Light meters - does anyone here use them?
Discussion
Does anyone use one of these instead of the metering built in to your camera?
I had my first go with a set of studio lights last week, and a light/flash meter was invaluable. I think it would also be useful outside the studio as my camera lacks a spot meter, plus it would be handy to be able to meter without having to take the camera off the tripod when setup for a particular shot.
Just wondering if anyone has any experience of them, and whether you think it's a worthwhile purchase.
I had my first go with a set of studio lights last week, and a light/flash meter was invaluable. I think it would also be useful outside the studio as my camera lacks a spot meter, plus it would be handy to be able to meter without having to take the camera off the tripod when setup for a particular shot.
Just wondering if anyone has any experience of them, and whether you think it's a worthwhile purchase.
I use an ancient Gossen selinium cell incident light meter with my Mamiya TLR.
As the camera has no metering at all it's very necessary.
I was wondering about going for a flash / spot meter as I'm starting to do more indoor shooting, and for landscapes a spot meter is handy.
At the moment I can use my Minolta SLR as a spot meter, it's just a little bulky as meters go!
As the camera has no metering at all it's very necessary.
I was wondering about going for a flash / spot meter as I'm starting to do more indoor shooting, and for landscapes a spot meter is handy.
At the moment I can use my Minolta SLR as a spot meter, it's just a little bulky as meters go!
V6GTO said:Um - slight flaw in your plan... what do you do when you're photographing something that's more than 6 feet away like a distant landscape?
Why go th the expence of buying a meter when all you have to buy is a grey-card? For a few quid you can get perfect results EVERY time.
Martin.
ehasler said:
Why go th the expence of buying a meter when all you have to buy is a grey-card? For a few quid you can get perfect results EVERY time.
Martin.
Um - slight flaw in your plan... what do you do when you're photographing something that's more than 6 feet away like a distant landscape?
I assume that the same sun that is hitting the subject is the same one hitting my grey-card, therefore the same amount of light, so it doesn't matter.
Martin.
ehasler said:
I assume that the same sun that is hitting the subject is the same one hitting my grey-card, therefore the same amount of light, so it doesn't matter.
light can vary if you're in the shade, or part of the shot is, so I wouldn't rely on that assumption myself.
Where there's a will there's a way...
Martin.
simpo two said:
Metering seems to be more critical with digital: I was photographing some 35mm slides yesterday (a good job for the new Nikkor Micro lens). Left to its own devices, the camera consistently underexposed and on one occasion I had to use +1.3EV!
Aye . . . digital is very touchy about correct exposure . . . in some ways that's fine, you just learn more, unfortunately sometimes it gets in the way . . .
I'm not sure whether it's the latitude of the sensor or the metering on the D70 but sometimes I struggle to get what I want . . . whereas my old F65 seemed to get more consistent results . . .
. . . still learning . . .
Anyway . . . on light meters . . . I have an old, old Vito B Voightlander (sp?) and a seperate selenium cell light meter . . . ran hundreds of rolls of monochrome through it over the years, got some brilliant pics too . . . estimated focus, very approx metering . . . but with nice wide exposure latitude, and full control of the d&p process . . .
that old cam is still going strong, must be 40 years old ;-)
Fd
Fd
I bought a Gossen Lunasix light meter 17 years ago and I consider it to be one of the most valuable pieces of kit that I own and one of the best investments that I ever made. When I used to shoot transparency film people thought that I was crazy when I told them that I didn't bracket my exposures. Instead, I always use the incedent light reading method and have found this to be fool proof (well unless you're after a silhouette, but then you wouldn't use this method!!).
When I first got my 1DS, 18 months ago, I got caught out using its in-built meter. I dare say that if I had been more careful this error would not have occured. I now use my Gossen all the time.
When I first got my 1DS, 18 months ago, I got caught out using its in-built meter. I dare say that if I had been more careful this error would not have occured. I now use my Gossen all the time.
simpo two said:
I bought a Gossen Lunasix light meter 17 years ago and I consider it to be one of the most valuable pieces of kit that I own
Seems a pity the DSLR makers can't build one into their cameras then!
I've often thought that. A cell on the back or top of the camera, with a dedicated butten would be easy for a manufacturer to put on a body.
Martin.
V6GTO said:
I've often thought that. A cell on the back or top of the camera, with a dedicated butten would be easy for a manufacturer to put on a body.
I do wonder what the results would be like . . . perhaps modern matrix metering vs 40 year old meter . . . interesting wee test . . .
Fd
fergusd said:
I do wonder what the results would be like . . . perhaps modern matrix metering vs 40 year old meter . . . interesting wee test . . . Fd
Would one of the pros like Emma P or Bacardi care to do a test and tell us how they compare?
(that's not to compare the two people, you understand, but the metering!)
simpo two said:
I do wonder what the results would be like . . . perhaps modern matrix metering vs 40 year old meter . . . interesting wee test . . . Fd
Would one of the pros like Emma P or Bacardi care to do a test and tell us how they compare?
(that's not to compare the two people, you understand, but the metering!)
LOL I shall do a test shortly. Right now I am square-eyed from processing the Bruntingthorpe Charity Track Day photographs - and it's long from over yet! Next track day needs a car wash to save me hours of retouching
simpo two said:
Metering seems to be more critical with digital: I was photographing some 35mm slides yesterday (a good job for the new Nikkor Micro lens). Left to its own devices, the camera consistently underexposed and on one occasion I had to use +1.3EV!
Agreed, I have found metering on the D100 takes a bit of getting used to.
I have found two good articles that helped me work out why I wasn't getting what I thought I should be and then how to go forward from there.
links
[url]www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/pdfs/understanding_digitalrawcapture.pdf[/url] and
[url]www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/pdfs/linear_gamma.pdf[/url]
HTH
Chris
simpo two said:
I do wonder what the results would be like . . . perhaps modern matrix metering vs 40 year old meter . . . interesting wee test . . . Fd
Would one of the pros like Emma P or Bacardi care to do a test and tell us how they compare?
I'll leave testing to Emma. Matrix metering is complex as there are many variables to cock it up, i.e. variable subject light values, fill in flash etc. The systems are becoming very sophisticated and, for the most part, work pretty well. However, for more consistent results I would go for an incident reading or a grey card reading. This would be assume that the the light is consistent. If you ever try shooting on a really bright day with strong sun and dark storm clouds being blown across by a strong wind, in other words, large, frequent shifts in light values, auto may be better.
In the dim and distant past, when shooting transparency film, I too used mainly incident readings, although, if the subject was still life, I would bracket, as the clients would expect it. If shooting action or people I would meter, shoot all at the same exposure, and then clip test the film and adjust process if necessary.
I haven't used a meter for 4 1/2 years and even stopped carrying one about two years ago. Shooting digitally means rather than take a light reading, I take an exposure, and then look at the histogram and adjust to taste. I tend to shoot on manual 90% of the time. It's a bit like JCs comments on Top Gear the other week with the modern supercars. When you press the accelerator/brake, a computer decides what you're going to get. Same with modern cameras. I prefer to be more in control.
Ed, I believe you're still shooting with silver halide? In which case, yes, a light meter is a very valuable and worthwhile purchase.
Cheers
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