're shooting something that is mostly black or white, which tends to fool your meter into over or underexposing. A gray card is basically put in front of the camera in the same lighting that your subject will be under and use the exposure that the camera gives for the gray card.

Like it was mentioned above, you can get a free card by calibrating your hand. Go to a shop that sells them, meter off the gray card, then meter off your hand. Remember the difference in the exposure (It should be 1 or 2 stops brighter) and then use your hand as a gray card from then on always remembering to overexpose that difference of your palm.

If you still don't get it, you need to read more about your camera's sensor and how it sees things in gray. Understanding Exposure has a section just on this.