What would I gain by having a......

Bobsyeruncle

Bobsyeruncle

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Bob
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Studio flash meter?
For years I used 1 light and a reflector with a very basic flash meter. This was pre digital cameras.
Now I have several lights and modifiers etc, but no flash meter.
I tend to set things up, take a few shots, modify etc etc and bobsyeruncle ;)
What advantages would a flash meter give me?
I've now got an atom 180 and will be trying some outdoor shots etc as well using that.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks.
 
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There are many positions taken by many on the theme!
On the web, you will find as many positions as there are opinions givers!

I think you need one absolutely if you shoot with non TTL flash.

You may use one but do not need one if working in TTL flash, tethered
and as I do, the capability to control camera and light sources from the
MBP and iPad.
 
Got one, not sure why, used.........Never. Also never seen one on a shoot so far, most people who know there kit will fire a couple of shots, adjust and go from there, by the time you have the light meter out, they are done and have 10 shots in the bag.
 
Sell it. Like any tool, they equip jobs and people differently.
 
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If you are thinking of getting one, make sure it displays ambient / flash ratio, whether percentage (sekonic) or aperture (gossen). I prefer the gossen method. It's a metres most useful feature imho.
 
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If you shoot manual flash it is worth getting one but if you shoot using TTL, the pre flash confuse the meter.
 
sep9001 said:
If you shoot manual flash it is worth getting one but if you shoot using TTL, the pre flash confuse the meter.
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Absolutely. The OPs godox 180 isn't ttl though, but they have recently introduced a mkII 360 that is.
 
Thanks for all the replies folks.
I may look at picking up a used one, then if It turns out I never use it, I'll not lose much when I sell it on.
Any suggestions on what to look for?
Wouldn't want to spend more than say £50 for a used one.
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
Thanks for all the replies folks.
I may look at picking up a used one, then if It turns out I never use it, I'll not lose much when I sell it on.
Any suggestions on what to look for?
Wouldn't want to spend more than say £50 for a used one.
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A L-308S tends to be the model everyone uses but it'll be closer to £100, you might find the older 308B for less or you could get an analogue model which tends to only cost tuppence but is less convenient. You might find a Minolta around that price range or a Polaris mostly because of the brand rather than the equipment.
 
A Minolta Autometer IIIf.

Often come up at less than £30, it's a better but older meter than the very popular Sekonic L308, I know there's a few forum members who have bought them at bargain prices.
 
Phil V said:
A Minolta Autometer IIIf.

Often come up at less than £30, it's a better but older meter than the very popular Sekonic L308, I know there's a few forum members who have bought them at bargain prices.
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Cheers Phil
I'll keep an eye on eBay etc and see if I can find one :)
 
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Used one all the time when I was on manual Bronica 6x6 cameras, and 35mm film with strobes.

Since I had a histogram to work with I have sold mine. It had some use when I was trying to get ratios on multiple lights perfect but with experience I can do that on the histogram, and an assistant / willing step-in, stuffed toy prior to putting a client in position.

Not an essential tool by any means now - but worth having if you want to try one out, learn ratios. Autometer III is a good shout but like many things where digital has given an alternative you can pick up what was previously always expensive for a great price used on auction sites and used-stock websites.
 
I use a ringlight, background lights, fill light & hair light all varying powers... so I will throw my meter away and go from a histogram?

Somehow I don't think so..
 
Toxic said:
I use a ringlight, background lights, fill light & hair light all varying powers... so I will throw my meter away and go from a histogram?

Somehow I don't think so..
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I don't believe that I or anyone else was telling / advising YOU to throw YOUR meter away ....
 
It really depends on what you shoot.
If you want a low key with quick fall off keeping detail in the shadows one could come in handy.
 
Flash meters are useful as are incident light meters, but many of us with them do not use them very often
But I would not like to be without them.
They tend to be remarkably accurate and save a lot of trial and error.
unlike a histogram they show Balance as well as exposure.
 
Used correctly, they can provide very useful info, and exposure decisions are based on the info they provide. Sadly, many people don't use them correctly and also don't understand their limitations.

Having said that, I now use my meter less and less, although when very precise exposure is needed for still life shots, I always use my meter.

I don't really get the bit about working out ratios, but maybe that's because I light to create effect and impact, and don't see the point of lighting to a ratio
 
Garry Edwards said:
Used correctly, they can provide very useful info, and exposure decisions are based on the info they provide. Sadly, many people don't use them correctly and also don't understand their limitations.

Having said that, I now use my meter less and less, although when very precise exposure is needed for still life shots, I always use my meter.

I don't really get the bit about working out ratios, but maybe that's because I light to create effect and impact, and don't see the point of lighting to a ratio
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Ratios are more use with speedlights as they do not have modeling lights.
 
I can never seem to get on with modelling lights, the ambient always jiggers with it. Perhaps for shadow and position, but for actual ratio's I've never found them useful for anything other than warming up the studio :D

I find the meter very useful in initial setup when perhaps the camera / tether isn't set up yet. Once I'm shooting and reviewing on the laptop, it's less of an issue. If I achieve a certain "look" that I like a lot, though, I will take measurements and write them down in a notebook for later reconstruction.
 
Meters are very handy for setting up and balancing multiple lights etc, but for final exposure setting the histogram/blinkies is just more accurate and reliable. Marked apertures with some lenses, especially modern vari-aperture zooms, can be quite a long way out. And how do you accurately measure something like a back-lighting snoot with an incident reading? Meter towards the camera, meter to the light, meter half way between? (It's been a while since we last had that entertaining debate :D)

BTW, isn't 'ratios' just a turn of phrase? I mean, background -1.0 stop, accent light +1.5 and so on, those are basically ratios to the main key light but expressed differently. I can't be doing with all that A:B +C stuff with speedlights ;)
 
Denyerec said:
I can never seem to get on with modelling lights, the ambient always jiggers with it. Perhaps for shadow and position, but for actual ratio's I've never found them useful for anything other than warming up the studio :D

I find the meter very useful in initial setup when perhaps the camera / tether isn't set up yet. Once I'm shooting and reviewing on the laptop, it's less of an issue. If I achieve a certain "look" that I like a lot, though, I will take measurements and write them down in a notebook for later reconstruction.
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Any level of ambient light will always affect the depth of perceived shadow. If you want to see the depth of shadow, and to see almost exactly what you're going to get from the flash then you need to work in total darkness, so that the modelling lamps can do their job.

The purpose of the modelling lamps is to show you where the highlights and shadows will fall, not to show their intensity/depth, so you are right when you say that you can't work out lighting ratios by using the modelling lamps - that's where a flash meter comes into its own, for those people who want to either light to a ratio or to know what the ratio is.

And, because of the shortcomings of modelling lamps when ambient light is present, only bright modelling lamps are of much use. Personally I've never seen the point of proportional modelling lamps (other than to make flash heads look good on paper) because if the flash head is on low power with a proportional modelling lamp, the modelling lamp is useless. With me, modelling lamps are either at full power or turned off.
 
Yeah I'm aware of that Garry, I was responding to the guy who suggested using them in place of a meter, it's not really a great solution. TBH they're often so pants I just eyeball position and leave the modelling lights off unless the ambient lights are so invasive that they have to be switched off, then I use the modelling lamps to illuminate the working area :D
 
Garry Edwards said:
Used correctly, they can provide very useful info, and exposure decisions are based on the info they provide. Sadly, many people don't use them correctly and also don't understand their limitations.

Having said that, I now use my meter less and less, although when very precise exposure is needed for still life shots, I always use my meter.

I don't really get the bit about working out ratios, but maybe that's because I light to create effect and impact, and don't see the point of lighting to a ratio
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I like this answer...
Handheld incidence meters don't tell you anything that the built in reflectance meter doesn't. They just do it "differently" and with different considerations/errors. They *can* tell you ratio to ambient or for multiple lights, but that's not really needed either if you know your lights and the basics of power/distance (inverse square/inverse double) and how "building up" lighting works.

If I were to give them one significant advantage (for certain people/situations) it might be that an incidence meter can help you set up your lighting/exposure *before* you start working with your subjects and without additional help (a stand-in)... I suppose that could be seen as "professionalism."

I don't use them anymore (died, never replaced). But if it works for you, have at it...
 
sk66 said:
Handheld incidence meters don't tell you anything that the built in reflectance meter doesn't.
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They tell me that my white bg is exactly 1.3 over key, which my histogram doesn't. Or that I have an even illumination over 30m wide area.

But again, each to their own. To some, that's unimportant or even irrelevant.
 
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juggler said:
I thought I was unique in being unable to translate modelling lights to the flashed result.
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You're not unique at all, nobody can do it unless they
a. Work in a totally dark room - which nobody is going to want to do
b. INTERPRET the very useful information provided by a modelling lamp, instead of actually taking it at face value.

And, just to make it even more complicated, most modelling lamps aren't in exactly the same position as the flash tube - this makes little or no difference if using something broad, like an umbrella or softbox, but can make an enormous difference with some light shapers such as focussing spots, fresnel spots. There is one manufacturer who have addressed this problem by moving their flash tubes well forward of the normal position - a good idea on paper but they are vulnerable to accidental damage.
 
mike weeks said:
I have had a customer book me because they saw me using my new Sekonic 478, her words were along the line of somebody using something like that must know what they are doing

Mike
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I agree - thats why I have one - lol.....

If only they used AA batterys then 'd be really happy....
 
Diving Pete said:
I agree - thats why I have one - lol.....

If only they used AA batterys then 'd be really happy....
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You don't need a real one :D

It does make the point though, that clients are impressed by equipment. I don't think anybody should be surprised by that.
 
Phil V said:
A Minolta Autometer IIIf.

Often come up at less than £30, it's a better but older meter than the very popular Sekonic L308, I know there's a few forum members who have bought them at bargain prices.
Click to expand...
Picked one up from a fellow member for £20 posted.
Not had a chance to try it out yet though :)
 
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