I'm seeking information from other photographers who have run color temperature tests in an effort to determine if my color meter is not performing properly.
My meter reads tungston lights around my house at 2500 - 3500 deg. K, which seems right. Also, my wife's Ott "daylight" sewing light reads around 5400 deg. K, which also seems right. Here's some outdoor data from today (10/31/2003) that I'm questioning (I'm in Seattle, WA., and its an absolutely beautifully clear, blue sky day with air temps in the low-40's):
7am, sun below horizon, sky reading is 8000 - 10000 K; 730am, sun is around 5 deg above horizon, direct reading of sun is 5000 - 6000 K; 8am, sun is about 10 deg above horizon, direct reading of sun is 8000 - 10000 K; 1130am, sun is about 28 deg above horizon (about as high as it gets this time of year in Seattle), direct reading of sun is 20000 K (or higher, meter pegs at this).
By direct reading, I'm pointing the opal disk of the meter at the sun, but it would also be gathering light from some of the sky as well.
If my meter is working properly, it's telling me that mid-day sunlight around Seattle in late October is very blue and is dominated by the large area of the blue sky, and the sunrise light is actually closer to what the "daylight balanced" film will register as normal (I would need a warming filter to actually make the lit scene look like sunrise light). I haven't tried sunset yet, as either I've been holed up in my office when the sun sets or it's the more typical rainy weather. Maybe this weekend we'll have clear skys to try this and see if the sunset readings are on par with literature (<3000 K).
Anyone with similar experience, and/or is my meter (and meter reader) wacko?
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