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Show N. VThrough f v the KJ J Lens 1 Minolta's Color Meter II By HOLT CONFER Copley News Service This is the last article in the series about hand-held exposure meters. And I've saved the most interesting (and the most expensive) until last. The reason this meter provides such an interesting interest-ing service is that it alerts the photographer to conditions condi-tions he might suspect, but without this instrument, would have no way of knowing how to correct. Minolta's Color Meter II uses three highly sensitive silicon photo cells to make simultaneous measurements measure-ments of both the blue-red and green-red light ratios. With that information snuggled inside its sophisticated sophisti-cated electronic innards, the photographer, by pushing push-ing a button, can display light-balancing and color-compensating color-compensating data. Now you folks who In 1841, Michael Faraday discovered how to induce an electric current by rotating a wire around a magnet. "One man with courage makes a majority." Andrew Jackson "A man ought to read just as inclination leads him, for what he reads as a task will do him little good." Samuel Johnson aren't all that familiar with light balancing and color compensation are probably asking yourself, "What's the big deal? Why make such a big fuss of the color content of light?" The answer is relatively simple. Color films are usually balanced in their manufacture for certain types of light. Daylight film, for instance will render ren-der colors in their proper tones when the light is 5,500 degrees K (the Kelvin scale is used for light temperature); tem-perature); type "B" tungsten tung-sten films are balanced for 3,200 degrees K; and Type "A" tungsten films are balanced bal-anced for 3,400 degrees K. Anytime you are using one of those three typts of film and the light falling on your subject doesn't conform con-form to its color temperature, tempera-ture, your print or transparency trans-parency won't duplicate the colors in that subject. If you want or need to have true color rendition, the only way to get it is to first analyze the color content of the light you're using, and then use filters to make up for any-out-of-balance condition that exists. ex-ists. With the Color Meter II it's possible to dial in the color temperatures of the three most common film types daylight, type-A and type-B. The color temperature tem-perature values for those three films are present in the meter so all the photographer photo-grapher must do is select which one is applicable. In case you're using a film with another color temperature, there is a variable setting that allows al-lows the photographer to set in the color tempera-ti tempera-ti that's required. t'or example, Minolta says their tests have shown Kodak's Ektachrome 64, 200 and 400 ASA professional profes-sional daylight films are balanced for approximately approximate-ly 5,000 degrees K instead of the usual 5,500 degrees K of most other daylight color films. So in this situation situa-tion the photographer would have to use the van. able setting feature and enter a color temperature of the light he was using When a light measure-ment measure-ment is taken, the meter will display light-balancing and color-compensation indices. in-dices. The light-balancing index will either be "plus" or "minus" designations. The plus will call for an amber or warming type filter, while the minus indicates indi-cates a cool or blue shade is needed to bring the color back to normal. If color compensating is required, the plus calls for a magenta correction' and the minus indicates the need for a green filter. Thoughtfully, the Minolta Minol-ta people have put reference refer-ence tables on the back side of the meter so thai the photographer can quickly determine exactly which filters are needed. 11 an excessive amount of filtration fil-tration is needed, you are probably using the wrong type of film and might be wise to change to something some-thing more nearly aligned to your light source. As an example of places that call for corrective filtration, fil-tration, there is the situation situa-tion where the daylight on a cloudy day creates a blue cast on standard daylight film. In this instance, the Color Meter II will show that an amber filter (most likely an 81A) should be used to balance the blue light If you get into a situation where you have to use a daylight film with tungsten light, you'll learn that I fairly deep blue balancing filter is needed. And if you are ever it i situation where you need to correct fluorescent lighting, light-ing, be prepared for most anything. However, if vx have the Color Meter II on your side, chances are you'll even be able to foil this archenemy of color photographers with little difficulty. The suggested retail cost of the Minolta Color Meter II is 5750. |