PDA

View Full Version : wearing light meter



Thom Bennett
10-Jan-2015, 11:14
This may sound paranoid but...

I photograph in urban environments sometimes and, while I usually like to wear my light meter in a holster on my hip, I'm beginning to get concerned with it being perceived as a gun by either a muggle or a police officer. How do you/would you handle this? Just keep moving and deal with it or start keeping my meter off my person?

Then again it may deter some folks from approaching me if they think I'm packing heat. Hmmm.

William Whitaker
10-Jan-2015, 11:20
I'd stay home.

vinny
10-Jan-2015, 11:47
buy a holster, put it in that.

Bruce Osgood
10-Jan-2015, 12:02
Perhaps wear it in the front where no cop or thief would wear a holster.

John Kasaian
10-Jan-2015, 12:26
I hang mine from around my neck, along with my focusing loupe. I can see where that might be an attractive crime of opportunity in urban areas so I usually avoid those kinds of locations.
As far as a cop confusing a light meter for a pistol, if it really bothers you, paint you light meter with neon paint to identify it as a non-weapon.
Of course, that also identifies you as "easy pickings" for muggers!

William Whitaker
10-Jan-2015, 12:43
Perhaps wear it in the front where no cop or thief would wear a holster.

Oh, like a chest holster?

If it is perceived as a weapon, it doesn't matter whether it actually looks like one or not or what color it is. People have been shot dead because somebody (cop or otherwise) thought it was a weapon when it fact it was a cell phone or other innocent item.

Maybe you could hire an assistant and let them handle the metering for you.

Michael Graves
10-Jan-2015, 13:04
I've had police approach me about my Soligor 35mm Magnum. One of them actually laughed when I said, "Officers, I'm just reaching for my light meter. I will withdraw it slowly using only the tips of my fingers."

The other one didn't think it was so funny and called me a smartass. Are cops allowed to do that?

Ari
10-Jan-2015, 13:12
Maybe you could hire an assistant and let them handle the metering for you.

I could see going through a few assistants in rapid succession that way.
Or somebody giving you grief? "Hey, why don't you do my metering for me in rougher parts of the city?"

Heroique
10-Jan-2015, 13:15
If anyone on this forum, at any time, has ever been approached by a cop, or wildlife officer, due only to his meter's resemblence to a gun, it would be instructive for all of us to hear more.

I've never read a post where this actually happened, but there might be one?

I remember only jokes and suspicions about the possibility.

Michael Graves
10-Jan-2015, 13:20
If anyone on this forum, at any time, has ever been approached by a cop, or wildlife officer, due only to his meter's resemblence to a gun, it would be instructive for all of us to hear more.

I've never read a post where this actually happened, but there might be one?

I remember only jokes and suspicions about the possibility.

I wasn't joking. However, the officers were professional and courteous and I much prefer justifiable caution over crazed gunmen walking the streets. There are enough crazed photographers. And the other officer was right. I was being a smartass.

Tin Can
10-Jan-2015, 13:21
Sell that holster to Drew. Only kidding Drew!

But no way in Hell would I wear anything that resembles a gun, orange or not in a holster anywhere except the back of beyond and even there it is not a good idea.

Or is this a weak excuse to reopen the recently deleted thread?

Heroique
10-Jan-2015, 13:32
I wasn't joking. However, the officers were professional and courteous and I much prefer justifiable caution over crazed gunmen walking the streets. There are enough crazed photographers. And the other officer was right. I was being a smartass.

I guess your "Soligar 35mm magnum" reference made it sound more humorous than real.

If you can say why the policemen approached you, the rest of us might take away a useful tip about field behavior in certain environments.

For example, did they spot your meter from their squad car, and approach you only for this reason? Or maybe someone reported you? After this experience, is your behavior different now?

Tin Can
10-Jan-2015, 13:36
Here we go again. :(

Leszek Vogt
10-Jan-2015, 13:49
@OP

There is no necessity that your holster has to resemble any sort of 'heat' being packed. I have a meter in a small rectangular case (Spectra) that goes on my belt and I never experienced any issues connected to it.


Les

John Kasaian
10-Jan-2015, 13:56
I think this is a good topic.
LEO's aren't trained in light meter ID so something in a holster would or wouldn't be perceived as a possible weapon (although this could apply to cell phones and other electronic devices as well!) If it can be perceived as a weapon it should get an officer's attention.
Officer's can and do make mistakes. That's a fact.
But so do we all.
How to avoid needless tragedy is very worthy topic (if we can keep it from getting political)

jp
10-Jan-2015, 14:19
http://www.sneakypeteholsters.com/beretta-nano-sneaky-pete-holster-belt-loop/

This company heavily advertises their holsters which have the appearance of phone/phablet/pda cases. It's wise of LEO to think there is no particular shape for a pistol holster these days.

Without getting political, people in rural areas are generally more receptive to the appearance of being armed, and I'd keep that in mind.

Bruce Barlow
10-Jan-2015, 15:03
Get a cheap canvas carpenter's apron, and store it in a pocket. If the meter has a strap, tie it to the apron strings, short enough so the meter doesn't hit the ground should it fall out. The other pocket fits 4x5 holders.

Or, get a cheap camera bag for a point-and-shoot, and use that.

I have my cheap bag attached to the apron, and use the pockets for holders.

Jerry Bodine
10-Jan-2015, 23:33
...I have my cheap bag attached to the apron, and use the pockets for holders.

Or ammo clips? :rolleyes:

Bruce Barlow
11-Jan-2015, 03:47
Or ammo clips? :rolleyes:

Grenades...

StoneNYC
11-Jan-2015, 19:15
This is my light meter....

127943

It's way too heavy to wear around my neck. Although I do shoot in urban areas, I have had no trouble with police, however if I really thought that this would be an issue what I would consider doing is wearing a very small standard camera like a 35mm that I normally wouldn't really be using, and do this with it....

(Fortresses of this example I just grabbed the closest camera which is not 35mm but you get the idea)

127944

Now it's obviously a camera gear of some kind...

127945

I would suggest this approach. I've used this when hiking with a pack when actually using the belt loops for the meter got in the way of the pack.

Now you all know what I look like, hope I didn't blind anyone haha.

dsphotog
11-Jan-2015, 20:15
The most risky are the Pentax & Soligor Spot meters, in a Zone VI leather holster, worn on a waist belt.
I've always thought they resembled a holstered weapon.

Larry Kellogg
11-Jan-2015, 20:17
This may sound paranoid but...

I photograph in urban environments sometimes and, while I usually like to wear my light meter in a holster on my hip, I'm beginning to get concerned with it being perceived as a gun by either a muggle or a police officer. How do you/would you handle this? Just keep moving and deal with it or start keeping my meter off my person?

Then again it may deter some folks from approaching me if they think I'm packing heat. Hmmm.

Hello Thom,

I've been tempted to get that holster but will not wear it in New York City, as I'm also concerned that it will be mistaken for a gun. I wind up sticking the Pentax spot meter into my jacket or pants pocket, which is kind of a pain. Someone saw me using that meter once and asked if I had gotten any good photographs, I said "Not yet!". At least they didn't run in the other direction. I also have one of those little Pocket Spots that looks like a pager. http://meteredlight.blogspot.com and is no longer made. I should probably use that one more often but I've kind of been saving it for when the TravelWide shows up.

StoneNYC
12-Jan-2015, 00:19
Hello Thom,

I've been tempted to get that holster but will not wear it in New York City, as I'm also concerned that it will be mistaken for a gun. I wind up sticking the Pentax spot meter into my jacket or pants pocket, which is kind of a pain. Someone saw me using that meter once and asked if I had gotten any good photographs, I said "Not yet!". At least they didn't run in the other direction. I also have one of those little Pocket Spots that looks like a pager. http://meteredlight.blogspot.com and is no longer made. I should probably use that one more often but I've kind of been saving it for when the TravelWide shows up.

I've gotten that question when using my spot meter also.... I also said "not yet" and the guy looked very confused Haha

Drew Wiley
13-Jan-2015, 09:48
Just take up a photo career in Texas, where everyone has something strapped to their hip. Then get one of those camera bag slings with lots of little loops on it
for canisters, so you can look like Pancho Villa. ... But don't try that in any inner city around here. Your "darkroom" would be full of light leaks awful fast.

Doremus Scudder
17-Jan-2015, 15:09
How do you carry your camera? Certainly you have a bag or a pack or the like. Just put your meter in there and take it out as needed to meter.

FWIW, I do "urban photography" out of a rolling backpack (which I carry or roll depending on circumstances) and my Pentax spot meter simply lives in its case in the pack along with the camera, lenses, filters, etc. I take it out to meter and, when holding it to my eye, it is hard to mistake for a firearm.

When hiking/doing rural/landscape work, I carry my gear in a combination of lumbar pack and fly-fishing vest. The meter is tethered to the vest and lives in a side pocket on the vest. Still no problems.

I tried the holder once, and that was enough for me. It was awkward, in the way when hiking in brush or narrow canyons and not nearly as easy to get to as one might think.

Best,

Doremus

Drew Wiley
19-Jan-2015, 14:52
A holster doesn't get along with a pack waistbelt either. I gave up on them a long time ago.