[BarryE]

Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here.

---

With regards to flash I suggest you are missing the following....

1. Using a flash meter to measure Key and Fill lights means you can set up things before you bring the subject into the studio environment. I do a lot of amateur dog portraits, and can assure you I do not want to be taking a number of test shots and checking the histogram before I get the lighting right. My subjects get bored quickly.

2.If I am using an illuminated background such as a Lastolite Hilite, and I want to be setting that to a specific number of stops difference to the subjects lighting, I need a meter to tell me if i have the intensity correct. Eyeballing the image on the screen is not good enough.

Maybe with 1). But, maybe it's down to approach. I do test shots with a dummy (assuming neither of us has an assistant). A polystyrene head and shoulders, painted to be rough approx of likely tones suffices. Dogs are like children - they are not slow shooting so I wouldn't attempt them.

Puzzled with 2). I would set the background up and work from there. I find eyeballing on screen fine. The info panel allows me to read the RGB values and by building up the shots I can 'see' the relative key/fill ratio(s).

We're all different and there's no 'right' way...

---------- Post added 10-24-20 at 09:07 PM ----------

You might be, particularly in regards to measuring incident as opposed to reflected light. The photo below was taken with my meterless Pentax SV. Note the full detail in the brightly sunlit snow with no highlight blocking. Amazingly, I was able to use my hand-held meter's suggested settings without doing figuring out how to estimate what might work. The magic was measuring the incident light striking the scene rather than the reflected light from a full range scene (potential for both blocked highlight and blacked out shadows). I knew the film was up to the challenge without me having to actively place exposure, not that I had time to. I took the meter reading and set the camera 15 minutes earlier and only had time to turn and bring camera to eye and take the shot when I saw the snow boarder out of the corner of my eye, moving about 30 mph.



...and his buddy following him a few seconds later, taken with the same camera settings...



The same would have worked just as well with my K-3. FWIW, bracketing would not have been an option, even at 8 fps.

As for flash metering...taking time to "build up" the lighting and and exposure settingsis a reasonable option over using a meter, assuming one has time to burn.


Steve

(...does not own a flash meter and burns lots of time as a result...)

Like you, I've time to burn :-) Photography, pays a few bills but I never push myself. It would spoil it. If the occasional job takes way longer than expected and I have to return, I do.

I see where you're coming from with the snowboarder. But, it's more to carry. I'd prefer to pack another round of sandwiches and enjoy watching them :-)

Hi,



Thank you for the wonderful replies. I did forget to say that I am shooting 35mm film with an old pentax K1000. I think the light meter needle still work, but i am not sure.

So I though maybe, a light meter, would help me greatly.

Also, I want to shoot indoor low light settings, body shots. So my light meter in the camera might not respond all that we in dark settings.

Sorry that I didnt make that clear in my first post.


Regards.

[dms]

Indoors low light body shots (no flash): I suggest a battery powered meter that does incident light measurment. E.g., The Sekonic L308 (I have not tried) has spec. of -4 to 19 ev which should be good.

My L398 (no battery) can comfortably do a minimum of ev=7 even though Sekonic claims ev=4. And ev=7 is (for example) 1/30s at f/2 and iso 400.

The L208 mentioned above (SteveBrot) Sekonic claims to go to ev=3, but based on my L398, I doubt this is sensitive enough for what you need.

[stevebrot]

The L208 mentioned above (SteveBrot) Sekonic claims to go to ev=3, but based on my L398, I doubt this is sensitive enough for what you need.

You would be correct. EV100 3 is adequate, but EV100 0 or EV100 -1 would be more so. However, that additional sensitivity may not be worth paying extra for in that handheld film photography basically grinds to a stop at about EV 3 (f/2, 1/15s @ ISO 3200). Those settings (EV 3) will probably be fine for people's faces at the bar or in a booth, while the stage may well be lit to EV 4 or EV 5 and perfectly accessible to ISO 400 shooting.

There is so much that is driven by experience...


Steve

[Joe Dusel]

I always use a meter in the studio. I had a Sekonic 308 which worked great until it disappeared. Now I use an old Minolta IVF which also works well. Great for setting up the lights before a client comes in. You can sometimes find deals on ebay.

[Viking42]

Harbaror,

For versatility, low light range (-4EV I think), and durability, it's hard to beat the Gossen Lunasix series. They are designed for both reflected and incident readings, the latter using a built-in sliding dome. There is also a spot attachment available, although the measurement angle is only 7.5 deg. The early ones used mercury batteries which are no longer sold, but there are workarounds out there (Google it), so don't let that stop you from buying one. Later models used silver oxide, so if you can find one of those you're good to go. Prices are very reasonable -- about C$50 for a nice one here in my area. Classic meter.

[stevebrot]

it's hard to beat the Gossen Lunasix series

Luna-Pro in the U.S. and Lunasix elsewhere. It was replaced by the Luna-Pro sbc/Profisix sbc model.

Gossen Lunasix - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia

Gossen Profisix / Lunasix F - Camera-wiki.org - The free camera encyclopedia


Steve

[Breakfastographer]

The ones that have been trending recently are these ones:
Hotshoe light meters Lime One vs Reveni vs KEKS – breakfastographer

They're the compact type that you can stick on your hot or cold shoe.

[gatorguy]

The ones that have been trending recently are these ones:
Hotshoe light meters Lime One vs Reveni vs KEKS – breakfastographer

They're the compact type that you can stick on your hot or cold shoe.

Great mention. Thanks for chiming in

[BarryE]

Are all of you that use a light meter using them in the studio for portraiture? I can get that for a quick set-up and turnaround, but not for product/still life/advertising/food and generally static styled shooting.

[dms]

No, I use the incident meter in all sorts of situations--it is the quickest and more reliable--basically if the scene is reflecting the light falling on it (that most notably excludes ** shooting the sun/adjacent sky in sunrise/sunset and stained glass windows and the like where the illumination is created in the scene).

_____
** And I failed to mention a third important example: scenes where significant parts are not receiving direct illumination, essentially doubly illuminated, in which case the incident meter will only give best exposure for that slice of the scene that is in the same light as the meter. But of course that is why the photographer should understand exposure, and thus what to do/what exposure to choose. Nevertheless IMO for the vast majority of conditions the single incident light reading is the most reliable.

[stevebrot]

The ones that have been trending recently are these ones:
Hotshoe light meters Lime One vs Reveni vs KEKS – breakfastographer

They're the compact type that you can stick on your hot or cold shoe.

Interesting...with the exception of the Reveni, I am not aware of these. Have you had any of these in hand? The Lime looks sort of cool, too bad they don't know the sensitivity range yet (apparently the product is vaporware at present). I remember seeing promotional stuff about the Reveni, but it looks to be a rough 3D printed item. The KEKS is also vaporware...two bad they also don't know their sensitivity specification spec yet.

I have considered that type of meter (the Voigtlander VC Speed Meter II in particular), but have been put off by the price and fact that often enough, the location creates opportunity to catch on stuff and may block access to camera controls. My L-208 may be hot shoe mounted and I also have a Vivitar 24 capable of same. The Viv pokes me in the forehead and the L-208 just looks and feels out of place. Both are easier to use with the meter in hand and not on the camera. The Viv is really tiny too.




Steve

[hjoseph7]

I use a Sekonic L-358, it's a little dated, but it is still a very capable light meter. It handles incident light as well as reflected light(special attachment) and doubles as a flash meter. You can also buy a special module that will let you trigger flash attached to Pocket Wizard receivers. There is also a Spot Meter attachment for it, but it is very expensive and performance is a little iffy.

[stevebrot]

in which case the incident meter will only give best exposure for that slice of the scene that is in the same light as the meter.

I was taught that as the way to use of the incident meter, at the subject, with the omnidome pointed towards the camera. The meter measures the same light mix as that incident on the subject. Of course, that is sort if hard with lions and such.


Steve

[Breakfastographer]

Interesting...with the exception of the Reveni, I am not aware of these. Have you had any of these in hand? The Lime looks sort of cool, too bad they don't know the sensitivity range yet (apparently the product is vaporware at present). I remember seeing promotional stuff about the Reveni, but it looks to be a rough 3D printed item. The KEKS is also vaporware...two bad they also don't know their sensitivity specification spec yet.

The vaporware claim regarding the KEKS is incorrect. They have been on sale through eBay - here's a second hand one, now sold:
KEKS Light Meter EM-01 SilverVer 1.1.0 MINT+ In Box - Used for a few weeks | eBay

I've also seen them come from Taiwan via Guandong iirc. I'm guessing they're sold out for the time being. Might be sth to do with the recent hype, and the fact that they're switching from plastic to metal shoe. The KEKS is unique (big word) for having an added adapter piece between the camera shoe and the shoe of the meter - this, they say, allows the meter to sit in different positions on the body - useful if you have obstructing elements on top. They now say they give you six of these adapter pieces in the box (used to be just three), and the first gen was made of plastic, newer ones will be metal. These adapter pieces also come in two different sizes. I don't know if there are really different sizes of hotshoe out there, or this is to accommodate manufacturing tolerance, or wear on the hot/coldshoe. I'm sure someone here has more experience...

I have considered that type of meter (the Voigtlander VC Speed Meter II in particular), but have been put off by the price and fact that often enough, the location creates opportunity to catch on stuff and may block access to camera controls. My L-208 may be hot shoe mounted and I also have a Vivitar 24 capable of same. The Viv pokes me in the forehead and the L-208 just looks and feels out of place. Both are easier to use with the meter in hand and not on the camera. The Viv is really tiny too.

The Doomo has the reputation of being a Voigtlander clone, from China fwiw. Just over $100, same price segment as the Reveni, KEKS, Lime One. I have not held it in my hands, so cannot say more about it.