[wtlwdwgn]

A reflective light meter assumes the average reading of a scene to be 18% gray. This is why a lot pros carry an 18% gray card around with them. Test your meter by focusing on an 18% gray card and then see what your exposures look like. The assumption of 18% gray is why you need to adjust the EV in overly bright or dark scenes or objects. The meter will see bright snow or a sandy beach and make it 18% gray thus underexposing the image. Conversely, If you meter a black bear or other dark object the meter will again assume it's 18% gray and overexpose the image. If the average of a scene is dark the meter reading will blow the highlights and if bright will underexpose the shadows. It's up to the photographer to judge the average light level and adjust the EV accordingly. Just my two cents.

[flyer]

Another point to take into account with digital cameras is the fact that some manufacturers (Nikon is well known for that) do "fudge" the ISO on their cameras to help make them less "noisy" at high ISO. Generally, Pentax cameras are rather accurate when it comes to ISO.

[dubiousone]

If you use a handheld meter like I do, its useful to remember some things;

Most meters 'see' a 50mm area. If you have that focal length lens on your camera it can be as simple as aiming it at whatever your shooting and take the meter readings at face value. If you have a different lens, I use two techniques that work rather well. The first is you go to your subject and meter that directly. Such as if you're shooting a scene that had backlight and your main subject is in the shade and you're using a 28mm lens, meter the areas individually for best exposure. If you can't get closer to do that, angle the meter until it is 'looking' mainly at the area of your scene you want to meter. For instance, a scene with some sky, a building and foreground. Angle the meter down towards the ground or wherever that area is. When using say, a 100mm lens, you either have to get closer or use the above technique and make a judgment call.

A stop or two either side is not a big deal. There are differences but basically, if your camera is in the +/- 1 stop, its pretty close. Different cameras have different metering systems. There will be a difference between what the camera says and what the meter says but both (generally) work. Some scenes are really tough; trying to get a deeply shaded area to come out right without blowing the bright sky is challenging. Digital is a simple matter; look at the LCD, see how you did. (Which is why I also use film to help me learn and, its fun to make it work!

[Imageman]

Meters are not infallible, they give a reasonable approximation of good exposure intended for snapshots on holiday, so you successfully record the scene. That's all.


Autofocus is another rubbish add on that means you have an image that your granny likes and can see with her myopic vision without all the effort of turning a ring on the lens.


Now that the camera is doing all the work and all we have to do is point it we don't have to bother with much, the camera is the real photographer not the guy holding it.


If the shot is out of focus, blame the camera, if the image is underexposed, blame the camera.


Whats the next innovation, a robot sled that means the camera can go out on its own and take all the shots, while we watch the football on tv.


That's the ideal isn't it total automated image making, and all we have to do is photoshop whatever comes back, clone out the dumpster and the cat and maybe add a unicorn.


Or maybe we could recognise that autofocus is garbage, it front focuses or rear focuses or focuses on what we don't want. And the meter messes up, metering the wrong area, and assumes the wrong brightness because its dumb.


Why do almost all the images I see littering photo sites and the web look the same, all are averagely sharp and exposed averagely, they have been taken by the camera on auto everything. Theres no artistry. The only differences are what the camera has been pointed at.


Maybe we think about light, think about the zone system, think about using the histogram, maybe we manipulate the light to achieve something spectacular.


The photographer should be the one who focuses and decides on exposure settings using the meter to guide them, it should never be left to the camera. (unless your in a niche area such as sports, or wildlife, or street}.


Put the artistry back.

[dubiousone]

I would tend to disagree here and there. Meters, like auto-focus are not infallible. I have had failures with both simply because I failed to take into account rather simple basics. That the camera auto-focuses on the wrong item in the scene is the fault of the operator, not the camera. That the scene is under/over-exposed because the operator foolishly believed whatever metering device he or she was using resulting in blobby dark (shaded) areas and blown highlights in the light areas is again the fault of the operator, not the camera. A good photographer learns to compose to either avoid certain things in a scene or, adjusts the exposure based on experience to eliminate or minimize these things in the first place. The photographer sees a scene in a certain way, knows what is intended and uses the camera to MAKE the photograph.

Unfortunately I have not learned to dodge & burn in photoshop. I've looked into HDR but that is another medium I've yet to explore. I much prefer to make the photograph when I take it. I'm also silly enough to take a DSLR, put it on manual and hang my favorite Luna pro around my neck for a morning of playing lets guess exposure. Practice actually works! Sunny 16 still seems to work...too!!!

Meters are not infallible, they give a reasonable approximation of good exposure intended for snapshots on holiday, so you successfully record the scene. That's all.


Autofocus is another rubbish add on that means you have an image that your granny likes and can see with her myopic vision without all the effort of turning a ring on the lens.


Now that the camera is doing all the work and all we have to do is point it we don't have to bother with much, the camera is the real photographer not the guy holding it.


If the shot is out of focus, blame the camera, if the image is underexposed, blame the camera.


Whats the next innovation, a robot sled that means the camera can go out on its own and take all the shots, while we watch the football on tv.


That's the ideal isn't it total automated image making, and all we have to do is photoshop whatever comes back, clone out the dumpster and the cat and maybe add a unicorn.


Or maybe we could recognise that autofocus is garbage, it front focuses or rear focuses or focuses on what we don't want. And the meter messes up, metering the wrong area, and assumes the wrong brightness because its dumb.


Why do almost all the images I see littering photo sites and the web look the same, all are averagely sharp and exposed averagely, they have been taken by the camera on auto everything. Theres no artistry. The only differences are what the camera has been pointed at.


Maybe we think about light, think about the zone system, think about using the histogram, maybe we manipulate the light to achieve something spectacular.


The photographer should be the one who focuses and decides on exposure settings using the meter to guide them, it should never be left to the camera. (unless your in a niche area such as sports, or wildlife, or street}.


Put the artistry back.

[stevebrot]

Many claim their exposures come out really well when using these apps.

Not my experience...


Steve

[dubiousone]

Mine either!
I didn't really start to learn about exposure until I began using a good hand held meter and of course...paying more attention to lighting, shadows, contrasts, etc. Imagine that.

Not my experience...


Steve

[tuco]

On a sunny day, I can shoot 400TMY @ EI 50 at f11 and 1/60th second ( and equivalent combinations thereof) no matter what direction the camera is pointing. For winter Sun where I live, I'd make that f8. But all exposures will have good shadow detail and capture all highlights even pointing right into the Sun. Who needs a meter for this kind of processing. I can post examples if anyone is interested.

[6BQ5]

I'd love to see examples just because I love to see shots! Post away.

[tuco]

I'd love to see examples just because I love to see shots! Post away.

These have all been posted here on PF before so they should be familiar to many posters on this thread. Some of my early attempts at his process I verified with a one-degree spot meter but now I don't even bother or care which direction the camera is pointing as far as exposure goes, that is. These are a mix of 100ACR @ EI 12 and 400TMY @ EI 50 and the Delta 3200 @ EI 400 noted. Everyone used a colored filter of some kind too.

These are Delta 3200 @ EI400