Light meter

BazEP

BazEP

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Chris
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Do I need one?
I'm just getting in to proper lighting (well speedlights for now anyway) after having only ever used natural light and am wondering if there is a need for a light meter. If so what do I need to look for and are there any cheapy alternatives to the more expensive ones?

Ta v m
 
They make life easier/faster if you're trying to set up multiple flashes, but otherwise, you don't really need one.

The best guide to exposure is the LCD, the histogram and blinkies (highlight over exposure warning).
 
I go with Hoppy on this, I have used my flash meter 3 time in the last year and still fine tuned with the histogram, but some people would not be without one
 
paulminus273 said:
I go with Hoppy on this, I have used my flash meter 3 time in the last year and still fine tuned with the histogram, but some people would not be without one
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+1
Handy for certain lighting set ups but I would still rely on the LCD for final tweaks. Some people swear by them, others work differently. I just find digital so quick and easy to use blinkies/histogram/LCD.
 
cheers guys
incidently I've found a wealth of info about lighting while researching them.
 
BazEP said:
cheers guys
incidently I've found a wealth of info about lighting while researching them.
Click to expand...

Any links to the info you have found please, always keen to learn more about OCF.

BTW are you using Nikon CLS or manual mode flash?

Regards
 
I use one for the initial setup but always check the histogram just in case. Final tweaks can be done in post as the light meter pretty much always ensures a good enough exposure to allow such (if shooting RAW).
 
paul williams said:
Yes, I'm one and I never use the histogram.

Paul
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I’m with Paul on this one, always use it in the Studio when I firsts start shooting then as I change things during the shoot.

That said, I see it more as my preferred option rather than essential.
 
If I'm outdoors, I don't generally use my light meter. However, when I'm in the studio, I always use one. They're also useful for fine-tuning multiple light setups.

I use a simple Sekonic L308-S - one of the cheapest meters on the market, which was recommended to me by a guy at The Flash Centre. It's a very simple gadget - but it's accurate and doesn't have a ton of extra fluff like some meters.
 
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