 - Jyan L. Crayton Contact Jyan L. Crayton Jyan L. Crayton's Gallery |
Light Meters What is the best meter to buy? I'm using strobes and sometimes do outside shooting. hat's a good name brand? Is the ambient/flash the same as incident/flash meter? I'm looking for a ood meter that will register from my strobes to give me a good f stop/ speed reading. Thanks
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John A. Lind |
Jyan, Basic light meter functions are a combination of two characteristics; they all have at least one combination of (a) and (b): (a) Ambient or Flash (b) Reflected or Incident "Ambient" measures the continuous lighting from daylight or manmade lighting. "Flash" measures the output of a flash or strobe. "Reflected" measures the light reflected by the subject (it's what the metering in your camera measures). "Incident" measures the light illuminating the subject (measured at the subject and aimed at the camera). For use with your strobes, you want a "flash" meter. It may also be able to measure ambient; many flash meters have a switch that allows either. Most "flash" meters can be used to make reflected or incident flash readings. For a reflected reading you would use it at the camera position, aim it at the subject and trigger the flash. For an incident reading you would use it at the subject position, aim it at the camera position and trigger the flash. Incident readings generally give more accurate exposures as the measurement isn't affected by how light or dark the subject is. However, if the strobes are being used to backlight the subject from behind the subject, it's not possible to make an incident reading (since the light source is completely behind you when aimed at the camera) and a reflected reading should be used. There are a number of flash meter models available used. Major brand names are Sekonic, Minolta and Gossen. I use an older Gossen Luna Pro F (the "F" model is a flash meter) and it can do ambient or flash, and do either one of those reflected or incident. There are Sekonic and Minolta models that can do all of this, and others that are only flash meters (cannot do ambient readings). Nearly all, even if they're only a flash meter, can make reflected or incident flash readings. -- John Lind
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- Jyan L. Crayton Contact Jyan L. Crayton Jyan L. Crayton's Gallery |
Thank You soooo! much. This really helps. I once used a polaris light meter shooting digital in a studio. Are polaris flash meters any good?
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Andrew Laverghetta |
I recently asked a question on this and the meter I asked about was the Sekonic L-308S Flashmate. I remember it was one of the more active members who's responses I really value so I trust it. he told me that it would be a good choice for me as it can do all the things that you suggested as well. The price attracted me as well, being under $200. Did you like using the Polaris light meter? Did it give good results? If so, then it's good! Also, I was attracted to this light meter by Sekonic because I had seen some of their ads in bigger photo magazines. I have also heard that Minolta is great as well. I think Gossen has other things that they are good at making as well, so I would trust them if you run into one somehow.
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John A. Lind |
Jyan, Polaris also goes by the "Shepherd" name. I've never handled one so I cannot comment about their construction (durability). I've seen the pictures and specifications though for the SPD100 digital display meter. My remarks will be more about its features. "Street" price for a new one is less than that of the brands I mentioned. It has all modes . . . reflected and incident for both ambient and flash readings. The range of lighting level it can measure is fairly wide . . . a couple stops more than my older Gossen Luna Pro F ("match needle" style) which has been more than I've needed except under extremely dark ambient conditions. The shutter speeds it can display for ambient readings doesn't cover extremely long exposures; up to 60 seconds. The Gossen dial goes up to 8 hours; not that I'd ever need much more than a few minutes (which I have done a few times with night starlit landscapes). The Polaris also has a PC socket on it that allows triggering the lights from a button on the meter . . . useful if you're using a PC cord to trigger the lights . . . otherwise it's an "extra" that wouldn't be used with slave triggering. I use radio slaves and trigger mine using the "test" button on a radio slave transmitter when metering the lighting. I'm partial to meters with meter needles. The upside with the models that shut themselves off to conserve power (like my Gossen) is the calculator dial remains on the last reading made. For ambient work the dial shows all combinations of shutter and aperture without having to flip through them using a button. Don't know if the Polaris SPD100 has an auto shut-off or a "recall" of the last reading made (some digital readouts do and some do not). There are upsides and downsides to both styles; it's a matter of what you prefer. I've used needle meters for more years than I care to mention here . . . it's what I'm accustomed to using. In the history of photographic light meters, Weston (the instrument company, not the photographer) pioneered them . . . no longer in the light meter business . . . the originals used selenium cells and they were only made for ambient measurements. Gossen is a German company that displaced Weston in the pro marketplace. They're noted for accurate, robust light meters with huge range that just will not quit working . . . the reason for all the Luna Pro, Luna Pro SBC and Luna Pro F meters on the used market. I have one of Gossen's original flash meters as a backup to the Luna Pro F. It's flash only and is still accurate after decades, but its working range isn't as useful as the Luna Pro F . . . its narrower range was designed for the much higher flash power levels that were used with some of the very slow films of its era (ISO 25 to 64). Sekonic and Minolta came along not that long after and IMO those are the Big Three makers of pro grade light meters. Some day I will likely pick up a Luna Pro SBC (ambient only) as I could occasionally use one that can measure very low light . . . and leave the Luna Pro F with the studio lighting equipment. I would rate the Polaris (aka Shepherd) SPD100 as a "value" or "budget" digital readout meter that has all the basics one needs for ambient and flash. -- John Lind
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