Regarding the Nikon F4S Metering system....

coolorado · Apr 5, 2017

Hello everyone I'm happy to be here and hopefully I can grow as a photographer with you all! I just got a great Nikon f4s and it is SWEET. But, a few things are confusing me and I hope you don't mind helping me out. Sorry if I sound like a noob. (These are questions after I studied the manual)

I'm having trouble getting a correct exposure in my room (well lit). I'm on Manual mode, and in the LCD light meter I have it on 1/60 (because I want to at least keep it at 1/60 to avoid blur) and my f stop is wide open at 3.3 on this 24-50mm AF nikkor lens. I am still off the correct exposure by about 1 2/3 EV stops. Now, I can get it to be centered by using the Exposure compensation knob and turning it to, you guessed it, -1 2/3. Ideally I don't want to ever use exposure compensation, I want to keep it at zero and just adjust the shutter speed/aperture. What are the negative effects of using exposure compensation to get the correct exposure reading? Also, does my meter need to be calibrated if i can't get a good exposure reading in a well lit room without using the compensation? I would like to note that i am on matrix metering.

Here's another question.

In PH setting it shows the exposure settings as 160 and f/3.5

In M setting I put it on 60 and f/5.6 for it to show a correct exposure in the same scene, with exposure compensation of course.

Now why would that be? Why would a correct exposure in manual mode be two pretty different settings than a correct exposure in a high speed auto setting?

Thanks everyone for reading this! film isn't dead!

Bebulamar · Apr 7, 2017

1. The meter was telling you that you're underexposing as per your settings. Using the exposure compensation although the meter said the exposure is correct you're still underexposing 1 2/3EV.
2. 1/160 @ f/3.5 is the same exposure as 1/60 @ f/5.6. Under the same lighting condition all of these settings and more will give you the same exposure.
1/125 @ f/4.0
1/60 @ f/5.6
1/30 @ f/8.0
1/15 @ f/11
1/8 @ f/16
The PH mode selects 1 combination out of many. The PL mode would select another one. In M you can select among many possible combinations that gives you the same exposure.

dennybeall · Apr 7, 2017

Here's your problem "my room (well lit)."
Your eyes can not tell if the room is well lit or not - they will adjust so you can see OK.
The meter is, and has to be!!!, your guide.
If you're set at f3.3 and a 60th and the meter says underexposed then you have to decrease speed or increase ISO or add light................ our eyes LIE!

Derrel · Apr 7, 2017

Dennybeall is telling you the truth: if the meter reads "Under" at f/3.3 at 1/60 second, and a Minus-value of 1 ans 2/3 stops'; worth of Exposure Compensation gets the light meter to "Zero'd Out" (or Correct), then you need to sloooooow the shutter down, or move to a film that has a higher ISO value. Otherwise, you'e gonna be under-exposing the film. So, as Denny is stating--the room is NOT "well lit" really, not for photography anyway. And you ask, what are the drawbacks to using EC in this situation? Well...pretty notable under-exposure of the film. Getting the meter centered by dialing in Minus 1 and 2/3 EV of compensation will NOT provide anywhere near the proper level of exposure.