Expodisc
I was watching Zach and Jody's Creative Live session yesterday (Friday) when they were talking about Expodisc. I was a little bit confused.
Normally, I meter each image separately and adjust my aperture/ISO/shutter speed until it meters right in the middle. However, like Zach and Jody explained, the camera's meter is a reflective meter meaning it is not very stable or reliable. They use Expodisc for white balance and for exposure.
My question is - did they say they set their iso/exposure/aperture and then leave it after they measure the 18% gray with the expodisc OR do they still change their settings, just making sure the meter is always set at the middle for each shot. I figure it's the second option because they would change the aperture depending on what they wanted the shot to look like, but it also seemed like they just left it.
Does anyone know how they use the expodisc for correcting exposure?
Go directly to the expodisc website. They have tutorials on how to use if for each make of camera. I have had very good luck with it so far. The big deal is not to leave your camera set on custom white balance when you stop shooting, because that is where it will stay until you change it. If you were shooting under fluorescent tubes and the next day start shooting in daylight, you will get some pretty funky-looking images.
I am also a new owner of an expodisc and can't seem to get accurate white balance in my home, especially at night. I try to obtain it from the "light source (either by taking a picture with my expodisc of the flourescent lights directly above my children or i stand next to them and take a picture where I will be shooting from) but what I get most of the time is an area that is not grey. It is usually dark blue or beige/light brown and will change to a more brownish color when i drop the shutter speed. What am I doing wrong? for eg.when daughter is sitting right across from me and in the middle their is a chandelier with lights I pointed at the lights and got a beige image then stood next to her and pointed directly across the table where I was standing and got a blue image?!? I'm confused! Do accurate wb always have to have grey image when you point and shoot for wb?
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Hi kandlfitz,
You set the exposure with the disc over the lens. The disc allows the exact amount of light and color of light through itself to where a proper exposure and proper white balance setting will create an image of perfect 18% gray when POINTING IT AT your main light source. The histogram when the exposure is set properly will show a solid wall directly in the middle, indicating that you've got a spot on exposure. At that point just assign your custom white balance based on that photo, remove the expodisc and you're off and shooting.
I still use a light meter in slower, more measured moments and especially when measuring flash exposures, but the expodisc is a great on-the-go substitute, though my main exposure use seems to be that I set it as a byproduct of setting my white balance which is where it really shines.
OK. I'm a little confused. Are you setting your exposure BEFORE you attach the disc or AFTER. I'm not understanding how the disc actually helps you set your exposure. Is the disk only for setting WB? Do I
still need to have a light meter?
hey sarah,
they actually set the exposure for the scene and the pretty much leave it be. if they changed their exposure based on the in-camera meter, as they change composition, the meter reading WILL change depending on how much light/dark space is filling the viewfinder and where those lights/darks exist in the frame. it would defeat the purpose of setting it correctly in the first place. as zach said, "a correct exposure is a correct exposure" and an incident meter will get you a correct exposure as all it cares about is the incoming light.
just remember, if the light changes or you or your subject change position, you must meter again. obviously this technique is impossible to implement in faster, tougher situations at weddings, but it can actually save you time and give you confidence in your exposures in more controlled situations.
hope this helps!
Vtotter - I still don't quite understand. You're saying "the meter reading will change depending on how much light/dark space is filling the viewfinder and where those lights/darks exist in the frame." So then am I ignoring the meter and just taking the shot showing that it's under or overexposed, or am I adjusting it to zero to get the proper exposure? I'm assuming the latter.