Do you use the internal metering system in your camera?

[RVT1K]

I have a couple of third-party, fully-manual lenses. When I use these, I use the internal meter.

 

[cgw]

I carry a little Sekonic 308 and do use it when I want incident readings, especially for available light portraits.Otherwise, I’ll play around with the exp-comp dial, often without chipping, since I’ve shot my Fujis enough to know pretty much how they read things.

As for old SLRs, early Minolta SRTs had a proto-matrix meter(OK, just two zones!) that cleverly read the top and bottom of the frame. Had one and always thought it raised my quotient of decently-exposed shots. Did nothing for composition—sadly.

 

[AlanKlein]

I just started using my Sony RX100iv P&S digital camera as a light meter when I'm shooting with non-metered film cameras. I checked it against my Minolta Autometer IIIF and they seem consistent with both metering. But I haven't compared the actual film results yet.

Any comments?

 

[CherylL]

I answered Yes. If I am shooting timelapse I will check the histogram too.

 

[Jeff15]

My camera gets it right 99% of the time, life is too short to stuff a mushroom......

 

[Soocom1]

My camera gets it right 99% of the time, life is too short to stuff a mushroom......

Unless its with bacon rice and mozzarella....

 

[Soocom1]

yes for me especially with the manual lenses I am using.
I discovered that the Sunny 16 rule isnt working 100% when the manual lenses are on the mirrorless.

Frankly to me its a tool.
Use it.

 

[Overread]

Honestly the only time I've ever seen any justification for external light meters in modern photography is when setting up a flash setup where you can balance the flash units using the direct light mode on an external meter. After that I've really not seen many arguments for using an external meter. The cameras have one built into them and, as many have already said, you can use that to great effect to meter a scene.

Of course like any meter the results need processing and interpreting by a human mind to guide them. Working within the cameras limitations to avoid issues like grey snow etc... Heck even when you've got good experience, the cheapness of a digital shot means that a quick shot and a glance at the histogram can let you fine-tune your settings even further. The meter gets you close, your own experiences, the situation, the light and subject and the histogram on a review shot can all help further refine the results.

Heck with digital screens that can output histogram results live to the viewer you can even adjust without taking a test shot.

 

[AlanKlein]

I answered Yes. If I am shooting timelapse I will check the histogram too.

Why check the histogram only on time lapse?

 

[AlanKlein]

Another advantage I found using a digital camera as a light meter, I can set it for BW to match the BW film I'm shooting in the other camera. That gives me a better idea what the final will look like if I'm shooting BW film. I also can set the zoom of the digital camera to match the angle of the film camera's lens. That way I can figure out where the best placement for the film camera should go. That makes better compositions easier and faster to set up. I'm still not totally convinced of this method over using a separate meter. I have to work with it awhile and check the actual film results before I retire my regular light meter.

 

[astroNikon]

depends.
Pictures when there's sunlight I do reference it.
At night, for instance for astrophotography ... nope because I don't have a flash big enough.

 

[CherylL]

I answered Yes. If I am shooting timelapse I will check the histogram too.

Why check the histogram only on time lapse?

Before committing to take 300+ photos I want to add the extra step to get it right. Outside it is hard to see the back of the screen when setting up the timelapse. If I am taking just a shot here and there I will chimp the screen for blinkies and not really concern myself. I shoot all in raw so I could recover some data.

 

[AlanKlein]

I answered Yes. If I am shooting timelapse I will check the histogram too.

Why check the histogram only on time lapse?

Before committing to take 300+ photos I want to add the extra step to get it right. Outside it is hard to see the back of the screen when setting up the timelapse. If I am taking just a shot here and there I will chimp the screen for blinkies and not really concern myself. I shoot all in raw so I could recover some data.

That makes sense. Do you ever shoot a short time lapse to check it out before the main event?

 

[Derrel]

I have had the same incident/flash meter since 1986. Its the only piece of Minolta equipment I have ever owned. As I recall I paid $169 for it back in the day when gasoline was roughly $0.89,a gallon as I recall. I was 23 then: today I am 57.

I bought my first Speedotron flash system in 1986 as well. I will admit that I frequently shoot flash assignments with no flash meter and instead rely on over 30 years of experience. Of course these days with digital we have the histogram as a wonderful type of built-in exposure evaluation tool.

 

[Derrel]

There was a joke back in the day: "There are two correct exposures for Tri-X. F/5.6 at 1/250 and f/2.8 at 1/30." It's a 45 year-old joke. Excuse it not being too funny in this 20th year of the twenty-first century, but it's the only exposure-related joke I can recall.It ties in with not using a light meter.