Nothing, it seems causes 'improving' photographers more headaches than exposure.

I used to tear my hair out, I know.

Nowadays I use an incident meter for street work and portraits, and a reflective and/or spotmeter for landscapes. But the truth about 90% of b/w photography is this:

YOU DON'T NEED A METER

Light is light. Your eyes and brain can judge it.

Let's assume for the following that you're using 400 asa film. If you're not, do the math yourself.

What is the darkest thing you will ever shoot? Let's say a dingy candlelit interior, and you are shooting an f/1 Noctilux at 1/15 s.

What is the brightest thing you will ever shoot? My friend Julian claims he once got 1/1000 @ f/22 using 400 asa film in midday sun. Well, personally I don't think you'd get THAT on the surface of the sun, but hey, I like shadow detail.

Anyhow, how many stops difference is that?

Answer, sixteen.

In other words, you only have to remember sixteen exposures.

Actually, the news is better than that because if you exclude the extremes, around 90-95% of your exposures will be within a range of 11 stops.

That's EASY, baby.

Here's what I suggest you do to get with it. Stick to one speed of film for a couple of months. Buy a decent incident meter, something like a Sekonic L-308, around $100-$150.

Now, when you go shooting, before your first exposure pick a shutter speed (I suggest 1/250 if you are using 400 film) and make the following measurements:

Full sun

Half sun

Open shade

Darker shade

Darkest shade

Of course, if it's cloudy you'll have to modify this but you get the picture. Now, using the above set of values, you will notice something.

They are all approximately one-stop apart. In other words you will get a series that looks something like this:

Full sun - f/16

Half sun - f/11

Open shade - f/8

Darker shade - f/5.6

Darkest shade - f/4

(Don't worry if your numbers are a bit different: we all meter and expose differently. All that matters is that you are consistent).

Now the good thing about this is that these numbers don't change that much. A sunny day is a sunny day is a sunny day. So remember these and you are already equipped to go shoot outside on a sunny day without an exposure meter.

Get into the habit of estimating the exposure before you measure it, every time. You will be astonished at how fast you are right every time.

In the meantime, opposite I offer you my own extended version of the sunny-16 rule. These guesstimate exposures are the ones that work for me, given my developing and printing habits. Don't take them as gospel, but as a starting point.

(Seasoned practicioners will note that I err a little bit on the side of overexposure).