Metering, ISO, and you

Most of my POTD shots to date have been shot with one of two cameras. If I'm shooting digital, it's the Canon EOS 60D, if I'm going analog, it's the Canon EOS 620 with (so far) Tri-X 400. There is, of course, a reason for that. I really like both of these cameras. They're both big, which is nice because I have meaty paws, they both feel solid, and, oddly enough, the shutter on both just sounds great.

So, what do these two cameras, as different as apples and elephants, have in common? They meter the same. That's important because I'd like to start doing some work with off-camera flash on the film camera.

My testing was not the most scientific, perhaps, but, I suspect it's going to be close enough. Here's what I did:

60D
Aperture Priority Mode
f/5.6
ISO 800
31mm focal length (50mm FF equivalent)

620
Aperture Priority Mode
f/5.6
ISO 800
50mm focal length

I framed the same shot with both cameras, and noted the exposure time. On both cameras, it was the same.

I set up a different shot, metered it with both cameras. Same exposure.

Closed the aperture to f/11 - same exposure time on both cameras.

Opened the aperture to f/4 - same exposure time on both cameras.

I changed the ISO on both to 400 (which is native the Tri-X film) and repeated the above tests. Same exposure from camera to camera.

For a novice film shooter like me, this is huge. I can setup a studio shot with the off-camera flash, dial it in on the 60D, and once I get what I like, can replicate the same shot on film. Is that earth-shattering in the grand scheme of things? Absolutely not! I can, however, see a good use for that when I'm working on some noir images. I suspect they'll look better on film.

Just my little moment of photographic zen for the day.