Light meter - yes or no?

Light meter - yes or no?

  • Always use light meter

    Votes: 284 32.1%

  • Never use light meter

    Votes: 43 4.9%

  • Generally don't bother

    Votes: 118 13.3%

  • Generally use one if I can

    Votes: 439 49.7%
  • Total voters
    884
I recently loaded the Lightmeter application to I Phone. I think it works very well, also as a spotmeter to take readings from different parts of the subject. You learn quite quickly to use it as a "light contrast meter". better than any camera meter, in my mind.
 
"Would you carry a screwdriver?" Yes, if I have to turn screws.

For LF work and "serious" medium and small format work, I carry a spotmeter if I have meterless cameras, or sometimes even if I don't.

For meterless cameras that I'm carrying for casual snapping, I carry a reflective meter that I rarely really need to use, but is handy.

I also always carry an iPhone 3Gs (not actually my current cellphone) with a Lightmeter app on it. It's extremely accurate.

I'd still like to have a better reflective/incident meter than my early 1950s GE PR-1 Selenium meter, for low light, but they cost money.

Most of my cameras are metered, but for those who aren't, I have at least 3 solutions. 4 including my eyes.
 
I almost always use a meter of some sort. This Exposure Guide came with some color negative Konica VX 100 Super, so I figured, "What the heck?" Taped it to the bottom of my M3 and shot a roll using only this - no meter.

37 of the 38 pictures on the roll were printable by the one-hour lab. The one unprintable exposure was taken indoors in low lighting, and it was way underexposed.

I'll keep trying and see if I can get better at it. I have over 70 rolls of the film left to go. 🙂


Film exposure guide on camera by sreed2006, on Flickr
 
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I always use a light meter with the Zorki 2. I have 2 An old GE & a Leningrad 6. I find using an old light meter adds to the experience when using these old cameras.
 
For me the all fun in the darkroom evaporates when I have to print something some moron exposed by guessing way wrong. I use a light meter. I believe it all the time, and make adjustments when it is too dumb to know what I am pointing it at.

That said, I guess a lot of the time before I raise the camera. I've shot 6400+ rolls (or equivalent sheets) of B&W film and probably the same in color. I'm on SD card number 1165 I think. I always pay attention to exposure and I'm right about 65% of the time. . Close enough? 65% at best.

I think of it like construction work: Sure I could guess how long the studs should be, but by measuring them every part of the process after framing is way more fun, and I've wasted way less materials.
 
I just added a VC II to my growing meter collection ... 😱 I thought that I will never ever get me that meter because it looks so plain ugly and out of place on any classic camera. However, it is absolute easy to use and has a very useful EV range (down to EV1). 🙂
 
Once you gain the experience, light meters only become a point from which to deviate. It is quite easy with negative film to be off a stop or so and still get what you want. When you're using only one film or two, it becomes second nature to just set your camera from experience and go from there.
 
It has been about three years since I've used a meter, and I rarely have been more than a stop off. I shoot mostly slides too.

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These copies don't do the slides justice, but you can see these are the kinds of scenes that would give a meter trouble. The trick for me is that I shoot 100asa almost exclusively. I know what time it is, I look at the sky and then I look at the shadows and I will know what settings to use for a scene. If I use a faster film I just subtract settings, my mind has become pretty set on 100asa so I find that is always how I think of exposure when judging a scene.

If you stick with one emulsion for long enough you'll know the exposure without having to "guess" as soon as you see the scene you want to photograph.

That being said a meter is indispensable for some situations. Macro work and low light situations in particular.
 
I don't like doing mental gymnastics (time of day, time of year, etc.), so I just use a meter and make adjustments for the scene.

I like shooting with different films with different cameras.

Occasionally, I find myself without a meter, so I guess. Sometimes, my guess is OK. Sometimes, it isn't.
 
I realized I might need a light meter to start with. What would be a cheap and accurate light meter to go well with a FSU RF? Would you recommend the leningrad 2/4?
 
One advantage of film over digital is that it is a lot less forgiving about metering.

Recently, I forgot to take my lightmeter with me on a trip but then I remembered I had a lightmeter app on my iphone. The results were just as good. Made me think!

LouisB
 
Almost any meter that works should do; as long as the meter is working and consistent, you can use it.
If I were to pick between the Leningrads, I would choose based on condition and not worry too much about which one.
The other thing about the FSU meters is that most are marked for GOST film speeds. Not a big problem but you may want to find a conversion chart for GOST to DIN speeds. Like this one:

http://www.fedka.com/Useful_info/film_speed.htm

The other thing I will suggest is that if the meter you are considering uses batteries, you choose one that uses some modern (readily available) battery. There are ways to work around the mercury battery some meters used but it will be much simpler if that isn't necessary.
Rob
Kingston said:
I realized I might need a light meter to start with. What would be a cheap and accurate light meter to go well with a FSU RF? Would you recommend the leningrad 2/4?
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