About Camera Light Meters

Depending on what type of camera, light meters are in-camera or hand held. For creative and professional photographers, light meters are important tools. It can be said that photographers capture light rather than a subject. In order to adjust aperture and shutter speed, it is necessary to know the nature of a subject's luminosity. Light meters gauge luminosity by either reflective light or by incident light methods.

Significance

Camera light meters, also called exposure meters, provide valuable information for photographers. Light meters only measure the intensity of light, and do not evaluate light as light or dark. When a photographer knows how luminous a subject is, he can proceed to determine what aperture and shutter speed settings he will use. If, for example, light reflected from a subject is intense, a photographer may want to adjust the aperture setting to dim the effect of the light or he may want to capture the light as it reads on the light meter. In that case, the photographer will set set aperture so that the quality of the light is exposed to the film as closely as possible to its reading. shutter speed will be similarly adjusted. A faster shutter speed allows less light to expose the film than a slower speed.

Function

To use a hand held light meter, enter the film speed into the meter. That information is on the film box. Once the film speed is entered and the meter is held to the subject, adjust the meter's dials to match the meter's reading. Aperture and shutter speed readings are paired on the meter, any pairing will allow in the same amount of light. All settings are set according to middle gray on the gray scale. If photographing in black and white, middle gray is a mid-point for determining how the final print will show shades of gray. To make a subject that registers as middle gray darker, expose the film to less light and vice verse.

Types

A hand held meter will gauge specific points on a subject or scene. This allows for adjusting camera settings according to the specif area being photographed. An in-camera meter will equalize a light reading by measuring the luminosity of every object toward which the camera is pointed. As with most photographic adjustments, the photographer needs to determine her purpose, what she wants the final print to communicate. Some camera light meters are wide-angle that read a wide area. Other meters can read spot (reflective) or incident (light falling on a subject) light readings and some light meters offer digital readings for suggested settings.

Considerations

Going in, the photographer must decide what kind of photograph he wants. Does he want to record the light falling on or reflecting off of a subject as accurately as possible? Perhaps the photographer wants the print to communicate a message. In that case, the photographer will know that a light meter provides a jumping off point for creativity. What type of meter will best suit the photographer's aim? Will an in-camera meter suffice or is more control and specificity necessary and, therefore, is a hand held meter better? It is important to know that camera light meters vary because there is no industry standard for middle gray. Other considerations include asking if the final print is black and white or color? While either format can be creative, each has its own adjustments for manipulating light.

Benefits

The benefits for using a light meter are obvious. Light readings offer a place from which the photographer can move in order to create an intended print and message. Light meters give specifications for camera aperture and shutter speed settings, giving a photographer another point from which to fine tune camera settings. Depending upon the type of meter one uses, the possibilities for photographing landscapes or portraits bring more opportunities for creativity or the ability to make accurate photographic records. Since photography is a record of light and a photographer's vision of the way light interacts with subjects, light meters are indispensable instruments for successful photography.

Resources

• Light Meters for Classic Cameras
• In-Camera vs. Handheld Light Meters
• Tutorials: Camera Metering & Exposure