Do you need a spot meter?

[PBimages]

Well I screwed up yesterday, so I will start a new thread explaing what I did and the resulting results!

[timparkin]

But he insisted that what I was about to do was no good and that ideally I required a Spot Meter!

It depends on how accurate you want to measure highlight and shadow range. I use Velvia 50 to take landscape photographs and I don't want to block up shadows or blow highlights.

I don't think I could guess how many stops above and below an incident reading are in a scene to within half a stop hence I use a spot meter. If I was using black and white film, I would feel confident of getting a results without metering at all (for most situations) and I would get acceptable results using an incedent meter. If I was using negative film, I could get away with an incident meter but, personally, would want to use a spot meter..

Tim

[Bruce Barlow]

If you REALLY want to be hot, walk the world for a morning with just your meter - any kind - set for your typical film's ISO. Meter different conditions and note the indicated exposure.

F'rinstance, today out my New Hampshire window, we have hazy sky. Tri-X, 320, 1/60th at f16, down a stop from typical NH bright sun because of the cloudy haze. No meter required.

The point: learn to judge exposure without using a meter. It takes at most a morning, and is actually a lot of fun as you discover the world looking in a different way. Don't bring a camera (unless you're using the meter in a camera), because it's too much of a distraction.

You'll end up more sensitive to light and to the world, and won't despair when your meter - any kind of meter - falls in the beaver pond.