Using a light meter on the job

I went to an outdoor pool today with a photographer who does head shots and team pics for the swim team. He worked his rear-end off getting all those kids posed and photographed. It looked difficult, but also like something I'd like to learn to do. I am in desperate need of learning how to use a light meter, however. It is second nature to him and they always use one. He can basically read it and know if he needs to over or under expose depending on the given situation. Would you guys suggest I invest in one? I'm not wild about learning on someone else's gear - let alone while on the job. I'm assuming he used the incident reading by pointing the domb thingy toward the camera from in front of the subject. So he entered the ISO at 100, then it provided the shutter and appropriate aperture settings? Is that basically how they work? And, if so, would experience come with practice with your own camera as I'm assuming meters would have varying results on different cameras? God, I feel so lame for asking this.

Light meter is a must to me. You dont need a top of the line one. Just make sure it does ambient and flash. Get the best you can afford. It will save buying another one for longer.

Can you suggest a good one that has what I need without too many bells and whistles?

A light meter, to me, is a "nice to have". Camera meters combined with the histogram to check do the same thing, and on the odd occasion I use a light meter for ambient metering I usually have to tweak what the light meter tells me anyway. I guess I use my light meter for ambient light at about 5% of weddings.

Now if you're using flash, or combining ambient light with flash, that's an entirely different matter. In that case a light meter will considerably speed up your work.

If you get one the Sekonic L358 is what I use, and it's widely recommended on the lighting forum.

Well, he was using flash for fill and a diffuser panel so the sunlight wasn't so harsh.

I guess it's just an old habit, it gets you close to the proper exposure, then tweak it using the histogram. I do that sometimes.

Thanks. What about this one?

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …lashmate_Light_​Meter.html

Sure, just less features I think. I don't use any of the fancy features anyway.

I have an L-558 and I hardly ever use the thing...it mostly just sits.

I will use it on occasion with my strobes since it's got the transmitter that can fire off pocket wizards, which is a big help.

But mostly these days I don't need it. I got it years ago and it helped at first, but over the years I just learned how to use my camera's meter and the histogram.

I like to use my L358 for making sure my light ratios are spot on when in the studio, but when I'm using my normans and quantums on location, I just know the right amount of power to dial in and chimp from there on. It's a pretty nice tool to have for available light though!

I agree. Mine has been gathering dust since I went digital.
For me, this works as well , can't get lost, & doesn't require batteries: Need an exposure crutch?

here is a trick. Find the right exposure for a given scene using a grey card or someone elses light meter. Put your camera in manual mode and enter the correct aperture, shutter speed and ISO that the meter or grey card gave you. Then put the palm of your had in the same spot where you metered the grey card or used the incident meter and fill the frame with your hand. Check your exposure meter in the bottom of your viewfinder and note where the pin is.
Now anywhere you go you can just put your hand in front of the lens and adjust your exposure so that the needle on the bottom is in the same spot.
The palm of your hand doesent get lighter or darker too often so you wont need to recalibrate your hand if you get a tan

Ok, but what about an incident reading? Is that the same thing?

Incident metering measures the light that falls on a subject, reflective metering measures light reflected off an object. If you use a refelctive meter (in camera meter) on an 18% grey card you would get the same result as a incident meter placed where the grey card is and pointed at the camera.

I have a grey card. So you're telling me if I use the grey card in place of the light meter, I'd get the same reading? I believe they underexpose a bit to prevent overexposure.