light meter
Mar 6, 2014 12:08:34 #
I use a spot meter to make my landscapes. And Yes.... The Zone System. (Especially with H.D.R. = (or better named Equivalent Dynamic Range))
My Spot Meter
Mar 6, 2014 12:59:14 #
lloydl2 wrote:
HDR takes 3 or more bracketed pictures, exposing f... (show quote)
I've never heard of DRO, what kind of camera do you have?
Mar 6, 2014 13:04:16 #
Mar 6, 2014 13:07:55 #
Mar 6, 2014 13:08:50 #
silver
Loc: Santa Monica Ca.
MS. DONNA wrote:
do any of you use a light meter on a regular basis? I take a lot of pictures of nature and was told maybe I should invest in a light meter wondering what your thoughts are on this. Thanks, Donna
Why do you need an external light meter when you have one in your camera? Even with 35mm film photography 99.99999% of cameras have a built in light meter so why do you need another?
Mar 6, 2014 13:11:21 #
Blaster6
Loc: Central PA
silver wrote:
Why do you need an external light meter when you have one in your camera? Even with 35mm film photography 99.99999% of cameras have a built in light meter so why do you need another?
You need an external meter any time you are trying to adjust multiple light sources. Most photographers may never have this need.
Mar 6, 2014 13:23:49 #
silver wrote:
Why do you need an external light meter when you have one in your camera? Even with 35mm film photography 99.99999% of cameras have a built in light meter so why do you need another?
Uh...because the internal meter is prone to making mistakes and cannot guess what your artistic intent is when you decide on an exposure?
Mar 6, 2014 13:42:35 #
Learn and understand why a light meter is useful first. Most photographers wont use one because they think their need camera can take perfect pictures without any help from a light meter.
Mar 6, 2014 13:42:41 #
silver
Loc: Santa Monica Ca.
rpavich wrote:
Uh...because the internal meter is prone to making mistakes and cannot guess what your artistic intent is when you decide on an exposure?
All light meters are the same, they only read 18%gray. Light meter readings can only do one thing.
Mar 6, 2014 13:45:46 #
silver
Loc: Santa Monica Ca.
cthahn wrote:
Learn and understand why a light meter is useful first. Most photographers wont use one because they think their need camera can take perfect pictures without any help from a light meter.
99.9999 % of cameras have a light meter in it. Of course there are some that don't, 4x5 film cameras and a few others but most digital cameras do have a light meter and that meter will do the same thing that any other light meter will do. There are some people that are anal about meter readings but I have found that for the most part external light meters are un necessary especially with digital cameras.
Mar 6, 2014 13:51:40 #
silver wrote:
All light meters are the same, they only read 18%gray. Light meter readings can only do one thing.
True...the big difference is that camera meters all measure reflected light...incident meters measure the actual light falling on the subject and aren't influenced by the tones in the scene...and that is a crucial difference.
Mar 6, 2014 13:56:00 #
silver
Loc: Santa Monica Ca.
rpavich wrote:
True...the big difference is that camera meters all measure reflected light...incident meters measure the actual light falling on the subject and aren't influenced by the tones in the scene...and that is a crucial difference.
Not really an important factor. After all a light meter can only measure 18% gray. Any meter is a benefit and they are all good. Light meters are just a starting point anyway.
Mar 6, 2014 14:03:38 #
silver wrote:
Not really an important factor. After all a light meter can only measure 18% gray. Any meter is a benefit and they are all good. Light meters are just a starting point anyway.
Lol...not really an important factor?
I would heartily disagree...it's the DEFINING factor and very important.
Mar 6, 2014 14:15:57 #
silver
Loc: Santa Monica Ca.
rpavich wrote:
Lol...not really an important factor?
I would heartily disagree...it's the DEFINING factor and very important.
I would heartily disagree...it's the DEFINING factor and very important.
It doesn't really matter if a meter is reading reflected or incident light the results will be the same. I shot a lot of film, did many tests, used quite a few meters, Sekonic 503, modified Pentax 1 degree, different camera meters both film and digital and here is what ended up happening. First I sold my Pentax meter because I never used it, I got really tired of calculating all the different exposures from highlight to shadow that ended up deciding on the same exposure that my other meters gave me, 2- I sold my Sekonic because that meter, a good one, gave me the same readings that my camera meters gave me and 3 the meters were so exactly the same I decided to quit wasting my film and just use one meter. So I use the meter in my D800E and it is perfect all the time.
Mar 6, 2014 14:25:02 #
silver wrote:
It doesn't really matter if a meter is reading reflected or incident light the results will be the same.
Not true...not even close...false.
I'm going to stop arguing about this now...we've gone on long enough over this.
I will invite any noobie who is wondering what we are talking about to PM me for details so I can explain the issue to them; why a hand held incident meter is substantially different at measuring exposure than the camera's meter....
See ya! :)
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