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light meter choice
- Thread starter drumsab
- Start date
...if you're not using a manual (studio) electronic flash. The built-in meter works well when you learn how to use it (which you'd have to do with any meter).
Do a search of this forum for Chuck Gardner's towel method of exposure, or go to his web site: http://super.nova.org/DPR/
Without going into details, if you follow Chuck's methodology, you will get the essential fact about exposing a digital sensor that most of us long-time photographers initially overlooked because we were trapped by having learned to expose film.
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RDKirk
'TANSTAAFL: The only unbreakable rule in photography.'
Do a search of this forum for Chuck Gardner's towel method of exposure, or go to his web site: http://super.nova.org/DPR/
Without going into details, if you follow Chuck's methodology, you will get the essential fact about exposing a digital sensor that most of us long-time photographers initially overlooked because we were trapped by having learned to expose film.
--
RDKirk
'TANSTAAFL: The only unbreakable rule in photography.'
felixreichardt
Leading Member
Works fine indoors with studio flash so far. (I'm still learning but my results are far better than without). Seems to be used by many people here.
Can read both ambient and flash. Not sure if you need one if you dont use studio light as the PP already mentioned.
Can read both ambient and flash. Not sure if you need one if you dont use studio light as the PP already mentioned.
felixreichardt
Leading Member
typo...
mufutau55
Senior Member
Gilbert44749
Leading Member
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-gilbert
http://www.gilbertmabel.com
'You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.' -Mark Twain
-gilbert
http://www.gilbertmabel.com
'You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.' -Mark Twain
Richard Katris
Senior Member
make up a board with white plastic matte material...and black velvet backed with black satin..... mount on a Kodak grey card or similar.
Shoot full frame w/nothing else in image...check histogram on camera.....bracket up and down exposures....note histogram is three spikes, and they walk back and forth from right to left or vice versa, as you vary your exposure......note location of spikes for proper exposure, and + and - stops less and more....then use the same card at subject position to meter each light in a multiple light set up. remember where your histograms were for each of the exposure increments, and you should be able to use your histogram to measure light proportions as well as overall exposure similar to ambient meter...(same as reflected meter off grey card....)
The black velvet should be as black as any subject you might encounter...the white plastic as white as any white.... Obviously if you also want to use this for color...you may have to be very careful selecting the tones of white/grey/black you use in your card....
I still use incident meter for setting individual lights...but set final exposure using histogram method as above routinely.....I use learned offsets from the base for specific subjects depending on how light or dark they are....
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Richard Katris aka Chanan
Shoot full frame w/nothing else in image...check histogram on camera.....bracket up and down exposures....note histogram is three spikes, and they walk back and forth from right to left or vice versa, as you vary your exposure......note location of spikes for proper exposure, and + and - stops less and more....then use the same card at subject position to meter each light in a multiple light set up. remember where your histograms were for each of the exposure increments, and you should be able to use your histogram to measure light proportions as well as overall exposure similar to ambient meter...(same as reflected meter off grey card....)
The black velvet should be as black as any subject you might encounter...the white plastic as white as any white.... Obviously if you also want to use this for color...you may have to be very careful selecting the tones of white/grey/black you use in your card....
I still use incident meter for setting individual lights...but set final exposure using histogram method as above routinely.....I use learned offsets from the base for specific subjects depending on how light or dark they are....
--
Richard Katris aka Chanan
Chuck Gardner
Forum Pro
Until you purchase studio lights there is really no compelling reason to use a hand held meter.
Read this PDF tutorial regarding how to read a histogram http://super.nova.org/DPR/ZoneSystem/Histogram.pdf
CG
Read this PDF tutorial regarding how to read a histogram http://super.nova.org/DPR/ZoneSystem/Histogram.pdf
CG
get an expodisc. it fits on your lens and turns your camera into an incident light and color meter. how? it's made of white plastic and lets 18% of the light through, so it "looks" like a graycard to your camera, so you put the camera in the same light as the subject and meter from the histogram based on what the camera sees.
it's also color-neutral, so you can set accurate custom white balance with it.
i'm getting one as soon as I can afford it ($100 for a 77-mm)
it's also color-neutral, so you can set accurate custom white balance with it.
i'm getting one as soon as I can afford it ($100 for a 77-mm)
brianric
Veteran Member
Let me ask you a question on this. I was shooting a group of cheerleaders at a charity event last Sunday. Unfortunately for me, I had to shoot into the sun on quite a few of the shots. I had mixed results. Where I was able to control the shots (sun to my back) I had no problems. Any recommendations?
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