[Imperial]

Wut?

Wut you using???

Wut kind of software U using to implement the data?

Say?


Imperial

[drphoto]

I have a Minolta Spotflash IV and a Minolta Autometer IV for incident reading. Frankly w/ digital it's almost easier to just fire off a few shot and adjust lighting visually. I'll still rough in lighting setups w/ the incident meter, but I don't think the spot's even been out of the storage cabinet in years.

Not sure what you mean by software to use w/ a meter.

[Imperial]

Well. I've read that you got these software programs to compensate so that you by using a re-build + light meter data get
a data-file that basically is the real environment that the picture was TAKEN WITH + subjective  mods of course!!!

You got your monitor, calibrated + jpeg+raw +light meter data = best possible picture!!!

Something like that. This I gathered after the salesman talked about this combo!!

Imperial

[ooheadsoo]

Sounds like a great salesman 

[Imperial]

Does nobody use light meters?

Imperial

[ooheadsoo]

I use the one built into my camera...

[SET Man]

Hey!

   Yes, I still use my light meter. A trusty Minolta VF

   Even though I shoot mostly digital today I still like to carry my light meter around. Mostly I use it when using external studio flashes type. But even when I shoot with DLSR only and without external flash I still like to carry it with me. I find is fast to just take it out from the pouch on my belt and take a reading first. And this is very useful in a condition of which is hard to see LCD accurately like when I'm outside in a bright sunny day.

   As for the light meter. I've seen newer light meter like Seckonic where you could connected to computer to calibrated it to match your DLSR's ture ISO rating. Well, not all DSLRs ISO rating is accurate, but mostly these are older DSLRs. Most new DSLRs today ISO rating seems to be very accurate. So, I don't know if this is a big deal now.

   Talk about Minolta meter. They are still made today by Kenko.



   And yes, I believe there is a feature on this like my Minolta VF meter of which you could fine tuning the measurement +/- to match your need.

   However for most people with DSLR handheld light meter is not needed

Take care,
Buddy

[nathanm]

My Sekonic L-758DR meter came with some sort of computer software—something about calibration.  It didn't really interest me so I never bothered with it.  Maybe it's a cool thing, but it gave me the same willies I get from monitor pucks.  Many hours of computer stroking only to arrive two inches away from where you started, which was plenty good.

Wanting to meter correctly and get it right the first time makes more sense when you're shooting film because you can't see what you got right away.  But for available light shots with internally-metered digital I don't see the need.  There's only a finite amount of settings which will be in the ballpark anyway.

[Imperial]

  Shouldn't all digital cams then have the exact same white balance regardless of price and make?
Seeing as a separate meter is regarded as simply not needed..

I guess I need to learn more than I know now 

Recommend me a good starter book on digital photo art and the low down on the do's and how's.. !!!
I guess I wanna learn it!

Edit: I found this vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfKzY4wMixQ&feature=related Is this dude "spot" on or what... 
Anyway, sounds interesting!

Imperial

[JohnR]

I'm overdue to get a light meter - I will probably get the cheaper Sekonic. However I think a higher priority is figuring out how to use white balance cards. Maybe I will see if I can get one this week (I'm in Toronto, BTW)

[lazydays]

I'm overdue to get a light meter - I will probably get the cheaper Sekonic. However I think a higher priority is figuring out how to use white balance cards. Maybe I will see if I can get one this week (I'm in Toronto, BTW)

I bought an Expo Disc to help me setup the white balance in some odd light conditions. I think it was almost a waste of time whenI look back on it. A white sheet of type writer paper probably would have worked just as well.
gary

[SET Man]

I'm overdue to get a light meter - I will probably get the cheaper Sekonic. However I think a higher priority is figuring out how to use white balance cards. Maybe I will see if I can get one this week (I'm in Toronto, BTW)

I bought an Expo Disc to help me setup the white balance in some odd light conditions. I think it was almost a waste of time whenI look back on it. A white sheet of type writer paper probably would have worked just as well.
gary

Hey!

    I see... I was curious about that Expo Disc thingy but haven't try it yet. It is not cheap to start with.

    Well, I'm still doing it the old fashion way. With shots that need high color accuracy I use a color checker chart as reference and color temp adjustment on my DSLR for later color correction. Of course when it come to shooting on the run I just have to rely on my eyes and the DSLR's LCD and do color correction later.

   I don't know... it is interesting but I doubt that it will totally eliminate the color correction later all together. 

Take care,
Buddy