Should I Get a Light Meter? Need Advice.

[ten1437]

I shoot weddings mostly, and am wondering if I should get a light meter. If so, which one?

And if you just use one for studio lights which one do you have?

[philthejuggler]

I shoot weddings mostly, and am wondering if I should get a light meter. If so, which one?

If you like shooting manual it's an advantage but the only time I use a lightmeter is for measuring studio lights. I use a Sekonic meter.

[Wilt]

Measuring incident light and setting your camera on M is a far better way to get the right exposure and to avoid shot-to-shot variation in your shooting! I think a working wedding shooter who tries to cover weddings without an incident meter is making life too difficult for themselves and adding extra postprocessing work for themselves!

[vadim_c]

I shoot weddings mostly, and am wondering if I should get a light meter. If so, which one?
So imagine yourself at a wedding with your lightmeter:
You see an interesting moment for example the father hugs the bride, and you yell at them" Freeze !!! :-o" Than you run up to them taking the lightmeter out of your bag, stick it into their faces, fumble with the camera settings as you run back and finally yell "Unfreeze" ?

Some say measure beforehand but that is not going to work. The light and/or, people's postion change all the time.

I do have a lightmeter but use it exclusively when shooting with more than one source of light, otherwise I see no reason not to trust my camea's exposure meter.

[Rudi]

Some say measure beforehand but that is not going to work. The light and/or, people's postion change all the time.


Hmmm.... and how many wedding a year do you shoot? ???

The light does not change all the time! Once of the best ways to reduce your post processing time and to get better images, is to set the camera to manual and shoot away. The only time you will then change your settings is when the light changes - people move inside or outside, or a cloud obscures the sun, something like that. The advantage of shooting in manual mode is that extremely bright or dark background won't throw your exposure out. Whether you use a light meter to arrive at the correct settings, or trial and error (chimping and experience) doesn't matter, but I would recommend a light meter - it does make things easier!

[ten1437]

yeah...for lighting then what should I use?

Out of these...since someone said Sekonic...which is a good one?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/shop/8146/Meters_Accessories_Meters.html

[Curtis N]

If you use manual flash, a meter is invaluable. I know some wedding shooters will set up a strobe and umbrella in the church for the formals. If you're planning to do this, get a meter.

The Sekonic L-358 is a popular model with a good set of features for the money.

[Cathpah]

If you like shooting manual it's an advantage but the only time I use a lightmeter is for measuring studio lights. I use a Sekonic meter.

+1

never felt a need for a light meter when shooting out of the studio ever since I moved to digital. The only reason I own/use mine is for my studio lights.

[SkipD]

I use my Sekonic L-358 far more than I use the meter in my 20D. It's faster, more accurate (because I am usually using it in incident mode and not worrying about reflective qualities of the subject), and lets me do all the choosing instead of the camera's computer doing it for me.

[TheGreatOg]

I use my Sekonic L-358 far more than I use the meter in my 20D.

+1 Love my Sekonic L-358. Easy to use and understand. You can buy a chip that'll allow it to remotely fire Pocket Wizards on strobes. Great little meter.

[Zivnuska]

+1 Love my Sekonic L-358. Easy to use and understand. You can buy a chip that'll allow it to remotely fire Pocket Wizards on strobes. Great little meter.

+2.

[nuffi]

Seriously, the only person who can answer that question is you. Are you struggling to maintain proper exposure in any of the situations you shoot?

If so, then you need one. Even if you only need one to help you get a handle on it and you find six months down the track you're using it less it would still be something you need to have now.

If you aren't struggling, then don't bother. But it sounds to me like you've got an issue with exposure and I feel you should get one if you do.

All these other people talking about their ability to judge light and expose correctly might be right from their pov, but they're not shooting teh same stuff you are, have different skills & talents with their craft and equipment, and have varying levels of training and experience too. It is entirely up to you to figure out how relevent it is for your sitch.

[Sylvester XxX]

It is nice to have and use but you can get by without one if you know the shortcomings and limitations of the cameras' metering. Sekonic L-358 is the way to go.

[vadim_c]

Hmmm.... and how many wedding a year do you shoot? ???
The light does not change all the time!
Let me skip the first part of the question as not relevant to the discussion and smells arrogance. As for the light not changing all the time: Yes that is true if the following conditions are met:

1. There are no shadows at the location.
2. You do not use flash.
3. All subjects you photograph are facing in the same direction and you take pictures always from the same direction.

When shooting with a hotshoe flash ( most common scenario ) the lightmeter is essentially useless as the settings entirely depend on the distance to the object.
Without a flash you can do the whole photoshoot with one manual setting, but I am not sure if you get better results than using the camera exposure meter unless 1 and 3 are met.

[Rudi]

Yes that is true if the following conditions are met:

1. There are no shadows at the location.
2. You do not use flash.
3. All subjects you photograph are facing in the same direction and you take pictures always from the same direction.


While 1 and 2 could be debated, #3 is definitely not true! You can shoot on manual from all directions in most situations (yes, there will always be an exception).


Without a flash you can do the whole photoshoot with one manual setting, but I am not sure if you get better results than using the camera exposure meter unless 1 and 3 are met.

Which brings me back to my original question: How many of these events have you shot, that makes you so absolutely sure that this cannot be done? ???

[Rudi]

Let me skip the first part of the question as not relevant to the discussion and smells arrogance.

You're wrong about that,too. I smelt ignorance, and that is why I asked the question.

[TheGreatOg]

Seriously, all snark aside...the question was light meters. I'm sure the OP is grateful for all of your input. Why turn this thread into stupidity?

[Karl Johnston]

I shoot weddings mostly, and am wondering if I should get a light meter.
Yes, why not, probably be a worthwhile investment if you're using off cam lighting in a dynamic environment. Would also help if you were shooting formals outdoors, depending on how you did it of course. Some people don't bother with lights at all
Hmmm.... and how many wedding a year do you shoot?

The light does not change all the time! Once of the best ways to reduce your post processing time and to get better images, is to set the camera to manual and shoot away.
Is there anyone that shoots a wedding in auto?
I hope they weren't paid.

[René Damkot]

Let's not turn this into a "my way is better then yours", please.
Manual and Av both have their merits and drawbacks...

Discussing them, so everybody learns from it is fine off course ;)

[Rudi]

Seriously, all snark aside...the question was light meters. I'm sure the OP is grateful for all of your input. Why turn this thread into stupidity?

Just trying to prevent the OP from getting bad advice from people who have no idea! I have no problem if you don't need a meter to shoot a wedding (I do, for several reasons), but to then say how shooting in manual is impractical, well, that's just bad advice!

[René Damkot]

Guys, I fail to see how I was unclear...

Keep it nice.

[bzimmermann]

Just trying to prevent the OP from getting bad advice from people who have no idea! I have no problem if you don't need a meter to shoot a wedding (I do, for several reasons), but to then say how shooting in manual is impractical, well, that's just bad advice!

Shooting in manual or using a lightmeter ? Those are very different things.
Shooting in manual could be practical, using a lightmeter at wedding for anything but staged shots is impractical.

[Rudi]

Oh dear! I'm done discussing this...

[picturecrazy]

I pretty much never use a lightmeter at a weddings. It's a dynamic event. It's mostly impractical to use a light meter through the day. I tried using my L-358R at a couple weddings a few years ago but it was more of a pain than a help. I find the in-camera meter is good enough. Yes, it can get things wrong but with experience you learn when it messes up and can compensate for it accurately, without an incident meter.

And yes, I would definitely agree the "the light changes all the time". If you are in a room and there is a window on the right side, you will have totally different exposure readings depending on what angle you are positioned in relation to the window. The difference can be HUGE... like over two stops. This doesn't change whether you are using an incident meter or not.

But if you are the type of photographer that brings huge lighting setups with multiple stobes and such to take very traditional style photos, then yeah, a light meter would certainly help.

I only use my meter for multi-light setups with multiple strobes in a studio-style controlled environment for ultimate accuracy. Otherwise, I find it just gets in the way and slows me down. (i.e. non-controlled environment)

[SkipD]

Shooting in manual or using a lightmeter ? Those are very different things.
Shooting in manual could be practical, using a lightmeter at wedding for anything but staged shots is impractical.How in the world do you think we old-timers used to work weddings before cameras had built-in metering?

We used handheld meters, and we used them quite efficiently I might add. I never felt bogged down with a totally manual camera and a handheld meter - indoors, outdoors, studio, or wherever I was working with my cameras.

[GCGuy]

FWIW, I bought a Sekonic L358 about a month ago when I got my strobes and I'm quite surprised at how accurate it is. I'd say 1 in 3 or more shots looked better when metered with the L358 than using the camera's built in meter. Great investment, you should definitely get one! :)

[Wilt]

I pretty much never use a lightmeter at a weddings. It's a dynamic event. It's mostly impractical to use a light meter through the day. I tried using my L-358R at a couple weddings a few years ago but it was more of a pain than a help. I find the in-camera meter is good enough. Yes, it can get things wrong but with experience you learn when it messes up and can compensate for it accurately, without an incident meter.

And yes, I would definitely agree the "the light changes all the time". If you are in a room and there is a window on the right side, you will have totally different exposure readings depending on what angle you are positioned in relation to the window. The difference can be HUGE... like over two stops. This doesn't change whether you are using an incident meter or not.

A Phillips head screwdriver is the right tool at times, and the wrong tool at other times. Yet we keep a Phllips had screwdriver in the tool draw or toolchest. We do not choose to NOT have one!
So why on earth do we have an attitude that the incident meter is NOT always appropriate to use, so we should not own one?! You use it as the BEST tool in some circumstances, and you use the reflected light meter in the camera as the best tool in SOME other circumstances. Use the best tool for the job.

But if you are the type of photographer that brings huge lighting setups with multiple stobes and such to take very traditional style photos, then yeah, a light meter would certainly help.

I only use my meter for multi-light setups with multiple strobes in a studio-style controlled environment for ultimate accuracy. Otherwise, I find it just gets in the way and slows me down. (i.e. non-controlled environment)

NOT merely when using artificial light. But to have good shot-to-shot consistency where the reflectivity of the frame subject would otherwise vary the exposure. Incident meter provides the right exposure for the light which is falling on the scene. The fact that your position vs. the subject vs. the adjacent light admitted to the scene is variable does not change the inherent exposure which is right! It only changes if the subject enters sunlight and exits sunlight coming thru the window, or changes position relative to the window, not if the camera changes position relative to the window.

[picturecrazy]

A Phillips head screwdriver is the right tool at times, and the wrong tool at other times. Yet we keep a Phllips had screwdriver in the tool draw or toolchest. We do not choose to NOT have one!
So why on earth do we have an attitude that the incident meter is NOT always appropriate to use, so we should not own one?! You use it as the BEST tool in some circumstances, and you use the reflected light meter in the camera as the best tool in SOME other circumstances. Use the best tool for the job.



NOT merely when using artificial light. But to have good shot-to-shot consistency where the reflectivity of the frame subject would otherwise vary the exposure. Incident meter provides the right exposure for the light which is falling on the scene. The fact that your position vs. the subject vs. the adjacent light admitted to the scene is variable does not change the inherent exposure which is right! It only changes if the subject enters sunlight and exits sunlight coming thru the window, or changes position relative to the window, not if the camera changes position relative to the window.


Hey Wilt! If you read my post carefully, I'm pretty much agreeing with you. I never said that the OP should NOT buy a light meter. I'm just saying that for a wedding environment (which is what he states he is buying a meter for), I wouldn't call it the ideal place for a light meter. The day is too dynamic and unpredictable. It's an excellent tool, but doesn't quite work in this environment. But if you are setting up a shot where you have control, then hey, it could work very well.

As for the window example, the camera position would definitely vary your exposure settings a lot. True, the exposure where you took an incident reading would NOT change, but if you took an incident reading where the window light is hitting her, and then change your angle where the window light is now all of a sudden backlighting her instead, it still requires a huge shift in exposure settings. Same can be said for a lamp, or any other light source. I've rarely been in a room where where the entire room is a consistent EV.

[bzimmermann]

How in the world do you think we old-timers used to work weddings before cameras had built-in metering?

We used handheld meters, and we used them quite efficiently I might add. I never felt bogged down with a totally manual camera and a handheld meter - indoors, outdoors, studio, or wherever I was working with my cameras.

Not sure why you mention this. With manual camera you have no choice. With digital you can work much faster and miss fewer shots. So now tell me: Have you ever heard that somebody would say "Yes! this picture is priceless ! Check out the look the bride gives to the groom" ? Sure you have.
What about this "This picture is so great ! The exposure is so right out of the camera !"

[SkipD]

Not sure why you mention this. With manual camera you have no choice. With digital you can work much faster and miss fewer shots. So now tell me: Have you ever heard that somebody would say "Yes! this picture is priceless ! Check out the look the bride gives to the groom" ? Sure you have.
What about this "This picture is so great ! The exposure is so right out of the camera !"I guess you don't understand how we worked in the old days. I still use the same technique to this day.

I carry my meter hung at my side so it is readily available. When I detect that the light may be changing, I grab a quick meter reading and tweak the camera - before a situation for a shot happens. Thus, the camera is virtually always dialed in to the local lighting while I am on the job.

After a while, an experienced photographer can visually recognize a need to tweak the exposure setting because the light dimmed or got brighter. Thus, an adjustment to the camera can be made without even referring to the meter if time won't permit use of the meter. However, in the next lull, he/she would probably verify the setting with a quick meter reading.

By the way, my use of a meter is with it in incident mode 99.9% of the time. Thus I could care less about the color or reflectivity of most subjects. The exposure does not have to be tweaked for changing subject conditions.

[bzimmermann]

I guess you don't understand how we worked in the old days. I still use the same technique to this day.

I carry my meter hung at my side so it is readily available. When I detect that the light may be changing, I grab a quick meter reading and tweak the camera - before a situation for a shot happens. Thus, the camera is virtually always dialed in to the local lighting while I am on the job.

After a while, an experienced photographer can visually recognize a need to tweak the exposure setting because the light dimmed or got brighter. Thus, an adjustment to the camera can be made without even referring to the meter if time won't permit use of the meter. However, in the next lull, he/she would probably verify the setting with a quick meter reading.

By the way, my use of a meter is with it in incident mode 99.9% of the time. Thus I could care less about the color or reflectivity of most subjects. The exposure does not have to be tweaked for changing subject conditions.
For your information I used a fully manual camera for over 30 years so your division for you and we oldtimers probably is not exactly correct. But that is not the point. I in no way measure the quality of my work in the number of years or the number of weddings I worked at. I do not take the photos professionally anymore so call me an amateur :-)
Do I want those times to return ? Sure I do !!! girls loved me :-) But I would take the digital with me.
I cannot agree more with Picturecrazy: The lighting is correct at the time when you measure it. The subject turned the head towards the sun and all your mesurements taken 2 seconds ago are off. If somebody denies that he needs to go over basics again. I do it all the time by the way.
So if you missed to measure that turn of your subject will you miss the shot ? Of course not and your experience with old camera proves that. As I said before the value of a protograph is only marginally affected by the exposure. But would you get any advantage by using a lightmeter. ? Hardly.

[René Damkot]

But to have good shot-to-shot consistency where the reflectivity of the frame subject would otherwise vary the exposure. Incident meter provides the right exposure for the light which is falling on the scene.

Not to argue, but I'd expect a pro to be able to use a spot meter.
And that can work as fast and accurate. And would be faster if light's changing (if you'd have to walk over to the subject to meter incident light) ;)

I use both my Sekonic and the camera's meter for ambient light measurements. Depending on circumstances.

[Rudi]

I use both my Sekonic and the camera's meter for ambient light measurements. Depending on circumstances.

Agreed! That is why generalizations, such as: "the in-camera meter is faster, just as accurate, and more convenient" are not always true. And that is why my Sekonic comes with me on every job, whether flash is used or not. :)

[ootsk]

I think a lot of things changed since the "old days." My parents have a wonderful album from over 50 years ago...and all 12 pictures are well lit and properly exposed. In this day and age though, getting those "candid" moments are more important than ever to keep brides and grooms happy. I'm not an expert by any means, but I've shot about 20 weddings last year, and 15 the year before. I've used a meter to get the "perfect" reading while doing the formal, structured poses. (A colored woman in a white dress, marrying a caucasion man in Navy blues...my camera wanted to hit me!) For most other shots I use AV. I can turn 180 degrees and get the shot of the little girl eating the strawberry when 5 seconds before I was shooting the best man doing a shot of tequila. Or was it rum? You get the picture.