Metering question
Jan 19, 2015 07:39:34 #
paulrph1
Loc: Washington, Utah
Incident meter would be best point at the light source of course. If you cannot afford one take a reading of the inside of a Styrofoam cup pointed at the light. That should work. Good shooting.
Jan 19, 2015 08:03:06 #
Drfache wrote:
Hi Hogs -
If I use a light meter - such as a Sekonic 478D - should I also meter against an 18% gray card?
Best of health
Felix
If I use a light meter - such as a Sekonic 478D - should I also meter against an 18% gray card?
Best of health
Felix
You can calibrate your meter to your camera Sekonic calls it DTS Profiling which considers your camera's dynamic range. You use an Xrite target or a calibrated 18% grey card to do the meter calibration, so that when you use either a card or the lumisphere to determine exposure, the camera's latitude and dynamic range is accurately shown, so that you meter without risking over/under exposure.
If you use your Sekonic as an incident meter using the lumisphere, it is roughly the same as using it as a reflective meter with a grey card.
MT - I think you missed half the purpose/benefit of using an 18% card.
Jan 19, 2015 08:03:07 #
I have the Sekonic L-478DR. I use it for studio photo shoots with photography groups. It sounds like you want to use it for reflected light measurements. Sekonic has an optional 5-degree viewfinder attachment for reflected light measurements.
Jan 19, 2015 08:30:20 #
Hogs - Thank you all for the well thought out comments; they are much appreciated. I had been told repeatedly that the camera's light meter is excellent and so there is no need for an external light meter. I have since figured out that I was given incorrect information and am learning how to use a light meter for sports, and portrait work.
Jan 19, 2015 08:38:37 #
Drfache wrote:
Hogs - Thank you all for the well thought out comments; they are much appreciated. I had been told repeatedly that the camera's light meter is excellent and so there is no need for an external light meter. I have since figured out that I was given incorrect information and am learning how to use a light meter for sports, and portrait work.
Except when it comes to flash - you will get your most predictable and consistent results with a good external meter.
Jan 19, 2015 08:58:43 #
EmilMiller
Loc: Miramar, FL
An 18% gray card is used to determine exposure if you are using a reflected light meter, such as a camera or spot meter. If using an incident meter, you make the reading of the light falling on the subject.
There are white balance cards as well, but two different animals.
There are white balance cards as well, but two different animals.
MT Shooter wrote:
The light meter is to determine exposure.
The grey card is to determine white balance. Two different operations.
The grey card is to determine white balance. Two different operations.
Jan 19, 2015 09:16:26 #
boberic wrote:
As you may or may not be aware, we all come equipped with our own 18% "grey card". the palm of your hand is pretty much neutral grey.
and it's much easier to carry along with you than a "gray" card which gets weird if it gets rained on. I have thought for a long time that the card should have been named an "18% reflectance" card. Its intended purpose was all about the quantity of light not the color.
Jan 19, 2015 09:45:18 #
boberic wrote:
As you may or may not be aware, we all come equipped with our own 18% "grey card". the palm of your hand is pretty much neutral grey.
the palm of your hand is actually 2/3 to a full stop brighter than middle gray. If you use your hand as middle gray without compensation, your exposures will be underexposed.
There is another thing that most are not aware of - camera meters are not uniformly calibrated to the same standard, and actually use a luminance value that is equal to 12% reflectance. Sekonic uses 14%, and according to Thom Hogan, he has not seen specs that indicate that meters are calibrated to ANSI standard of 18%.
http://www.bythom.com/graycards.htm
Jan 19, 2015 09:55:50 #
OldEarl
Loc: Northeast Kansas
boberic wrote:
As you may or may not be aware, we all come equipped with our own 18% "grey card". the palm of your hand is pretty much neutral grey.
My hand is about 36% reflectance or one stop brighter. A green lawn is approximately 18%. I use my Sekonic incident meter for close portraits and a spot meter for landscapes.
I also use the "sunny 16" chart we got with our film years ago.
Jan 19, 2015 11:21:11 #
I have a sekonic meter as well. You'll find me using it in studio or in other situations where I am shooting in full manual. For indoor sports venues I prefer to walk around and get incident readings if there is time even if I will end up using the camera's built in system. In my Opinion, Nikons metering system with all its options, is damn good!
Jan 19, 2015 11:21:11 #
I have a sekonic meter as well. You'll find me using it in studio or in other situations where I am shooting in full manual. For indoor sports venues I prefer to walk around and get incident readings if there is time even if I will end up using the camera's built in system. In my Opinion, the Nikon metering system with all its options, is damn good!
Jan 19, 2015 11:31:02 #
I've had best results with incidence metering with minor adjustments in snow. Gray cards are ok but awkward at times.
Jan 19, 2015 12:03:40 #
paulrph1
Loc: Washington, Utah
Tjohn wrote:
I've had best results with incidence metering with minor adjustments in snow. Gray cards are ok but awkward at times.
The problem with using a gray card on snow it is makes the snow look gray. Nikon has in its system where one can take a reading off of a white card and use that as reference for snow pictures.
Jan 19, 2015 13:52:22 #
Darkroom317 wrote:
If it is a incident meter you point it towards the camera and it will give a reading on the light falling on the subject which will give correct exposure.
Exactly. In theory, this provides a neutral distribution of exposure--from which you may vary for a particular effect (High key lighting, etc.)
Jan 19, 2015 14:17:41 #
paulrph1 wrote:
The problem with using a gray card on snow it is makes the snow look gray. Nikon has in its system where one can take a reading off of a white card and use that as reference for snow pictures.
It shouldn't. If you meter just the grey card it should fall in Zone V or middle grey. If you make your exposure based off of this then the snow should automatically fall in Zone VII which is a very light grey
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