How many of you use a light meter?

[CalArts 99]

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I realize that Gossen, Sekonic, etc., are the most popular names in light meters, but I thought I'd add one that's maybe not that well known in the photography world but is recognized as one of the best meters in the motion picture industry. It's made in Burbank, CA (where a big part of the movie industry is located) by Spectra Cine, Inc. Spectra Cine, Inc : The Professionals Choice for Light Measurement

 

Although it's primarily used as a cine meter, I found it to be an excellent incident light meter for still photography. I've been using this one for years: Spectra Cine, Inc -Spectra Professional IV-A (The Most Accurate Meter Ever Built)

[kdriceman]

I realize that Gossen' date=' Sekonic, etc., are the most popular names in light meters, but I thought I'd add one that's maybe not that well known in the photography world but is recognized as one of the best meters in the motion picture industry. It's made in Burbank, CA (where a big part of the movie industry is located) by Spectra Cine, Inc. Spectra Cine, Inc : The Professionals Choice for Light Measurement

 

Although it's primarily used as a cine meter, I found it to be an excellent incident light meter for still photography. I've been using this one for years: Spectra Cine, Inc -Spectra Professional IV-A (The Most Accurate Meter Ever Built)

 

I'm sure this meter is outstanding, but it is expensive and my question is- under what conditions and how would the better readings be seen in 35 mm still photography?

[pgk]

.....under what conditions and how would the better readings be seen in 35 mm still photography?

Assuming that you are referring to digital as opposed to film photography, this is the crux of the matter. If you have time to use a meter then you have time to shoot, inspect the histogram and adjust. How many people are unable to achieve as accurate an exposure as is needed by doing this I wonder. It certainly works for me,

[giordano]

I'm sure this meter is outstanding, but it is expensive and my question is- under what conditions and how would the better readings be seen in 35 mm still photography?

 

I doubt that any additional accuracy compared with other digital meters would be visible except in the most demanding applications (some scientific work, some work with slide film). But that sort of consideration has never deterred Leica users from wanting "the best".

 

Anyway, it's not particularly expensive compared with the competion from Sekonic and Gossen.

[CalArts 99]

I'm sure this meter is outstanding, but it is expensive and my question is- under what conditions and how would the better readings be seen in 35 mm still photography?

 

 

Since I have a 16mm Eclair cine camera I happen to use this particular meter. But I also use it with the M6 (I use transparency film almost exclusively.) And I use it with the M9. It's an excellent and very robust incident meter with a huge dome. It's the equivalent of very quickly reading off a gray card which I find helpful in respect to locating where to place my shadows and highlights depending on the scene (I find my experience using transparency film fits in perfectly with digital.)

 

I only brought it up as another alternative to the usual Gossen and Sekonic recommendations. It's also manufactured locally (at least to me, although they have service centers throughout the world), and I can stop in anytime to have it calibrated (they place a small sticker on the meter with date and signature of the technician.)

 

As Giordano mentioned, the price is really not that different than other quality meters. These Spectra meters are considered the stand-by meters in the motion picture industry in respect to build and servicing. So I just thought I'd toss it out there as information for others looking for a good incident meter.

[pico]

Am I the only one who uses a Dark Meter?

[pop]

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Dark Meter?

 

I used to use one when I still used film negatives.

[Michael Hiles]

What is a Dark Meter?

[pgk]

How many people are unable to achieve as accurate an exposure as is needed by doing this [checking the histogram] I wonder?

Actually I meant this seriously! There's been a lot of discussion about exposure over the years, but just how relevant is exposing to the right and using an external meter in today's digital world? I have actually tried at times to take multiple exposures and check the final processed results from my estimated exposure through to very careful checked exposures, and to be honest I am now less than convinced about 'exposing to the right' in all situations (or even about tolerable latitude). Doing so on some cameras can sometimes introduce castes in specific areas and whilst over stretched shadows are unsightly, exposing to the right rarely alleviates this problem dramatically and frequently risks creating rather strange looking skies if they need to be rescued at all. So what are other's experiences?

[250swb]

How many people are unable to achieve as accurate an exposure as is needed by doing this I wonder. It certainly works for me,

 

Yes, the most effective way to get the exposure you like, and the maximum from the camera, is to bracket the exposures, and at least one will be right, or even two or three blended together if the contrast range exceeds the camera. So you could say that you don't need anything other than a starting point, and the camera's meter is as good as anything else in this case.

 

But the OP's original question (and in relation to Thorsten's article) is does anybody use a light meter. So it's not necessarily a case of getting an accurate average exposure (no clipping at the either end of the histogram etc), but of adjusting the exposure creatively to make a better image. This can work far more effectively with B&W film, but Thorsten shows that similar considerations are possible with a digital camera.

 

Steve

[pgk]

But the OP's original question (and in relation to Thorsten's article) is does anybody use a light meter.

If you look at the OP you will see that the question was amplified:

Do you find it more accurate and does it give you more control how to light the subject? Do you use a light meter all the time?

My query was as to whether people are unable to produce accurate (or should I say relevant?) enough exposures based on the camera's own metering system. Exposure accuracy is not the really the problem is it - both camera and hand held meters should be 'accurate' in terms of light measurement? Relevant exposure is probably a better description, and my query is whether people find it sufficient to use the built in meter/histogram/ their understanding to set the camera to capture an exposure adequate for what they want to produce from the file? Personally I see no advantage in carrying a hand held meter so no, I don't use one.

[Leicakillen]

Personally I see no advantage in carrying a hand held meter so no, I don't use one.

 

I fully support this. In the film days I always used a hand held meter, still have a Sixtar 2 and a Lunasix 3. I used to measure incident light - it was a very good and reliable method, also with Kodachrome. Today I think the histogram tells it all much better and with digital you can make as many test exposures as you want without any problem. I however would like to have a more "spot-meter" on the M9, would serve my style better. I think the best meter I had on the M cameras was the one in M5.

/Anders

[KanzaKruzer]

But the OP's original question (and in relation to Thorsten's article) is does anybody use a light meter. So it's not necessarily a case of getting an accurate average exposure (no clipping at the either end of the histogram etc), but of adjusting the exposure creatively to make a better image. This can work far more effectively with B&W film, but Thorsten shows that similar considerations are possible with a digital camera.

Steve

Steve,

 

"Adjusting the exposure creatively to make a better image." as you said, more accurately addresses the intent of the my original question. I included the sample photos (the first one in particular) to try and address this issue, but did not connect the dots.

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[pico]

What is a Dark Meter?

 

It is what we news photographers used to measure available darkness.

.

[Lindolfi]

Just bought a Gossen DigiFlash 2 lightmeter. It is tiny, so nice for on the road and it works very well. Had to adjust by 2/3 of a stop down to make a gray card fall in the middle of the histogram of the M9. Otherwise excellent. Flash meter function also works well in the cordless way. Weight and size are such that it is not an issue to always bring it.

 

The reflected light meter function also works well (tested on a gray card and compared with incident metering) but with its angle of 25 degrees it is not interesting together with the M9, so the incident light meter function is what I will use it for.

 

Sensitivity reaches down to EV=0 at 100 ISO, so it covers most photographic needs

[kdriceman]

Just bought a Gossen DigiFlash 2 lightmeter. It is tiny' date=' so nice for on the road and it works very well. Had to adjust by 2/3 of a stop down to make a gray card fall in the middle of the histogram of the M9. Otherwise excellent. Flash meter function also works well in the cordless way. Weight and size are such that it is not an issue to always bring it.

 

The reflected light meter function also works well (tested on a gray card and compared with incident metering) but with its angle of 25 degrees it is not interesting together with the M9, so the incident light meter function is what I will use it for.

 

Sensitivity reaches down to EV=0 at 100 ISO, so it covers most photographic needs[/quote']

 

This is just right for my needs, my Sekonic 308S is a little big. Is this a new version of the Gossens Digiflash? Do you know what the differences are?

[Lindolfi]

Yes, it appeared on the photokina of this year. They changed the design a bit and made "improvements". Probably not much difference with the old digiflash. There is a clip for a hotshoe sold separately, but that is not useful on an M. Handheld it works great.