photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I bought an external light meter because my through the lens meters just did not capture the right settings (I think one of the meters is just plain broken). I cut my teeth starting in the 1970s with through the lens meters. Back then, to get a proper exposure reading, all you had to do was tip the camera down and adjust your settings from the grass or asphalt (or whatever) at your feet (as long as it was not in your shadow!). I tried the same technique with my DSLRs and it didn't work. I read up on the various metering modes and used them to no avail. I bought my external light meter, use it all the time (primarily in ambient mode), and my exposures are spot on.

CO

You definitely want to get one if you're doing studio work. I use an incident light meter when using studio strobes. I have a Sekonic L-478DR that has a built-in PocketWizard module. I can trigger the studio strobes from the meter. I recently sent it in to Sekonic for them to update the firmware and to re-calibrate it. It's very accurate. With that meter you can even set up profiles for individual cameras.

It's not really necessary when using a speedlight since your camera and flash can do TTL metering. The camera will instruct the flash to fire several pre-flashes. The camera evaluates the reflected light and calculates a final flash output level. It happens extremely fast. The pre-flashes are practically part of the main flash burst.

RTCreed Loc: Forest Park, IL

If someone can tell me where to post it on this website, I'll list a Minolta Flash Meter III with case and instruction manual. It was part of an Estate Sale that I purchased and I'd rather use my Sekonic meter for my needs.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Here you go.
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-6-1.html
--Bob

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I have the Sekonic L358, which is no longer manufacture, but is nearly identical to the L308. The L358 can be fitted with several different radio transmitters/triggers to work with several wireless systems... AFAIK, the L308 cannot be fitted with any radio transmitter. But otherwise they function pretty much the same. I've found the L358 to be very accurate and useful These current and recent gSekonic are well designed to work with digital cameras, with ISO, shutter speed and f-stop ranges that are most similar.

I've previously used a couple Minolta (a III and a V) and some other flash meters. I'd also recommend the Kenko, which are updated versions of the Minolta (which was acquired by Sony when they bought Konica-Minolta's photography division. Sony almost immediately sold off the light meter division to Tokina/Hoya/Kenko). The primary reason I updated from the older Minolta to the Sekonic was to better sync up with the ranges and 1/3-stop increments of digital cameras I use now. In more recent years, the Kenko meters have been updated for digital, too.

I've kept the Minolta meters as backups... especially the III because I have a bunch of accessories for it including a film plane metering extension and another that's used to meter through a viewfinder. Those are handiest with film cameras, but the meters can serve pretty well with digital, too.

These are all "incident" meters too... which is very handy for alot more than just flash. Once you understand how to use it, an incident meter is a lot more accurate way to measure light than the reflective "through the lens" metering system built into cameras.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Flash meters are excellent for quickly determining the correct settings for multiple flash exposures. Although this can be easily done w/o the flash meter by a few trial shots and chimping. If you are shooting raw and your exposures are beyond fine tuning in pp you are doing something really wrong.

For me its just one more item on the shelf that seldom gets used.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

....uh....sort of.

You could get something that you like that needs "fine tuning" in post as you say but you won't ever know what you actually have and be able to re-created it at another time because it has no numerical value if you just "chimp it in."

I've done it both ways and not only is the incident method 10 times faster, it's more accurate and it ends up in knowing a real number...a real flash value and a real lighting ratio.

Chefneil

Message me about that meter, please.