meterfaq



Frequently Asked Questions about the Infrared light meter

Do you accept international orders? International orders will be accepted only if payment can be made with a bank check or other form of note that will be accepted here in the U.S.. PayPal will not offer it's seller protection policy when shipping outside the U.S., therefore payment cannot be accepted through PayPal. Another option is to send funds via Western Union. All payments must be made in U.S. dollars.

Can I use the meter with Konica film? The simple answers is yes, but since the spectral sensitivity of Konica extends only to about 800 nm, the meter readings may not be as foolproof as they for Kodak HIE. As of August, 2003, the meter has not been tested with Konica film. Please write to me if you need a meter speciafically modified for Konica

Can I use the meter for Color Infrared (EIR) film? The spectral sensitivity of Kodak's color infrared film is much better suited to regular light meters. EIR and A ero graphic 1443 films (these are identical films) actually h ave a relatively low sensitivity to infrared light compared to the sensitivity to visible light. For these films, try using a Wratten #12 over a standard light meter and then determine which film speed setting is best.

Why does the meter come with a reflection attachment only? I prefer to make incident light readings. Incident readings work fine for visible light photography because the film has more or less the same sensitivity to color as our eyes. It is easy to predict how the subject will be rendered. In principle, there is no reason why they cannot be used for infrared. An incident reading would accurately measure the amount of infrared radiation falling on the subject. However in practice, we tend to previsualize the photograph. We have an idea of how we want the subject to be rendered. The incident reading does not allow this to happen because it cannot measure how much infrared radiation is being reflected by the subject and our eyes are of little help to us either. Given that infrared photographs are of higher than normal contrast (and therefore have less exposure latitude), the uncertainty of incident readings make them undesirable. For more discussion on this, please refer to the owners manual (369K), click here.

What do you mean by "interchangeable filters"? Some customers do not like to have attachments that can be lost, or that needed to be dug out of the bottom of the camera bag during a busy shoot. If your style is to always use the same Wratten filter, it is probably better to not have them interchangeable. In this case, the filter is built into the meter, not into the attachment and either the supplied 40 degree reflected light attachment or the 10 degree spot attachment can be used.



If your style is to shoot with different filters, the meter can be configured to have the filters located in different 40 degree reflected light attachments. To change filters, just change attachments. Only 40 degree reflected light attachments are for sale with the filter included. If you need spot attachments with different filters, it is recommended that you modify your own.

I bought a meter that does not allow interchangeable filters but now I want them to be interchangeable (or vice versa). What can I do? If you would like to switch your meter to/from interchangeable filters, this can be done for $25. Write to david@davidromano.com with your request. All shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer.

What if there is something wrong with the meter?
The meter comes with a 90 day warranty against defects occurring from the modifications and from damage during shipment. Although Minolta supplies its own warranty, it will be voided by the modifications. If the meter arrives in an inoperable condition, write to david@davidromano.com for return authorization. Items are shipped with insurance to cover these situations. All shipping costs are the responsibility of the customer.

If the meter fails before the 90 days expires, it will be repaired by David Romano only if the failure is directly due to the modifications. Failures due to reasons other than this, such as Minolta's manufacturing defects for example, are not covered by the 90 day warranty period. The 90 day warranty is granted to the original purchaser only.