Light Meters

[JerryPH]

I've been using spot metering a lot and I've noticed much more balanced light and tones. Is that a positive?

Read up on what spot metering is so you understand why. Spot metering is where the camera sets the exposure based on only what is in a small area of the middle of your frame and bases the exposure off that.

Matrix metering is where the exposure is evaluated on the overall average of the entire picture. I would tend to use sot metering in protraiture and matrix in scenes where I have a wide picture like outdoors or landscape, etc...

Another example, spot metering is excellent to get a well lit subject if you were outside and in the sun and your subject was under a well shaded tree. Without it, they would be almost silhouetted, with it, you may blow out the surrounding areas, but your subject under the tree comes out properly exposed.

 

[ChickenFriedRyce]

As can the Nikon, of course (example, from my D200's built-in flash, I can commande my off camera SB-800 and 2 SB-600s easily)... however he has a Sony.

They don't have that feature yet.

All Sony Alpha's can trigger all Sony (and third party if it supports it) flashes with the Built in flash, wirelessly. And metering is done through the built in flash. I just don't have a flash yet.

I knew what spot metering does.

Is it an alternative to a light meter (in some cases)?

 

[Bifurcator]

If you are considering indoor portraiture a hand-held meter will give you a more accurate reading than that in your camera because you will be able to measure the light falling on the subject (incident metering) as opposed to that reflected from the subject which is all that the camera meter will measure.

Exactly. Not a long reply but the most important to-the-point one IMO.

 

[JerryPH]

I stand corrected about the Sony being able to do wireless TTL, thanks!

The only thing that I do not like about the iTTL CLS thing are the 2-3 pre-flashes before each shot. Again, not sure about the others, but I just love the FV Lock feature... press a button on the D200 (function button), it measures things out and locks in the settings for all shots after that until you press the function button again. Then all you get are 1 flash AND iTTL settings, just locked in. What that means is that if you are in the same area, you preset the light once and it doesn't change after that... and since you are in the same area, it doesn't need to be changed and the pre-flashes don't happen.

 

[JerryPH]

I knew what spot metering does.
Is it an alternative to a light meter (in some cases)?

If you know what spot metering is... you know the answer to that one.

No.

 

[ChickenFriedRyce]

I know that having the most expensive stuff doesn't make it better, so could anyone recommend a pretty basic but accurate light meter?

I know Minolta made a few nice ones, but now they're gone. And I've heard of Sekonic. Anyone?

 

[usayit]

Made a recommendation in my previous post...

Sekonic 308 (ambient, reflective, and flash). Recently purchased a used Second 408 which adds aperture priority and spot meter. A really popular Sekonic is the 508 which is reviewed in the link I already posted but it is expensive. If you see yourself using flashes or strobes, you'll want one that has a flash meter.

The thing I like about the 308 is it is simple and compact. Fits in my cellphone belt holster.

 

[Helen B]

A really popular Sekonic is the 508 which is reviewed in the link I already posted but it is expensive.

I've had a 508 for a few years, and there are a few things I would criticize that review for - the 508 was far from flawless, even for its day. The 508 has been superseded by the 558 and 758, both of which have advantages over the 508. The main two are the ability to calibrate the incident and spot meters separately, and most important for many of us, the addition of a readout in the viewfinder. Almost all other spot meters have that function. The L-L review claims that the 508 is sensitive down to EV -2 at ISO 100, but that is only in incident mode, not spot mode.

In summary, I would recommend the 558 or 758 over the 508, though my recommendation of the 558 is based on other people's experience. I have the 508 and 758 (and 208, 398, 778, among many others). If you don't need the spot meter, the 308 and 358 are both very good meters.

Best,
Helen

 

[ChickenFriedRyce]

Oh yeah!

Thanks usayit and Helen and everyone else who helped!

I don't think I'll be working with strobes and big flashes so soon. I think I'm going to stick with more affordable continuous lights until I get more experience. And plus, my camera doesn't have a PC Sync port so I can't use anything but continuous lights.


So if I were to be using one, would I put the meter in the general area of the subject and get the reading, or could I point the meter towards the subject (that sounds dumb doesn't it)?