This year's hot fashion tip. T Shirts that are 18% grey, with the words "18% Grey" to identify them, and act as the brand name.
If we can get everyone wearing them this summer, the life of the photographer is made considerably easier (if you use a spot meter).-- Ian Tindale, May 10 2008 Grey Card http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_cardCalibration for light meters [csea, May 10 2008] This again http://www.scooperg...ges/beigeometer.jpgBeigeometer [nineteenthly, May 10 2008] Make Pavements 18% Grey Make_20Pavements_2018_25_20Greyhmmmmm... [hippo, May 11 2008] Spot metering http://spotmetering.com/A brash, loud, noisy, ill-designed site with an irritatingly in-your-face tone suggestive of the least acceptable traits of those people who talk so loudly across the room you can't even hear your own conversation. However, everything it says is absolutely spot-on, and this should be read by anyone claiming to want to take photos whilst in control of a camera. [Ian Tindale, May 12 2008] 18% Grey? http://www.folica.com/Men_s_204_1.htmlFor all your self-conscious needs. [Amos Kito, May 14 2008] Grey Sweatsuit Revolution http://www.thegreys...m/sweatsuit_02.htmlThen there's this... [nineteenthly, May 15 2008] Are the words "18% Grey" also printed in 18% grey on the 18% grey material? And what if someone merely takes a white T- shirt and adds a black square covering 18% of its area?-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 10 2008 That would only work if your spot meter's spot is the correct distance to integrate the full image of the t-shirt's area correctly. That would be exceedingly difficult, and would not act the same across different spot meter implementations.-- Ian Tindale, May 10 2008 Make 'em and I'll wear one.-- wagster, May 10 2008 umm... I'm missing some background on this I think...-- FlyingToaster, May 10 2008 white T's go grey after time so do grey T's go greyer?-- po, May 10 2008 It would change colour after a while. Either it would get washed with a red sock, it would get bleached or it would get dirty. If you could get it to stay eighteen percent grey, that would really be a good idea because it could be applied to other colours too. Then you'd get a "Man In The Grey T-Shirt" scenario.-- nineteenthly, May 10 2008 Ok. Maybe I am the only one who is getting this wrong- I thought that "18% Grey" meant something that was originally black and then after washing it a few times, it starts to lose its intensity. Then when it starts to turn grey I figured it was roughly 18% away from black.-- Jscotty, May 10 2008 sp: fingured-- po, May 10 2008 Why?? Is there some reference I'm not getting?-- simonj, May 10 2008 But if everything is 18% grey (see Ian's previous idea on this theme, linked) there won't be anything left to take photos of.-- hippo, May 11 2008 Indeed. Everything will start off looking like an HDR photo.-- Ian Tindale, May 11 2008 Why 18%? Why not 36%-- Ozone, May 11 2008 If you can refer to a spot meter - past or present (real not made-up) - that is somehow calibrated for 36% flat reflectance, then maybe that would work for such a minority of cases (ie, 0), but in the mean time, everyone else with a reflectance exposure meter will be expecting the scene to average to 18% grey flat reflectance.-- Ian Tindale, May 11 2008 Why not simply paint the inside of the spot-meter's window with 18% grey, then it would work everywhere.-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 11 2008 I hope someone has a white T-shirt. Focusing on a white object is the only way to override the white-balance presets on my camcorder.-- Amos Kito, May 11 2008 I thought it would be unlikely, but 18percentgray.com is taken.-- bungston, May 12 2008 What [MaxwellBuchanan] said.-- coprocephalous, May 12 2008 You could do that - paint the inside of the meter's lens 10% grey, but you'd have to illuminate it somehow, and the easiest way of illuminating it is to let outside light in, which is of course cheap and readily available. However, you'd also need to calibrate this light, so that you can bias the reading that the spot meter is displaying. One way of doing this is to measure the light value coming in from the outside world. For this, you'd need to have an exposure meter built in, connected to a display of some sort.-- Ian Tindale, May 12 2008 [Amos] But are your whites *really* white? What washing powder do you use?-- hippo, May 12 2008 Tthe washing that most white shirts go through makes them inappropriate for white-balance. They're too flourescent and are actually toward the blue end to be accurate white-points.-- Ian Tindale, May 12 2008 Perhaps this t-shirt should be 18% grey on the front and a true white-point white on the back.-- hippo, May 12 2008 There could possibly be T-shirts which were either disposable or were 18% grey when first purchased. Maybe they could have a water-soluble text on them which said something like "unwashed" or "18% grey". However, there's still the issue of dust, sweat and so forth. They'd probably have to be unbleached too.-- nineteenthly, May 12 2008 Hm, spot the photographer who still uses film! I prefer white t-shirts, which I use to get the color balance right on my digital camera. (And I can see right away if the exposure is wrong.)-- DrCurry, May 12 2008 You could probably argue that you need everyone to wear wet t-shirts to ensure proper exposure for IR film, or something.-- hippo, May 12 2008 //inappropriate for white-balance//Dry cleaning is preferable to water wash, to maintain fabric condition. But you'd need to check the color, to be sure it's still 18% grey, etc., by holding a test card on it. Cotton-blend shirts are bound to change shades, and then they need to be re-labeled.-- Amos Kito, May 12 2008 I'll take this in 18% red....cuts to Ian Tindale tearing out clumps of hair by the roots. +-- xenzag, May 12 2008 How about some kind of metallic or glass fibre fabric, containing microscopic beads of titanium dioxide and/or carbon? Also, why a T-shirt rather than some form of outerwear which is less likely to be washed quite so often?-- nineteenthly, May 12 2008 Okay then, underpants.-- Ian Tindale, May 12 2008 Ohhh.... I am so con-fuse-ed!-- Jscotty, May 13 2008 Underpants you never wash, made of fibreglass? Sounds groovy to me, [Ian].-- nineteenthly, May 13 2008 The words should say "Not 18% Grey", in 18% grey printed font. If you can read them, don't use that shirt.-- GutPunchLullabies, May 13 2008 If you are concerned that your 18% grey t-shirt might fade, try getting an 18% grey tattoo. Have it put on the inside forearm of your less dextrous side for easy reach.-- Canuck, May 13 2008 [tpunchl], that's excellent!-- nineteenthly, May 13 2008 Awesome idea, but as reflection has shown us, no good for practical purposes. Great in-joke t-shirt though.-- Eugene, May 14 2008 ALL camera cases should be 18% grey. With an inside cover that is white, for the new digital equipment.-- r_kreher, May 15 2008 Well, as far as a fashion rave, it is absolutely FABulous. I could see some hot hunky Abercrombie and Fitch model, strutting his stuff down Carnaby Street with a big 18% on his chest. All the real models giving him an all-knowing nod as he passes by, and all the wannabes going, "What is this 18% all about? I just HAVE to know!! Is it his body fat? Is he 18% gay? WHAT IS IT? OH I so Desperately want to be an insider!"-- r_kreher, May 15 2008 Suddenly, I *so* do not want this T-Shirt-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, May 15 2008 My current T shirt is 0.073% egg yolk in colour following breakfast.-- xenzag, May 16 2008 So this shirt is an upgrade?-- reensure, May 16 2008 A little late but //And what if someone merely takes a white T- shirt and adds a black square covering 18% of its area?//
Would it not then be an 18% black T-Shirt.-- acurafan07, May 16 2008 halfbakery