Light meter help???

[jonesy]

Hello

I was wondering if someone can please help me...

I'm searching for a cheap light meter and keep coming across these LUX ones.
I found this one:
link

and i feel a bit sstupid here, but it seems these are not for photography use?
So my questions are:
is this something i can use and what kind of reading does it give? a normal one like the sekonic digital ones? or something else?
Thanks
Jonesy

 

[joxby]

That meter just measures light levels and gives a reading measured in Lux, it won't transpose or calculate that information in to camera settings.

A photographic lightmeter will measure light levels and indicate a best exposure under those conditions using aperture, iso and shutter speed.

 

[Lensflare]

Why do you need a lightmeter?

If you are working with studio lights, then I can understand it. Otherwise, why can you not use your camera meter? Spot metering in camera is very, very accurate.

There must be a reason.....so what is it?

 

[jonesy]

I have a few different cameras, in my pentax there is a light meter but i have a diana and an old camera i found at a car boot sale, those two don't have light meters. And i wouldn't be shooting in the studio.

Thanks for the replies

Anyone know where i can get a light meter from for like under £50?
Thanks

 

[joxby]

You should be able to get a cheap Western selenium lightmeter from ebay for a few quid


I should add, I'm not laughing at you, lensflare made me spit coffee all over the keyboard...

 

[jonesy]

Thanks

 

[pxl8]

Why do you need a lightmeter?

[snip]Spot metering in camera is very, very accurate.

There must be a reason.....so what is it?

Because the camera's meter will very very accurately measure whatever you point it at and assumes it's 18% - it's usually not.