Light Meter vs Camera Meter

[Top-Cat]

Can someone please settle a difference of opinion that my friend and I have over taking an exposure reading with a light meter or using the cameras built in meter.

We are going to a show jumping event tomorrow and are going to take some photos. My friend is a great user of the light meter and is going to take a meter reading of the jumps with the sun behind him, then set the camera to manual using these readings and when the horse and rider arrive at the jump, take the picture with the camera set to manual.
If he takes a meter reading of the jump without the horse and rider and then takes the photo using these readings, when the horse and rider are in the shot, will his exposure be incorrect.
I suggested he would be better off setting the camera to TV and set the camera metering to either evaluated or partial and let the camera sort out the exposure.
On this we disagree.
Can some one tell me which of us is right as there is a nice cool pint of beer riding on this.

P.S
He will be using a 300D set to ISO400 with a Canon 70-200mm f4 L lens


Top-Cat


__________________

www.rosswilliamsphotos.com

Eos 10D With Grip
16-35mm f2.8L
24-70mm f2.8L
70-200 f2.8L
100-400mm IS f4.5-5.6L
100mm Macro
550EX Speedlight + Manfrotto Tripod + Manfrotto Monopod

[Vegas Poboy]

My opinion is you both can be correct, It all depends on each situation. When I'm shooting some events I want some creativity I'll set the camera on AV mode f/2.8 or f/4 and go from there. Other events I want to make sure I stop the action I'll go on TV mode. Then there is times I go full manual due to bad lighting or I can achieve everything I want. I also use fixed focusing instead of the shutter. Lighting is the biggest key to the settings. The light meter can help you make both settings but it all depends on what you really want to capture or your location you have to shoot from. Remember camera meter is a spot meter where you're exposing for a certain spot or spots. Light meter is overall light value.

Not sure if this helps you but overall if it was me I most likely would use the light meter & set it for shutter speed to capture the horses action maybe 1/250 to 1/500 of a second ISO no higher than 400 to start.

[scottbergerphoto]

Is your friend using an incident or reflected meter? Which one is used makes a difference in how the reading is interpreted. In even lighting, a handheld incident meter should do a fine job for just about anything you take a picture of in that lighting. In uneven lighting with shady areas and sunny areas, an incident meter is trickier as you need to be more careful in what area you meter. Your camera meter and a handheld spot meter are reflected meters. Their readings must be adjusted for the tone of the subject. Dark subjects need to be underexposed and light objects overexposed relative to a reflected meter reading.
If you friend is taking an incident meter reading of the light that the jumper will be in at the jump, his readings will work fine. In fact if the jump fills the frame of the viewfinder of your camera and it is dark colored, the camera meter may over expose it. You would be well served by taking a camera meter reading (partial) of a subject that is similiarly toned to the jumpers in the same lighting and use that reading in M mode. You can accomplish good readings with both kinds of meters as long as you are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of each type of meter and how best to use them.
I suggest: The Confused Photographer's Guide to Photographic Exposure and the Simplified Zone System by Farzad. It's at Amazon.com
Regards,
Scott

[Top-Cat]

Thanks for you comments everyone.

We went to the event today and we took over six hundred shots. My friend used his light meter and I set my camera to TV, ISO400, using partial metering. It was a fine sunny day and I was shooting around 1000 at f8-f11.
My friend used his light meter with an ISO of 400 and was getting a similar reading,
and to be honest I could not see that much difference in the quality of the shots.

Darn it, I was looking forward to that cool pint of beer.

Thanks Chaps



Top-Cat


__________________

www.rosswilliamsphotos.com

Eos 10D With Grip
16-35mm f2.8L
24-70mm f2.8L
70-200 f2.8L
100-400mm IS f4.5-5.6L
100mm Macro
550EX Speedlight + Manfrotto Tripod + Manfrotto Monopod