Incident or Reflected Metering ?

[Ko.Fe.]

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On 5/11/2023 at 3:30 PM, Mr.Prime said:

With a handheld meter, do you find incident metering to be the best method most of the time ?

Best is to meter accordingly.

For example you have a wide scene. Sky,  field and shadowed bushes. Incident (pointed to three different areas) is the solution.

If you are in dark room, light enters only to spot where person is sitting, it is better to measure reflected.  

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[hepcat]

On 5/11/2023 at 2:30 PM, Mr.Prime said:

With a handheld meter, do you find incident metering to be the best method most of the time ?

My take is that most "photographers" don't have a clue what a light meter actually does or how to use it.  For those folks, incident metering is almost always the safest bet followed closely by reflected metering from an 18% gray card.  For those who do understand the principles, reflected metering with an assignation of Zone V or Zone VI to one value in the image always leads to the "correct" exposure for what the photographer wants the image to look like.  

[Fotoklaus]

vor 11 Stunden schrieb hepcat:

My take is that most "photographers" don't have a clue what a light meter actually does or how to use it.  For those folks, incident metering is almost always the safest bet followed closely by reflected metering from an 18% gray card.  For those who do understand the principles, reflected metering with an assignation of Zone V or Zone VI to one value in the image always leads to the "correct" exposure for what the photographer wants the image to look like.  

Yes, because Zone V is 18% grey. Nothing too special here. The Zone system is interesting for evaluation when you don´t have a Zone V and you are not able to use incident metering.

For example a person sitting on the left, dark background, bright light coming from middle/right. Then you have perhaps just a Zone 3 and a 7 but can meter the 3 and open up two stops.

On an average subject you can go on with incident metering any time.

[hepcat]

5 hours ago, Fotoklaus said:

Yes, because Zone V is 18% grey. Nothing too special here. The Zone system is interesting for evaluation when you don´t have a Zone V and you are not able to use incident metering.

For example a person sitting on the left, dark background, bright light coming from middle/right. Then you have perhaps just a Zone 3 and a 7 but can meter the 3 and open up two stops.

On an average subject you can go on with incident metering any time.

As I said in my earlier post, metering is not an absolute and set in absolute terms.  Incident metering always gives Zone V as middle gray which IS absolute.  If you want Zone V to represent a different luminosity, you do the mental calculations looking at the scene, just the same as using reflected metering for the scene you described.   The value of incident metering is that you don't have to be concerned about what value to place Zone V on.  If you're a snapshot shooter, incident metering is just the ticket.  If you're a journeyman photographer who cares about tonality, and what YOU want represented as Zone V, then reflected metering is your friend.

 

[atournas]

On 5/11/2023 at 10:30 PM, Mr.Prime said:

With a handheld meter, do you find incident metering to be the best method most of the time ?

You need a handheld meter with a spot-metering capability for reflected light, like Sekonic L-758DR or similar. Otherwise, I prefer incident light, especially with medium format shooting.

[Mr.Prime]

Thanks for the responses so-far. As a result, I've just ordered a Sekonic L-208 to find out for myself how an incident metering method works for my photography. For the past few decades, it's been reflected light metering only.

[Mr.Prime]

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My new meter arrived recently and so far I'm pleased with it. Hope to use it in real shooting today.

[CSG123]

I rarely use a meter (I've got the L-208) but I do carry it around when shooting with my M4.  I use it to check my own guess.  I benefited learning photography in the 60's with a meterless cameras (Yashica J, primarily).  I don't recall using incident metering except during class studio work. 

[spydrxx]

IMHO incident metering not only works exceedingly well, but in my case led to being able to use the Sunny 16 guidelines quite effectively. Hadn't done much shooting recently, but was testing out a 1950s rf which came yesterday (not Leica) this am. Decided that I'd just do Sunny 16 on an expired roll as it was pretty bright out, and just as I predicted, negatives both in sun and shade, dark and light colors, although it was B&W film, came out just fine.

[Mr.Prime]

I grew up with built-in reflected metering so I’m less practiced than most. I would bring the camera up to my eye and scan the scene which meant I’d lose some awareness of what was happening around me and it would tip everyone off that there was a photographer looking at them. Nevertheless, it was reliable and particularly easy with an SLR and it’s big viewfinder.

So, I enjoyed having the meter with me this weekend, with my Leica iii, not only lended a layer of confidence to the usual sunny 16 but helped when moving inside where I usually find it harder to guess. Amazingly easy to use, mostly a one-handed method. 

Edited May 29, 2023 by Mr.Prime

[aesop]

 

       ...given the two practical options, always incident - otherwise, I resort to reflected.

[rtai]

It depends on the scene. You can only hold your incident meter as far as your arm can stretch. If your subject isn’t equally illuminated as the light falling on your meter then you need to measure direct. For example your incident meter isn’t as helpful if your model is under a tree and you are not. Common sense.

[ironhorse]

But you can walk up to your model and hold your meter close to her/ him to get your reading 😀

[RayD28]

Or meter under a different nearby tree with similar shade.  I've done this many times and it gets you very close.