metering for studio shots?

[chazza]

Which in camera metering would you suggest for studio shots?

evaluative,partial,spot or centre weighted?

 

[awp]

I'd recommend an incident light reading from a hand held meter.
Failing that it would depend on the subject matter - but most likely spot or centre weighted. There is no one size fits all though.

 

[Kev M]

Unless you're using continuous lighting then your in camera metering will be no use anyway.

As soon as you're into studio flash set your fastest sync speed, the aperture to give the desired effect and adjust the lights to suit you. You don't want to be adjusting your camera to suit the lighting IMO.

Andrew is right, a light meter would help but you can also get away with chimping the screen and the histogram.

 

[HoppyUK]

Studio situations often fool the in-camera meter.

But don't worry about it, be guided by the LCD - histogram with blinkies enables (highlight over exposure warning, in the menu). It's more accurate than any metering method anyway. Manual is best, and as the light should be constant, then the exposure won't change once it's set.

Use evaluative to get you somewhere close, then adjust the shutter speed/aperture/ISO until it's just right.

 

[EOS_JD]

Unless you're using continuous lighting then your in camera metering will be no use anyway.

As soon as you're into studio flash set your fastest sync speed, the aperture to give the desired effect and adjust the lights to suit you. You don't want to be adjusting your camera to suit the lighting IMO.

Andrew is right, a light meter would help but you can also get away with chimping the screen and the histogram.

Be careful using the fastest sync speed if you are using radio triggers - sometimes the triggers max sync speed is slower.

But in the studio, M is your only metering. The ones you mention are useless - unless you are shooting continuous light but even then you'd be advised to shoot in manual.

 

[EOS_JD]

Studio situations often fool the in-camera meter.

But don't worry about it, be guided by the LCD - histogram with blinkies enables (highlight over exposure warning, in the menu). It's more accurate than any metering method anyway. Manual is best, and as the light should be constant, then the exposure won't change once it's set.

Use evaluative to get you somewhere close, then adjust the shutter speed/aperture/ISO until it's just right.

Hoppy I don't want to go down the wole road of exposure but without understanding what the OP is trying to shoot,m using the histogram is not always the best. Shooting a dark subject with a dark background I'd say to get blinkies you'd be using a lot more light to get the blinkies -

I understand your point and agree to a degree but it doesn't always make it the best way - unless you fully understand the histogram.

 

[HoppyUK]

Hoppy I don't want to go down the wole road of exposure but without understanding what the OP is trying to shoot,m using the histogram is not always the best. Shooting a dark subject with a dark background I'd say to get blinkies you'd be using a lot more light to get the blinkies -

I understand your point and agree to a degree but it doesn't always make it the best way - unless you fully understand the histogram.

Okay, if it's not an extreme situation, then evaluative will probably get you close in a point and shoot kind of way. Or in a more difficult scene, then pick a mid-grey tone and use spot metering. This will only work with either continuous light, or E-TTL flash.

But you can't really get the best out of a studio situation without knowing a bit about exposure, and understanding what the histogram/blinkies are telling you is the best way. It will tell you what you're actually getting, regardless of whether or not it's continuous light, or studio flash, or E-TTL guns, white background, black background etc. Quite easy - good guide here http://www.sekonic.com/images/files/HistogramsLightmetersWorkTogether.pdf

 

[chazza]

Thanks for all of your comments ..........basically, I am using off camera flash in manual with a light meter (hand held), but wondered if the setting for metering on the camera would make any difference? I have it set to evaluative at the moment and check the blinkies for over exposure..... by the sounds of it, I am on the right track ....

 

[Kev M]

If your using manual then the metering mode won't affect the photo, it will only affect the indication on the scale (probably telling you it's going to be under exposed, but that's because it's stupid).

 

[EOS_JD]

Yes exactly. From what the OP noted there are actually FIVE metering modes

Evaluative
Partial
Spot
Centre weighted
Manual

The top 4 are auto modes using reflected light that all meter in slightly different eways. The last (M) overrides all of the above and relies solely on user input. Use of a light meter generally means metering the incident light falling on the subject (or point where the meter is held) - Not reflected light.

Does that help?

 

[chazza]

When I use the light meter, I fire the flashes and set the camera manually based on the read out .... usually about 1/160 f 6.3 ...... is that OK?

 

[EOS_JD]

Yes and make sure the ISO is also set correctly - ideally at the lowest setting (100)

Also regards aperture make sure you have enough depth of field. That's the reason most shoot at f8 in the studio although there is no rule and you can use whatever you are able to get the shot you want. Large apertures like f2.8 may however become difficult - you need to set te lights very low or even use the ambient from the modelling lamp of the strobe.

Shutter speed has no effect on your studio photography other than to block out the ambient light. I usually use 1/125th because the radio triggers I use sync well at that speed

 

[muscleflex]

If your using manual then the metering mode won't affect the photo, it will only affect the indication on the scale (probably telling you it's going to be under exposed, but that's because it's stupid).

as above - you should be on manual and camera meter wont get used! most people start with 125s and f8 and chimp from there.
if you have a light meter, then use that to dial your lights to your preferred aperture then set the same aperture on your camera.

 

[Hodders]

I agree that the screen on the back of the camera can be used for gauging exposure under flash. But a light meter is still essential for setting up the lighting ratios between flashes if you want consistency from session to session.

Most of us will have favourite lighting set-ups and the ability to set them up quickly is valuable and for this a light meter is very helpful as clients don't usually appreciate too many 'test shots'.