The light meter is one of the critical devices for photographers who always want to produce premium photos. This vital element gives you exact details about lighting so that you can set your exposures correctly. If you’re going to calculate the luminosity of a particular scene precisely, you need to learn how to do it correctly. In a number of lighting conditions, the computerized measurer inside your camera can and is fooled. Handheld Light Meters can mitigate camera meter issues and help monitor your exposures.
Photography lighting is not only critical for an image but also an essential component of the job of a photographer. A light meter will dramatically enhance the role by evaluating the exposure settings. Like most in-camera meters track the total exposure condition, a handheld light meter allows you to individually measure the subject, the context, and the ambient light.
Why Is Light Meter Important?
Modern cameras have integrated light meters to allow photographers without a separate device to take well-exposed photographs. This integrated circuit works very well in most of a photographer’s situations. Not only that, in the post-production, but you can also tweak the lighting, but there are few photography genres that only camera readings and post-production are enough. Such as product photography. You cannot get the perfect light with an inbuilt camera set up or with the eCommerce image editing service in post-processing.
Nevertheless, a handheld light meter is for a hugely successful job. The task is to accurately evaluate light levels and attach them to shutter and opening settings to create an adequately displayed image even under the harshest lighting conditions.
There is a small dynamic range in all cameras – which we can record with a certain maximum and minimum brightness level. Using a portable light meter, you can see precisely where the bright and dark areas are. It will tell you exactly which parts of the picture are too light or dark to be accurate. With this knowledge, you can recognize essential areas of an image or tell us when to use highly dynamic technology to extend the dynamic range of the camera.
How Many Types of Light Metering Are There?
Well, in this article, we are talking about handheld light meters, but you should know that the DSLR you are using, it also has light meters built in it. So why do we need to use an extra one? Because the in-built camera light meters cannot give you full control over it. A light meter is different from how it can be moved, and its only function is to calculate the light. A handheld light meter detects two separate forms of light meters. One is an incident, and the other is reflective.
The reflective light meter is the one that is inbuilt to your camera, and the incident light meter is a handheld light meter. The measurements of an incident are measured with a hand meter and are much more precise. Your visibility is exceptional if you read the incident correctly. Reflective reading, but on the other hand, need your camera’s understanding.
How To Use A Light Meter For Photography?
First of all, let’s know some basic things about using a light meter in photography. Switch your camera to manual mode and choose your desired ISO and aperture before you start with the light meter. After that, switch the knob around the white dome and make it protrude. Then set the ISO and the aperture of your light meter the same as you have set to your camera. Now bring your light meter in front of your subject and keep the white dome facing towards your camera and press the measure button to measure the photography lighting.
The light meter reads the right shutter speed for your desired shot instantly. Make sure your camera is set to the priorities of manual mode or shutter and then adjust the shutter speed to the specified read. Once the light switches, you don’t have to do a new script, and you can shoot again without thinking about your presentation. Alternatively, it would be best if you center yourself and your composition.
You may need to use the light meter differently for landscape photos and portrait photos. All you need to get a very accurate expose for landscape images is an incidence meter. The easiest method is to place the light meter in front of the camera to make sure that the same light falls through the scene. Click on the meter button. See the meter readings and adjust the shutter and aperture of your camera to suit. You’ve now set your camera to view your scene accurately.
