Do I need a light meter for Exterior Architectural Photos

12 years 11 months ago #77571 by YUP Design
Do I need a light meter for shooting good exterior architectural photos?

Is a light meter advantageous? If so, what kind would you recommend? I know nothing about them. Does it take a lot of time to learn to use one properly?


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12 years 11 months ago #77573 by D Thompson
From my understanding, cameras have light meters in them, so you shouldn't need one.


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12 years 11 months ago #77575 by MLKstudios
Your camera has a light meter built in. So, no you don't need a handheld one.

Their advantage is for flash (no camera's exposure meter can take a flash reading), the Zone System (with a spot attachment) and reading incident light without requiring any exposure compensation.

A very simple tool to use. Set the ISO and push a button.

Matthew :)

Matthew L Kees
MLK Studios Photography School
www.MLKstudios.com
[email protected]
"Every artist, was once an amateur"

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12 years 11 months ago - 12 years 11 months ago #77673 by Henry Peach

MLKstudios wrote: no camera's exposure meter can take a flash reading


It won't tell you the EV, but you can use the FE Lock feature on Canon DSLRs (and later FSLRs) much like a flash meter. Aim the center point at the tone you want middle gray, hit the FE button, and the speedlight fires a low power flash, and sets flash power to get middle gray. Then recompose as desired. Consult camera/flash manual to see how long FE lock remains set. For my DSLRs and speedlights it's about 15 sec.


As far as I'm concerned the histogram gives me more useful information on exposure in a single test shot than several minutes of fooling with a meter. I still carry my old Sekonic 508 meter in my lighting bag, but I never use it. It can do variable spot, incident, and flash, and served me well for many years. I still carry it in case I need to set up lighting, and I can't find someone to stand in the test shot. I can't remember the last time that happened.
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12 years 11 months ago #77713 by Scotty

Henry Peach wrote:

MLKstudios wrote: no camera's exposure meter can take a flash reading


It won't tell you the EV, but you can use the FE Lock feature on Canon DSLRs (and later FSLRs) much like a flash meter. Aim the center point at the tone you want middle gray, hit the FE button, and the speedlight fires a low power flash, and sets flash power to get middle gray. Then recompose as desired. Consult camera/flash manual to see how long FE lock remains set. For my DSLRs and speedlights it's about 15 sec.


As far as I'm concerned the histogram gives me more useful information on exposure in a single test shot than several minutes of fooling with a meter. I still carry my old Sekonic 508 meter in my lighting bag, but I never use it. It can do variable spot, incident, and flash, and served me well for many years. I still carry it in case I need to set up lighting, and I can't find someone to stand in the test shot. I can't remember the last time that happened.


They handle multi-strobe setups when you're working with ratios, which your cam doesnt really do.

When the last candle has been blown out
and the last glass of champagne has been drunk
All that you are left with are the memories and the images-David Cooke.

Photo Comments
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12 years 11 months ago #78005 by KCook
Maybe not a meter. But if the building is all white, which is fairly common, a grey card can be useful. Just take a spot reading with the camera of the card. Which is a start, you may need a further EV tweak to keep from blowing out highlights, etc.

Kelly Cook

Canon 50D, Olympus PL2
kellycook.zenfolio.com/

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