Lightmeter


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yanyewkay

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Sep 22, 2004
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Cons digger.
Hello everyone,
I've been reading qutie a few posts about lightmeters of late.

I would like to know how different is it from the in built light metering in the camera? and how to use and choose one?

Why do some photogs say it's a must have?
 

yanyewkay said:
Hello everyone,
I've been reading qutie a few posts about lightmeters of late.

I would like to know how different is it from the in built light metering in the camera? and how to use and choose one?

Why do some photogs say it's a must have?

I will not go so far to say that it is a "MUST-HAVE!" Excellent work have been produced without the use of a separate handheld meter, and even without meters at all! But these photographers have nonetheless mastered the reading and use of light in their own different ways.

Having said that, for most of us folks, the use of handheld meters herald an understanding of light that your camera meter cannot teach you.

It would require an essay to explain this. But perhaps you could get a book on lighting from Riceball bookshop and get yourelf acquainted with the use of a lightmeter.
 

student said:
I will not go so far to say that it is a "MUST-HAVE!" Excellent work have been produced without the use of a separate handheld meter, and even without meters at all! But these photographers have nonetheless mastered the reading and use of light in their own different ways.

Having said that, for most of us folks, the use of handheld meters herald an understanding of light that your camera meter cannot teach you.

It would require an essay to explain this. But perhaps you could get a book on lighting from Riceball bookshop and get yourelf acquainted with the use of a lightmeter.

sorry.. but where's riceball bookshop?
 

yanyewkay said:
sorry.. but where's riceball bookshop?

Adelphi, 4th level.

I have no business dealings with them. The owner, Zhong Ling, will try his best to help you in your photography journey with appropriate reading/study materials.
 

eng_keow said:
Has it got to do with spot metering in our cameras and ambient metering with the meter?

I don't know how to put it succintly. But let me try.

1 The spotmeter in the camera is but a poor cousin of the 1 degree spotmeter in meters like the Sekonic 608.

2 To my knowledge, the most commonly used metering system in the camera is the matrix/evaluative/average/centre weighted metering. Many "low-end" cameras do not have spotmeters at all!

To my knowledge, the only cameras that has only a spot meter is the leica rangefinder and perhaps the older leica SLRs. The spotmeter can best be described as a big "spot". There may be other cameras that have such a spotmeter only. But my knowledge is limited here.

3 Ambient metering is metering the ambient light, and you can use a camera meter for this. The accuracy depends on the contrast levels in the image and your knowledge of light and how to use the camera's meter.

But ambient metering can be measured in another way by using an incident meter, which have to be a separate hand-held meter.
 

student said:
I don't know how to put it succintly. But let me try.

1 The spotmeter in the camera is but a poor cousin of the 1 degree spotmeter in meters like the Sekonic 608.

2 To my knowledge, the most commonly used metering system in the camera is the matrix/evaluative/average/centre weighted metering. Many "low-end" cameras do not have spotmeters at all!

To my knowledge, the only cameras that has only a spot meter is the leica rangefinder and perhaps the older leica SLRs. The spotmeter can best be described as a big "spot". There may be other cameras that have such a spotmeter only. But my knowledge is limited here.

3 Ambient metering is metering the ambient light, and you can use a camera meter for this. The accuracy depends on the contrast levels in the image and your knowledge of light and how to use the camera's meter.

But ambient metering can be measured in another way by using an incident meter, which have to be a separate hand-held meter.

mm.. think i need to read up some books to know more. are the books at riceball expensive?

PS: the 20D doesn't have spot metering mode :bsmilie:
 

basically its the level of accuracy of metering between the metering systems that are in built and the hand held ones...
 

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