Light/Flash Meter

Can anyone recommend a good light/flash meter that is accurate and reliable?

Also, how strongly do you recommend using a separate light/flash meter rather the in camera meter?

Thanks! I'm trying to improve my exposure and I am researching whether a light/flash meter is a good investment for me.

A lot of people like the Sekonic L-358 .. I don't use mine all that much, but it comes in handy in certain lighting situations.

Accuracy and reliability really isn't an issue these days. The electronic meters on the market all measure light quite well. The differences are in features and versatility.

It's important to understand the difference between incident metering (putting the meter at the subject's position and aiming it toward the camera position) and reflected light metering (what the camera does). Incident metering is more accurate, but not always feasible. You don't always have the chance to get to where the subject is and take a reading before the shot.

However, the camera's meter is completely incapable of metering manual flash. So a hand-held meter is most useful when manual flash (such as studio strobes) is being used.

While a hand-held meter can be useful for ambient light situations as well, most photographers eventually learn to use their in-camera meters well enough to make a separate meter unnecessary.

For more information, a forum search for "flash meter" or "light meter" is sure to yield a wealth of knowledge and opinions.

+1 on Curtis' comment. if you're doing studio work, it is essential if you want good quality photographs..

i have 2 minolta meters (V and II) and they are great, but sekonic makes great meters too. if you want to be extremely particular, you can pic up a meter with a spot meter and go from there. though i think the in camera meters are pretty good, they're not as reliable as seperate meters..

An incident meter is nice to have.
For off camera flash it is close to essential. Will save you experimentation and help you to do more sophisticated setups accurately.

bigbaby987 wrote in post #5567139
if you're doing studio work, it is essential if you want good quality photographs..

So thats my problem. I rarely use my meter anymore these days

sfaust I just looked at your work and you don't have anything to worry about... but i'm sure you understand that using your meter can save you a lot of time and frustration..

great work by the way

when's the next workshop??? i'll sign up...

I use the little Gossen Gigiflash.


Jack

bigbaby987 wrote in post #5573078
sfaust I just looked at your work and you don't have anything to worry about... but i'm sure you understand that using your meter can save you a lot of time and frustration..

great work by the way

when's the next workshop??? i'll sign up...

I entered that tongue and cheek But actually, it doesn't save me any time or frustration. But for someone new to using strobes, I do agree. It's one of those things that they need to learn which will be helpful, but then there comes a time is no longer needed except for the more complex situations.

But once you are comfortable with strobes, and your histogram, you can dial in the light just as fast without a meter. About the only time I use one now is when trying to get a cyc wall lighted evenly, when dealing with ambient and strobe, or fine tuning a light setup of 5 or more lights. The rest gets dialed in very quickly on the LCD or computer monitor.

The next workshop BTW is in Newburyport, MA. I need to finalize the schedule with the facility, but I am looking for the middle of July. Its right on the ocean which is nice. I'm going to shoot for a weekend workshop, but could fall back to a one day workshop. I'll know more when I see whats available at the facility. If you want more info, or to be notified of the schedule, send an e-mail to workshops@stephenfaust​.com, and you'll get on the mailing list.

And thanks for the comments on my work!

Good point, unless you're one of those people who need to dazzle the client & appear more pRofeSShional? (Yeah, he spelled it wrong in his meter thread question)

My 1-cent flash "meter" in images 5S & 6S.
Simple 2 Light Portrait Set-up

PhotosGuy wrote in post #5574203
unless you're one of those people who need to dazzle the client & appear more pRofeSShional?

I don't think meters dazzle clients. I think they annoy them. No one enjoys having some pocket gizmo stuck in their face.

There are so many things to think about when shooting a portrait (or anything else), that I find using a meter gives me some peace of mind. I know I'll have the lighting ratio I want. I know my exposure will be bang-on, every time. I can show clients a quick preview on my laptop after the shoot, and I never have to say "Don't worry about the exposure. I can fix that."

Perhaps, as I gain more experience, my attitude will change. Maybe I'll gain more confidence in working without a meter. But for now, I won't leave home without it.