Sheesh, it aint rocket science, its amazing how complicated some people can make it. Just do what Steve there sez, get an el cheapo timer and wing it. I use a stopwatch that I stole from my psychotic high school football coach after he tackled me and a friend from behind in the hallway because we were making fun of him.
Ooops, guess that cats out of the bag 23 years later. But its taken a lickin and keeps on tickin.
With a Calumet electronic shutter tester I find that all my large format shutters are rarely closer than 1/6 stop to the indicated shutter speed (and these are all on new and well looked after lenses).
According to Calumet this means that at an indicated speed of 1 second the actual shutter speed can range from 0.89-1.12 seconds. This is about a 12% error.
I?ve also tested how accurate the shutter speed is on the B setting using my wristwatch second hand as the timer at 2, 4 and 8 seconds. I found that there was always less than a 10% error. I was never even close to a 1/4 second error on a 2 second exposure timed with my wristwatch. I doubt if there?s any point in being more accurate.
The electronic metronome is a great idea. The one I use in the darkroom for test strips,dodging/burning is a little larger than a watch and costs about 20 $US. It makes a very distinct beep. George
i like the old eugene smith exposure method - you lick your finger and hold it up in the air to see which way the exposure is coming from, and then you expose the film untils it feels right. i have always been paranoid about reciprocity failure (after being reminded of it 50,000 times by my mentor long ago), and have consequently always given wildly too long exposures in compensation. i have never managed to overexpose a negative that way. i shoot lots of interiors of old unlit warehouses and commercial bldgs, inside hwy tunnels, powerhouses, etc. if my meter says 4 secs, i will do one at 8secs and one at 16 secs - i can usually hardly tell the difference between the negs, and either neg will be quite printabble. when my meter says 1 minute, i just open the shutter and wander around for a while. my experience has shown that this method works flawlessly. obviously there is a lot of latitude in exposures of this length.
I'll also cast my vote for the metronome. About a year ago I tested myself with the calumet shutter timer, and compared the metronome vs. a stopwatch. I was more accurate and consistent with the metronome. I expect you anticipate better because you get a rhythm going before you trip the shutter. Besides it's fun to play with! A number of the portable electronic units have an earphone jack in case you want your timing to be private. For longer exposures I'll set mine at 30 beats/minute so you get a bleep every two seconds which makes counting easier. Of course for exposures over 10 seconds the error difference between the two isn't that significant.
"...I tested myself with the calumet shutter timer..."
I wouldn't say that too loudly. We look strange enough as it is hauling around these big cameras standing under the darkcloth and all.
I too use a metronome but set it so that it beeps once per second. The kind of metronome I'm using (and I suspect others also are using) is not the traditional old large woode thing that you used to see sitting atop pianos. The one I use is digital, about a half inch or less wide, and smaller than a pack of cigarettes. It easily fits in your shirt pocket, can't weight more than a few ounces, and cost about $10 at a music instrument store. I don't like to wear my watch when photographing in many areas because of the theft problems - I figure they might get my camera gear but at least they won't get my watch if I leave it at home.
Brian Ellis
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
a mile away and you'll have their shoes.
Take a small lead fishing sinker, paint it white (for visibility) and tie a string to it. At a distance of one meter from the sinker, mark the string with some tape or dye. Tie the string around any available tree branch leaving one meter between the sinker and the cinch point and give it a swing. Start your count from the top of the swing and note each time the sinker reaches that exact point in it's arc. Voila! You've made a second timer that will fit in your camera bag or pocket and needs no batteries, AND is ACCURATE!
If your in doubt why not just shoot several sheets?!... or shooting at less of an apeture so you can get the second exposure...
I too shoot landscapes in the wilderness. For most of my low light shots I am dealing with tens of seconds to minutes. My digital wrist watch is as accurate as needs be (plus the alarm is crucial to wake me up in my tent at 4:30am!). The hard part is correcting the final exposure time on the fly when the light is increasing at a stop per minute. Fortunately, plus or minus ten seconds makes no practical difference.
For shorter exposures, 2-5 secs say, an analog watch with sweep second hand is indispensible. I can usually avoid this touchy range, however, by stopping down or opening up an extra stop.
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