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  #11  
Old 20th October 2020, 12:19 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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I've never understood EV's. I know they provide another measure of light, but that's about it.

Can anyone SIMPLY explain why one would use EV's over the usual shutter speed and f-stop readings that are found on all (?) cameras?

Terry S
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  #12  
Old 20th October 2020, 03:57 PM
Collas Collas is offline
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With the Rolleiflex I have, an MX-EVS, it's difficult to use the camera without EVs as the shutter speed dial and the aperture dial are both interlinked. Pushing a button in the centre of the aperture dial allows the link to be broken (the later model of MX-EVS has a better method of doing this). My late father's Voitländer Vito B also uses an EV interlock.
The external meter reading is taken and the EV number is dialled into the controls on the camera. As the controls are linked, then changing to a faster speed automatically alters the aperture to match (within the limits of the apertures and shutter speeds available to you camera, which in the case of the Rollei and Vito B isn't very wide). Choosing a slower speed opens the aperture. Changing the aperture alters the speed. It works quite well.
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  #13  
Old 20th October 2020, 04:45 PM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry S View Post
I've never understood EV's. I know they provide another measure of light, but that's about it.

Can anyone SIMPLY explain why one would use EV's over the usual shutter speed and f-stop readings that are found on all (?) cameras?

Terry S
I’ll have a go, Terry.

An EV is a light reading expressed as a number regardless of the shutter-speed/f-stop exposure.

The pertinence of EV’s is that it’s simply the measure of light, incident or reflected, no more no less. What you do with it, lies at the heart of every photographer and every photograph.
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Last edited by MartyNL; 20th October 2020 at 04:51 PM.
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Old 20th October 2020, 05:00 PM
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GoodOldNorm GoodOldNorm is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MartyNL View Post
I’ll have a go, Terry.

An EV is a light reading expressed as a number regardless of the shutter-speed/f-stop exposure.

The pertinence of EV’s is that it’s simply the measure of light, incident or reflected, no more no less. What you do with it, lies at the heart of every photographer and every photograph.
Using ev numbers just makes the math more easy to calculate when spot metering a scene. Ex. Shadow reading ev 6 highlight reading ev 11. Therefore 11-6 = 5 stops difference. On hasselblad lenses you can read off the metered ev number on the lens and see what shutter speed and apertures you can choose.
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  #15  
Old 20th October 2020, 05:29 PM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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Quote:
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Using ev numbers just makes the math more easy to calculate when spot metering a scene. Ex. Shadow reading ev 6 highlight reading ev 11. Therefore 11-6 = 5 stops difference. On hasselblad lenses you can read off the metered ev number on the lens and see what shutter speed and apertures you can choose.
I don't deny the convenience of EV's although this aspect alone, I feel, doesn't do full justice to the system. I find the knowledge and insight gained from measuring the scene allows for greater interpretation or 'visualisation' by the photographer.
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  #16  
Old 21st October 2020, 11:33 AM
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Martin Aislabie Martin Aislabie is offline
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I also use EV’s in order to determine SBR and exposure placement.

However, to take full advantage of spot metering, SBR and the zone system, this really needs to be combined with film development.
You are quite right MartyNL

I had just assumed that if you had bothered going all the way in to spot metering and EVs that you had already gone through SBRs/Zoning/Film Development.

However, that is a massive assumption on my case.

Martin
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  #17  
Old 21st October 2020, 11:59 AM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GoodOldNorm View Post
Using ev numbers just makes the math more easy to calculate when spot metering a scene. Ex. Shadow reading ev 6 highlight reading ev 11. Therefore 11-6 = 5 stops difference.
Thanks to everyone who tried to educate me about EV's.

Norm's explanation explains it easily to me, but is the amount of stops difference between light and dark the main reason to use EV's? I also understand that it is used in the Zone System, something else I've read about but never practiced, as I generally use rolls of film in 35mm or 120 format.

Terry s
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  #18  
Old 22nd October 2020, 11:32 AM
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I see EV's as more of a transferrable shorthand.

After all not everyone's EV12 equates to 1/30 @ f11 with 100ISO.

Zoners will use it as a quick method of working out the brightness range and therefore what development changes need to be made for that film/exposure/developer and ultimately the visualisation that took place at the start.

Mike
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