fhayes Loc: Madison, Tennessee

I love using them! I bought a spot meter when it was impossible to find someone to repair the light meter in my Mamiya RB67 Then on a lark I started using it and a few others to do comparisons. In my Digital Nikon D90 I use the one in it, but have used a hand held when I would argue the results the camera gave me. Now, no matter what camera I am using, I have a back up light meter with my Minolta srt's because dropped it once on a lawn and the meter stopped working. Best 'spare' tool in my camera bag.
p.s. I mentioned srt's because I have and use more than one, either a 100 or 101.

ohallboyz Loc: Boston, MA

I am a member of another forum that will give you honest opinions if you're in their little clique. And, since I'm not, when I post stuff I either get it ripped to shreds or completely ignored. I would love to find a happy medium out there. Honest, but constructive criticism, not bashing with the intent to put people in their place. I am in three photography groups and it's pretty much the same everywhere. It sucks because it's hard to grow without getting good feedback. I am planning on getting a porftolio review, just to see where I'm at.

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

This is the current state of most "photography." I am an art student who is getting a BFA in photography. Nothing is worse in critique than silence. When I post in photography groups I belong to, they generally ignore my post. However, someone can post a badly composed, badly exposed, banal photograph that lacks pretty much everything for a good photograph and gets all sorts of praise. The reason being as another person stated, I do not belong to their clique.

ohallboyz Loc: Boston, MA

It's obvious that people who like to be insulting have insecurity issues but I can only take so much of that. I stopped posting for critique because it was so biased. It was not helpful. I would rather seek the help of a photographer that I admire and get a portfolio review. The one that I would love a review from currently doesn't offer it.

Back to critiques, there's a positive way and a negative way to deliver constructive criticism. If done correctly, there shouldn't be a need for 'thick skin' IMO.

jimberton Loc: Michigan's Upper Peninsula

I shoot a lot of pet sessions at clients homes. the hand meter gives me instant settings because with pets, you only have so many times to get the great shot. I want my exposure in the ballpark on every shot. Lots of times we move from kitchen to dining room to family room to outside. no time to take a bunch of test shots.

oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey

I am not going to say there is not a clique here but if there is I am not aware of it and am not a member of it. This may be because I am not a professional. When I give C&C it is MY honest opinion. I have no reason to do otherwise, and have no reason to expect otherwise from those that choose to give C&C to the photos I post.


I will say that at times it appears that someone is ripping apart one of my photos but I do not think that is their intention. You need to take into consideration the poster general attitude who is responding, some are just more harsh than others and nothing is meant by it. It is just who they are and the way they are, nothing personel meant by it. Don't take anyones comments as a personal attack and learn to take their comments as they are meant to be.

Not sure I am explaining this the right way. I am tryiing to say that if you ask for C&C you can expect some comments that will be harsh but not meant to be a personal attack on you. At tiimes you need to have thick skin.

Jim D

ohallboyz Loc: Boston, MA

Actually I am mostly referring to other forums that I am in. Here, I usually get very little critique so I post in the gallery section mostly. Maybe I need to post more, I don't know. No one has ever ripped me to shreds here. In general though, there seems to be people that can be anything but helpful, and I'm not talking about just in the area of critiquing photos.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Still have my Gossen Luna Pro, Sekonic L398 Studio Deluxe, Vivitar Flash Meter model 2 & an older "Spiratone" flash meter...

HaroldZ Loc: New Jersey

Using a light meter makes you think about exposures, instead of just letting the camera make the decision and hoping it turns out well.

Years ago, I used to shoot wedding on weekends and was using a Hasselblad and a light meter. At one wedding, the light meter died and I shot the whole wedding just estimating what the exposure should be. Not one photo was over or under exposed, because I had learned what exposure was needed for different lighting situations.

I still like to be in control of the camera.

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

Why are you not in control using your in camera meter? Using Aperture Or Shutter priority and ISO you are in complete control. You set two fo them then the camera sets the 3rd. With two of the three set there is only one setting that will be "right" in the other setting. If YOU want to have it different than the light meter (in your camera or handheld) you can make adjustments. Again for any exposure you want if you set two of the three there can only be one setting that you can get the exposure you want (right or wrong) With the 3rd setting. Here is what I do 90% if the time I set the aperture I want first since this is the most important setting to me because of depth of field. Next I set the ISO at 200 which is the lowest setting my camera has and then I set it so it will go up if my shutter speed goes below what I preset usually 1/100th. Then I let my camera pick the shutter speed. If I want to over or under expose I use that feature on my camera up to 5 stops. Of course if another of the three settings are more important I will use it first. Then my 2nd choice and let the camera do the 3rd. My camera has a lot better meter (3 modes) than the old meters from the 40's and 50's people in this thread say they are using. Unless I am doing studio lights or shooting the moon were no meter will work please tell me how I can have more control in getting my settings to do what I want? Dave

jimward Loc: Perth, Western Australia

Hey, gang, this thread is supposed to be about light meters......

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

Thank You Jim Ward ;-)

js15063 Loc: Monongahela, PA

I had a photo printed today and it had snow in it. The snow had a purplish cast to it. Is that because of the built in light meter in the camera? I shot it in raw and just opened it and saved it as a jpg. Did nothing else to it. I watched a video that was posted in this thread and it was stated that show sometimes fools the in camera light meter. Was just wondering why the purplish tint.

Midnight Rider Loc: Alabama

Has anyone here heard about the exposure compensation button/dial that has been on cameras for REALLY long time? And you're storing on a digital media that can be deleted in 2 seconds? It's not like you're paying $6.00 a roll for film, then having it developed for another $12.00

IMO, for anything other than a studio setting, a light meter is redundant...that does not mean you need to throw it out, just that it is no longer necessary 90% of the time.

HaroldZ Loc: New Jersey

Normally, I use my camera in a similar manner - set to Aperture priority and ISO to suit conditions. However, knowing how to use a meter makes you more aware of unusually lighting situations and when to overide the camera. In some cases, incident readings are better than through the camera.