Light Meters for Landscapes (Page 8): Yeah when I do copying of flat art I use an incident meter. In this case it's easy.

BebuLamar

Yeah when I do copying of flat art I use an incident meter. In this case it's easy.

Bugfan Loc: Toronto, Canada

There was a time when I wondered why anyone wants a light meter when the camera has an excellent one. That was back in 1970. Eventually I learned why and the result is many meters in my collection today.

Yes it's handy for flash, but it's also handy for spot metering things that are far away. It's handy for averaging highlights in an image where again the subjects are far away. It allows you to measure the quality of the light by measuring incident light instead of reflected light. The meter is just another tool.

I'm sure your hammer does an excellent job hammering two inch nails. How does it to at breaking up concrete? How does it do trying to hammer a small tiny tack? How does it do to split a brick? It can do those things too but not very well, that's why there are so many different hammers on the market, each excels at something specific.

So the light meter is the same too. Your camera is that general hammer that's good for a lot of things, the light meter is the tool of choice for specialized things. There is no way I'd give up any of mine.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I regularly use my Polaris hand held light meter (ambient mode) for landscapes. My through the lens meters (multiple cameras) are not accurate. When I use my hand held, the exposures are spot on.

When I shot film I would bend the camera down and use the through the lens meter and get spot on exposures. I've tried that with my digital cameras and it does not work well. The photos are consistently overexposed.

Leitz Loc: Solms

photoman022 wrote:

I regularly use my Polaris hand held light meter (ambient mode) for landscapes. My through the lens meters (multiple cameras) are not accurate. When I use my hand held, the exposures are spot on.

When I shot film I would bend the camera down and use the through the lens meter and get spot on exposures. I've tried that with my digital cameras and it does not work well. The photos are consistently overexposed.

Something is off here, no doubt. When taking a reading with your camera, which side of the camera are you pointing towards the subject?

mohawk51 Loc: Texas

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

You bet there is. As someone mentioned the hand-held (incident) meter is extremely accurate and in-camera meter can be so easily fooled because it measures light being reflected rather than light falling onto the scene. Wouldn't leave home without it.

wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

rpavich wrote:

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.

not getting slammed by me, that's for sure. your comment is accurate and sadly, needed.