ND Grads and Exposure Meter

Sorry if this is in the wrong place but I am not sure where else to put it.I have just bought a set of ND Grads and am trying to work out the optimum method of metering. I have read most of the threads and tutorials and just wonder if using an exposure meter to read off the sky and the foreground makes life a bit easier than using the cameras meter.I invariably use a tripod for landscapes and it would seem ( I think) that the optimum way of working would be
Frame the shot
Meter sky
Meter foreground
Add the required filter based on the readings
Stop down lens to position the filter using DOF preview
Set lens to desired aperture for the photo
Take photo-using exposure bracketing.
Or have I got it totally wrong.
Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

This link may be of help: http://books.google.co​m …RMJrsFwv84&hl=e​n#PPA59,M1

troutfisher wrote in post #5361038
Sorry if this is in the wrong place but I am not sure where else to put it.I have just bought a set of ND Grads and am trying to work out the optimum method of metering. I have read most of the threads and tutorials and just wonder if using an exposure meter to read off the sky and the foreground makes life a bit easier than using the cameras meter.I invariably use a tripod for landscapes and it would seem ( I think) that the optimum way of working would be
Frame the shot
Meter sky
Meter foreground
Add the required filter based on the readings
Stop down lens to position the filter using DOF preview
Set lens to desired aperture for the photo
Take photo-using exposure bracketing.
Or have I got it totally wrong.
Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

That about sums it up...not much more to add. That's the process...

BTW...after you meter the sky and foregound, you may want to choose a GND that's one stop less than what you metered, the reason being that the sky is always brighter than the foreground and this would make the sky brighter. If you choose the GND based on the exact meter readings, the foreground and sky will be the same light and may not look natural.

The way I do it:

Set meter to evaluative.
Meter the sky.
Meter the ground.
Calc: How many stops is the sky brighter than the ground (it's never going to be darker - unless it's night time) - 1, 2, 3, 4?
Is the horizon clean (no major objects sticking up)?
Yes: Choose the appropriate Hard GND the same stop as the Calc step. Stack if I have to.
No: Choose the appropriate Soft GND the same stop + 1 as the Calc step. Stack if I have to.

Thanks for everyones help, it seems I am on the right lines but do you guys use the cameras meter or separate exposure meter?. I dont have one but I wonder if buying one would make the process easier as you would not have to move the camera after framing the shot.

I use the camera's metering and have the camera on Manual. Take a shot of the foreground only, first. Check the histogram, then adjust the shutter speed and test shot until the histogram is to the middle-right and no highlights have blown. I then leave it just like that, put it on the tripod, frame it and put the GND in place.

rammy wrote in post #5366153
I use the camera's metering and have the camera on Manual. Take a shot of the foreground only, first. Check the histogram, then adjust the shutter speed and test shot until the histogram is to the middle-right and no highlights have blown. I then leave it just like that, put it on the tripod, frame it and put the GND in place.

I've seen some people using a light meter that has a built-in 1-degree spot meter, but I pretty much rely on the in-camera meter as well.

Many thanks for the replies

Regards