Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/12/22

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Subject: [Leica] Incident light: A Question & More
From: Arthur Leyenberger <larthurl@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 1999 11:52:21 -0800 (PST)

2 questions regarding light/light meters.....

1) thinking about getting an incident meter and maybe
a spot meter. I played with a Sekonic 508 at a camera
store last weekend. It is digital, incident, and spot
(1-5 deg.). Any comments on this meter from people
using it or lusting after it :)
Don't recall seeing it mentioned on the light meter
thread a couple of weeks ago. I currently use an
inexpensive match needle Sekonic L-188 Auto Leader.
Since B&H will get a liitle over $400 of my
hard-earned cash, I'd like to make this light meter
decision just once.

2) regarding incident readings - Is it true, even with
incident readings, that you still have to open up with
lighter objcts and close down with darker objects? So
the advantage then is simply more accurate readings?
I guess I don't see how this is any better than a spot
meter reading the important part of a scene, and then
you adjusting open/close based upon whether metered
part of scene is ligter or darker than 18% gray.

Now, with reflectinve meter, I either try to meter
something close to 18% gray (like a gravel driveway)
OR I meter the scene and guess-timate up or down based
on lightness/darkness of the most important element of
the scene.

Am I confused (that's another question) and how will
my technique differ with an incident meter?

thanks, as usual.
.....Art (NJ)


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