How to spend my dollars: Light Meter or a New Flash?

[egilley]

OK, so I am using the Nikon Creative Lighting System with my D300. I have one SB800 and an SB600. For my

portraits, I am finding that I really need an extra light to add some "punch" to my photos. My problem is that I use

the SB600 as either a hairlight or a background light, but obviously I cannot use it for both purposes at the same

time. So I want to purchase a new flash, preferably another SB800 so that I always have a dedicated background

light and hairlight.

 

But I would also like to invest in a new light meter. I am looking at the Sekonic line. I have never used a light meter

before, but I hear it can help save time by not having to finneagle with the exposure settings as much. Also, I should

get better exposures if I learn how to use it properly. It is an item that I can use in studio and on-location.

 

So, the problem lies in the fact that I cannot purchase both of these items at this time. Which of these items seems

like it would have the most impact on my images? Which would you buy if you had to make a choice?

 

Thanks, everyone!

[BrettPrucha]

I don't understand how a light meter will help at all if you are using CLS. The meter will only be useful if you are using your lights in manual mode.

[nathan_stiles]

I'm w/ Brett, CLS uses iTTL, which negates the need for a light meter for exposure. Unless you are worried about lighting ratios, it's no real benefit

[Matt Laur]

Whoa there, everybody. You can still use the CLS system to trigger the remote flashes while ALSO having them in a

manual exposure/power mode. This allows Earline to avoid the need for other triggering mechanisms while still having

the precise control over the strobes as she sees fit. You can also put the SB-800s in simple SU-4 mode so that they

are dumb optical slaves, and set their power locally on the strobe for just the hair/key/background ratios you want.

Then, you can take that whole rig somewhere less fussy, and still have them all work in perfect iTTL automated

wonderfullness as needed.

<br><BR>

In a posed portrait situation, iTTL is not ideal. The exposure is going to vary based on what the camera's meter

thinks is going on (which can change when the subject moves their nose a bit, etc), and you'll have tones all over the

place. Using the CLS to explicitly tell the strobes how powerfully to flash, and setting exposure manually on the

camera... that's a nice feature of the system.

<BR><BR>

A flash meter like the <a href="http://www.laurphoto.com/prdr/sekonic_l358" target="_blank"><b>L358</b></a> can

hugely help with getting those ratios and overall exposure just so. Of course it's also a great help on ambient light

issues. It's made a big difference for me, whether using CLS or my other studio strobes.

[Matt Laur]

Of course, all of that being said... a third strobe and a bit of seat-of-the-pants power/exposure settings can go a long way if your budget only allows for a strobe OR a meter at the moment. There are plenty of ways to arrive at a viable exposure if you have a little time to work on it in advance. The meter really helps when you're dealing with a changing situation. But if you don't have enough light to get the job done, the meter's a little academic.

[egilley]

Thanks for the feedback. I do not use my strobes in iTTL. I manually set both of my strobes, and I do a lot of guesswork, playing with the settings until I get something that looks pleasing. I am to the point where I have a general idea of where my portrait lighting ratios should be, but as the situation changes (people move , different poses, change in backdrop, etc) I still have to fiddle around quite a bit. I guess that once the lighting becomes second nature, I will become much more comfortable. It sounds to me like another strobe is the way to go, then I can focus on the light meter later on for fine tuning. It's probably best to learn this stuff through real trial and error, anyways.

[cheryl_jacobs]

Earline, go for the light meter! There's really no point in making yourself guess at exposure. A light meter can be your best

friend, and I'd highly recommend mastering your exposure with it before adding another light.

 

- CJ

[GerrySiegel]

I go with Matt on the meter. Just using one is an education in light control and exposure. And you can have a second reading to see how your camera is doing with the light combos. It allows for maximum control for us control freaks. And a decent meter will last a lifetime. The more you slow down I find, the better the result will be. This is a matter of opinion as in camera metering has gotten so reliable. A meter is still a useful investment. And I bet you will see results as Matt suggests. He knows.

[dave_benjamin]

Hi ! I m in the same position but going for a 2nd strobe so the meter ll have to wait ?

[hersonrivera]

Get the flash. If you're shooting digital you can always look at your LCD / Histogram and make sure you know what settings you're using. After a while you will know what to do and will only require a few minutes to get the correct exposure.

[ajpn]

I'm sure it's too late, but I suggest getting the light meter.

 

You probably have a ton of light sources lying around you can work with such as a reflector, a white board, a

mirror . . .