Light Meter Recommendations?

[divamum]

Originally Posted by pathfinder

Julile, spend an afternoon shooting with me sometime and you can borrow my Sekonic 358 and see if you think it is helpful. It will meter flash, trigger a PW, and meter ambient light as well. But the truth is, I rarely use it except when setting up studio lighting.

This is the only lightmeter I've used (they had one for the class I took at the college where I teach) and I really liked it. That said, I'm not sure how I would use it outside the context of studio lights - I wouldn't know where to start! Accordingly, following this thread with interest....

[Art Scott]

no double standard......

If your shooting and stop to look at the histogram or blinkies...you're still behind the camera and your client is wondering what you are doing and then starts the thought process of (as they begin to get nervous)......... does this person know what they are doing.........at some point the client will ask, "What are you doing?? "...U...Looking for blinkies.....CLIENT.....what the hell is a blinkie??
Or studying my histogram to make sure the exposure is spot on...CLIENT...doesn't the meter tell you that???.....well not the in camera reflective meter, for that I would need a Handheld incident meter and I do not own one as I shoot digital so I can just look at the historgram.....

When you use a meter you are still engaging the client....because you will be near them with the meter, when you use the histogram it alienates the cleint....also then you have to stop reading the histogram or looking at the blinkies and go make contact with client again to change the pose ..........much more efficient (and professional looking) to meter.... shoot, repose meter...shoot......
In the time it takes to move from subject to camera you have evaluated the meter reading and your ready to adjust SS or Aperture......

Waay back when I 1st came to Dgrin someone stated that handheld meters were really a waste of time and money since everyone could learn to read a histogram and chimp.....so I went to a neighbor photog and asked her what she thought...since she is a little of 20yrs younger than I am to see if I was that arcane.......She laughed.....and said that no REAL photog earning their living with a cam would not even think of shooting without a handheld incident meter....


So no it is not a double standard.....it is giving the client the impression and confidence that the photog really does know what they are doing.....also it is a time saver and in the business of photography....time is MONEY........

My exposures are never off by a 1/4 stop, which is so easy to fix in LR........Sorta like a sniper.....One shot One VERY Good Image....I photograph like I hunt.....one shot one kill.....no waste of time or ammunition ...........

[Art Scott]

divamum.....how to use a handheld incident meter outside of studio lights...real simple.....shoot totally manual and replace the in cam reflective meter reading for the handheld incident meter reading........by doing so with portraits (and weddings) it just might up your productivity.....most cleints will gladly pay to ahve a shorter session than having to be photographed for 2 or 3 hours if the exact same outcome can be had in a lot less time........
The reading from an incident meter will always be more accurate than from any reflective meter.....

......if you have a very contrasty couple (one very dark skinned and once extremely light skinned) and they wearing solid black and white clothing that incident meter will give a proper exposure without a problem....with in cam meter your back to chimping and trying to evaluate the histogram...this is time consuming.....

Teh photoclass you took should have had everyone use that meter for shooting in ambient light also....whether the ambient was sunlight or just the nasty fluorescent lights of the room...............

can an incident meter be fooled....like a reflective meter can.....Not that I am aware of.....I have never read or heard of a sceanario to that effect and that is why I rely so heavily on my incident meter.........plus I do not want to have to chimp....

every now and then I will show a particular shot to a client and remark on how that shot really captured their essence and that is with a client that is really nervous or self conscious .....my only chimping is for closed eyes........I would love a twin lens dslr in the price range of the D300.........

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Art Scott

no double standard......

If your shooting and stop to look at the histogram or blinkies...you're still behind the camera and your client is wondering what you are doing and then starts the thought process of (as they begin to get nervous)......... does this person know what they are doing.........at some point the client will ask, "What are you doing?? "...U...Looking for blinkies.....CLIENT.....what the hell is a blinkie??
Or studying my histogram to make sure the exposure is spot on...CLIENT...doesn't the meter tell you that???.....well not the in camera reflective meter, for that I would need a Handheld incident meter and I do not own one as I shoot digital so I can just look at the historgram.....

When you use a meter you are still engaging the client....because you will be near them with the meter, when you use the histogram it alienates the cleint....also then you have to stop reading the histogram or looking at the blinkies and go make contact with client again to change the pose ..........much more efficient (and professional looking) to meter.... shoot, repose meter...shoot......
In the time it takes to move from subject to camera you have evaluated the meter reading and your ready to adjust SS or Aperture......

Waay back when I 1st came to Dgrin someone stated that handheld meters were really a waste of time and money since everyone could learn to read a histogram and chimp.....so I went to a neighbor photog and asked her what she thought...since she is a little of 20yrs younger than I am to see if I was that arcane.......She laughed.....and said that no REAL photog earning their living with a cam would not even think of shooting without a handheld incident meter....


So no it is not a double standard.....it is giving the client the impression and confidence that the photog really does know what they are doing.....also it is a time saver and in the business of photography....time is MONEY........

My exposures are never off by a 1/4 stop, which is so easy to fix in LR........Sorta like a sniper.....One shot One VERY Good Image....I photograph like I hunt.....one shot one kill.....no waste of time or ammunition ...........

Thanks, Art. I understand, and I think you did an excellent job of articulating your point. If I may paraphrase: From a technical standpoint, you can achieve the same results from either method, "shoot, adjust and repeat", or "meter and shoot". However, for the professional, "meter and shoot" appears more professional to clients and accomplishes the job more quickly. I can see that, and am anxious to get my metering career started.

Good stuff!
-joel

[ziggy53]

The metering system in most modern dSLRs is a reflective metering system. Adding an 18 percent gray card can allow the camera to be used as an incident light meter as well.

Both incident and reflected meters may be required to properly meter a scene, but knowledge and experience can allow a photographer to interpolate a scene pretty well with either metering system.

If you do use an incident meter make sure that you calibrate it to your camera. Assuming that they are automatically calibrated to each other is asking for problems.

My external meter of choice is the Gossen Luna Pro "F", and it is capable of incident and reflected light metering in ambient or flash modes. One of very few "null" meters ever made, it is both accurate and fast. No longer made, they are becoming collectibles.

[Nikolai]

Originally Posted by kdog

Thanks, Art. I understand, and I think you did an excellent job of articulating your point. If I may paraphrase: From a technical standpoint, you can achieve the same results from either method, "shoot, adjust and repeat", or "meter and shoot". However, for the professional, "meter and shoot" appears more professional to clients and accomplishes the job more quickly. I can see that, and am anxious to get my metering career started.

Good stuff!
-joel

Joel, I guess we can all agree that if the primary goal is to look professional, then one has to switch to Large Format camera first...

Other than that, I would like to repeat: lightmeters are very helpful (sometimes invaluable) tools when dealing with *complicated* lighting situations, such as multiple light sources (especially a mix of strobes). OP's question didn't describe the need for those (I'm judging by the "how does it work" part). Hence my recommendation to skip the purchase for now and use the funds for some other needs (tripod, etc).

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Nikolai

Joel, I guess we can all agree that if the primary goal is to look professional, then one has to switch to Large Format camera first...

Other than that, I would like to repeat: lightmeters are very helpful (sometimes invaluable) tools when dealing with *complicated* lighting situations, such as multiple light sources (especially a mix of strobes). OP's question didn't describe the need for those (I'm judging by the "how does it work" part). Hence my recommendation to skip the purchase for now and use the funds for some other needs (tripod, etc).

I understood that Nik, and appreciated it. My previous note was in response to Art's comment about using a meter and professionalism. Now I have three reasons to want one. Professionalism, working with multiple strobes, and the fact that I'm a hopeless gadgetaholic.

Cheers,
-joel

[Wil Davis]

I use a Weston Euro Master which I bought 35 years ago.

I recently found a Weston Master III in perfect condition at a flea market; a bargain for $5.

I also have a Minolta Auto Meter IV F with all the bits & kits which I use occasionally.

Incident light metering for 99% of the time I'm shooting, and using the camera's meter for the times when there isn't time to take a reading from a hand-held.

Check out eBay - there are some amazing bargains to be had, especially as hand-held metering is no longer in fashion.

HTH -

- Wil