Light meter - yes or no?

[Bill Clark]

With digital I always use manual (M) mode. I get it set up then bring the people in or make photographs from where I'm standing. Then move on & do over!

With an in camera light meter, it can measure the difference in light levels only by putting it in spot mode and moving the camera around to check the different levels of light. Sorry, that's not how I make photographs, especially of people!

Many times, I see, mainly outdoor photos that have areas that are blown out. If the photos are made indoors some rooms look pretty dark sometimes. It can be most anything but the background, especially the sky are two good examples where that takes place. That doesn't work for me. Since the human brain first directs the eye to the brightest area of a photograph, I don't want folks to zero in on a blown out sky that is white.

And besides, I operate my cameras usually on a tripod and folks don't want me tinkering with the technicals as they patiently wait to be photographed. If I did tinker, it would show on their faces. Not good people photography in my world. Photography with people shouldn't be an experiment by the photographer.

 

[Godfrey]

My digital cameras all have meters in them and I use Aperture priority most of the time. For precision work, a hand-held incident meter.

For my film cameras, mostly the hand-held incident meter... plus guessing. Lots of times it's just easy to guess and not worry too much about it.

G

 

[barnwulf]

I live in the high desert at 4,500 to 5,000 ft and often we no clouds so we have very high contrast light. The light is generally pretty consistent, but I will sometimes just do a quick check of the exposure especially if my subject is mostly in shadow. My subject matter is most alwaysy stationary so there is no hurry to get my shot. In the high contrast light I try very hard to get a very good exposure so I keep detail in whites and good detail in the shadows. Sometimes it's a pretty fine line. - jim

 

[Brian Atherton]

Not used a separate light-meter since I sold my M4-P in the late 80s.

Now it's mostly TTL but I'm still pretty good with a guess.

 

[ravilamir]

Considering this question is on the FSU forum, yes I use a lightmeter all the time. With my new FED 2 it might come from a Nikon EM. With the Zenit 11, I'll compare its meter with what the EM says.
I'm waiting now for a Leningrad 8 meter.

 

[Wulfthari]

I never use a lightmeter with my Soviet rangefinders...for me the challenge is to be able to "guess" the correct exposure and be able to shoot all the 36 cartridges without misfiring.

I usually shoot B&W film and it's a great satisfaction when I retire the negatives and I see ALL the exposures have come out well, it makes me feel...a photographer I assume.

Here there are some examples of Ilford XP2 in a rainy day, I tried various setups according to the different DOF I wanted:

With my extreme pleasure, ALL came out more or less well, this was the worst: at that time it started raining hard but I forgot to compensate, it was the last shot of the 38 roll and I was in a hurry:

 

[Landberg]

I have one, its great to have in tricky situations!

 

[traveler_101]

I have one, its great to have in tricky situations!

Yes, I have done some shooting with my IIIf without a meter, based on encouraging things photogs tend to say on this board. I have been successful (relatively) at times and it has been a disaster at other times. As someone says you can't trust your eyes. This absolutely weird light of the far north where I now live makes the judgment even more difficult. Also one has to consider the film one uses: Tri-X is one thing, T-Max something else--far narrower tolerances.

Conclusion I am using the meter now, unless I forget to bring it. All the more reason to have a camera with a meter.

 

[Fadedsun]

I use the Light Meter iphone app occasionally when I step outside, but I often try to use sunny 16 because I don't have time to whip out my phone, bring up the app and meter a scene quickly enough. Most professional light meters are way above my budget, so I don't think I'll ever own one in the near future. Unless someone can recommend one that's under $100 and works just as well.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Jumping from sunny 16 to a so-called "professional" light meter seems a bit extreme.

Any old light meter, even an elderly battery-less one, will be a big improvement on funny 16. Why not look at (say) the Weston EuroMaster I or II* or the Weston V? Both can be picked up for a pittance and easily checked against your phone app. A lot of us like the Westons as they are reliable and so on. Do a search in RFF and you'll find a lot about them.

In the unlikely event that they don't work 100% they can easily and inexpensively be checked and recalibrated or rebalanced. I've even had 1930's Westons checked etc and repaired. That's more than I can say about my modern*, professional, digital one...

Regards, David

* Made until fairly recently.

 

[Godfrey]

I love good light meters. Recently picked up a Sekonic L398 to add to my collection of L328, L208, and Voigtländer VC II (and who knows how many light meter apps for iPhone?).

The L398 is very nice indeed. Just sensitive enough to be useful most of the time, no batteries required, and tons of information with every reading. Current model available new is the L398A for $220 or so. I found this one in mint condition for $45.

G

 

[antonynorthcutt]

I use one cause it makes me look real professional.

 

[oftheherd]

I love good light meters. Recently picked up a Sekonic L398 to add to my collection of L328, L208, and Voigtländer VC II (and who knows how many light meter apps for iPhone?).

The L398 is very nice indeed. Just sensitive enough to be useful most of the time, no batteries required, and tons of information with every reading. Current model available new is the L398A for $220 or so. I found this one in mint condition for $45.

G

I always thought it would be fun to have and use one of those. But I just keep plodding along with my L28c2. I have used if since 1976. Dropped it once and it would only work on its side. Dropped it again and all is well(?).

And for really low light readings, my Gossen Luna Pro or Luna Pro SBC.

 

[Hsg]

I shoot digital and yet I use a meter.

 

[richard_l]

I use one cause it makes me look real professional.

I don't use one because I want to look as if I'm so experienced that I don't need one.

 

[jcrutcher]

I have always use a meter however for the past 4-5 rolls I've guessed. I'm surprised how good these shots are. I do get messed up in darker 5-9 EV situations so I just take a couple of shots. Tri-X and Portra is what I started with since they are so flexible but the last roll out for processing is Fomapan Classic 100 which will be the real test. Don't intend to get rid of my meters this is just a lesson for myself.

Jim

 

[popavvakum]

For many years I relied on sunny 16 and occasionally got it wrong: the shadows are quite difficult to work out especially when the light is low. I recently got myself a lightmeter with incident/reflected light, rather out of curiousity, but had no time to try it yet.

Has anyone else found that the colour negative films today have larger tolerance than, say, 20 years ago? More specifically, you need to get more than 2 f stops off the mark before colours go wrong.

 

[popavvakum]

Hi,

Jumping from sunny 16 to a so-called "professional" light meter seems a bit extreme.

Any old light meter, even an elderly battery-less one, will be a big improvement on funny 16. Why not look at (say) the Weston EuroMaster I or II* or the Weston V? Both can be picked up for a pittance and easily checked against your phone app. A lot of us like the Westons as they are reliable and so on. Do a search in RFF and you'll find a lot about them.

In the unlikely event that they don't work 100% they can easily and inexpensively be checked and recalibrated or rebalanced. I've even had 1930's Westons checked etc and repaired. That's more than I can say about my modern*, professional, digital one...

Regards, David

* Made until fairly recently.

With all my due respect, I would not put much trust in old selenium cell meters. Slow deterioration of the selenium layer means theat they lose sensitivity and become unreliable at low light exactly when you need them. It is likely though they would still work fine in bright daylight. For repairs, the selenium cells are nearly impossible to find, so you should have been very fortunate.

 

[Alpsman]

Older Lightmeters should be checked against a newer one, they can be wrong for a few stops.
Had a cheap offer of two selenium meters, checked them against my new Sekonic and they were 4 (four) stops wrong.

 

[ian_watts]

I never use a lightmeter with my Soviet rangefinders...for me the challenge is to be able to "guess" the correct exposure and be able to shoot all the 36 cartridges without misfiring...

Here there are some examples of Ilford XP2 in a rainy day....

Not sure XP2 on a rainy day is the hardest "guess the exposure" challenge. I think you have to use Velvia (or, if it must be neg film, Ektar 100) to really earn your spurs.