Light metering

[truephotoga]

I was wondering how many of you use handheld light meters when doing a shoot? How often do you use them?

 

[480sparky68 67]

I use one as often as possible. There are some situations where I fall back on the camera's meter, but for 98% of my work, it's using a Gossen Starlite.

 

[joealcantar]

I use one, always on the belt. Why guess.
-
Shoot well, Joe

 

[tirediron]

Always when using flash/strobes and whenever I feel an incident reading would be better than a reflected reading.

 

[KmH]

Me too. I always use a handheld meter when using strobed light, which is 98% of the time I'm making images.

To some of us, an exposure that is off by 1/4 stop is the most we will tolerate without considering it an exposure error. That's why we use handheld meters that measure in 1/10 stop increments.

The 1/3 stop minimum of in camera light meters is often just to crude.

 

[dxqcanada5]

I use my handheld to provide an indecent meter reading shooting wildlife and I am in the same lighting as my subject ... I would use this in situations where the know the background will throw off the reflected light meter in my camera.

 

[ann]

I use a spot meter when doing LF work.

However, I have tested my other formats to determine just how the meter is performing and make adjustments based on that information

 

[Johnboy2978]

Sekonic L-358 here whenever using strobes. I don't use it in other situations very much. I have to say, it was one of the last pieces of photo equipment that I've bought b/c I always figured that even w/ strobes, I could do the trial and error method and live w/o one. It has drastically cut down my setup time and improved the quality of the photos as well. You really need one if you're using strobes IMO.

 

[KmH]

Johnboy2978 hits the big keys to using a hand-held meter.

A hand held minimizes set-up time, even when only using available (natural) light, and for ensuring consistant, repeatable, image quality.

 

[bazooka]

I'm suprised so many of you use one. I learned lighting from strobist.com and David says using a handheld is unnecessary... I took it as fact and have gotten proficient with setting up my lights quickly and with the correct settings by "guessing" as he said I would at the beginning of Lighting 101. However, I wonder now with these responses, if I'm missing out on something?

 

[AmericanRecordable]

I use my meter quite often. Especially when using strobes (just as everyone else seems to). There's much less guesswork. The only time I have to make guesstamates is when I'm shooting people of highly contrasted skins tones. I can't meter for both, so I end up having to shoot for the middle.

Here's mine: L-358 FlashMaster - Overview

 

[Patrice]

However, I wonder now with these responses, if I'm missing out on something?

You say you are proficient at setting your lights correctly without using a light meter, well then you are not missing out on anything at all. Whatever works for you is the right way for you. What difference does it make weather you spread the peanut butter on the bottom slice and the jam on the top slice or the other way around, you still end up with BP&J sandwich.

 

[kundalini]

Yup.....

.... and a grey card too.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Do 100% strobe work with lots of strobes so I use one. Much faster set up. But I also used one quite a bit when I was working with natural light.

Whatever works for you though.