Calculating Exposures/Roll Call

[BBAIN@imnet.com (BBAIN)]

     Re: meterless photgraphy
     
     For many years I used nothing but my Canon VT and the exposure guide 
     in Kodak's Pocket Photoguide.  It did make me keep the light more in 
     mind than a mindless reliance on a meter.  Inside photography was 
     tough though, particularly since the films back then were not nearly 
     as fast or forgiving.  Today, I confess to using either a MR meter on 
     my M3 or a Lunasix, and I find I'm not nearly as adept in judging 
     exposure as I was.  Practice obviously counts!  There is something 
     classic about an M3 without the meter "bump", though, and you should 
     try to go meterless for a challenge.
     
     Roll Call
     Bill Bain
     Atlanta GA -- attorney for computer software company, age 42. Was 
     pharmacist until I got stupid and when to law school.  Married, 2 kids 
     (9 and 12), wife who wants me to get rid of my Leica M3 and get a 
     "real camera" -- AF, AE, etc. (forgive her, for she knows not what she 
     asks!).  Intimidated by "real" photographers on this list but glad to 
     be here.
     
     Started out with Kodak Instamatics, first "real" camera was a Kowa 
     SETR (leaf-shutter SLR) tht I bought with saved-up allowance $$.  Dad 
     had Retinette.  Grandfather had Canon VT, 50mm f1.2, 135mm f3.5.  Kowa 
     lasted until high school when was hit with a foul ball at Shea 
     Stadium.  Bought used Nikon F with Photomic head at Willoughby's, used 
     through high school as yearbook photog, along with a friend's Nikon S2 
     and 105mm lens.  Bitten by RF bug right then.  Nikon stolen at college 
     and grandfather gave me Canon (Nikon RF's were expensive, even then!)  
     Wife bought Olympus OM-1 (was stolen), then OM-2 and decided that it 
     was too much work and went AF with original Nikon One-Touch.  I sold 
     OM-2 and bought Canon 7 w/50mm f1.8, 100mm 3.5 in early 80's.  In 1990 
     so so was at local camera show looking for a lens cap for Canon when 
     was offered the chance to swap Canon 7 and lenses for M3DS.  I bought 
     user 50mm "black" Summicron from Tamarkin, and filled out outfit over 
     time.
     
     Current gear (unimpressive list compared to others):
     
     M3 DS
        35mm f2 Summicron "with eyes"
        50mm Summicron (my favorite lens)
        90mm Elmarit (chrome, early, second favorite)
        135mm Canon (black) w/M adapter (yep, same one)
        50mm f1.2 Canon w/adapter (available light on a budget (free!)!)
        Viso II for close-up work, MR4 meter and Lunasix SBC
     Nikon One-Touch (still my favorite AF P&S:  simple with great lens!)
     Wife has Ricoh Sure Shot something or other - terrible camera, but she 
     likes it.  AF is slow and has more buttons to fiddle with than a 
     Victorian corset!
     
     Photgraphic ambition -- none.  I just like to take pictures of what i 
     see, particularly of my kids.  I liked XP-2 and Kodachrome, now 
     shooting a fair amount of standard Kodak Gold 200 + 400.  I've tried 
     the new Kodak Max and I like it for sports.
     
     Other passions:  Alfa Romeo automobiles (have '83 Spider, trying to 
     convince wife to let me have an Alfa sedan too!), computer flight 
     simulators (particularly Falcon), coaching youth soccer, playing my 
     Gibson Hummingbird guitar when I can find time.