Light meters

I use my histogram all the time but am thinking about getting an actual light meter. I shoot as a hobby mainly wildlife but also have been doing more and more senior and family pics. Will I see huge improvement using a light meter verses the camera histogram. I want to spend wisely.

No. Unless you do flash and want a flashmeter. If you know how to use your histogram properly you really don't need a lightmeter.

Your camera has a pretty good light meter built in.

No...they work the same. Light meters are useful if you are shooting film with film cameras without a light meter. Two, for off camera flash photography. In that case, you need a flash light meter. Of course, even then, you can always take sample shots to evaluate the light and shadows quality.

Bassat wrote in post #17748466
Your camera has a pretty good light meter built in.

There are two things that cannot be done with the camera's built-in light meter (at least cannot be done easily). One is incident readings. The other is reading light levels from flash sources.

SkipD wrote in post #17748469
There are two things that cannot be done with the camera's built-in light meter (at least cannot be done easily). One is incident readings. The other is reading light levels from flash sources.

True. But I have never in my life shot incident light. I shoot the light hitting the sensor, which the camera meters extremely well. Some photographic knowledge is required to make best use of the camera's meter, especially in tricky settings, but it actually is very good.

True again, about flash metering. But, flash is only used in two situations: static, or dynamic. In a static situation I can shoot and look at the results a lot faster than I can test and adjust flash output. That is what FEC is for. In a dynamic situation the meter is pointless. The light and subject is constantly changing. ETTL-II is pretty good at handling dynamic situations. A meter, not at all.

Just because the meter can do two things the camera cannot does not mean you will ever need to do either of those things.

I have read that an incident reading is much better than reflective when it comes to portrait shots and the cameras are reading in reflective correct?

I do shoot with off camera flash also

TooManyShots wrote in post #17748468
No...they work the same. Light meters are useful if you are shooting film with film cameras without a light meter. Two, for off camera flash photography. In that case, you need a flash light meter. Of course, even then, you can always take sample shots to evaluate the light and shadows quality.

I use off-camera flash on a regular basis. I have never used a light meter for flash. I think I must be misunderstanding you. I can set up 3 or 4 OC units, and control them with 70D, YN-622TX, or 580EX II. Isn't that OC flash? I don't use a meter for that.

jlstan wrote in post #17748483
I have read that an incident reading is much better than reflective when it comes to portrait shots and the cameras are reading in reflective correct?

Incident lighting is just another word for ambient lighting. Your camera meter can only meter reflective lighting. Light emitted and reflected by your subjects and the surrounding. Generally, metering in matrix mode would balance the light exposures pretty well.

I shoot a manual flash off camera and use my histogram in camera to set my flash power based on what I see on my histogram and am wondering if a flash meter would be a better option

jlstan wrote in post #17748493
I shoot a manual flash off camera and use my histogram in camera to set my flash power based on what I see on my histogram and am wondering if a flash meter would be a better option

I use histograms for non-flash exposure. Have never tried that with flash. I usually just look at the rear LCD. Histo with flash has never occurred to me.

jlstan wrote in post #17748493
I shoot a manual flash off camera and use my histogram in camera to set my flash power based on what I see on my histogram and am wondering if a flash meter would be a better option

A flash meter can give you more actual f stops to use to get the right flash power. Something you can do taking few test shots and something you can learn by experiences. It is not needed in general. I don't use it.

I find about 1/8 power gets me in the ballpark. I have yet to try multiple flashes and am still learning about ratios and thought a light meter would also help with that

TooManyShots wrote in post #17748498
A flash meter can give you more actual f stops to use to get the right flash power. Something you can do taking few test shots and something you can learn by experiences. It is not needed in general. I don't use it.

Learning Guide Number calculations is pretty easy. Doing them is faster than pulling out a light meter. The hard part is accurately estimating distance. I stink at that past about 6 or 8 feet.