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Light Metering

stub
Posted 02/06/2012 - 10:27 Link
Hi All.

It was suggested to me this week that a good addition to my kit, would be a seperate light meter. As a novice, I have no experience of these. Only using the camera metering system. The question I have is, do any members here think they are a good idea? How many use one on a regular basis ? Do you have any recomendations as to brand. What kind of attributes, do I need to look for, If and when I ever decide to purchase one...
K-1Gripped K-1 ungripped K-5ii K7 Various lenses

Stuart..
gartmore
Posted 02/06/2012 - 11:20 Link
Hand held meters work in two ways; one, by taking a reflected reading of the light refected by the scene in exactly the way your camera does. Or, two, by taking an incident reading of the light falling on the scene which is far more accurate in extreme situations such as a largely white or black scene.

Although I've been using separate meters for almost 40 years I have to say that the metering system in Pentax cameras is so good that in 95% of shots it does the job perfectly, with the experience to over ride it then it is 100% perfect.

Having said all that, if you do buy one I suggest you buy one with flash capability which will be very useful should you ever go down the multi-flash route.

Sekonic and Gossen are very good although I've always used Minolta ones, you could get a Minolta Auto Meter III for around £80 on ebay.
Ken
“We must avoid however, snapping away, shooting quickly and without thought, overloading ourselves with unnecessary images that clutter our memory and diminish the clarity of the whole.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson -
Algernon
Posted 02/06/2012 - 11:41 Link
I've used all kinds of meters over the years, but the one that
knocks spots off everything is the Gossen Sixtomat

Web_Page

Flyer_pdf (see link on page)

It's big advantages are:
All buttons are on the face, unlike some meters that have some
on the face and one or two on each side and are very fiddly
to use.

It's only 19mm thick + light and doesn't have any projecting
swivel cones etc. to get broken/falloff or scratched.

It works like a camera.... set aperture priority or shutter
priority and it gives you the other setting instantly.

Will average the readings.... especially useful for incident
readings just keep the button pressed in and move the meter
about.... the bottom scale shows the readings range measured.

Above all it's very fast to use.... even faster than
using the camera. Everybody should have one to weigh
up the possibilities of a shot before they start

Uses a bog standard AA battery.

About £60 to £70 SH (non-flash version) or £170 new.
Half Man... Half Pentax ... Half Cucumber

Pentax K-1 + K-5 and some other stuff

Algi
Edited by Algernon: 02/06/2012 - 12:08
Don
Posted 02/06/2012 - 14:33 Link
an affordable one is made by polaris.
I own one and have put many years on it.
I have tested it side by side with Sekonik's costing three times as much and it is accurate to within a tenth of a stop.
I use mine primarily for flash indoors and out, but if low light ambient is your main intent the Polaris does not perform as well as Sekonic in very low light.

and yes I use mine a lot.
Fired many shots. Didn't kill anything.
stub
Posted 02/06/2012 - 15:22 Link
Thanks guys..These are just the type of answers I am Looking for,,,
K-1Gripped K-1 ungripped K-5ii K7 Various lenses

Stuart..

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