silver Loc: Santa Monica Ca.

I never said that the two meters were the same, don't put words and thoughts like that out. What I said was that the end result is the same and thats quite different.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

And MEANT that they are different in the WAY they measure light and the end result is frequently very different...so again..any noob who is wondering what we are talking about...please PM me...

I wasn't putting words in your mouth...don't be hypersensitive...anyone who wants to know what's what can find out for themselves.

Blaster6 Loc: Central PA

If someone just pasted the line from you that I just quoted into Google they will get all the info they could want.

https://www.google.com/#q=why+a+hand+held+incident+meter+is+substantially+different+at+measuring+exposure+than+the+camera's+meter&safe=off

silver Loc: Santa Monica Ca.

Sorry but the end result is often more alike then different.

jackm1943 Loc: Omaha, Nebraska

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

marki3rd Loc: Columbus, Indiana

Not exactly. Some light meters will make incident light measurements in order to measure the actual amount of light falling on the subject. Very useful when making flash exposures amoung other uses.

silver Loc: Santa Monica Ca.

Flash photography is another subject

Blaster6 Loc: Central PA

*sigh*

Yes, a subject where meters are very handy.

dar_clicks Loc: Utah

It never hurts to learn how to use a light meter if you want. There's a ton of things to learn about that and times one comes in handy.

I have an old Gossen Luna Pro with some of its attachments and also an older selenium cell meter from the 1960s. One or both come with me when I use old rangefinder film cameras for sure. The old selenium meter will keep on working so long as I put it in an open window once in a while to soak up indirect light. Those eventually lose the ability to give proper readings if they just sit in the dark.

Also consider that the built-in meters in most DSLRs these days are incredibly sophisticated and versatile (better than many top-end hand-held meters from past decades). They can serve you very well to aid in getting the exposure you want, if properly used and understood.

I've never used a flash meter, but always wanted to. I imagine they are pretty much indispensable for professional studio use, etc.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

My through the lens meter does not always accurately measure the light; I use spot metering and am often underexposed when I meter off of the primary subject in my photograph. I bought a Polaris external light meter, I use it often and my exposures have improved dramatically.

James R. Kyle Loc: Saint Louis, Missouri (A Suburb of Ferguson)

I use BOTH = the In-Camera (Canon 5D Mark II 7 Canon 60D). Along with the spot meter I up-loaded a photo of earlier.

The Main Reason that I "off-camera" meter is purely from the standpoint that IT helps me Think about what I am about to do - capture an image - and I Always Think Toward The Print.

Call it "old school" or whatever you wish. All that I know is - that it helps me do what I have been doing all my adult life and in the same manner I do IT.

And That is All I wish to say.

Others may (and should) have their opinion on this - this was mine.

wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

i use only film.
my two go to meters are the Pentax (analogue, not digital) spotmeter and my Gossen luna pro f.
both cover any assignment which comes my way. Sekonic also builds wonderful meters, although i've not used them.