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Light Meters for Landscapes
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Jun 11, 2015 05:56:44   #
Russ1700
 
I've read a lot of the info on HH regarding the use of hand held light meters. Most of the comments refer to studio or portrait shots.
My question sis there any benefit in using a hand held light meter outdoors when taking a landscape shot?
Thanks for your comments

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Jun 11, 2015 06:11:06   #
DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX
 
I haven't used it for that purpose.
Russ1700 wrote:
I've read a lot of the info on HH regarding the use of hand held light meters. Most of the comments refer to studio or portrait shots.
My question sis there any benefit in using a hand held light meter outdoors when taking a landscape shot?
Thanks for your comments

Reply
Jun 11, 2015 06:11:20   #
rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin
 
Thanks for posting this. I've been wondering he same thing.

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Jun 11, 2015 06:17:34   #
Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska
 
Russ1700 wrote:
I've read a lot of the info on HH regarding the use of hand held light meters. Most of the comments refer to studio or portrait shots.
My question sis there any benefit in using a hand held light meter outdoors when taking a landscape shot?
Thanks for your comments

Hand held light meters are significantly better than the meter in a camera for precisely 1 thing: measuring flash. That's it. (That will include anything shot in a studio using strobes.)

If it makes you feel good, use a hand held for landscapes! It works. It is just as "accurate" as the in camera meter for measuring light. It is not nearly as easy to judge what the meter means in terms of correct exposure, but with care that can be worked out well enough.

For landscapes the easiest way to determine correct exposure is to set up the shot, press the shutter release, and then analyze the histogram and the blinking highlight display. If you go geekie, shoot in RAW and set up the JPEG configuration to provide a more accurate histogram. Exposure can be nailed to within about 1/10th of an fstop if you like.

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Jun 11, 2015 07:11:33   #
rpavich Loc: West Virginia
 
Apaflo wrote:
Hand held light meters are significantly better than the meter in a camera for precisely 1 thing: measuring flash. That's it. .


Not true.

Where the camera will make bad assumptions about the exposure, an incident meter will not be fooled, indoors, outdoors, in all conditions.

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Jun 11, 2015 07:13:07   #
rpavich Loc: West Virginia
 
Russ1700 wrote:
I've read a lot of the info on HH regarding the use of hand held light meters. Most of the comments refer to studio or portrait shots.
My question sis there any benefit in using a hand held light meter outdoors when taking a landscape shot?
Thanks for your comments


Yes, a meter is a GOOD thing to have and you will not only use it, but you will learn A LOT by using it.

It's the difference between "oh..that's good enough, I can goose it up in Lightroom" and "ahh...there is the exact exposure for the conditions, all spelled out in numbers"

I know that I'll get slammed for this but that's life.

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Jun 11, 2015 10:12:13   #
Leitz Loc: Solms
 
rpavich wrote:
Not true.

Where the camera will make bad assumptions about the exposure, an incident meter will not be fooled, indoors, outdoors, in all conditions.


A properly functioning camera will not make a bad assumption - that is the province of an improperly functioning photographer.

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Jun 11, 2015 10:15:37   #
rpavich Loc: West Virginia
 
Leitz wrote:
A properly functioning camera will not make a bad assumption - that is the province of an improperly functioning photographer.


Hahah...

I agree...if you second guess your meter at every turn and adjust until you get "close enough" and only have to fix some in Lightroom for exposure.

I don't want to spend my time grabbing the steering wheel on the passenger side of the vehicle...I'd like to be the only driver of the car.

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Jun 11, 2015 10:58:21   #
Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska
 
rpavich wrote:
Not true.

Where the camera will make bad assumptions about the exposure, an incident meter will not be fooled, indoors, outdoors, in all conditions.

Light meters measure light. All of them. They are all very accurate too! Basic light meters do not get fooled.

They do not measure correct exposure! That has to be "calculated", often by the photographer, based on what a light meter measured. Photographers often measure the wrong thing, and while the light meter gives them a very accurate reading, it's the photographer who makes the mistake thinking it will provide a correct exposure.

Light meters are never "fooled", but photographers often are.

Today one of the major advantages, and alas disadvantages too, of the light meter in the camera is that it is associated with tools that help avoid being fooled and others that can be fooled. That would specifically be the histogram and a highlight display that help. However, there are also tools that actually do get fooled! Matrix metering and Active D Lighting (Nikon's terms) do try to "think" and do get fooled.

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Jun 11, 2015 11:02:33   #
BebuLamar
 
Modern handheld light meter has resolution of +/- 7%. Modern built in light meter has resolution of +/- 26% and their accuracy is somewhat poorer than the resolution.

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Jun 11, 2015 11:10:07   #
Leitz Loc: Solms
 
rpavich wrote:
Hahah...

I agree...if you second guess your meter at every turn and adjust until you get "close enough" and only have to fix some in Lightroom for exposure.

I don't want to spend my time grabbing the steering wheel on the passenger side of the vehicle...I'd like to be the only driver of the car.


Quite right. One must know how to interpret a meter's readings, and those who rely on post processing to "correct" every exposure would be as well served to dispense with a meter altogether.

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Jun 11, 2015 11:30:12   #
rpavich Loc: West Virginia
 
Apaflo wrote:
Light meters measure light. All of them. They are all very accurate too! Basic light meters do not get fooled.

They do not measure correct exposure! That has to be "calculated", often by the photographer, based on what a light meter measured. Photographers often measure the wrong thing, and while the light meter gives them a very accurate reading, it's the photographer who makes the mistake thinking it will provide a correct exposure.

Light meters are never "fooled", but photographers often are.

Today one of the major advantages, and alas disadvantages too, of the light meter in the camera is that it is associated with tools that help avoid being fooled and others that can be fooled. That would specifically be the histogram and a highlight display that help. However, there are also tools that actually do get fooled! Matrix metering and Active D Lighting (Nikon's terms) do try to "think" and do get fooled.
Light meters measure light. All of them. They ar... (show quote)


Well..I realize the distinction, but in the real world, they get fooled.

Just go out side and point your 85mm lens at something and then spin in a circle and watch the meter do it's impression of a ceiling fan.

Now...which is correct? The reading of the green trees? White car? Blue car?...yellow house?

You don't actually know.

So....technically it doesn't get "fooled" but in practice, it amounts to the same thing.

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Jun 11, 2015 11:40:07   #
Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska
 
rpavich wrote:
Well..I realize the distinction, but in the real world, they get fooled.

Just go out side and point your 85mm lens at something and then spin in a circle and watch the meter do it's impression of a ceiling fan.

Now...which is correct? The reading of the green trees? White car? Blue car?...yellow house?

You don't actually know.

So....technically it doesn't get "fooled" but in practice, it amounts to the same thing.

The meter reads the light from all of those objects very accurately. It is not being fooled.

Any photographer that thinks a random light meter reading gives the correct exposure, is absolutely being fooled.

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Jun 11, 2015 11:56:50   #
rpavich Loc: West Virginia
 
Apaflo wrote:
The meter reads the light from all of those object very accurately. It is not being fooled.

Any photographer that thinks a random light meter reading gives the correct exposure, is absolutely being fooled.


Right..you win...I lose.

But the OP will still have problems if he thinks the meter knows what it's doing without a bunch of second guessing and adjusting in LR.

See ya.

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Jun 11, 2015 12:44:06   #
tsilva Loc: Arizona
 
Russ1700 wrote:

My question sis there any benefit in using a hand held light meter outdoors when taking a landscape shot?
Thanks for your comments


Absolutely YES! I recommend getting one with a built in spot meter.

Read rpavich's posts. he is giving you correct information.

if you want more information check out Joe Bradys webinars regarding using a lightmeter for landscape.

Of course, if you want to screw around like most people and bracket needlessly and work harder in post processing instead of being out making photos, go ahead and use the camera's averaging reflective meter.

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