LIGHT METER?.....YES or NO?

[FUJI]

Just like Leon, I too am wanting to learn something.......whilst waiting to go somewhere, I was reading up and then looking up the use of.....Light Meters.....for photography.

I can see their use, but would anyone here recommend I acquire one based on my record of photography posted on this forum?

Just curious.

FUJI

[Black Pearl]

Nope, waste of your money. You have a bag full of cameras that all have light meters built in.

[Phil]

For anything other than professional work I can't see the point.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWhi4I20s10

[FUJI]

Thanks both......that's exactly what I thought.

FUJI

[bugmeister]

+1 for not bothering. I often shoot fully manual, and with digital I estimate the settings, take  apicture, then check the histogram to make sure it's not too far out. +/- 1 stop is easy to adjust in RAW conversion although it's good to get it right to start with.

 

Now if you are shooting film  it's a different story because you don't have the option of immediate feedback

[Guest DaveW]

I have a Gossen combined ambient and flash meter, but have not used it for years. Also remember Fuji with macro work you cannot use the straight light meter reading but have to add on an exposure factor to cover loss of light by extension either close up with a macro lens or with extension tubes, which is not necessary with conventional lenses at normal photographic distances. That also applies to hand held flash meters. 

 

Not looked at the instructions with my macro lenses lately, but in the past they used to be exposure compensation tables for different magnifications using hand held meters.  TTL ambient and flash metering take care of this automatically:-

 

"Macro photographers using hand-held or non-TTL meters have to be aware of factors that decrease the intensity of light falling on the film / sensor plane, such as filters, and light fall-off due to extension tubes or bellows (the amount of correction required, expressed as a decrease in film sensitivity, should be part of the close-up accessory's literature)."

 

Their big advantage over in camera TTL meters is you can use incident light readings which are sometimes more accurate since they read the light falling on the subject, not that reflected from it like camera TTL meters, or a reflected light reading with a hand held meter.

 

http://www.macro-photography-for-all.com/light-meters.html

 

http://www.thomaspiteraphotography.com/techniques-reviews/reflected-vs-incident-metering/

 

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/camera-metering.htm

 

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/guide-to-using-a-hand-held-light-meter-4748

 

As with all the different types of metering you need to know the theory behind it to know how to use them properly. Many people think if they point a spot meter (either hand held or in camera) at a subject they will automatically get a correct exposure reading. That only applies if you point it at a colour that approximates 18% grey reflectivity.  With any other tone you need to use an exposure compensation factor. It's all back to Ansel Adams Zone System for the exposure compensation required with a spot meter:-

 

http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/how-to/shooting/the-digital-zone-system.html

 

If you don't use a spot meter properly by applying the correct exposure compensation to the tone it is pointed at it will give you more incorrect exposures than just using modern in-camera matrix type metering. Also unlike separate hand held spot meters having a narrow spot, the area of the spot on an in-camera spot meter varies with the lens fitted. The spot is so wide with wide angle lenses it is pretty well equivalent to a centre weighted meter rather than a spot meter, but it's narrower the longer the telephoto lens fitted. Therefore they recommend you never in-camera spot meter with short focal length lenses, but fit a telephoto lens, then spot meter and set that exposure on the camera, then fit your wide angle lens to take the shot.

 

Modern in-camera metering has been designed to take most of the hassle previous generations of photographers faced in metering to get correct exposure.

 

Also the histogram is an additional metering tool on digital cameras.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whJJ5odMDhw

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQnhSJcRRnU

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z3mTHeIcr8

[Guest]

digital cameras have built in light meter so they really are redundant these days

[Guest DaveW]

Film cameras had TTL light meters way back in the 1960's too Richard. The problem in those days was after you had taken the image you had to wait until it was developed to see if you got it right and if Kodachrome a week or so until you got it back from processing, so often no chance of another shot. 

 

The differences with digital are the monitor screen, but more importantly the histogram and "blinkies" which give you an instant readout whether the exposure was acceptable.  In fact with digital and the cameras histogram you could almost dispense with the cameras light meter and just keep altering exposure until the histogram looks right. Of course that may not be quick enough for moving subjects, but OK for static ones.

 

In many cameras these days both histogram and "blinkies" are turned on by default if provided, but not always in the past as I had to go into the menu and turn them on with my Nikon D200, so consult your camera manual.

 

http://glimpsesofsoul.com/31-days-of-photo-tips/highlight-alert-blinkies/

 

http://actionphotoschool.com/highlights-alert-blinkies/

 

http://www.moosepeterson.com/behindthecamera/landscape.html

 

The only things that should theoretically burn out to what used to be called "paper base white" in old film days, (actually black film, or where you get the highlight "blinkies" on the digital sensor), are specular highlights such as white light reflections off water or chrome plating. All other white parts in a scene should have slight density or veiling, as detailed in zones VII to X in the following table of the Zone System:-

 

 

http://photo.tutsplus.com/tutorials/shooting/understanding-using-ansel-adams-zone-system/

Edited May 27, 2013 by DaveW

[Guest]

another idea fuji, if you have a smart phone theres probably a light meter app for it, try for free if you need one

[FUJI]

another idea fuji, if you have a smart phone theres probably a light meter app for it, try for free if you need one

Thanks Richard,

I have an HTC TROPHY Windows smart phone, I will search the apps for a light meter.....never thought of that;-)

ADDENDUM......Just downloaded one and it really works ......THANK YOU!

FUJI