First shots with a 4x5 frustration

[erie patsellis]

I'd agree with Ole, spend the $30 or $40 on a used Gossen Luna Pro or similar, like camera's there's no such thing as too many meters.....

erie

[paulr]

And just be prepared to wreck a lot of film. We've all been there. A large format camera offers lots of opportunities to make little (or big) mistakes. You'll probably make a lot of them a few times over before the dumb nuts and bolts of it all become second nature.

Metering and exposing film right are just one set of battles. Then there's focussing, and remembering to close the shutter, not dropping the camera ...

There's a recent thread on the dummest mistakes people have made. It goes on for pages. You'll get it sooner or later, just like the rest of us non rocket scientists. Just give it time, and bring some extra film with you.

[Vaughn]

I also only use EV numbers (actually the number readings from my Pentax Digital Spot Meter) and play with those. The last thing I do is set the meter at the EV number I want to expose at -- then look at the possible f/stop and shutter speed combinations. A general example...if my deepest shadows I want detail in reads 3 and my highlights 8, I set the meter on 5 and go from there. The lower the number, the less light there is reaching the meter...the lower the number you expose at, the more light you are allowing to hit the film.

You can also take a gray card out with you and meter the card and meter the snow to get an idea of the actual difference.

Vaughn

[Robert Hughes]

And if your numbers off the meter seem wacky, remember the Sunny 16 rule as a base of reference. Sometimes you don't even need a meter, with Sunny 16 you can just dial it in and be close enough.

I shoot b&w negative so have plenty of latitude to play with. And I process that negative at home, in flat trays in the bathtub, and can get results in 15 minutes from clicking the shutter to a viewable (though still wet) negative.

The great thing about traditional photography is you only have to get as technically savvy as you need right now. As long as you can remember to focus the lens, set the shutter, and read a thermometer you can do the whole process from start to finish.