I really enjoy the reliability of a hand-held light meter. I have several Nikons and several Leicas and I have never had full faith in any in-camera meter. I always use the separate hand held good quality light meters. I know many think this is unnecessary. Thanks for listening to me. RS. Canada
I felt this was important to talk about. You would be shocked to see these young so called pro photographer influencers who never used a light meter or even know what it does. I went to a so called pro lighting workshop and asked the photographer "How come you don't use a light meter?" He says you don't need one just look at the monitor and adjust from there. Huh? you don't even know the difference between incident light and reflective light? Where your color meter? They don't know.
I started out in 1968 using my father’s Weston IV incident / reflected. In 1971 when I was selected to a college off-campus learning experience on Kodachrome slides and I bought a LunaPro incident / reflected meter and a Honeywell-Pentax 1° spot meter. I wound up using the Luna Pro very little because I discovered with the spot meter I could measure the darkest detailed area in the shadows to precisely expose my B&W film for the shadows, measuring the range to the textured white to know in advance what grade of paper to print on based on scene range. With transparency film the opposite was the case. Like digital any overexposure blew out the highlight detail so I spot metered the highlight. Back when film was rated with the ASA standard it was based on an average 1/3 sky - 2/3 outdoor scene reflecting 18% of the incident light. So if you pointed a Weston or LunaPro at that type of scene in theory the indicated exposure would expose the shadows on negative film with detail. The more accurate way to meter was to point the meter at Kodak 18% gray card help in the incident light or hold the dome of an incident meter at the subject pointing at the camera so the highlight / shadows on the dome where the same percentages as on the 3D subject - why it is a dome not a flat disk. Newer Sekonic meters and other have a retractable dome. The dome is retracted and meter pointed at each light (not subject) when setting lighting ratios. In 1975 the film rating standard changed to ISO which has a calibration point of 12%, meaning you need to meter off a 12% card to get correctly exposed shadows. Digital camera metering is based on the center of the histogram being 12%, why if you fill the frame with an 18% card and auto meter the spike is not centered and photo exposures will be about 1/3 stop off.
Great info covering different light meters . I have the same little Sekonic Flatmate L-308. very well made and fits easily in your pocket :) thanks John and MR.Woo :)
First and foremost, wonderful video, guys. Second, although influencers like bragging about the latest and greatest, when it comes to high-end photography or professional cinema light meters, manual focus techniques reign supreme, since fast auto focusing toys don't mean much at the top end. LOL
Is there no end to your talents?! Great display and light meter display! You mentioned some meters also measure light quality. Color meters are very important or even essential to get accurate colors in especially outdoor photography dealing with color temp changes throught the day. The Gossen Sixtimter is a great,inexpensive way to get into it. Still available on line very inexpensively.
This maybe the problem I am having Autofocus because the metering could be off. That is why I go to manual focusing. But then I review the image it may be dark. Don't trust the LCD screen on the camera because there are some lousy ones that are attached. I dealt with the Z6III today and on the video camera exposure was correct but when I switched it to Photo it was dark. This User Error Fellow should of known to check this first and not find out afterward in Post. I had a little time with the two cameras but was impressed. Cheers!
The first handheld Light Meter I bought was the Sekonic L-448 Studio-Auto II, I did not like it and is was 1.5 EV off the correct metering, so I got a Weston Master V which was really good, except in very low Light, but Weston Master Light Meters are very fragile, even a slightly bump and the needle can jump off, so it has to be repaired, after two repairs I gave up. Then I got a Quantum Calcu Light Meter which is excellent, very precise, but get the later version, the first version could have problems with the buttons ! Later I got an even better Light Meter, the Gossen Variosix F2 which I still have an it works perfect though it is more than 30 years old ! I also have a 5 degree Spot meter to attach to the Gossen Variosix F2. I always used the Light Meters with incident metering.
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I really enjoy the reliability of a hand-held light meter. I have several Nikons and several Leicas and I have never had full faith in any in-camera meter. I always use the separate hand held good quality light meters. I know many think this is unnecessary. Thanks for listening to me.
RS. Canada
I felt this was important to talk about. You would be shocked to see these young so called pro photographer influencers who never used a light meter or even know what it does. I went to a so called pro lighting workshop and asked the photographer "How come you don't use a light meter?" He says you don't need one just look at the monitor and adjust from there. Huh? you don't even know the difference between incident light and reflective light? Where your color meter? They don't know.
Holy Cow! Mr Woo needs to have these videos in the Washington Historical Archives or in the Library for How it is done in the Old Days. Cheers!
I started out in 1968 using my father’s Weston IV incident / reflected. In 1971 when I was selected to a college off-campus learning experience on Kodachrome slides and I bought a LunaPro incident / reflected meter and a Honeywell-Pentax 1° spot meter.
I wound up using the Luna Pro very little because I discovered with the spot meter I could measure the darkest detailed area in the shadows to precisely expose my B&W film for the shadows, measuring the range to the textured white to know in advance what grade of paper to print on based on scene range. With transparency film the opposite was the case. Like digital any overexposure blew out the highlight detail so I spot metered the highlight.
Back when film was rated with the ASA standard it was based on an average 1/3 sky - 2/3 outdoor scene reflecting 18% of the incident light. So if you pointed a Weston or LunaPro at that type of scene in theory the indicated exposure would expose the shadows on negative film with detail.
The more accurate way to meter was to point the meter at Kodak 18% gray card help in the incident light or hold the dome of an incident meter at the subject pointing at the camera so the highlight / shadows on the dome where the same percentages as on the 3D subject - why it is a dome not a flat disk. Newer Sekonic meters and other have a retractable dome. The dome is retracted and meter pointed at each light (not subject) when setting lighting ratios.
In 1975 the film rating standard changed to ISO which has a calibration point of 12%, meaning you need to meter off a 12% card to get correctly exposed shadows. Digital camera metering is based on the center of the histogram being 12%, why if you fill the frame with an 18% card and auto meter the spike is not centered and photo exposures will be about 1/3 stop off.
Another wonderful no-nonsense presentation! Wonderful. 👏👏👏👏
Excellent video. Very educational.
RS. Canada
Started of with a Western Master V back in the 80's. Still use my Gossen Profisix from time to time even till today...🥰👍🏻
Bravo Mr. Woo ❤👍🏻😊
Great info covering different light meters . I have the same little Sekonic Flatmate L-308. very well made and fits easily in your pocket :) thanks John and MR.Woo :)
I used a lot of Sekonics. My favorite was my Spot V.
First and foremost, wonderful video, guys. Second, although influencers like bragging about the latest and greatest, when it comes to high-end photography or professional cinema light meters, manual focus techniques reign supreme, since fast auto focusing toys don't mean much at the top end. LOL
A hand held light meter is the best way to learn and fully understand exposure. It allows you to explore the light reacting with the subject.
You would be surprised how many young pro photographers have no idea how to use a light meter
Is there no end to your talents?!
Great display and light meter display!
You mentioned some meters also measure light quality. Color meters are very important or even essential to get accurate colors in especially outdoor photography dealing with color temp changes throught the day.
The Gossen Sixtimter is a great,inexpensive way to get into it. Still available on line very inexpensively.
This maybe the problem I am having Autofocus because the metering could be off. That is why I go to manual focusing. But then I review the image it may be dark. Don't trust the LCD screen on the camera because there are some lousy ones that are attached. I dealt with the Z6III today and on the video camera exposure was correct but when I switched it to Photo it was dark. This User Error Fellow should of known to check this first and not find out afterward in Post. I had a little time with the two cameras but was impressed. Cheers!
Light settings shouldn't effect the AF - although more light makes them work much better ..🦘
The first handheld Light Meter I bought was the Sekonic L-448 Studio-Auto II, I did not like it and is was 1.5 EV off the correct metering, so I got a Weston Master V which was really good, except in very low Light, but Weston Master Light Meters are very fragile, even a slightly bump and the needle can jump off, so it has to be repaired, after two repairs I gave up. Then I got a Quantum Calcu Light Meter which is excellent, very precise, but get the later version, the first version could have problems with the buttons ! Later I got an even better Light Meter, the Gossen Variosix F2 which I still have an it works perfect though it is more than 30 years old ! I also have a 5 degree Spot meter to attach to the Gossen Variosix F2. I always used the Light Meters with incident metering.
At 6:38 the Minolta Autometer I think is the same as the Kenko KFM-1100 Auto Digi Meter is an affordable Light Meter for US $250.
Drawing cameras from memory? Wow!!!