Light meters

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gib

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Are light meters an essential for studio photography?
 
You can manage without one, and with just one light I wouldn't bother. But the more lights you have, the more essential a meter becomes for setting ratios easily and accurately.

I always set the final exposure off the LCD/histogram/blinkies though, regardless. It's more accurate and though usually close to what the meter says, rarely the same. If you like to use Expose To The Right technique, then it never will be.
 
HoppyUK said:
You can manage without one, and with just one light I wouldn't bother. But the more lights you have, the more essential a meter becomes for setting ratios easily and accurately.
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Exactly that, when you use more than 1 light chimping is not a good option. You can get Sekonic L308 quite cheap, or add a bit and get L358.
 
Reasons for me why I got the 358
- the head can be rotated.
- can read the mix of ambient/flash in %
- the dual ISO mode
- all weather design
 
Ok thanks guys still unsure if it would be worth purchasing one. Im in the process of buying a three head studio kit, if i can find one second hand i might give the lc308 a bash
 
gib said:
Ok thanks guys still unsure if it would be worth purchasing one. Im in the process of buying a three head studio kit, if i can find one second hand i might give the lc308 a bash
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With 3 lights it'll be invaluable. Get an L308S and you won't regret it.
 
kokakaste2 said:
People give good reviews of second hand Minolta light meters, but I have no personal experience with them.
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I use a Minolta because, if I drop it, I can just pick it up and carry on using it, which is better than kicking the bits into the corner:)

Apart from build quality, the only real difference between different meters is the features, which may or may not be important to different people. The ONLY feature that's important to me personally is the ability to calibrate the meter. I feel that that's a feature that is also a real benefit.
 
You can manage perfectly fine without a meter, but the meter speeds up the whole process. You don't want your subject to sit in front of your camera waiting for you to sort our the lighting (taking picture, chimping, feathering light, taking picture, chimping, etc.).

With light meter you just set up your lights, meter and you are ready to rock with confidence that the pictures you are taking are exposed properly.
 
Buy one. Learn how to use it. Then sell it on if you decide you can live by trial/error/chimping.
If you "learn" to light by trial and error, should a problem arise and you do not fundamentally understand the mechanics of what you're doing, you're going to have to rely on trial and error to solve the problem, which may or may not work out depending on your time constraints.

If you know what you're doing and why, with a lightmeter you can set your lighting up without shooting a single frame. Even if you tweak your lights and use the lightmeter to check, it looks a damn sight more professional than chimping the (non calibrated, poor quality) LCD on the back of the camera, which is what every model has seen their uncle do at weddings.

I really do wish people would learn to understand what they're doing, instead of stumbling around expecting trial and error to win out. Dean Collins is spinning so fast in his grave it's a surprise GE haven't hooked him up to a generator.

In the context of your actual question: Not essential in the same way clothes are not "essential" :) You can get by without, but in the long run it's better to use them.
 
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Denyerec said:
Buy one. Learn how to use it. Then sell it on if you decide you can live by trial/error/chimping.
If you "learn" to light by trial and error, should a problem arise and you do not fundamentally understand the mechanics of what you're doing, you're going to have to rely on trial and error to solve the problem, which may or may not work out depending on your time constraints.

If you know what you're doing and why, with a lightmeter you can set your lighting up without shooting a single frame. Even if you tweak your lights and use the lightmeter to check, it looks a damn sight more professional than chimping the (non calibrated, poor quality) LCD on the back of the camera, which is what every model has seen their uncle do at weddings.

I really do wish people would learn to understand what they're doing, instead of stumbling around expecting trial and error to win out. Dean Collins is spinning so fast in his grave it's a surprise GE haven't hooked him up to a generator.

In the context of your actual question: Not essential in the same way clothes are not "essential" :) You can get by without, but in the long run it's better to use them.
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+1. And there is something SO cool about setting a seamless, walking to the camera, and your first frame being dead on ;)
 
Although I have managed without it a few times now, I have found mine invaluable when using a hilite, which is typically a 3-4 light setup.
 
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