How truly useful are lightmeters?

[Carlos M]

A spot reading guarantees shadow detail in that area, without needless overexposure. No fuzz there either.

All a spot meter can "guaranty" is to measure how much light is reflected from the "spot" it's pointed at.

 

[cosmonaut]

Well with todays technology you can adjust images with great ease with Lightroom, Aperture, Camera Raw, Photoshop ect. Shooting film is one thing. The OPs original question dealt with digital images and probably RAW files. It is a horse of a different color. Investing in an expensive spot meter would be a total waste unless shooting MF and doing it all in house including making print. There is far little leeway in a wet darkroom.
So you think it wasn't Picasso it was the people that made his brushes, canvas and paints. The argument doesn't hold up with all the avenues avaliable to the modern artist of today. A camera is just at tool and just like hammers. Their is one suited for the job at hand.
Get a copy of Lightroom. Probably close to the same price as a really good meter.

 

[Roger Hicks]

All a spot meter can "guaranty" is to measure how much light is reflected from the "spot" it's pointed at.

Yes, and if that's the darkest area in which you want detail and texture, a spot reading of that area will guarantee adequate exposure in that area.

Simple question: is the statement above correct or not?

More complicated question: if not, why not?

Cheers,

E.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Well with todays technology you can adjust images with great ease with Lightroom, Aperture, Camera Raw, Photoshop ect. Shooting film is one thing. The OPs original question dealt with digital images and probably RAW files. It is a horse of a different color. Investing in an expensive spot meter would be a total waste unless shooting MF and doing it all in house including making print. There is far little leeway in a wet darkroom.
So you think it wasn't Picasso it was the people that made his brushes, canvas and paints. The argument doesn't hold up with all the avenues avaliable to the modern artist of today. A camera is just at tool and just like hammers. Their is one suited for the job at hand.
Get a copy of Lightroom. Probably close to the same price as a really good meter.

An unanswerable point. Almost any in-camera meter will get you close enough to dig out an image in Lightroom, especially if you pay attention to the histogram. The only (rare) exception will be quite severe over-exposure.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Wow. Too bad Bill Mattocks left. He would have loved this thread.

I do not. Too Much.

My Nikon F Photomic has the best meter of any camera ever invented, based on reading this thread. The in-camera meter has reflective reading, spot reading, and incident reading capability. I use the latter at air shows. Works great.

Postscript. Leopold Godowsky, Jr played the violin and Leopold Mannes played the Piano. I cannot verify that they sang anything, and may indeed be unsung. They also had a hobby as chemists and invented Kodachrome.