Nikon fe - Manual (Page 29)

EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT—continued
Metering Range
If the black meter needle fails to leave the “A" or
“M/B” positions during auto (or fails to “match” the
green needle in manual), even after all possible lens-
aperture/shutter-speed combinations have been tried,
then the available light is too bright or too dim for the
meter’s range. To correct this situation, several meas­
ures may be taken as follows: Mount a neutral density
filter on the lens to decrease the light reaching the film
plane; or use artificial lighting (i.e., an electronic flash
unit) to increase subject illumination. Remember, too,
that the lens in use can greatly influence suitability for
bright or dim-light shooting. For example, a 50mm f/1.4
lens (with ASA 100 film) couples from EV 1 (f/1.4 at 1
second) to EV 18 (f/1 6 at 1/1000 second) for excellent
low-light performance; on the other hand, a 135mm
f/2.8 lens proves more usable at bright-light levels,
coupling (with ASA 1 00 film) to EV 3 ~ EV 20 (f/32 at
1/1000 second). Thus, choose the lens carefully to
match the existing lighting conditions.
High-Contrast Lighting Situations
When there are substantial brightness differences be­
tween the main subject and the background, unimpor-
tant bright spots or dark spots can adversely influence
the meter reading, and thus the final exposure. To pre­
vent under- or overexposure of the main subject under
these shooting conditions, some corrective action must
be taken to ensure proper exposure of the main subject.
Fortunately, the finder’s center-weighted TTL meter­
ing (and the memory lock function) simplify adjust­
ments, making for quicker camera operation and more
accurate final results.
To compensate for an excessively bright or dark back­
ground, place the main subject in the center of the fo­
cusing screen while performing metering; this action
ensures that the main emphasis of the meter reading
will be on the chosen subject. Then, after completing
aperture and shutter speed adjustments (and depressing
the memory lock to retain the shutter speed, if set to
auto), recompose to the desired picture composition and
make the exposure without readjusting the camera con­
trols. For example, when shooting landscapes, it is often
advisable to aim the camera slightly downward during
exposure measurement to eliminate the effects of a
bright expanse of sky; without such compensation, the
landscape may appear underexposed in the final print.
Also, for backlit subjects, it may be necessary to move
closer to the subject to ensure a proper reading.
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