A query about Light Meters

[russell_brown1]

I'm finding that my camera (EOS Elan 7E) tends to be pretty accurate

when metering, yet I find that sometimes I get an incorrect exposure

with several of my lenses. I've been told that using a seperate

light meter is a good idea, so I was wondering if any of you know of

any good ones that are of good quality, and relatively inexpensive

as well....I just don't want to blow some money for one and get a

crappy meter in return. Any responses would be helpful. Take care.

[rob_murray]

If your not getting the correct exposure using the lenses and

meter in your camera using a external meter is not gonna help

you...That meter in the camera is extremely good but the user

has to know when to override what it says...when to use the

different type metering your camera is capable of will help

you get the best exposure.Your manual should explain at least

the basics of Center weighted metering, Evaluative metering

and spot metering...Also a good external meter may cost you as

much as your camera did.

[zave_shapiro]

I have the Sekonic 308BII and I'm pleased with it. I believe that using the results from the incident light meter and the reflective metering in your camera gives you a little more knowledge. Is there really a "right" exposure? All settings are a compromise and I think having the incident metering is a useful addition. Some of the better meters also give readings that are really useful when trying to balance fill flash to ambient light. That said, the 7E should give mostly correct readings and I'm surprised you feel the lens is causing incorrect numbers. Perhaps someone else can shed light on it . . . I've never had that kind of problem with an A2.

[david_henderson]

Personally I use a hand-held spot meter all the time and find it

helps me to control exposure well.

 

But, if I had a camera with a modern versatile integral meter that

is accurate I would probably never have bothered with it, and I

think the first poster got it pretty much right. So a few thoughts for

you before you rush off and spend a load of money on a tool

which itself has a learning curve and may well make your results

worse before they get better.

 

First, I don't care what sort of meter you've got, it doesn't affect the

ability of whatever film you're using to handle brightness range.

It is quite likely that part of your problem is that the contrast of the

scene just exceeds the ability of the film to record it or the ability

of the paper to hold it on a print. You control this by choice of

composition and film, or by using nd grad filters to selectively

darken areas of your picture.

 

Second, the algorithms used to calculate exposure on modern

slr's are vastly better than they were years ago. But they aren't

perfect and indeed that's why most of them offer different types

(patterns) of metering. From time to time you will come across

something for which matrix (or whatever) isn't the right solution

and either use a different pattern or worse, your head. It is

entirely possible to learn to recognise the sort of scene that your

metering gets wrong and adjust for it.

 

Third, if you're using print film , do not assume that your

processor is doing a perfect job. I'd guess that there's as much

apparent exposure problem caused by printer error as there is

by camera user error. My wife's prints taken on a decent P&S

are often poor despite using a Frontier lab. Then she by mistake

used a slide film - ostensibly more difficult to expose. Result- 36

competent trannys (though she'll never look at them again).

 

Finally, are you sure your meter and lenses are accurate? Are

most of your shots ok? Have you tried taking slides of a clear

blue sky with each lens fitted to make sure it looks broadly OK

with each of them? In theory all the images should be the same.

If there's a big difference there's a problem with one or more

lenses. If none of the exposures look right there's a problem

with the meter.