Using a digicam as an RF light meter

[bkrystad]

I'm just getting started with my Retina IIa this winter, but I have a general question about light metering tools.

While I'm learning to judge exposure values of various levels of daylight without a meter, I thought I'd be resourceful and use my Fuji F30 for light metering my RF shots. For example, I spent a January afternoon at the Boeing Museum of Flight with my F30 at ~50mm equivalent and ISO400, and then using the same exposure settings with the Retina IIa and a roll of TMax 400. Comparing the matching digital and film exposures, I found they were overall very close, though of course the film proofs looked distinctly different from the out-of-camera JPGs on the F30 (higher contrast, better highlight details, etc.).

Anyway, my question is whether anyone else uses a digicam for light metering and if so what some of their experiences or observations were. Pitfalls to watch out for with what a digicam meter is telling me?

 

[dagabel]

I started out using my pocket Casio last summer as the light meter for my Agfa Ambi Silette; especially when I was shooting Fuji Velvia 50 on vacation. It's nice having the histogram, but over time I found it kind of cumbersome - you know, taking the digital shot, looking at the histogram/result, then taking the RF shot.

Then I started shooting B&W, which of course has more latitude, but I still used the digicam. I thought about trying a real hand-held meter instead; several posts here point to the experience that it can be even faster than in-camera meters, but also many advocate the Sunny 16 rule with no meter.

I bulk roll and develop my own film (Arista EDU Ultra), and it comes out to about $1 per 30-35 exposures, so I decided to try the latter - going meterless. What a sense of freedom! But, I'm a long way from feeling completely comfortable with this approach, so time will tell whether I go back to trying a hand-held or in-camera meter. I probably will not go back to the digicam method for 35mm, however (LF and sometimes MF are another matter!).

Duane

 

[sircarl]

This might be helpful:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/meters-digicam.htm

 

[Doug]

Using one camera as a light meter for another has always struck me as a clumsy solution. I keep thinking, "why not take a pic once you've got the camera to your eye and framed well enough to get a relevant meter reading?" Then what's the point of the second, meterless, camera? 🙂

The idea of buying a small hand-held separate light meter seems a mental barrier to overcome. I wouldn't even try for one that clips on or fits the accessory shoe. An advantage of the separate item is that you can check the light occasionally without fiddling with the camera or bringing it up to eye level. Can be more discreet. Also, the hand-held I prefer is an incident meter that reads the light falling on the subject, so isn't even pointed toward the subject anyway.

Using a hand-held is educational, teaching the user more about light than would be learned with an AE camera. The hand-held is also applicable not just to one camera, but any camera with manual exposure controls. Try it; it isn't painful! 🙂

 

[Spyderman]

There should be no problem using your digicam as lightmeter - as long as it shows you the exposure values, and it's comfortable to you.

But... digicams usually use some kind of "matrix" metering, with ther own A.I., so you often don't know what the camera is doing... And like to be in control and make decisions myself.

Also digital cameras often have different real sensitivity than their nominal sensitivity (like 250 or 320 when the setting says "ISO 200"). This is usually no problem with negative film, but it can be with slides.

 

[mike goldberg]

The Gossen Luna Pro, first introduced in 1963, sells new today [street price] for around $400-. See Link:

http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/GS4002.html

A year, or so ago, in a favorite Jerusalem photo shop, they had a used one in perfect condition for $145-. I ran to the ATM, withdrew the shekels needed and bought it! It feels so natural to carry the Gossen with a favorite RF camera & 2 lenses. No one pays attention when I casually make incident readings.

Cheers, mike

 

[kshapero]

My Pentax Optio 750Z has a digital light meter choice. Allows for averaging multi spot metering. Very cool. Very accurate. Also acts as a nice backup camera.
You can probably get one for cheap dollars.

 

[ampguy]

My Lumix FZ3 has a pretty accurate meter, when the focal lengths, ISOs, etc. are the same and all. Also has a live histogram, though tiny, very useful. These are discontinued, probably very cheap, less than many stand alone meters.

F30 also works, when everything is similar (ISO, focal length, etc.).

 

[dagabel]

Using one camera as a light meter for another has always struck me as a clumsy solution. I keep thinking, "why not take a pic once you've got the camera to your eye and framed well enough to get a relevant meter reading?" Then what's the point of the second, meterless, camera? 🙂

That's exactly how I started to feel - what's the point! Although my original rationale was that the Velvia yields much better color, saturation and resolution than almost any digicam, so it was worth it to use the spot metering functionality of the Casio.