Does anyone have advice on the best way to use the Ilford EM-10 exposure meter?

The manual says with a good negative, set the device to the calibration number and adjust the lens aperature until the green light is lit. Then expose a test sheet, separate into four quadrants given each 1/4 sheet the following exposure times: 2,4,8, and 16 seconds. Develop as usual. The best time sets the time for that stack of paper?, all you have to do for each negative is adjust the aperature until the green light is lit and expose for the calibrated time. I understand that this is only an approximation and other factors have to be taken into consideration, but it might help me to zero in the exposure time.

Or can I set the aperature and move the adjustment dial on the device until the green light is lit and use the indicated number (not sure if it represents time) as an approximation of exposure for the area measured?

I am trying to minimize wasting paper and testing. Thanks....

-- Andrew Vera (amaury1@msn.com), July 01, 1999

Answers

I am not familiar with that particular meter, but I could make some general remarks: The meter measures the intensity of light falling on the small area of the sensor. If you measure, e.g., the brightest spot on the easel (i.e. what is going to be the darkest spot in the print), you could calibrate your meter by determining the exposure needed to make that spot completely black in the print. (You can determine that exposure by means of a test strip.) Then, for all negatives to follow, you could measure their brightest spot and close the aperture so that the same light intensity falls on your meter. The paper will then be black at that spot again.

The meters usually use the brightest point on the easel (thus a shadow), because the errors are much bigger when you measure the small light intensities falling on the spots that are going to be highlights in the print.

You can also use such a meter to determine the contrast range of your negative and thus the grade of paper to be used. To do that, meter the brightest spot and close the aperture to turn the green light on. Then meter the darkest spot and count the stops you have to open the aperture again. The number of stops tells you the contrast range. Select the grade which best matches that range. (The manufacturer's doumentation of the paper should contain some indication of the contrast ranges of the grades.) Often, the difference is too big for a simple meter to measure it. Also, make sure your darkroom is really dark (i.e. turn off the safelight, too) when measuring the darkest spot. Because at the darkest spot on the easel, the little light from the safelight can cause big errors.

After telling you what you can do with such a meter, I will tell you why I don't really like it: When printing, the rule is "Determine the exposure for satisfactory highlight detail, and determine the grade for satisfactory shadow separation." For the reasons laid out above, the meter does it the other way around, which sometimes leads to frustrating results. I can understand your wish to save paper, but paper wasted on bad prints is really wasted. Paper used for a test strip that gives you the right answer is not wasted. I would not understand the number produced by the meter as much more than a first approximation.

-- Thomas Wollstein (wollstein@compuserve.com), July 02, 1999.

I have met Les Mclean the expert printer he says throw the EM10 in the bin!!! he is right for exhibition stuff but, no!

the EM 10 is good for extimates I use it for contact sheets and a start to test strips.

Test, Test, Test, printing is not easy the meter is only a guide to the harder process of getting it right!!

-- David A. Henderson (four.bananas@lineone.net), January 07, 2000.