TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Please explain how exactly you read flash output from your DSLR metering. You say it can’t read in real-time, but a flash output IS a real-time event.

Jim-Pops Loc: Granbury, Texas

If you have a manual lens such as Lensbaby you might want one. If you manually move your aperture setting on the lens and the camera doesn't acknowledge it, then reach for the light meter.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I use an external light meter regularly for landscape work. I use it in ambient mode and it does a better job with expsure than my in-camera light meters. Back in my film days I could set the proper exposure by tilting the camera downward and slightly in front of me and adjusting the shutter speed and/or aperture. That technique doesn't work with my digital light metering.

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

With lighting that basically doesn't change quickly, everyone can read flash on a dslr.

All you need to do is take a photo, then chimp and make adjustments, then another shot and more chimping more adjustments, then another. If you're lucky good for you, otherwise more chimping etc.

Why not use a light meter once or twice and be done with it?

If you're good and want to repeat it at a later time, get a meter or start fresh each time.

As for "ambient" lighting, I just completed an outdoor family portrait session, (no flashes used), the other day. Took one light meter reading, (Sekonic 478), and was good for a long time.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

I always carry a meter just for tricky lighting situations. It does not get used that often, but it is there when I do need it (does both diffuse and reflective). The one I carry all the time requires no batteries so it travels very easy. If I am taking a lot of equipment, I have a much more accurate meter I can take. Usually, less is more for the type of travel photography I do.

1963mca

Of course there is, if you use a camera without a built-in meter. I still use my RB-67 and a hand held meter.

Haydon

A light meter can help in outdoor work in a different way. It can give you the percentage of ambient to incident and when shooting wide open apertures small changes are noticeable. Ambient light will change in an outdoor environment requiring additional adjustments of both shutter speed and flash intensity. Using a small 3" screen has it shortcomings. Granted the only light meter that (mostly) works with HSS is the new Sekonic 858. Tethering is an additional help in these more difficult situations. I'm using a rather dated Sekonic 758 which thankfully can be calibrated for different cameras to obtain the maximum use of DR with your sensor.

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

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Yes, especially in flash photography.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

METERS AND FLASH- Modern speedlights, when integrated with the cameras they are dedicated to, can produce consistently accurate exposures and certainly preclude ordinarily painstaking calculations in such cases were flash and ambient light need to be carefully balanced and ratios established. These systems can also enable control of other off-camer flash gear in multiple light setups. Pretty decent little gadgets.

The average speedlight outputs about 80-watt .seconds but that is not sufficient power for many kinds of professional and advanced work. In some of my work, I routinely use systems that pack form 2400 to 4800-watt .seconds. As powerful as they are, these are bare-bones manual units with no integration for any camera system. I still use a Mamiya RZ 67 system wit a Phase 1 back for commercial work- no internal metering.

Of course, not everyone needs or uses this kind of gear. I use it to light large interiors and other projects where I need great depth of field, low ISO settings for very high degrees of enlargement and dealing with light absorbency of heavily diffused and modified light. The high power lets me "have my cake and eat it too" with these issues. If you don't use this kind of gear, perhaps you don't need a meter.

There is also a lot of great flash gear out there with intermediate power levels in ht 100 to 400 w.s range- some may be older gear, but still extremely well designed and built but with little or no automation. Meter time!

Even if you have the latest up-to-date Speedlight gear, you are confined to the parameters set by the engineers and builders. If you prefer to use any of the equipment in manual mode to introduce your own configurations, a meter can be handy.

Like many other equipment issues that become overly contentious, folks should remember there are a time and a place for many different approaches and equipment choices. The only time a meter is really a "pain in the butt" is if you have a big old Thomas Strobmaster with a big lollipop kinda probe, stuff it in your back pocket and accidentally sit on it- that's gonna cause some significant pain.

Grandpa Ron

Sorry folks but I need to use a light meter my 1910 view camera.

However, my digital seems to do well on its own. :)

Timmers Loc: San Antonio Texas.

Nice question. As most digital camera users will agree, you don't need a light meter, the modern digital camera functions as a light meter. That said, these types would never need a hand held light meter because they have no clue how to use or apply a sophisticated modern hand held meter. It is NOT a snotty remark it is just true. So for 99% of photography people using digital equipment they are covered by the camera.

BebuLamar

I must say that modern light meters aren't any better than those made 30 years ago. They do not offer more accuracy or precision. They only offer built in computation which is more convenient but is something you can do yourself.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

👍👍

kenArchi Loc: Seal Beach, CA

I use a flash meter for my interior work. I take an incident reading at camera setting f5.6 then set my fill flashes at a meter reading of f2 to f2.8. Some darker areas may require an a flash to be set at f3.5.

Photoguy120

Really?