Light meters - do I really need one?

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smurf4t

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Very novice question ! I have a 60d canon and a separate light meter. How essential is it to use a light meter ? Don't these cameras have built in light sensors ?
 
I think light meters can be handy if your shooting in the studio with external flash, but i've never used one out of a studio, I imagine they'd benifit in difficult lighting though. However in most situations the camera should meter alright, i've never had any problems when sticking the camera in auto mode, although in low light I adjust my camera settings (shutter speed/aperture) manually.

I looked at getting one once and was shocked by the price, I wouldn't bother personally, but it depends what you shoot?
 
smurf4t said:
Very novice question ! I have a 60d canon and a separate light meter. How essential is it to use a light meter ? Don't these cameras have built in light sensors ?
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Surely you mullled this over before buying the lightmeter?

What kind of meter is it? What kinds of things do you want to shoot?

As above, flash meters are really useful if you are planning studio type work, an external light meter can also be very useful for consistency. But the most important thing about any type of metering is understanding not just what the readings mean, but how you can utilise that data to get the results you want to achieve.
 
smurf4t said:
Very novice question ! I have a 60d canon and a separate light meter. How essential is it to use a light meter ? Don't these cameras have built in light sensors ?
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Very useful in a studio for setting brightness ratios of multiple lights, but outside that not much use at all.

Your camera has an excellent meter that can do everything a hand meter can, including incident readings, and a lot more besides - evaluative, spot, histogram, blinkies etc. Histogram and blinkies (highlight alert) is a more accurate method, too.
 
Phil V said:
Surely you mullled this over before buying the lightmeter?

What kind of meter is it? What kinds of things do you want to shoot?

As above, flash meters are really useful if you are planning studio type work, an external light meter can also be very useful for consistency. But the most important thing about any type of metering is understanding not just what the readings mean, but how you can utilise that data to get the results you want to achieve.
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Sekonic Flashmate L-308S Light Meter
I did think long and hard about. Bought it played around with it and now don't use it much. I'm wondering if I'm doing myself a disservice by not using it? I shoot out side and about mainly. I will shortly be doing an indoor shoot (studio type set up) with children, and am wondering if I should go on and use it. Will it make my life alot easier or is it a much if a muchness
 
HoppyUK said:
Very useful in a studio for setting brightness ratios of multiple lights, but outside that not much use at all.

Your camera has an excellent meter that can do everything a hand meter can, including incident readings, and a lot more besides - evaluative, spot, histogram, blinkies etc. Histogram and blinkies (highlight alert) is a more accurate method, too.
Click to expand...

Thank you.
 
I have the same meter and use it when I shoot with my Hasselblad or Rollei.

I doesn't see the light of day, pardon the pun, when I am shooting with the X100 or Canon 30D.
 
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Please state when talking about lightmeters differentiate between ambient and dual lightmeters( Flash and ambient). Ambient meters are useful for Ansell Adams followers who study the zone system(very complex)
 
This is an interesting question. I am a member of PT4U and whole watching the wedding masters on there they all use a meter in setting up every shot on every shoot. Mark Cleghorn himself says it's the only way he can guarantee accurate exposure throughout the day. It made me wonder how many other wedding togs use a meter in this manner as it was the first time I had seen it personally.
 
just bought one and having problems getting it to say much more than 1.4 and f.2 even in close flash lighting
will have to try it in a studio to learn how to use it properly I guess.
do have a 3 x speedlite setup so will have a play with that too
 
the_local_jacko said:
This is an interesting question. I am a member of PT4U and whole watching the wedding masters on there they all use a meter in setting up every shot on every shoot. Mark Cleghorn himself says it's the only way he can guarantee accurate exposure throughout the day. It made me wonder how many other wedding togs use a meter in this manner as it was the first time I had seen it personally.
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Bearing in mind what I said above, if I was shooting weddings, I would certainly have a meter in the bag. And in some situations I'd use it - changing light perhaps, eg clouds, because it's very quick and easy to take an incident light reading with a meter. You can also take incident readings with a camera meter, or use similar techniques, but if a hand meter is faster or more convenient, then use it.

I was at a wedding last week. Groom was a photo magazine editor, there were two more photo mag editors among the guests and the main photographer was the author of a couple of photography books. I didn't see a meter all day, or night, though I'm sure he had one.

As an aside, it was interesting to see both togs shooting the first dance, with multiple hot-shoe guns. Main tog was using a Pocket Wizard Mini/Flex in auto-TTL, the second shooter on full manual. There are no right or wrong answers.
 
IMO, the in camera spot meter should be more accurate than an external one since you know exactly where the spot is and can sometimes chose the angle of the spot's cone. I haven't used an external meter since I bought my F65, my first modern SLR. Haven't felt the need to buy one since nothing I shoot is critical and almost everything can be reshot after a check of the review screen and histogram.
 
smurf4t said:
Very novice question ! I have a 60d canon and a separate light meter. How essential is it to use a light meter ? Don't these cameras have built in light sensors ?
Click to expand...

I had the exact same question. I used a light meter back in the film days, but with the camera meters and histograms built into the cameras these days, there's no need for one anymore, in my case anyway ! See this interesting perspective on this YT video;

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPzMMn_AFQ4

"light meter for photography - why I don't use it"
 
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I have a flashmeter which isn't much use for normal photography but in the studio I thought it was great at the weekend

Really helped speed up my process and also understand how minor changes have affected my exposure. just adjust the light a little or move the model by half a foot...remeter....helped me out a lot
 
Hi guys. I've been using my flash meter like a good girl. My only question is when doing the settings on a light meter do you set it at full 1/2 or 1/3 and what does that mean ?
 
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