Why use a handheld light meter?

navcom · 03-31-2008, 05:17 PM

I have a question that has been bothering me for some time...

Is there a benefit to using a handheld light meter if you are a DSLR user nowdays?

With all the TTL metering systems available on cameras these days and especially with the ability of the digital photographer to immediately see the results of his/her exposure attempt on the LCD and adjust/retake the shot if necessary, is there any use for an independent light meter? Maybe something I'm not familiar with? (I've not used one very extensively).

Any thoughts or advice?

bimjo · 03-31-2008, 06:33 PM

Really high contrast shots, say a yellow flower against a black background can sometimes fool a camera meter because the camera meter uses reflected light. The hand held meter uses incident light (though many are capable of doing reflected as well) and can give a more accurate result. sure, you can take a shot/adjust/take a shot/adjust, but sometimes the light just doesn't last that long (think sunup/sundown).

A hand held meter is also useful for preventing dark shadows under a subjects jawline in high sunlight.

And then there's multi flash stuff, which I know nothing about...

hth

Jim

navcom · 03-31-2008, 07:29 PM

Thanks bimjo. I've taken landscape (sunrise/sunset) photos for years and have never used a hand held light meter. I've always got by over or under exposing. I should pick one up and give it a try to see if it has benefits.

Gooshin · 03-31-2008, 07:33 PM

pointless

my buddy has one, but we had to use it for his film class, where he would be running around with a wind-up motion capturecamera from the 60's, a honeywell, go figure..

but funny enough we used our DSLR's to "check" how the picture is going to end up actualy looking.

the time it takes to take a shot, check, and dial in compensation is not going to be any longer than using the light meter (which means more junk to carry around), meter, READ the numbers, put down the meter, calibrate the camera, and take a shot....

Stratman · 03-31-2008, 07:53 PM

If you are a K10D user, and want to use old K and M lenses, a hand held meter can be a good thing...The K10D doesn't meter very well with these manual lenses at the low, or high end of the F stop range, so a hand held meter can be really handy !!

navcom · 03-31-2008, 08:03 PM

Originally posted by Gooshin

the time it takes to take a shot, check, and dial in compensation is not going to be any longer than using the light meter (which means more junk to carry around), meter, READ the numbers, put down the meter, calibrate the camera, and take a shot....

That's kinda what I was thinking.

navcom · 03-31-2008, 08:04 PM

Originally posted by Stratman

If you are a K10D user, and want to use old K and M lenses, a hand held meter can be a good thing...The K10D doesn't meter very well with these manual lenses at the low, or high end of the F stop range, so a hand held meter can be really handy !!

Yep...K10D most of the time now. Good point! I don't have any K or M's but may in the future.

and · 03-31-2008, 10:00 PM

Meter is good for getting the exposure just right if its very critical. If I adjust it myself, judging from the camera lcd, its rarely 100% accurate, just close eanough.
But you will do fine without one, the biggest reason to get one these days is to meter flash. Oh, and it can be a nice learning tool, because it will give you numbers instead of just learning everything by feeling, you will get some numbers that you can use to understand a scene. And for learning flash, people often talk about "have the hair light half a stop below the main light" "BG Light should be 2 stops below main" etc. its kinda cumbersome to eyeball that and then for 3-5 different lights, and everytime you move them.

spyglass · 03-31-2008, 11:55 PM

I have a hand held Sekonic light meter (Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III). It is very worthy when you are arranging and placing lighting around a subject. You can take reading from any angle easily, and move lights, change lighting angles, etc. Otherwise you would be dangling and banging your camera around, wearing down the batteries, etc. If your camera is setup on a tripod you don't have to run back and forth. For day to day shooting it is not a necessity, but for more complex setups, studio style shots, evaluating effects, position, etc of reflectors and diffuser it is a great tool great. The hand held light meters let you measure 3 types of light (source / direct, reflective, incident)

Sekonic Light Meters on sale Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

If we all had a million bucks every toy invented would be in the numerous camera bags our hired assitant would be lugging around for us. LOL

TaoMaas · 04-01-2008, 07:19 AM

With digital, a handheld meter doesn't make a lot of sense when you're out in the field because you can always take a shot, check it for exposure, then adjust as needed. In the days of film, though, a good incident meter could make a huge difference. As someone pointed out, your camera reads reflected light. That means it can be fooled by light or dark colored subjects. But an incident meter reads how much light a subject is receiving, so theoretically it should give you the proper exposure regardless of what color your subject might be. I used to like to shoot at our zoo when I first got into photography. The camera I owned had an overall averaging meter and it was always getting fooled when I'd shoot animals that were framed against dark backgrounds. I was shooting with fixed focal length lenses, so I couldn't zoom in to get a good meter reading....and there was no way I could hop into the cage and walk up to the animal to take a direct reading...so I eventually started using a hand-held incident meter. It was usually accurate within a half stop or so and saved me a lot of wasted slide film.

Mike Cash · 04-01-2008, 07:33 AM

I have a Sekonic L-208, which is smaller than palm-sized. I don't use it for digital photography, but I do own a lot of vintage cameras which don't have built-in meters. Frankly, I sort of enjoy the slowed down process of shooting with them....metering, setting the shutter/aperture, focus, recompose, etc. Some see it as nothing but a hassle in this modern digital/automatic age, I suppose. I just look at it as part of stopping to smell the photographic roses. When I go out for photo walks the K100D sometimes either stays home or spends much of the day as dead weight dangling from a wrist strap looped onto my belt.

Keith · 04-01-2008, 10:20 AM

I have a light meter sitting in my bag collecting dust. I have used about 6 times - 4 times to just see if it still works and twice for actually taking a photo.

It is quicker to fire off a couple of test shots than to meter the subject area - I don't see myself using too often and I think I will take it out of my bag now ..lol

cheers
Keith

**David Whiteley** · 04-01-2008, 12:41 PM

I was actually just brushing up on this.

Ages ago I bought a Gossen VarioSix F2 to meter studio flashes with a Mamiya C-3 MF camera.

Just yesterday I was realizing I still had that meter and am unlikely to keep using it, as I never touch the Mamiya anymore (though I'm not quite prepared to part with it). I was impressed to see the VarioSix still on the market new, as expensive as ever, and was checking out Gossen's site where they try to make a case for digital users using the meter:

http://www.gossen-photo.de/pdf/digital_e.pdf

That said, I still don't see myself using the meter. So if anyone's looking for a top-of-the-line incident/reflective/flash meter, you can beat the lineups from a FS post in the marketplace, and contact me (but note, I'd hope to make up much of the hundreds I put into the initial purchase, so I'm not yet prepared to part with it for the little $ value most digital users would find).

Stratman · 04-01-2008, 04:26 PM

Here are a few shots I took with my K10 in full manual mode with an old, but still functional Kalimar hand held light meter I adjusted exposure exactly as the meter read, and I think these came out great exposure wise.. Now, even with the meter, strongly back lit subjects were a PITA to get right, but that's just the way it is in situations like that.

Chako · 04-02-2008, 03:29 AM

I use them all the time at work. Great learning tools, especially the analog versions, as you can see the relationship between aperture and shutter speeds for any given scene. One other reason that wasn’t already mentioned is the retro feel to photography when you use one. To some people, that is important. I have several light meters, but my all time favorite is a Gossen Lunasix F.

03-31-2008, 05:17 PM	#1
navcom Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Minnesota USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 807	Why use a handheld light meter? I have a question that has been bothering me for some time... Is there a benefit to using a handheld light meter if you are a DSLR user nowdays? With all the TTL metering systems available on cameras these days and especially with the ability of the digital photographer to immediately see the results of his/her exposure attempt on the LCD and adjust/retake the shot if necessary, is there any use for an independent light meter? Maybe something I'm not familiar with? (I've not used one very extensively). Any thoughts or advice?

03-31-2008, 11:55 PM	#9
spyglass Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: British Columbia, Canada Posts: 747	Every tool has a purpose I have a hand held Sekonic light meter (Sekonic L-398A Studio Deluxe III). It is very worthy when you are arranging and placing lighting around a subject. You can take reading from any angle easily, and move lights, change lighting angles, etc. Otherwise you would be dangling and banging your camera around, wearing down the batteries, etc. If your camera is setup on a tripod you don't have to run back and forth. For day to day shooting it is not a necessity, but for more complex setups, studio style shots, evaluating effects, position, etc of reflectors and diffuser it is a great tool great. The hand held light meters let you measure 3 types of light (source / direct, reflective, incident) Sekonic Light Meters on sale Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If we all had a million bucks every toy invented would be in the numerous camera bags our hired assitant would be lugging around for us. LOL

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Question about handheld flash meter (Shepherd FM900)	Spazmatazz	Flashes, Lighting, and Studio	1	03-25-2018 07:27 AM
K-x as a light meter	Eagle_Friends	Pentax DSLR Discussion	7	10-15-2010 05:32 AM
Light Meter	daacon	Pentax Camera and Field Accessories	16	12-25-2009 10:09 PM
K-7 Low light, handheld video	jzdechovan	Video Recording and Processing	5	12-11-2009 02:29 PM
Pentax 67II vs 6x7\67 with handheld light meter	iunno	Pentax Medium Format	13	11-06-2009 12:07 AM

03-31-2008, 06:33 PM	#2
bimjo Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pasco, WA Posts: 967	Really high contrast shots, say a yellow flower against a black background can sometimes fool a camera meter because the camera meter uses reflected light. The hand held meter uses incident light (though many are capable of doing reflected as well) and can give a more accurate result. sure, you can take a shot/adjust/take a shot/adjust, but sometimes the light just doesn't last that long (think sunup/sundown). A hand held meter is also useful for preventing dark shadows under a subjects jawline in high sunlight. And then there's multi flash stuff, which I know nothing about... hth Jim

03-31-2008, 07:29 PM	#3
navcom Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Minnesota USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 807 Original Poster	Thanks bimjo. I've taken landscape (sunrise/sunset) photos for years and have never used a hand held light meter. I've always got by over or under exposing. I should pick one up and give it a try to see if it has benefits.

03-31-2008, 07:33 PM	#4
Gooshin Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Toronto, the one in Canada. Posts: 5,610	pointless my buddy has one, but we had to use it for his film class, where he would be running around with a wind-up motion capturecamera from the 60's, a honeywell, go figure.. but funny enough we used our DSLR's to "check" how the picture is going to end up actualy looking. the time it takes to take a shot, check, and dial in compensation is not going to be any longer than using the light meter (which means more junk to carry around), meter, READ the numbers, put down the meter, calibrate the camera, and take a shot....

03-31-2008, 07:53 PM	#5
Stratman Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: St Louis, Missouri U S A Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,464	If you are a K10D user, and want to use old K and M lenses, a hand held meter can be a good thing...The K10D doesn't meter very well with these manual lenses at the low, or high end of the F stop range, so a hand held meter can be really handy !!

03-31-2008, 08:03 PM	#6
navcom Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Minnesota USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 807 Original Poster	Originally posted by Gooshin the time it takes to take a shot, check, and dial in compensation is not going to be any longer than using the light meter (which means more junk to carry around), meter, READ the numbers, put down the meter, calibrate the camera, and take a shot.... That's kinda what I was thinking.

03-31-2008, 08:04 PM	#7
navcom Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Minnesota USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 807 Original Poster	Originally posted by Stratman If you are a K10D user, and want to use old K and M lenses, a hand held meter can be a good thing...The K10D doesn't meter very well with these manual lenses at the low, or high end of the F stop range, so a hand held meter can be really handy !! Yep...K10D most of the time now. Good point! I don't have any K or M's but may in the future.

03-31-2008, 10:00 PM	#8
and Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,476	Meter is good for getting the exposure just right if its very critical. If I adjust it myself, judging from the camera lcd, its rarely 100% accurate, just close eanough. But you will do fine without one, the biggest reason to get one these days is to meter flash. Oh, and it can be a nice learning tool, because it will give you numbers instead of just learning everything by feeling, you will get some numbers that you can use to understand a scene. And for learning flash, people often talk about "have the hair light half a stop below the main light" "BG Light should be 2 stops below main" etc. its kinda cumbersome to eyeball that and then for 3-5 different lights, and everytime you move them.

04-01-2008, 07:19 AM	#10
TaoMaas Pentaxian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,574	With digital, a handheld meter doesn't make a lot of sense when you're out in the field because you can always take a shot, check it for exposure, then adjust as needed. In the days of film, though, a good incident meter could make a huge difference. As someone pointed out, your camera reads reflected light. That means it can be fooled by light or dark colored subjects. But an incident meter reads how much light a subject is receiving, so theoretically it should give you the proper exposure regardless of what color your subject might be. I used to like to shoot at our zoo when I first got into photography. The camera I owned had an overall averaging meter and it was always getting fooled when I'd shoot animals that were framed against dark backgrounds. I was shooting with fixed focal length lenses, so I couldn't zoom in to get a good meter reading....and there was no way I could hop into the cage and walk up to the animal to take a direct reading...so I eventually started using a hand-held incident meter. It was usually accurate within a half stop or so and saved me a lot of wasted slide film.

04-01-2008, 07:33 AM	#11
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950	I have a Sekonic L-208, which is smaller than palm-sized. I don't use it for digital photography, but I do own a lot of vintage cameras which don't have built-in meters. Frankly, I sort of enjoy the slowed down process of shooting with them....metering, setting the shutter/aperture, focus, recompose, etc. Some see it as nothing but a hassle in this modern digital/automatic age, I suppose. I just look at it as part of stopping to smell the photographic roses. When I go out for photo walks the K100D sometimes either stays home or spends much of the day as dead weight dangling from a wrist strap looped onto my belt.

04-01-2008, 10:20 AM	#12
Keith Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne (Cranbourne) Australia Posts: 121	I have a light meter sitting in my bag collecting dust. I have used about 6 times - 4 times to just see if it still works and twice for actually taking a photo. It is quicker to fire off a couple of test shots than to meter the subject area - I don't see myself using too often and I think I will take it out of my bag now ..lol cheers Keith

04-01-2008, 12:41 PM	#13
David Whiteley Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ottawa-Gatineau, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 372	I was actually just brushing up on this. Ages ago I bought a Gossen VarioSix F2 to meter studio flashes with a Mamiya C-3 MF camera. Just yesterday I was realizing I still had that meter and am unlikely to keep using it, as I never touch the Mamiya anymore (though I'm not quite prepared to part with it). I was impressed to see the VarioSix still on the market new, as expensive as ever, and was checking out Gossen's site where they try to make a case for digital users using the meter: http://www.gossen-photo.de/pdf/digital_e.pdf That said, I still don't see myself using the meter. So if anyone's looking for a top-of-the-line incident/reflective/flash meter, you can beat the lineups from a FS post in the marketplace, and contact me (but note, I'd hope to make up much of the hundreds I put into the initial purchase, so I'm not yet prepared to part with it for the little $ value most digital users would find).

04-01-2008, 04:26 PM	#14
Stratman Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: St Louis, Missouri U S A Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,464	Here are a few shots I took with my K10 in full manual mode with an old, but still functional Kalimar hand held light meter I adjusted exposure exactly as the meter read, and I think these came out great exposure wise.. Now, even with the meter, strongly back lit subjects were a PITA to get right, but that's just the way it is in situations like that.

04-02-2008, 03:29 AM	#15
Chako Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sault Ste Marie, Ont, Canada. Posts: 563	I use them all the time at work. Great learning tools, especially the analog versions, as you can see the relationship between aperture and shutter speeds for any given scene. One other reason that wasn’t already mentioned is the retro feel to photography when you use one. To some people, that is important. I have several light meters, but my all time favorite is a Gossen Lunasix F.