Metering?

[ababysean]

Ok so I took a class in college a long time age, and we had hand held meters.

Should I get one?

I remember them being pretty inexpensive, I was a poor college student so I don't think it was that much.

Why would I need one if I am on A or S setting?

Is this for when I get brave and go to M?

Thanks in advance.

 

[icassell]

They are helpful at times (especially when using stobes, studio lighting, etc.), but not usually necessary. If you have a current breed of dSLR, you should do well with the metering in the camera in most situations. Save your money for things you need more (glass, etc.) and pick up a meter when you really need one.

 

[Big Mike]

You don't need a separate meter, as most cameras have one built in...but it certainly doesn't hurt.

Hand held meters can be great because with most of them, you can take an incident reading (light that is falling on the subject) rather than just a reflected reading (light that is reflecting off of the subject). All in-camera meters are reflected meters.

Even with the camera in M mode, the built-in meter is still active and you can use it to help determine your exposure.

*edit*
If you want to meter flash/strobes, then you will need a 'flash meter'...and those aren't as cheap as simple light meters.

 

[ababysean]

oh ok thanks so much.
all I remember is from my photo class years ago, metering and then shooting the correct meter, one stop up and one stop down, or correct meter and one shutter speed higher and one shutter speed lower.
Is this still a good rule or is it just used on entry level classes?

 

[Big Mike]

Is this still a good rule or is it just used on entry level classes?

That's called bracketing and yes, it's still a good idea.

It's less necessary because with digital, you can pretty much see your results immediately whereas with film, you weren't always certain.
However, with digital you can take as many photos as your memory allows, so a few extra shots won't hurt.

Plus, there is a technique where you take multiple exposures and use software to combine them to get a Higher Dynamic Range than you can get with just a single exposure.